Matt Howard, our yacht broker, came highly recommended to us by close friends. He did not disappoint! His approach to the buying process from the beginning was exactly what I would hope for. He discussed what we were looking for in a boat and took that to provide a variety of boats to look at. He took notes each time to understand what resonated with us and what did not. We kept dialing in the right boat until we found our boat. Funny, but not surprising, is that it was not the boat we originally thought would be our match. It’s good yacht brokering that gets you to the right solution at the end. In addition, Matt kept us educated on the process along the way, gave us perfect recommendations as to how to approach the details of the buying process and made sure we found the right deal. Very well done!!
Mark and Terri, 2013 Lagoon 52'
My wife and I were brand new to boating and were not sure how to “navigate” the boat selection—based on our criteria—and purchasing process. We found Matt Howard (who is a former USCG Captain and been in the business for a long time). We are extremely grateful to Matt for not only guiding us to the right boat, but helping us negotiate the price as well as educating us on all the other unknown incidentals. Whether you are new to boating or an experienced boater, we HIGHLY recommend using Matt as your Certified Professional Yacht Broker.
Roger & Robin Shoemaker, Jeanneau NC895
We cannot say enough about our broker Matt Howard!
From the start of our journey looking for our dream boat all the way through the “closing” process, to include assistance with insurance, funding, future slip concerns, warranty work, winterization, the list goes on and on, Matt has been there for us. Maybe the most critical issue was not being co-located close to the boat, in fact on the complete opposite coast!
Matt is professional, honest, and always had our best interest at heart! Matt’s boating knowledge and advice have been priceless!
Thank you so much Matt, we truly appreciate everything you have done for us!! Let the “Stinger” adventure begin!
John and Julie, 2022 Beneteau Swift Trawler 41'
I recently sold my 2015 Back Cove and purchased a 2017 Sabre 42 within a matter of a few weeks of starting this process. I wanted to reach out and let you know how pleased I am with the performance of your staff.
Matt Howard represented me for both the sale of the Back Cove and the purchase of the Sabre. Matt was responsive to my needs, questions and concerns, while also keeping things real and in perspective. The Back Cove sold quickly thanks in part to Matt’s marketing efforts including accurate pricing, great photos, descriptive text and phone and email follow up. I fully understand the Back Cove is a popular boat but feel like we sold it quickly for a price that reflected the excellent condition.
Matt accompanied me to NY to sea trial the new boat. He was there the entire day and his advice was extremely helpful in assessing the quality. Fortunately, we had a very good boat to work with. Matt also attended to the somewhat quirky schedule our buyer had to work with. We took the buyer out on a sea trial and then the surveyor on a separate day. Matt’s help with these examinations was much appreciated. Finally, as luck would have it, I was in New York picking up the new boat when the buyer of the Back Cove wanted to load the boat on a truck at a local marina. So, Matt came and took the boat around to the travel lift for me. He handled a last minute issue with the trucker that would have turned into a major delay had Matt not been there.
Matt exhibits the honesty and integrity I would hope for in anyone who would work for me. I will strongly recommend Matt to any of my boating friends who ask, and in fact, I already have.
Alan S. Sabre 42' and Back Cove 34'
I have bought and sold 14 boats through brokerages and without question Matt Howard is the hardest working, best broker I've ever worked with. I purchased a 42' Kadey Krogen and Matt was the selling agent. He went above and beyond what any broker I have even heard of doing. His attention to detail is exactly what you would expect from someone who flew Marine presidential helos. His communication throughout the process was clear, concise and punctual. My particular sellers had moved out of the country, which made the sale a little more complicated than your average deal...throw in Covid lock downs and it could have been an absolute nightmare, but Matt took a difficult sale and made it easy! Thank you Matt for a great experience, if I ever sell my KK, you will be who I come to!
Matt L. Krogen 42'
A little over a year ago, my wife and I started looking for the boat that would take us around the world. We realized after travelling to see a number of boats that getting an unbiased opinion from a listing agent is not always easy.
We were very fortunate to be referred to Matt Howard. Matt's professionalism and systematic approach became apparent during our first telephone conversation. Matt helped us get a better understanding of the whole process of finding the right boat, negotiating with the seller and closing the deal. He also took the time to listen to our story and get to know us before he started searching. Within two months, we were on our way to Annapolis to visit three boats.
Matt was very accommodating during the viewing process. He arranged visits and altered his own plans for a second visit. Matt was open, honest, and patient as we slowly looked through boats. When we had finally found the boat we were looking for, Matt was our advocate helping us negotiate the terms of the deal including arranging surveys by several professionals and being with us during this process. Once we were satisfied with the boat, Matt and his team at United Yachts took us seamlessly through the purchase process.
We were extremely pleased with our experience with Matt Howard and would highly recommend him.
Luc and Cory, S/V SOLANA V
Luc and Cory, Hallberg-Rassy 46'
I just want you to know it was a pleasure dealing with Matt Howard in selling my boat. I'll highly recommend him to all my friends.
Michael Johnson, North Palm Beach, Northwest 45'
We would be remiss if we did not send you a note relaying Matt Howard's superlative performance as our yacht broker over the past 11 months… that spanned the acquisition of our 2005 Sabre 42 Express and the sale of our 2002 Mainship 34 Pilot. Matt always made himself available for discussions on the attributes that would best suit our current boating style - weekend cruising - and our anticipated style as we transition into retirement - more extended cruising. Helping us to down select the potential brands and models based on our intended use, price range, and preferred aesthetics, he also leveraged his superb technical background and historical knowledge to inform and educate us on the pedigree of designs and those aspects of build quality and component selection that extend far beyond "curb appeal".
With our work schedules precluding us from participating in sea trial and survey Matt assured us he would be there. What he did not plan on was a line of thunderstorms resulting in his flight from DC to New England the night before the survey being canceled. Not hesitating, he drove overnight to Cape Cod in order to represent our interests at the 9:00 AM survey and sea trial.
Concurrent with serving as the broker in our search for a new boat Matt assumed the role of the listing broker for our Mainship. Working our way through potential buyers Matt remained the calm, confident voice, aggressively pursuing each and every lead. Working closely with potential buyers he found the right match for the Mainship, closing the sale in advance of the end of the boating season, just as he forecast.
Suffice to say Matt's performance throughout the concurrent processes confirmed everything we always thought about our friend, in particular his judgment, integrity, and thoughtfulness. We would enthusiastically recommend him to any of our friends.
Kevin and Katherine, Brewster MA. Sabre 42'
We sure appreciate your help and expertise. We certainly could not have gotten here without you.
Mike and Marilou, 2002 DeFever 48'
