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On The Seas With Yacht Broker David Seal

Arguably, David Seal is the world’s most well-known yacht broker. A team member with Northrop and Johnson, David is a pioneer in the YouTube marketing of yachts that only an extremely minor fraction of YouTube viewers can afford.

But David’s vision and efforts have paid off handsomely. His channel, Yachts For Sale , has already exceeded 11 million views, while viewership continues to increase, by virtue of 100,000 typical views per day.

There has been some criticism that marketing yachts to deca-millionaires and billionaires on YouTube is more “infotainment” than shrewd sales strategy. However, David has proven naysayers wrong many sales over. In fact, it is yacht owner fantasists that drive viewership, which, in turn, puts David’s videos at the top of search engines, such as Google. When billionaires search for yachts to buy, it is David’s yachts that appear at the top of the search results. Moreover, because billionaires also enjoy the simple pleasures of life, so too do they also enjoy perusing YouTube. They may have many assets, but time is one of their most precious assets. YouTube shopping helps prospective time-poor yacht owners hone-in on the yachts that they want to tour in person, wherever the yachts may be in the world.

Given David’s decades of yacht brokerage experience and his more recent Internet fame, Jim Simon for  Jetgala had a chance to go “on the seas with” David to ask him about his perception of current trends in the yacht industry as well as his predictions for the future.

When thinking about current trends in the yacht industry, it seems that the adoption of onboard technology is a key trend. Are there any specifics in tech that we can see now?

Environmentally friendly technology is hot right now. Diesel-electric propulsion is perceived to be environmentally friendly and as such, it is commercially successful.

People are increasingly cruising off the beaten track – Alaska, north of Norway, and the Galapagos, just to name a few. In some destinations, you must show that your yacht has limited emissions in order to pass through. Previously, emissions limited access to small yachts. However, we’re seeing larger displacement yachts like the 54M Mangusta “El Leon” calling on the Galapagos, which is now on its way to Alaska.

Are tastes in yachts changing?

Indeed. The market is thinning a bit on “go-fast” yachts. Instead, we are seeing greater demand for longer-range yachts.

We are also seeing more demand for “resort-style” yachts. For instance, Baglietto Yachts are finding that their customers want yachts where the sides open up to form a stylised beach club. The challenge with beach clubs, of course, is that they take the spaces that are traditionally used for tenders. In response, people are now towing smaller boats behind their yachts like a 108’ Mangusta that I filmed recently that tows a 27’ Goldfish RIB.

Here in Singapore, we have seen firsthand that some yacht owners who wished their current yachts to be larger commission yacht builders to build larger replicas. Is this a trend that you are seeing on a macro scale?

Yachts are definitely getting larger. In 1995, there was a trend for Ferretti Yachts, where there were seven to eight yachts, each 70–80ft long, in construction at the same time. Fast-forward to today and Lürrsen Yachts seem to have just as many 120–140m yachts in construction at the same time.

Bigger yachts mean more space, which often translates into a bigger pool and even a helicopter-landing pad.

What are yacht owners doing with their yachts when they’re not in use?

Most yacht owners will make their yachts available for charter, and many are turning charters into experiences with souvenir videos to take home. Take Arience, one of the most popular yachts available for charter at $750,000 per week. The service and décor are amazing, and the crew leverage on technology like GoPros to help capture customers’ entire experience, such as on WaveRunners, swimming in crystal clear waters, and more.

What are your predictions for the yacht industry?

We will definitely see electric yachts in the near future. Small electric boats exist already but they do not have the range that a yacht requires. Automotive is going that way; it may take a while but [electric yachts] will happen.

Another prediction is that the Chinese market will come on line. They’ve been buying yacht builders but not that many yachts. Soon, they will want their own.

Private jets are sometimes called “offices in the sky” because high-speed Wi-Fi allows executives to be productive while traveling. Do you believe that yachts will follow the same and be “offices on the seas” allowing executives to work and relax aboard their yachts?

It’s highly unlikely that this will happen. After all, yachts are for relaxing; not working, and they are a place to escape to.

Look before you leap:  Before making your next yacht purchase, check out David Seal’s comprehensive reviews on yachtsforsalechannel.com and youtube.com/user/YachtsForSaleCNI

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With a history in yachting that spans more than two decades, Northrop & Johnson Head of Video Production David Seal grew from developing English-language operation manuals for Ferretti yachts in 1994 to becoming sales manager of the CRN shipyard when Ferretti Group purchased it in 2001. He then moved on to yacht brokerage in 2006, where he quickly closed the sale of one of the world's largest new build yachts of the time (280 feet). David was one of the first yacht brokers to recognize and act upon the potential of digital marketing. In 2012, he developed his first unique yacht presentation video, distributed through a dedicated YouTube channel called "Yachts For Sale." Today the Yachts For Sale YouTube channel is used exclusively to promote yachts in the Northrop & Johnson fleet, and David uses his unique skillset to ensure that video content is produced in a way that brings the most effective results for our clients.

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YouTube star/superyacht broker David Seal reveals his £5m fantasy fleet

He sells multi-million dollar superyachts for a living and runs the popular YouTube channel Yachts for Sale, but what would David Seal spend £5m of his own money on?

