I’d like to provide feedback about my experience with selling my yacht with Mike Kiely. 

Bottom line, without my yacht broker this deal would not have closed.  He was able to overcome multiple challenges throughout the process, each of which retained the buyers and saved the deal.  And when emotions became heated, his even-tempered nature and focus on problem solving was helpful. 

His local knowledge of skilled professionals was invaluable, as it helped with clearing the list of repairs and maximizing the visual presentation. I had been having a difficult time finding quality tradespeople until Mike shared some of his recommendations.

Mike was available early in the morning and late into the evening, including weekends, several times when I had to reach out to him off-hours due to my demanding work travel schedule.  He always picked up the phone.

Incidentally, this is the second boat I’ve sold with Mike.  During both sales, he has proven to be the opposite of the broker that sits back and waits for things to fall in his lap (as I’ve experienced firsthand with other agents/brokers).  Mike is active, assertive and always seems to have a resolution in his toolbox.  I cannot overstate how important it is to have a broker with these inherent, “built-in” attributes.  As a business manager myself, it’s my opinion Denison Yacht Sales would do well to focus on retaining Mike.

When I’m ready for #3, I’m calling Mike.

My husband and I recently purchased a Lagoon 421 catamaran, with Cynthia Wummer as our yacht broker.  I really could make this a very long list of accolades.  Instead, I'll give you a "Top Ten."  

1. She intuits what really matters to the client. We felt 100% comfortable that Cynthia could evaluate all potentials, knowing that she 'gets us.' Which is the main ingredient in client trust.  
2. She hones the decision process. Early on, she sensed we were struggling with size. She economized our travel time with a day of boat visits to "try on" a range of 39 to 48 footers, so we could isolate boat size as a defining criteria going forward.
3. She has buckets of initiative. She was ever quick to scout the back story on a boat, travel to make an inspection, send video, arrange virtual tours, and kept us current at all times.
4. She has even more buckets of knowledge. We relied on her first-hand experience to guide our live-aboard decisions (power and electrical, engine, boat handling, watermaker, gear, etc.)  Plus, she shares her seemingly endless contacts of marine experts and contractors.  
5. She's responsive, answering emails, texts, phone calls pronto. 
6. She advances the ball. She took an inquiry to verbal agreement to paper with just the right pressure on the pedal. 
7. She is a contingency planner. Behind the scenes, Cynthia stayed in contact for months with a Lagoon catamaran owner that initially refused to budge; but ultimately became ready to deal. 
8. She keeps all parties at the table. She instinctively kept the "we're not budging" seller comfortable and communicating.
9. Cynthia can reverse-engineer to keep a deal alive. Our sellers had a sticking point about the VAT and sale price, and Cynthia kept negotiating until all parties were satisfied.
10. She is compassionate and giving, such as hosting us in her home, letting us store shipments in her garage, and checking on us during the Coronavirus crazy. Not as a salesperson, but as someone who cares about clients as people. Cynthia is an awesome human who has your back.

When we're ready for our next boat (like all sailors, eventually), we know she'll have our back again.

Our closing and all paperwork was smooth, and we appreciate the team you've crafted at Denison.  Well done, all.

Eddy Denison is a rock star. He helped us in the purchase of our Azimut and I’d give him my highest recommendation. Unlike most yacht brokers, Eddy wasn’t doing a sales job. He didn’t have the usual song and dance that feels like a put or like you’re being subtly tricked.

Working with Eddy is like having a best friend there who happens to know everything there is to know about yachts and the slippery act of purchasing one. He is a guide, a master negotiator, an experienced boater and a trusted advisor all wrapped into one.

His pedigree — coming from one of America’s most famous boat-building families — speaks for itself, but to work with Eddy is to realize that if you want to navigate the market and find the very best yacht, you better hire the very best yacht broker first.