Quick Q&A with Ian Sherwood from Burgess Yachts

How did you started in yachting?

I first worked for a charter company in Sydney harbour organising a fleet of small self-sail yachts and running corporate racing days.

How did you become a yacht broker

Having realized that my future was going to be in yachting it then just meant finding which corner of the industry that I wanted to specialize in.  A position was being offered by a local company for a yacht broker in a 100% commission based role and although I had no sales training or experience I was drawn to the challenge.

How long have you worked for Burgess?

Four years since 2016

What does a day-in-the-life-of-a-broker look like?

Fundamentally each day has the same objectives.  Listing yachts, selling yachts and prospecting for new opportunities.  Although in reality there is a great deal of variety in how to undertake these tasks.  Travel is a huge part of the job and regardless of where I am, there is a need to be contactable for clients and the rest of the industry.  There are great days and experiences onboard some incredible yachts in beautiful places, but a huge amount of the time it is endless phone calls and dealing with inquiries/follow ups.