Testimonials

Talk is cheap. Our clients can tell you much better than we can, how and why Waterfront Yacht Brokerage has benefited them.    

"I had the pleasure of working with Mike Ancona as both a boat buyer and seller.  On the buy side, Mike was very helpful not only finding the boat I wanted but also with the inspection, sea trial and negotiation.  I found hi knowledge and experience to be invaluable during the process and his communication and responsiveness was excellent.  Mike went above and beyond post sale as well.   transported the boat via trailer during inclement weather, he helped arrange for the engines to get serviced, and he helped me trouble shoot a few items.

As my representative on the sell side, Mike did an excellent job marketing my vessel and guiding me through the sale.  He arranged for high quality, profession photos and utilized his extensive network and various media to market the vessel.  Mike was determined to get me the price I need, and his persistence paid off.  It was a seamless process and Mike again proved to be timely, professional, and always followed through on his promises.

I will be in the market for another boat soon and look forward to working with Mike again."

Gard Olbers

“I was fortunate to have been introduced to Mike Ancona at Waterfront Yacht Brokerage in the summer of 2015.  I asked Mike to assist me in two transactions – selling my current Riviera 38 Open Flybridge and replacing it with a Bahama 224 Blackjack.  With regards to the sale, Mike did a tremendous job of preparing the Riviera for sale – everything from mechanical issues to cleaning to marketing.  After a relatively short period he identified a buyer, negotiated the transaction, completed the deal and assisted in getting the Riviera shipped to Southern CA from Jupiter, FL – really smooth process.

Mike also assisted my family and I in selecting a more suitable replacement boat.  He took us on a test drive of the aforementioned Blackjack and we immediately knew it was the right new boat for us.  He did a thorough search for a used craft but ultimately with the inventory so low we elected to go the new boat route.  He identified the dealer, helped us with motor, color, electronics, upgrades, etc.  Mike ensured delivery, test drives, and went through the operations in detail with me.   He also coordinated registration and custom cover fabrication.

In the more than a year since delivery Mike has been consistently available for further instruction, modest repairs and calls/texts to answer questions.  In preparation for Hurricane Matthew he made sure we had secured the boat properly and in fact came over to my home while his wife was getting ready to depart the maternity ward after giving birth to his first child the day before!  Completely beyond the call of normal duty but that’s Mike, he’s totally dedicated to his customers and their boats.  I highly recommend Mike and Waterfront Yacht Brokerage for both the sell and buy side of the boating business and plan to continue to be a customer in the years to come”

Scott Rocklage

I hope you are doing well and staying safe. I am writing to let you know that I recently did business with Mike Ancona on the purchase of a 2018 31' Robalo R317 DC. Mike demonstrated professionalism, transparency, honesty and was a pleasure to work with throughout the entire purchasing process through delivery. The boat was detailed for pickup and Mike walked us through every feature, function, and maintenance tip on the boat. He has even been available to us for the occasional question that comes up as we enjoy this awesome boat.

Just wanted to pass along this pleasant experience. No doubt that I will refer to Mike any friend of me that would want to purchase a boat.

Thank you again.

Regards,

Íñigo Sagarduy

Steve Condit did an incredible job. He was very thorough, knowledgeable and persistent in getting the boat closed in the timeframe I requested. He was also able to really help me with the selection process of the vessels I was looking at since I live in Atlanta. I will be using Steve in the future for any of my real estate or boating purchases. He is a good one.

Thank you again,

Michael Morrison

"Dear Joe,

I hope this letter finds you well.  In a world with so much conflict and shady business practices, I want to take the time to give credit to you and your team for treating me and my family so well during the sale of our old boat and purchase of our new boat.  Working with boat brokers isn't easy as many of them are short sided and to be frank aren't known to be honest.  Not only was your team straightforward but they made the process so easy.  If you ever need someone to act as a reference for working with you and your team please don't hesitate to have them contact me.  You have earned a lifetime customer.  Thanks again"

Dante Weston

"I typically don’t write reviews. However, after the experience with Waterfront Yacht Brokerage, I feel compelled to share my experience.  I had been looking for a specific model Viking 60’ MY.  As of the purchase, I had visited 7 different Vikings and met 7 different brokers.  I surveyed 3 including this one. Mike Ancona stood out among the brokers that I experienced with other boats. Some of the characteristics that stood out were:

