All roles/Shoreside/Charter Broker
Shoreside
Charter Broker
A charter broker matches clients with the right superyacht for their holiday, negotiates the contract and manages the booking through to disembarkation. Get it right and the client books again every summer.
- Department
- Shoreside
- Reports to
- Head of Charter or Managing Director
- Yacht size
- Shore based
- Contract
- Permanent, shore based
- Starting pay
- €35,000 a year plus commission
What the job is
A charter broker is the client's agent. Someone wants a week in the Cyclades for twelve guests with a good chef and plenty of water toys. You find the yachts that fit, check availability and the real condition of each boat, send a shortlist and talk the client through it. You know which captains run a happy ship, which chefs cope with complicated diets and which yachts look better in brochures than in person.
Once the client chooses, you negotiate the rate, the delivery fees and the terms, then draw up the contract, usually on the MYBA Charter Agreement in the Mediterranean. You collect the charter fee and the Advance Provisioning Allowance, coordinate the preference sheet with the crew and handle any changes. During the trip you stay on call. If the weather closes a planned anchorage or a guest falls ill, the captain and client both expect you to help solve it.
Most of the year is spent building relationships. You meet captains and central agents at the boat shows in Monaco, Antibes, Fort Lauderdale and the Caribbean, view yachts on inspection days and keep in touch with past clients. Income is a base salary plus commission, so repeat clients and referrals matter. Many good brokers are former crew who understand how a yacht runs and what guests actually notice on board.
What makes a good one
- Client sales and negotiation
- Detailed knowledge of the charter fleet
- Contract and APA management
- Calm problem solving under pressure
- Building long term relationships
A day in the life
- 08:30Check overnight emails from US and Middle East clients. One wants to move a July charter from Sardinia to Corsica, so you message the captain about cruising permits and fuel.
- 09:30Team meeting with the Head of Charter to review live enquiries, open contracts and which yachts still have August gaps.
- 10:30Build a shortlist of five 50m to 60m motor yachts for a family of ten in Croatia. You call two central agents to confirm availability and ask about recent crew changes.
- 12:00Walk down to Port Hercule to view a yacht newly on the charter market. You photograph cabins and the beach club and chat to the chief stewardess about their service style.
- 13:30Lunch with a captain whose yacht you booked last season, catching up on new toys and the chef's latest feedback.
- 14:30Draft a MYBA contract for a confirmed week in the Balearics, check the APA and VAT figures, and send it for signature.
- 16:00Call the client for Saturday's embarkation in Cannes. Go through the preference sheet, dietary needs and transfer times, then pass the details to the chief stewardess.
- 17:30Update the CRM, log commission due on completed charters and follow up quotes sent last week.
- 19:00Take a call from a guest currently on board whose party wants to extend by two days. You check the yacht's next booking and agree terms with the central agent.
Pay by country
Annual base salary for a charter broker with one to three years' experience. Commission on charters booked comes on top and often equals or exceeds the base for established brokers. Senior brokers with a strong client book can earn several times these figures.
- France and Monaco
- €35,000 – 60,000
- Spain
- €28,000 – 45,000
- Italy
- €28,000 – 45,000
- United Kingdom
- £30,000 – 50,000
- USA (Florida)
- US$50,000 – 80,000
- Caribbean
- US$40,000 – 65,000
- UAE
- AED 180,000 – 300,000
- Australia
- A$65,000 – 95,000
- New Zealand
- NZ$60,000 – 85,000
Required
- Right to work where the office is
- Fluent English
- Sales, hospitality or yacht crew experience
- Full driving licence
Recommended
- Second language such as French, Italian, Spanish or Arabic
- Experience as yacht crew
- Working knowledge of the MYBA Charter Agreement
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- WSET Level 2 Award in Wines
Visas
- Right to work in the country of the office, such as EU citizenship for France, Spain or Italy, or a Monaco work permit
- US work authorisation for Fort Lauderdale or Miami offices
- UAE residence visa for Dubai offices
- Schengen visa and US B1/B2 for travel to boat shows and yacht viewings
Where it leads
Charter Broker jobs open now
Questions crew ask
Do I need to have worked on yachts to become a charter broker?
It is not essential, but it helps a lot. Former crew understand how a yacht runs and what guests notice, and many brokerages hire ex chief stewardesses and officers into coordinator roles first.
How does commission work?
The brokerage earns a commission on each charter fee, and you receive an agreed share of it on charters you book. New brokers rely more on base salary, while established brokers with repeat clients earn most of their income from commission.
Is the job seasonal?
It is permanent, but busy in waves. Spring is booking season for the Mediterranean summer, autumn brings the boat shows and Caribbean winter bookings, and you stay on call while your clients are on board.