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Yachting

How Much Do Yacht Brokers Make? Salary & Commission Breakdown

Yacht brokers are commission-only in most firms. Their income depends entirely on deal volume, vessel price, and their brokerage split. Here is what the numbers actually look like.

The Short Answer

A yacht broker in their first two years typically earns $30,000–$70,000. A mid-career broker with an established client base earns $80,000–$150,000. A top producer handling $10M+ in annual vessel sales can earn $200,000–$400,000+. The ceiling is high because deal sizes are large — but the floor is also low because there is no base salary.

The Commission Math on a Typical Deal

The standard yacht broker commission is 10% of the sale price, split between the listing broker and the selling broker. Each side gets 5% of the sale price gross. That gross is then split with the brokerage — typically 55% to the brokerage, 45% to the broker.

On a $500,000 vessel as the selling broker: gross commission = $25,000 (5% of sale price). After 55/45 brokerage split: you take home $11,250.

On a $1,500,000 vessel as the selling broker: gross = $75,000. Take-home: $33,750.

Model any vessel size instantly with the yacht broker commission calculator.

How Many Deals Does a Yacht Broker Close Per Year?

New brokers typically close 3–6 deals in their first year while building a book of business. Mid-career brokers close 8–15 deals per year. Top producers can close 20–40 deals annually, especially if they specialize in a specific vessel type or price range with repeat clients.

At 10 co-brokered deals per year on $600,000 average vessel price, a broker at a 55/45 split earns approximately $135,000 in annual take-home commission.

In-House Deals Pay Double

When a broker represents both the buyer and the seller (an in-house deal), they earn both the listing and selling side — effectively doubling their commission on that transaction. On a $500,000 vessel, an in-house deal nets approximately $22,500 instead of $11,250. Many brokers focus on building both listing inventory and buyer relationships specifically to maximize in-house deal flow.

Yacht Broker Salary vs. Real Estate Agent Salary

Real estate agents close more deals at lower prices. Yacht brokers close fewer deals at much higher prices. The per-deal earnings in yachting are typically 3–5x higher than residential real estate on equivalent sale prices, primarily because the 10% yacht commission rate is nearly double the 5–6% real estate rate.

See a full industry-by-industry comparison of commission rates and splits.

Project your annual yacht broker income → Use the free commission calculator with annual projector