LEE MARINE COMPANY PROFILE:

BROKERAGE DIVISION:

Since selling the first boat some 13 years ago, Lee Marine has been one of the most active brokerages in Asia. 

This month its the turn of Andrew de Bruin, Senior Broker, to give us his thoughts on the brokerage market in Thailand.

 

Q1. How is the market at present?

The brokerage  department has always been busy from the day I joined the  company in  2003. Having said that, it would appear that the last couple of months and the foreseeable future hold out a promise to be absolute  record breakers both in terms of numbers of sold boats and the total value. So I’d have to say that the market at present is extremely strong.

Q2. Can you compare year on year with this time in 2009?

This time last year we were concerned at the impact of the financial crisis and were “battening down the hatches” a bit expecting the year to be fairly slow. In practice here in Thailand we rely very little on the availability of finance and so, apart from some people taking longer to make their decision, things kept rolling along very well. We are busier now than at beginning of 2009 and the last 12 months has certainly not slowed down.

Q3. What boats are selling or have been selling over the last year?

We are always selling a very large range of yachts with everything from small day sailors to large super yachts. The last year has seen an increase in the number of powerboats sold relative to sailing boats as more  local villa owners decide they need something that can get them out to Phuket’s outlying islands quickly.

Q4. What trends are you seeing developing in sale of pre-owned boats?

I guess the main trend is that the whole industry is becoming a lot more professional. There have always been the few “cowboy” brokers and there always will be but they don’t tend to last very long as they get no repeat business. At Lee Marine we pride ourselves on the level of service we provide to both buyers and sellers and, because of that, we often end up seeing the same boats and faces time and time again. I think the record stands at 6 sales of the one boat over 12 years to different owners. The industry here in  Thailand is maturing very fast which is an excellent thing for all concerned.

Q5. What types of people are now buying? Is this markedly different from a year ago?

The market has shifted back to normal now whereas a year ago there were some people very keen to sell for reasons that had nothing to do with the yacht and, at the same time, there were other people thing that they may as well put their work on hold for a year or two and go cruising! We are back now to buyers and sellers with a longer term point of view I think.

Q6. How does Thailand compare to other neighboring Asian countries for the buying and selling of pre owned boats?

I have not had too much experience in the neighboring countries but, from what I have seen, Thailand is pretty similar. The main buyers up until recent years have been the expatriate community as they have known boating as a leisure activity from home. However we are seeing an increasing number of Thai buyers entering the market and I believe this is a similar situation in other countries around the region. Definitely a good thing.

Q7. Any advice for owners looking to list their boats? Tips for success?

There are a host of things that a vendor can do to make his or her boat stand out from the crowd. The main thing is to provide your broker with as much information about the boat as possible. This includes full inventory details as well as a bit of history of the yacht. When it comes time for us to take photos please make sure that she is ready and looking her best. It’s difficult to make any yacht with stains down the sides, washing hung up to dry, dirty plates in the sink etc look at all attractive. Another valuable tip is to clear away all your personal items. As an owner, you may love looking at all your little trinkets and souvenirs adorning the boat but, if anyone is serious about selling, take the time to present the boat as you’d like to step aboard as a buyer yourself. Clean, tidy, not completely covered by a stained awning with holes in it etc. All commonsense but its amazing how often we see it!

Q8. What makes Lee Marine different from other brokerage e.g. number of brokers, quality of team, experience?

There are many reasons why Lee Marine stands out but I guess the main one is that there is little “in house” competition between brokers. I have no problem handing one of my clients to one of the other brokers if I am not available or busy somewhere else. I am 100% confident that they will be looked after as well as if I were there. All the brokers have years and years of boating experience and, because of that, we rarely ever need to “sell” a boat. All we do it talk to people about yachts and use our experience to point buyers in the right direction. The yachts sell themselves to the right buyer

Q9. Can you give us a brief rundown of your own experience?

I started sailing as a child but never really did too much until I was studying electronics at university in South Australia. I began sailing at the CYC and competing in ocean races leading up to the two Sydney Hobart races I’ve done. Greece and Turkey were areas where I skippered charter yachts for a few seasons before coming back to Australia and working for Hamilton Island Charters and also  Vicsail in Sydney. I was involved in  sales and service on a wide range of boats there and also bought my own Swanson 36 in which my wife and I cruised up to Phuket over a couple of years. Having ended up here in Phuket I was skippering a steel 65’ schooner for a few years before Lee Marine sold her for the owner. I had to finally get a real job and leapt at the opportunity to work with Josh and Martin. That was almost 7 years ago and today I’m still sailing Awatea and also getting into dinghy sailing on a Tasar.