Should a Yacht Brokerage Go Public?
Recruit and Scale with Stock Options

How Stock Options and a Public Listing Can Help Build a High-Performance Luxury Sales Team

Yacht brokerage is one of the highest-ticket commission businesses in the world. But it’s also fragmented, local, and relationship-driven.

If you want to build a nationally or globally recognized yacht brokerage firm—recruit top sales professionals, retain elite brokers, and build a more valuable brand—going public could be the most effective growth strategy available to you.

The key is not raising money. The key is issuing stock options to turn elite brokers into equity-aligned partners who help you scale.

Why Go Public as a Yacht Brokerage?

You’re selling yachts worth hundreds of thousands—even millions—of dollars.

But most brokerages struggle with:

• Recruiting top talent
• Holding on to elite sales reps
• Building brand value beyond the founder
  
  

Going public allows you to:

• Offer equity to high-performing brokers
• Use stock options to retain producers over multi-year vesting periods
• Attract brokers from competing firms with a stronger upside story
• Differentiate your brand in a market full of boutique shops
  
  

With a public structure and a stock option plan, you can create a company where top brokers don’t just sell yachts—they build the business with you.

How It Works

1. Go public via direct listing—a faster and less costly path than a traditional IPO
2. Complete a small capital raise to qualify for listing and fund marketing or support infrastructure
3. Establish a 409A-compliant stock option plan to issue equity to top brokers
4. Create a recruiting program around performance-based equity awards
5. Build a nationally scalable brand in an industry where few firms ever make it out of their local market

Who This Is Right For

• Boutique or regional yacht brokerages doing $1M+ in annual commissions
• Former yacht brokers launching a platform or network
• Marine services entrepreneurs with a growth mindset
• Luxury lifestyle firms expanding into boat sales

Real-World Example: Building a National Yacht Brokerage

You operate a regional yacht sales firm in Florida. You:

• Have $3M in gross commissions annually
• Work with 7 experienced brokers
  
  

You go public. Raise $750K to support expansion. Offer stock options to all brokers based on deal volume and team referrals.

In 18 months:

• You grow from 7 to 25 brokers across 5 states
• You’ve retained all your top producers
• Brokers are referring talent and clients
• Your firm trades at 1–1.5× revenue as a public luxury sales platform
  
  

Now you're building a $30M–$50M valuation business—without M&A.

What It Costs

Most founders we work with spend about $20,000 to start the process, which covers:

• Legal structuring
• Cap table preparation
• Advisory on listing and equity plans

You’ll generally need to raise a small round to meet listing criteria and investor float requirements.

But your biggest advantage isn’t the money—it’s the ability to issue stock and build a broker-first, equity-driven brand.

What Success Looks Like

• A national team of brokers with skin in the game
• Recurring seller relationships and expanding inventory
• A differentiated platform in a luxury space
• Public listing status that enhances credibility with UHNW clients

Want to Explore This Further?

Our founder has taken four of his own companies public and helped dozens more follow that path. If you’re serious about building the most credible brand in the yacht industry—we can help you make it happen.