Yacht Broker Spotlight: Brian Nobles

Brian Nobles is a Florida yacht broker who was born and raised in Syracuse, New York. He was 8 years old when he got his first taste of boating on his grandfather’s boat. “I was scared to go out on it at first, but after a few times, I loved it,” laughed Brian. Since then, Brian has been passionate about life on the water. Shortly after graduating from Le Moyne College in upstate New York, Brian packed his bags and moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. When he was in college, he would visit his uncle in Fort Lauderdale during spring break. “I loved it so much. I figured I would give it a shot,” he said. Brian likes the warm weather and active lifestyle. “Florida has so many unique destinations to travel to and explore. I like taking advantage of that.”

Brian is an outdoor enthusiast, and his hobbies include: boating, paddleboarding, waterskiing, and snowboarding. On weekends when the weather is nice, Brian takes out his 24’ Seaswirl Striper center console, which proudly sports the Denison logo. Brian also enjoys golfing in New York, where his parents own a golf course.

In addition to outdoor activities, Brian loves traveling. “I love to get out and experience new things and try new restaurants,” he said. He recently came back from a cruise to the Bahamas, and he’s heading to Orlando in a few weeks for the Epcot Food and Wine Festival. Brian also makes frequent trips back home to spend time with his family and play with his nephews.

Brian was a banker at Citibank for 10 years before becoming a yacht broker. During his time in the banking and finance industry, he mastered the art of delivering superior customer service. “A big part of being a yacht broker is working with people and having good customer service skills, which banking helped me fine-tune,” said Brian. He did banking for Bob and some of the brokers.

It was a smooth transition into the yachting industry for Brian when he joined the Denison team in April 2013. “The people I work with are awesome, and the opportunity here is amazing. The sky is the limit,” he said. Brian’s knowledge of boats combined with his customer service skills laid the groundwork for his career as a yacht broker. “Bob is a great guy to work for. He gives you all the tools; you just have to use them properly to succeed.”

“Boating is definitely my passion, and I love working with people,” said Brian. He likes the spontaneity of the job and how each day is different. He doesn’t miss sitting behind a desk in a suit and tie all day. “I love going to work in the morning. Not many people can say that.”

Brian has formed many friendships with clients, receiving an abundance of testimonials and compliments on how he’s changed their lives. “Boating is a lifestyle, and it’s always nice to have clients send you pictures enjoying their time on the boat,” said Brian. He loves running into clients on the water and always makes sure to stop and catch up with them.

A go-getter with a strong work ethic, Brian is always ready to sell his next boat. “I’ll sell anything – big, small, whatever. I’m not shy,” he said. He is quick to take new leads and grow his clientele. One of Brian’s favorite sales so far was a 60’ Sea Ray Sundancer.

When it comes to selling your boat, Brian’s advice is to make the boat presentable. “I always recommend to put yourself in the buyer’s shoes and decide what you like and dislike,” he said. Brian advises the seller to fix anything negative that stands out, such as detailing and fiberglass work.

Brian’s career goals are to keep working his way up and get into the bigger boats. “I think I have a good foundation and client base,” he said. Brian has been using the marketing tools provided by Denison, and the leads have gotten bigger and better. He was awarded “Rookie of the Year” in 2013 during his first year for outstanding yacht broker service.