Trading Up: A Seller’s Guide

Sooner or later, every boat owner faces the Big Decision: Shall I keep my boat running for one more year…or is it time to Trade Up?

Sometimes, you and your family simply outgrow your current rig. Sometimes the lure of the latest and greatest technology, designs or power plants becomes irresistible. Sometimes, the benefits of buying a new boat outweigh the cost of fixing your old one. And, unfortunately, some people decide to just get out of boating for various personal reasons.

Whatever the reason, when that Big Decision comes, Duncan’s Boats stands ready to help. Our boat brokerage sells a lot of used and traded-in boats every year. We know all the ins and outs of the boat business, and we believe we can get you top dollar for your boat, either on a sale or a trade.

To begin, we recommend you fill out our TRADE FORM. With that information about your current boat, we can make some recommendations and help you begin the process to move up into a new one.

Here’s why we think you should consider using Duncan’s Boats brokerage services:

The Dealership Advantage. Buyers naturally gravitate to dealers when looking for a boat. As a Certified Dealership, we give potential buyers the confidence that we will operate professionally and legally (as compared to buying privately from an individual). Also, active buyers will often come in looking at new boats, and then inquire if we have any similar used models on sale.

Expertise. Duncan’s Boats has been brokering used boats since 1970. We know everything about boats, have sold thousands and know how to get top dollar for yours.

Marketing. As a dealer, we have access to numerous marine advertising and marketing resources, both local, regional and national. We utilize websites, social media, boat show contacts and more to put your boat in front of potential buyers.

Sales Preparation. We’ll do an exhaustive sales evaluation of your craft and work with you to determine a sales price that we think will quickly move your boat. We’ll keep your boat at our dealership (with no storage fees) and keep it spotlessly clean (clean boats sell faster). And since our dealership is located right on the Ashley River, we can get a buyer out on the water for a demo quickly and easily.

Financing/Insurance. Duncan’s Boats can offer its own in-house financing and insurance options to buyers, helping make the process work swiftly and seamlessly.

Hassle-Free Process. We take care of all of the details so that you do not have to deal with the hassle of selling your boat. We’ll find, meet, and pre-qualify buyers, demonstrate and sell them your boat and help arrange financing, title transfers and closing. You’ll never need to take time off work or deal with potential buyers.

The fine print (writ large)

Things you should know if you choose Duncan’s Boats to broker your boat:

We charge a commission of 10% of the sale price of your boat (minimum brokerage fee is $2,000).

As a general rule, we prefer to broker boats that are less than 10 years old. Once we sell a boat for you, any issues that arise will be our problem, not yours.

We also reserve the right to accept for brokerage only the types of boats we normally sell: family runabouts, cruisers, deckboats, center consoles and bay boats.

After we evaluate your boat, we will often recommend fixes or improvements–both mechanical and cosmetic–that will help you obtain top dollar for your boat.

We will provide you with a brokerage agreement which contains all the legal language. You should read and understand it before proceeding.