Buying a boat in times of crisis

One year after the start of the health crisis, we take a look at the situation: price, condition of the boats, supply and demand, Internet, collaboration ... The second-hand market for motor boats in Europe and the Mediterranean basin has changed . So how do you buy a motor boat in times of crisis?

Confinement

Just over a year ago, the world stopped. This has suddenly changed the way we operate.

In the nautical world, the first consequence was quickly felt: the shipyards drastically reduced the sails. A very striking example was the massive layoffs by one of the most important French companies in the sector during the second half of 2020. At that time, this drop in production was not alarming, it was even quite consistent with the international scene. Today, therefore, the supply of new boats is less than usual.

On the other hand, we feel a real boom in the purchase of boats. Indeed, apart from the first and second month of total confinement (March and April 2020) when the requests were a little more timid, we have not stopped since. In Privilege YachtLike other colleagues and companies in our region, between the months of November and February we usually allow ourselves to breathe and organize the next campaign. Since last year, despite the absence of canceled boat shows and the implementation of various restrictions, the months have been the same. The mailbox fills up, the phone rings… Thank you!

Less supply (decrease in shipyard production), more demand (increase in the purchase of boats)… We “lack” boats. On the other hand, we all felt a slight price increase. To remedy this, we have adapted and improved the way we work.

Our day to day

Virtual visit, new buying behavior, mutual help between professionals, customer network ... What is our new daily life and how have we reacted?

We continue to sell boats and take care of them with the same dedication, sincerity and fairness. The big difference is felt especially in two areas: Internet and collaborators. In fact, we have further digitized our work, internally and externally. On the one hand, we have increased our presence on sales websites specialized in nautical as we have promoted advertising campaigns, online and offline. A paper example? You can find us under the plate of a local restaurateur, to also support him at this very special and hard time that the hospitality sector is going through. On the other hand, we digitize our work as we move forward: we have set up a platform between our technicians and our customers to better monitor maintenance and renovation. Finally, and after some doubts, we had the pleasure of successfully making the first virtual sales. We did not want to miss the opportunity to chat with you, and we can see that even the screens are not stopping us. The second big difference is found in the intensity of our exchanges with our collaborators. Since the beginning of Privilege Yacht, we have wanted to maintain a good relationship of trust with the nautical agencies of the Mediterranean basin. Thanks to this solid network, finding the boat that suits you best is almost child's play.

A new trend that we are seeing and that is taking hold is the search mandate, requested directly by our own clients. We have been thinking about it for some time and we do it case by case with a model that is completely adaptable to the situation. We look exclusively for your boat, we agree on a time and guarantees. A pleasure to work like this!

Marion's words

The used boat market is currently complex to understand for professionals in the sector. So what is it like for individuals? What I like most about my job is to understand my client's wishes and needs as well as possible and to advise and support him throughout his process, wherever he needs us. In the sailing world, as in many other fields, the best products fly while the not-so-good opportunities stagnate. Today, the pace picks up: the best opportunities go even faster. How to deal with this situation? With patience and surrounding yourself with trusted person (s) so as not to hastily buy anything, but on the contrary, respond without delay to the fair opportunity that presents itself.

Parallel to the “Fira del Vaixell d'Ocasió d'Empuriabrava” boat show, it is customary for Easter to catch up with our clients and organize the start of the season so that we do not all meet at the same time at the same place. This year we hardly needed to relaunch the movement. Between the new projects for bigger, more recent ones and the intense desire to get some fresh air… These next weeks are marked by the rhythm of the rise and fall of the Nautic Center crane and we are doing everything possible internally to be at the height of the task.