Frequently asked questions

You can. What a broker usually adds at the end of a private sale — the contract, the title and lien check, the escrow and the transfer paperwork — is exactly what we do. You find the buyer; we close the deal as a neutral third party so neither of you has to trust the other with money or title. Call or text (410) 310-7366, email [email protected], or start the intake form.

We can. CloseMyBoat handles closings for brokerages: escrow coordination, document preparation, lien and ownership verification and the final closing package, while your team keeps selling. See Broker services.

Never send money or sign over a title directly to someone you do not know. Use a neutral third party that verifies the seller actually owns the vessel, searches for liens, holds the funds in escrow, and releases them only when the transfer documents are executed. That is what a closing service is for.

The same way as any private sale: do not wire funds to the other party, do not accept a cashier’s check on trust, and do not hand over the boat or the title until a neutral escrow confirms cleared funds and verified ownership. Bring the deal to us before any money moves.

That is our core service. Funds are held in escrow and released only when every condition of the sale is met. Call or text (410) 310-7366, email [email protected], or start the intake form.

We run a title and lien search on the vessel — USCG documentation records and the relevant state registration — identify any lienholders, and coordinate the payoff and lien release before funds are disbursed to the seller.

We verify ownership against the documentation or state title, match it to the seller’s identification, and require a warranty of title signed by the seller before closing.

Agree the price, then let a closing service handle the rest: a purchase and sale agreement, ownership and lien verification, survey or survey waiver, escrow of the funds, and the bill of sale and registration documents executed at closing.

Put a neutral third party between you and the other side. The buyer’s money is protected because it is not released until title is clear and documents are signed; the seller is protected because the boat is not transferred until the funds have cleared.

Typically a purchase and sale agreement, a bill of sale, proof of the seller’s ownership (USCG documentation or state title/registration), lien release letters if there was a loan, and the registration or documentation transfer forms. We prepare and review these for you.

It is not required by law, but it is how you avoid wiring a large sum to a stranger on a promise. For any private sale, and for any deal where the seller still owes money on the boat, escrow is the safe way to close.

A neutral third party holds the buyer’s funds while the conditions of the sale are met — ownership verified, liens cleared, documents signed. When everything is complete, the funds are disbursed to the seller (and any lienholder) and the boat is transferred to the buyer.

Once you have a signed agreement, the buyer sends the funds to escrow. We verify ownership and liens, coordinate the survey and any contingencies, and prepare the closing documents. At closing the documents are signed, any loan on the boat is paid off from escrow, the balance goes to the seller, and the registration or documentation is transferred to the buyer.

This is one of the most common reasons to use us. We obtain a payoff letter from the lender, pay the lender directly from escrow at closing, obtain the lien release, and pass clear title to you. The seller receives the balance.

We check the vessel’s USCG documentation or state title against the seller’s identification and require a signed warranty of title. If the names do not match, the closing does not proceed until they do.

Yes, as long as the loan is paid off at closing. We coordinate the payoff from escrow so the lien is released and you take the boat free and clear.

We identify every lienholder in the title search, obtain a payoff letter, pay the lienholder directly from escrow, and obtain the lien release document before the balance is disbursed to the seller.

No. Wire it to escrow instead. A wire to a private seller is unrecoverable if the boat has a lien, if the seller is not the owner, or if the seller simply does not deliver.

Find your buyer, agree a price, and bring the deal to us. We handle the contract, verify the buyer’s funds through escrow, prepare the bill of sale and transfer documents, and close. You get paid from escrow when the transfer is complete.

Have the buyer fund escrow rather than paying you directly. We confirm the funds have cleared before the boat or title changes hands, and disburse to you at closing.

It depends on how the boat is registered: a USCG-documented vessel transfers through a bill of sale and documentation filing; a state-titled boat transfers through the state’s title and registration process. We determine which applies and prepare and file the right documents.

Yes. The loan is paid off at closing from the buyer’s escrowed funds, the bank releases its lien, and the balance is paid to you. We coordinate the payoff letter and the release.

The closing statement, bill of sale and registration or documentation forms are signed, any lien is paid off, funds are disbursed from escrow, and the transfer is filed. You can follow each stage on our Closing Status page.

Yes — CloseMyBoat.com. Call or text (410) 310-7366, email [email protected], or start the intake form.

CloseMyBoat.com. We close deals for brokerages as a neutral third party: escrow coordination, documents, lien and title work, lender and party communication, and the final closing package.

Yes. We act as the third-party closing and escrow coordinator for yacht and boat sales, for private parties and for brokerages.

Yes. Send us the deal at contract and we run the closing checklist from intake to completed transfer, keeping you and your client informed at each stage.

That is who we are built for. Your client. Your commission. Our closing expertise. See Broker services.

We coordinate escrow for brokered deals so the buyer’s deposit and purchase funds are held by a neutral party rather than by either side of the transaction.

Yes. A buyer’s deposit can be held in escrow under the purchase and sale agreement and either applied at closing or returned according to the contract’s terms.

Yes. Escrow coordination is part of every closing we handle for brokers. Call or text (410) 310-7366, email [email protected], or start the intake form.