Yacht Buyer's Compass | Minted Yachts

The best brokerage inventory of 2026 won't hit the market in January. It's hitting now, in mid-December.

Sellers who want to close before year-end are listing this week. Sellers who want to avoid holiday showings are staging boats for January 2nd launches. And buyers who understand this pattern are scheduling viewings while everyone else is shopping for gifts.

Here's what's coming, and why the next four weeks matter more than the first quarter.

Three types of sellers list in December. First: tax-motivated owners who want the sale recorded in 2025. Second: upgraders who've already ordered their next boat with spring delivery. Third: lifestyle shifters—divorce, business sale, relocation—who need liquidity fast.

What they share: motivation. December sellers aren't testing the market. They're pricing to move.

I'm seeing 2019-2021 models in the 70-80ft range listed 8-12% below comparable spring inventory. Not because the boats are inferior, but because sellers know December buyers are scarce. That scarcity is your leverage.

January feels like peak season. Boat shows. New listings. Brokers back from holiday. But here's what the data shows: the best value boats close in December or early January, before the Fort Lauderdale show crowd arrives.

By February, you're competing with 40 other buyers on the same Azimut 72. In December, you're one of three serious inquiries.

A 44-year-old tech founder contacted me December 18th last year, budget $2.8M for his first yacht. Found a 2020 Sunseeker 76 listed at $2.65M—seller relocating to Europe, needed close by January 15th. Survey revealed minor cosmetic items, nothing structural. Negotiated to $2.52M with seller covering survey costs. Closed January 8th.

Lesson: December sellers trade price for certainty. January buyers trade certainty for selection. Know which matters more to you.

I'm tracking 14 yachts in the 65-85ft range scheduled to list between now and January 10th. Four are from repeat clients upgrading to 90ft+ models. Two are estate sales. The rest are owners who held through 2024 waiting for rate clarity and finally got it.

Expect heavy inventory in Azimut, Sunseeker, and Princess models from 2018-2021 vintage. These boats were ordered pre-pandemic, delivered during the boom, and now face owners who either use them constantly or barely at all. The latter group is listing.

If you've been waiting for selection to improve, it's improving now. If you've been waiting for urgency to cool, you're waiting for the wrong thing. Motivated sellers create better deals than crowded markets.

The inventory you'll see in January is being photographed this week. The deals you'll wish you'd made in March are available right now. December isn't the off-season anymore—it's the smart-money season.

Want to see what's coming before it's public? Let's talk about your timeline and target range.

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Minted Yachts | Fort Lauderdale, FL | [email protected]