Buying a superyacht is not a transaction you navigate alone. The market is opaque, the due diligence is complex, and the financial stakes make professional guidance not just useful but essential. Behind every significant superyacht sale is a specialist brokerage firm that represents either the buyer, the seller, or both, managing everything from the initial search and negotiation through to survey coordination, flag registration, and delivery.
2025 has been a strong year for the superyacht market. According to BOATPro data, 442 superyachts changed hands by the end of the year, surpassing the 392 sales recorded in 2024 and the 429 in 2023. The transactions ranged from new-build contracts and freshly delivered vessels to thoroughly refitted classic superyachts, spanning price points from the tens of millions to the historically significant.
The brokerages involved in these transactions are not interchangeable. Each brings different market relationships, geographic strengths, and specialist expertise. Understanding who the major players are and what they do is the starting point for any buyer entering the superyacht market.
Ocean Independence was among the brokerages active in several notable 2025 transactions, including the sale of the 49.8-metre Heesen new-build Project Orion, now christened Orion, handled by Anton Foord. The brokerage also represented the seller in the sale of the 49.9-metre Heesen motor yacht Book Ends, with Thom Conboy and Chris Collins acting on that transaction. Ocean Independence operates as a full-service yacht brokerage covering sales, charter, and new construction, with an international presence across key yachting markets.
Edmiston was one of the most active brokerages across the year's largest transactions. The firm handled the sale of Breakthrough, the 118.8-metre Feadship and the world's first hydrogen superyacht, in a deal described by the brokerage as the most significant in its history. Chief executive Jamie Edmiston represented the seller while sales broker Alex Busher represented the buyer. Edmiston also handled the sale of the 83.5-metre Feadship Savannah, the 74-metre Amels motor yacht New Secret in an in-house deal, the 75.8-metre Feadship One, now renamed Les Cinq, and the in-build 49.5-metre Feadship Project Fun.
Burgess appeared across multiple transactions as both a selling and buying broker. The firm acted as the buying broker in the sale of Les Cinq, and co-represented the seller of the 78.4-metre Abeking & Rasmussen motor yacht Amaryllis alongside Merle Wood & Associates and Moravia Yachting. Burgess also closed the sale of the 60.1-metre Amels Stella Mi with Richard Lambert representing the seller.
Moran Yacht & Ship secured one of the year's headline new-build contracts with Project Omega, a 122.5-metre Lürssen superyacht sold in March with delivery scheduled for 2029. The deal marked the firm's twenty-fifth new-construction project with the German shipyard and its second build for the same owner, following the 122-metre Kismet.
Moravia Yachting co-represented the seller of Amaryllis and, through Adam Papadakis, represented the seller in the sale of the 65-metre Codecasa flagship Eternity.
IYC was involved in several transactions, including the sale of the 72-metre Admiral Giorgio Armani-designed superyacht, now renamed No Rush, with Michel Chryssicopoulos representing the seller and shipyard.
Fraser handled the sale of the 47-metre Sanlorenzo explorer yacht M, winner of the 2025 World Superyacht Awards trophy in its displacement class, with Dennis Frederiksen and Daria Pop of Fraser and David Westwood of TWW Yachts representing the seller.
Royal Yacht International featured across multiple deals, including introducing the buyer in the No Rush transaction and closing the sale of the 63-metre Benetti motor yacht Artisan alongside IYC.
Y.CO represented the buyer in the sale of Eternity, while Rupert Nelson of Burgess and J.D. Crawford of Fraser jointly closed the sale of the 55.8-metre Codecasa My Legacy.
The role of a superyacht brokerage extends well beyond matching buyers with available vessels. The most active firms maintain deep relationships with owners who are not actively marketing their yachts, giving buyers access to inventory that never appears on the open market. Many of 2025's largest transactions, including the sales of U-81, New Secret, and No Rush, took place off-market.
Once a vessel is identified, the brokerage manages the negotiation, coordinates the independent marine survey and sea trial, and works with maritime lawyers to handle title searches, flag registration, and the resolution of any outstanding liens. For new-build contracts, they oversee the construction process from contract signing through to delivery, managing the owner's interests across a timeline that can span several years.
The distinction between the broker representing the seller and the broker representing the buyer matters to the transaction outcome. A selling broker's primary obligation is to secure the best price for their client. A buying broker's obligation is to secure the best outcome, including price, for theirs. In major transactions, both sides are typically represented by separate specialists.
For buyers entering the superyacht market, the choice of brokerage is one of the most consequential decisions in the process. The right firm brings active market relationships, access to inventory beyond what is publicly listed, honest assessment of vessels against your brief, and the professional infrastructure to manage a complex, multi-jurisdictional transaction.
Market knowledge is the most important differentiator. The brokerages that handled the largest 2025 transactions did so because they had the relationships and the credibility to operate at that level. For buyers at any scale, the principle is the same: a specialist who knows the market deeply is not an optional extra. They are the foundation of a purchase that delivers what it promises.
The 2025 transaction record also illustrates how concentrated the top-tier brokerage market is. A relatively small number of firms handle a disproportionate share of the significant deals. Identifying which of those firms has the strongest presence in your target vessel category, size range, and preferred builder relationships is the most practical starting point for any serious superyacht buyer.