During the mid 90s I moved to Italy and found myself teaching English to a yacht builder called Norberto Ferretti. He introduced me to his company, Ferretti Craft. … Read more

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Coronavirus | Opinions: Interview with one of the major yachting business influencers David Seal

[dropcap]W[/dropcap]ith the goal of collecting as many opinions as possibile from the yachting world, we have interviewed David Seal in order to help us have a clearer vision of what is going on globally and what we should expect in the following weeks, months and year.

With a history in yachting that spans more than two decades, Northrop & Johnson Sales Broker David Seal is today a real influencer in the sector. David was one of the first yacht brokers to recognize and act upon the potential of digital marketing. In 2012, he developed his first unique yacht presentation video, distributed through a dedicated YouTube channel called Yachts For Sale . He is now considered one of the leading experts in video marketing in the yachting industry; his productions have been watched by millions of people in over two hundred different countries.

SYD: David, you interact with yacht owners and potential clients every day, you are their first reference for the creation of their dreams’ boat. How is this emergency changing the meaning of ‘dreaming’?

DS:  “For some potential buyers the current crisis may mean that their dream has just become a little more distant, and they will have to work harder and longer in order to achieve it. The dream of yachting depends of course very much on one’s financial capacity, and there can no longer be any doubt that the virus has impacted the world economy. It would take a lot more than the coronavirus to make people stop dreaming of owning a yacht though, so I have no doubt that people will continue to do what they have to do to make their dreams come true”.

SYD: What kind of messages are you receiving from your clients in these days? Are they showing any distance from the interest in buying a yacht? Are they asking to postpone meetings and negotiations or not?

DS:  “Very few clients are walking away from negotiations on yachts at the moment, but most of them are asking for more time before they “pull the trigger” on a purchase. Everything seems to have been put on hold for a moment, while we take stock of the situation and see how quickly the crisis can be resolved”.

SYD: What do you expect from the Chinese market, do you think this emergency may have led to a closer distance between our cultures? Maybe, having shared a global drama may have brought to a a greater closeness of peoples’ lifestyles? Exactly, what can we forecast for this second quarter in terms of sales?

DS:  “I have never had much experience if any with the Chinese market. I doubt that this crisis will change international relations between China and other countries, and it is impossible for me to forecast second quarter sales I’m afraid”.

SYD: The nautical sector is made up of small numbers, it is not difficult to make estimates. In the same way, you will have been able to get an idea of ​​the economic impact of this current situation simply by looking at your agenda. What kind of consequences is this emergency having on your specific and personal business as a broker?

DS:  “Like many others I learned some life-changing lessons from the financial crisis of 2008. In my case I built up a stronger on-line presence that eventually led to my YouTube channel becoming a small business in itself. This has put me in  strong position to survive the current situation and come out the other side unaffected from a business perspective. I can still produce videos from my home office during the lockdown, and I am using the opportunity of having more time available to put a small team together that will allow me to face the rest of the year in a more organised and effective manner once the dust settles. With regards to the more direct business of selling yachts it is really too early to tell. I am hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. That is the best approach as a broker anyway, irrespective of coronavirus or other world events!”

SYD: “How the rich react to this challenge that the entire world is facing? Tom Hanks and wife tested positive for coronavirus. Is there a perception that this emergency can affect everyone, beyond social classes, power and purchasing power?

DS: “It certainly is affecting everyone, but there is no doubt that people who were already in a precarious financial position will be affected more severely. There is so much talk about treating people with the virus and potentially having to bail out industries such as airlines, I sincerely hope that at least as much attention is given to the large amount of people who’s mental health will be seriously aggravated by all of this as a result of the financial hardship it is creating”.

SYD: “The world does not wait. But if we all have to stop for a couple of months – and we hope it is for such a short period – what should we expect at the next Cannes and Monaco boat shows? Certainly after the cancellation/postponement of Dubai and Palm Beach Boat Shows, the first two yachting events in September will debut in great style surrounded by a global enthusiasm, also because they will have passed this period, let’s say, unscathed. Perhaps they will record a huge number of views as a consequence of the paralysis of these months opposed to a rediscovered freedom. What do you think about it?”

DS: ” Great Question! Clients will go to whichever Boat Show suits them from a geographical perspective, but I am curious to see how yacht builders will respond to having to attend one years worth of Boat Shows possibly in a six month period. I also believe that the Cannes and Monaco Shows will be hugely successful. They always are under normal circumstances, but this year promises to be exceptional for them”.

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With a history in yachting that spans two decades, David grew from developing English language operation manuals for Ferretti yachts in 1994 to becoming sales manager of the CRN shipyard when Ferretti Group purchased it in 2001, and then on to yacht brokerage in 2006, where he quickly closed the sale of one of the world’s largest new build yachts of the time (280’).

David was one of the first yacht brokers to recognise the potential of digital marketing, and in 2012 he published his first yacht video on a brand new YouTube channel, called “YACHTSFORSALE”. The video was of a Sunseeker Predator 82’ and David used his experience in acting and public speaking to present the yacht in a TV show style. This had never been done in yacht brokerage before, resulting in thousands of views and just as importantly, page 1 ranking of the video on Google.

Over the following years David continued to develop his catalogue of yacht videos and to learn the highly specialised field of YouTube search engine optimisation. Today, the YACHTSFORSALE channel has over 100,000 subscribers and is one of the most-watched yacht channels on the internet.

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