A Stronger Market Creates Better Opportunities for Buyers

Activity is returning to the brokerage market

There are encouraging signs that confidence is returning to the superyacht brokerage market. According to BOATPro, yachts worth €762.4 million changed hands during July 2026 across 52 transactions, compared with €291.1 millionand 32 sales during the same month last year. That represents an impressive 89.3 percent increase in sales value year on year.

While a single month is never enough to declare a sustained market recovery, it does reinforce what many brokers have been experiencing firsthand. Serious buyers remain active, quality yachts continue to attract attention, and well-priced opportunities are moving with increasing speed.

For buyers, this is an important reminder that timing and market access can make a significant difference.

Looking beyond the public listings

Many buyers begin their search by browsing the major brokerage websites, but those listings rarely tell the whole story. Some of the most attractive yachts are sold before they receive significant public exposure, while others are quietly marketed through established broker networks.

This is why buyers increasingly benefit from working with an adviser who actively searches across the market rather than simply presenting yachts already advertised online. Access to multiple brokerage networks, combined with independent advice and objective comparisons, can uncover opportunities that would otherwise be missed.

In a more active market, the advantage often belongs to buyers who are well prepared rather than simply well informed.

Cannes offers an ideal opportunity to assess the market

The next major event in the yachting calendar is the Cannes Yachting Festival, taking place from 8 to 13 September. This year’s show is expected to welcome more than 680 exhibitors, showcase around 700 boats and host almost 150 world premieres.

For brokerage buyers, the dedicated brokerage area will be particularly significant, with more than 45 yachts over 25 metres expected to be on display.

Events such as Cannes provide far more than an opportunity to step aboard beautiful yachts. They allow buyers to compare competing designs, understand pricing across different sectors of the market, meet shipyards and brokers, and gain valuable insight into current trends before making a purchasing decision.

Technology is becoming part of the buying decision

This year’s festival will also place greater emphasis on sustainability and electrification. Hybrid propulsion, improved energy management systems and advances in yacht efficiency are becoming increasingly relevant, not simply from an environmental perspective but also because they may influence operating costs, future resale values and long-term ownership.

As technology continues to evolve, buyers should consider not only what meets today’s requirements but also how a yacht is likely to perform in tomorrow’s marketplace.

Luxury is becoming more experiential

The yacht market is also benefiting from a wider shift taking place across the luxury sector. Bain research, cited by Reuters, forecasts spending on high-end experiences to grow by 9 to 11 percent during 2026, while traditional personal luxury goods are expected to see growth of only 1 to 4 percent.

Major luxury brands are responding accordingly. Companies such as Accor and LVMH are investing heavily in experience-led offerings, including projects such as the Orient Express luxury sailing yacht, recognising that many affluent clients increasingly value memorable experiences over additional possessions.

For the yachting industry, this represents a favourable long-term trend. A yacht is not simply an asset. It is a platform for travel, family, privacy and access to destinations that few other forms of luxury can provide.

The value of informed buying

A stronger brokerage market should not encourage rushed decisions. Instead, it highlights the importance of careful research, independent advice and access to the widest possible range of opportunities.

The right yacht is rarely identified by chance. It is found through experience, market knowledge and objective evaluation.

At Lomond Yachts, we represent buyers rather than inventory, searching across the brokerage market to identify the yachts that genuinely fit our clients’ requirements. Because buying a yacht should never be about choosing from what happens to be available. It should be about finding the right yacht.

The right yacht. The right advice.