  • Candor/Honesty
    • Most impressive was Mike’s honesty. Never once did I feel that he was just out to sell the boat. His advice was consistent and clear. He gave me frank advice so that I could make an informed decision. It didn’t take long to see that Mike was very transparent – which is invaluable.
  • Willingness to go the extra mile.
    • Just a few examples; During survey, the fuel filters were giving an issue, Mike brought the boat back in, jumped in his truck picked up new ones, came back to the boat and installed then we continued back on the survey. The seller was an older gentleman and not very computer savvy,   Mike drove back and forth from his office to seller (30mi) on multiple occasions to help seller maneuver the DocuSign /YachtCloser app. Mike accompanied the various crews to oversee the work/workmanship as they addressed the “after-survey-repair-list”.
  • Communication
    • Mike was in constant communication from the first visit to survey and purchase. He provided updates and worked progressed with pictures and explanations. Mike is a very clear communicator.
  • After the sell support and overall knowledge
    • Mike holds a 200t USCG License and has a deep understanding of Diesel marine engines.
    • Mike spent significant time going over the different systems of the boat and helping me become comfortable.  He has been very supportive with questions that have come up after the sell.

Purchases like this often feel like a “battle” between the buyer and seller. Mike made this process as stress-free as possible. No doubt the day will come for me to sell this boat. I want the selling experience to be like my buying experience. I live in North Carolina, when it comes time to sell, I will take the boat back to Florida and have Mike market the boat and sell for me. 

Thank you again."

Jody House

I wanted to reach out to you as my husband and I had the pleasure of purchasing our boat from Waterfront Yachts, with Mike Ancona’s help.  This was a a big purchase that neither of us had gone though before.  Mike went above and beyond for us throughout the entire process. There were several challenges that came up and Mike was professional, and on top of everything.  Mike was friendly and knowledgeable as well.  We would highly recommend him, and Waterfront Yachts to anyone looking to purchase a boat.  My husband has reached out to Mike several times since the sale with questions and Mike is always happy to help if he can.  We wanted you to know how great our experience was.  Thank you and have a nice day!

Stephanie Mitchell & Rich Potts

"The Waterfront team didn't disappear. Four months into owning my new boat, Joe Kelly still assists me as needed. Twice he has flown to the Bahamas to oversee work. This is my 11th boat, so I have plenty of experience in how things are typically done. The Waterfront companies have earned a repeat customer."

Carlos Gavidia

"I recently decided to sell my boat, a decision we all come to one day or another.  I reached out to an old friend who owns Waterfront Properties, Rob Thomson, to see if he knew anybody who could help.  As it turns out, he recently started a new venture, Waterfront Yacht Brokerage.

Since Rob and his team at Waterfront Properties performed so well when selling my house(s), I simply assumed I would get the same level of quality service with his Yacht Brokerage, and I was not disappointed.  The service was the best I have ever seen.  They immediately sent a team to clean and wax my boat to prepare it for sale, at no cost to me.  They then had pictures taken and the boat officially went on the market just a week after we agreed to list it.

Within the month, we had a very good offer and 2 weeks after that, we officially sold the boat.  I was stunned it sold so fast and for a much higher price than I anticipated.  They never asked me to do a thing, which is helpful since my free time is so scarce.

You did it again Rob!  You put a remarkable team together that delivered superior customer service.  Thank you, and your team, for all your help!"

Scott Nichols

I just wanted to reach out and express my gratitude for Mike Ancona’s dedication and the way he handled the sale on both ends, the broker side and buyer side, of my purchase of my 66’ Ocean with Waterfront Yacht Brokerage.  Firstly, Mike went over and beyond in every way for the sale not only is he easy to talk to and everything he promised throughout the sale came to fruition.  He guided me through the sale, never not picked up the phone and always had good guidance and I know this wasn’t a huge deal for you guys, but Mike treated it like it was a $2 million sale.  Simple example is we ran the boat from Palm Beach down to the keys and boat ran Flawless but only because of the recommendations from Mike to get the right people on the boat from AC units to Bottom guys to Mechanics.

Lastly, I feel over this process I gained a friend not a yacht salesman and hope we stay in touch get families together in the future. Mike called me mid-day on the trip to see how it was going, most would totally avoid that call because it is a roll of the dice for that call if we were at a dock with an engine out but that wasn’t the case and I’m grateful for that.

Thank you Mike I’m looking forward to many years with the family on the new boat.

Alex Verdi