Yacht Broker Spotlight: Russ Schafer

Florida yacht broker, Russ Schafer grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Russ was born into a fishing family and began fishing in tournaments at the age of 10. He’s been an outdoor enthusiast since childhood and enjoys boating, fishing, scuba diving, mountain biking, and hunting.

Russ is the third generation in his family to join the marine and boat sales industry and began his career as a teenager working for the family business, Fisherman’s Paradise. He started selling boats for his father’s company at the age of 16. As a young teenager, Russ would take on a variety of tasks to learn all aspects of the business. “I cleaned the toilets, counted lead weights, spun fishing reels, and sold small inflatable boats,” said Russ.

Russ is a family man and a dedicated father to his 7-year-old daughter, Sofia. “She’s my little princess,” he said. Just like Russ, Sofia is getting a taste of marine life at a young age and has her own 15’ Boston Whaler. “I’m trying to get her into boating and fishing and grow up on the water like I did.”

“It’s all about family to me,” said Russ. Living by the water in North Miami, he enjoys boating on the weekends with Sofia and the love of his life, Carmen. Russ recently sold his 27’ Jupiter and bought a 25’ Scout, which he is looking forward to taking out on the water.

Russ has been a yacht broker since 2000 and joined the Denison team in 2012. He admired the company’s rapid growth and success. “I really liked the way they were doing things, like advertising and networking,” he said. Russ’ favorite part about working at Denison is the positive environment. “Everybody gets along and is striving for the betterment of the company, and it’s like a family. Coming into work every day is fun, and I enjoy it.”

Having sold around 1,000 boats in his career, Russ specializes in motoryacht and sportfishing yachts with expertise in the following brands: Hatteras, Broward, Viking, Intrepid, Beneteau, and Monte Carlo. His favorite sale was a fully customized 72’ Hatteras named Show Boat, and his favorite boat currently on the market is a 70’ Huckins Sportfish, which he describes as “really good looking”.

Having been on the other side of the fence as a boat owner, Russ provides invaluable advice for people trying to sell their boats. He jokes how he didn’t take his own advice and ended up having to invest extra money into his boat to sell it. “The first 5 people who come see your boat should buy it,” he said. To make that happen, Russ advises sellers to keep up with aesthetics, such as replacing carpet and touching up paint. “Preventative maintenance is the biggest thing I’ve ever learned. Doing maintenance beforehand is much better than catching up on it.”

Russ enjoys the friendships he’s made in the industry. “The best part of the business is the people who you meet and the relationships you create. Some of my best friends are clients,” he said. Russ enjoys meeting people from all walks of life and connecting over their common interest of boats. “You can go to a dock at a marina and there is no separation of rich and poor. Everybody is on the same dock and gets along. It’s just about being on the water together.”

“I’m very positive and try to have a good day every day,” Russ said. He puts his clients’ interests first and finds satisfaction researching the yacht sales market to find boats that best fit his clients’ needs. Russ recalls a memorable sale to a client who had it on his bucket list to own a Hatteras. When his client could finally afford the boat, Russ was able to help him achieve that dream.

Russ’ enthusiasm, dedication, and yacht sales experience have earned him a reputation as a top salesman. He is committed to his career, but at the same time strives to maintain a healthy balance of work and home life. “I want to keep doing what I’m doing for a really long time.”