Submitting an Offer in YachtCloser — Step by Step
Every screen from finding the boat to a fully executed PSA — buyer setup, broker sides, the deal-date timeline, contingencies, commission splits, e-sign order, amendments, and the five acceptance documents.
This is the full click path for writing up a deal in YachtCloser. Two things kill deals here: sloppy dates and skipped fields. Follow the timeline rules exactly, and when something has to deviate, call Admin before you send anything to a client.
Step 1 — Two ways to start an offer
If the boat is someone else's listing, find it on BoatWizard and click the YachtCloser (YC) icon on the listing row. That pulls the vessel and the listing brokerage straight into a new deal.
Step 2 — Continue with Deal
YachtCloser confirms the vessel, location, listing brokerage, and asking price, then asks whether to create a new deal in your Active Deals. Click Continue with Deal and it takes you straight to buyer information.
Step 3 — Buyer Information
You fill this out exactly like a listing agreement: Display Options, Primary Buyer (first, last, email are required), phones, and the buyer's address. If there are two buyers, use the Co-Buyer tab and enter their info too.
Step 4 — The other way in: your own listing
If it's your listing, go to Inventory, find the boat, click the three vertical dots and choose Offer. You can also open the boat's profile and use the green Make Offer button.
Step 5 — Listing broker vs selling broker
Create Deal asks for both sides. The Listing Broker is the one who actually has the listing to sell. The Selling Broker is the one bringing the buyer. If you're not on both sides of the deal, search for the other broker instead of leaving your own name in both boxes.
Step 6 — Display Buyer As
Solo buyer: Legal Name is fine. Multiple buyers or buying in an LLC: use Legal Name &/or Assigns or Legal Name or Assigns — call Admin if you're unsure and we'll tailor it. If the buyer is private or you don't want the listing broker to know who they are, select Owner of Record. That's rare.
Step 7 — Deal Terms and the timeline
On the Terms tab enter the Offer Amount, Currency, Deposit Amount (10% of the offer) and Deposit Type, which is always Wire Transfer. Then set the four dates. Contract Date is the day you write the offer. Contract Acceptance is 1–3 business days later — that's the seller's window to accept or counter. Vessel Acceptance is 3 weeks from the day the deposit is received. Closing Date is 1 week after acceptance.
Step 8 — Subject To Contingencies
Select Yes/No for each: Financing (must be Yes if the buyer is financing), Trial Run (sea trial), Marine Survey (general hull surveyor), Mechanical Inspection (engine surveyor), and Non-Mechanical/Rig Survey (anything else non-mechanical; rig survey applies to sailboats). You do not need to fill in the contingency date fields on the right.
Step 9 — Additional Terms and Exclusions
Additional Terms is for anything else negotiated — for example, "Seller agrees to provide 1 month of free dockage until (DATE) at their current slip located at (ADDRESS)" or "Seller agrees to include art on the boat." Exclusions are items still aboard that the seller is keeping, like art or personal effects. You'll rarely add exclusions from the buyer's side.
Step 10 — Commission
Always calculate using Percentage. Commission is always 10% unless Admin approves otherwise. For the co-brokerage split: if another broker is involved — in-house or outside — it's 50/50. If you're on both sides of the deal, the listing brokerage is 100%. You don't need to write anything in Commission Comments.
Step 11 — Documents tab
After commissions, click Documents in the left rail, then Add Documents — either the green button top right or the small tab in the toolbar.
Step 12 — Add the Purchase and Sale Agreement
In the Agreements tab, check Purchase and Sale Agreement and click Add Documents. The same list holds amendments, exclusion lists, acceptances, and conditional acceptances for later.
Step 13 — eSign the PSA
Back on the Documents list, check the box next to the Purchase and Sale Agreement and click eSign.
Step 14 — Send to the buyer first
In the Send E-Sign Invites dialog, type what the document is at the beginning of the subject line so the client knows what they're opening. Select the Buyer only and send. When the buyer signs, you come back here and send it to the Seller.
Step 15 — What the client receives
The client gets an email from you via YachtCloser.com with a link. They click it, get a passcode, and sign.
Step 16 — Signed notification
You're notified by email when the buyer signs. Go back into YachtCloser and send the same document to the seller.
Step 17 — Send to the seller
Same path as before: Documents → check Purchase and Sale Agreement → eSign → send to the Seller. The document status now reads PENDING while signatures are outstanding.
Step 18 — Check who has signed
The Status column in the e-sign dialog shows eSigned with a date for anyone who has already signed. Keep the document name in the subject line every time you send.
Step 19 — Broker signature after escrow
Once escrow is received and confirmed by Admin, select the Selling Broker Authorized Signer, pick your name from the list, and send it to yourself to sign.
Step 20 — Fully executed PSA
The document reads SIGNED with a completion date. Now send out the standard next-step emails we've all covered. Questions on those? Call Admin.
Step 21 — Adding Additional Terms to the PSA
To add additional terms: go to the Deal, click Terms, scroll to Additional Terms, type the terms, and Save. Examples: "Buyer will survey the vessel but will not request any survey allowances post-survey," or "Seller to include crew uniforms, interior art, and all dining items, including but not limited to glassware, silverware, and dining plates."
Step 22 — Reset the document to pull the change in
When you change the PSA itself, go to Documents, select the PSA, click Reset, and confirm. That regenerates the document with your new additional terms.
Step 23 — Confirm it landed
Open the file preview. The Additional Terms block inside the PSA is now filled out. Always read the preview before it leaves the platform.
Step 24 — Amendments
We cannot change the wording of the PSA itself. If a client doesn't like specific verbiage — or you need to extend the Vessel Acceptance Date or Closing Date — you do an Amendment. Go to Deal → Terms → Amendment, type what the amendment is, and Save.
Step 25 — Add the amendment document
Then Documents → Add Documents → select Amendment to Purchase and Sale Agreement → Add Document.
Step 26 — eSign the amendment
Select the amendment, click eSign, and send it to the buyer and seller.
Step 27 — The five acceptance options
When it's time to accept the boat, the buyer has five options: Acceptance of Vessel (buyer only), Conditional Acceptance (buyer and seller), Acceptance of Vessel with Survey Allowance, Conditional Acceptance with Survey Allowance, and Rejection of Vessel. On the Terms → Acceptance tab you enter the marine surveyor and any survey allowance. Adjusting commission for a survey allowance is situational — typically it is not adjusted. Call Admin if unsure.
Step 28 — What each document looks like
All of the acceptance documents are added and sent exactly like the PSA: Documents → Add Documents → select → eSign.
- Put the document name at the front of every e-sign subject line.
- Send the PSA to the buyer first, then the seller, then the broker.
- Count business days only — weekends and bank holidays don't count.
- Schedule closings Monday through Thursday.
- Reset the document after editing Terms so the change actually appears.
- Call Admin on commission changes, survey-allowance adjustments, and anything off-timeline.
- Don't sign as Listing Broker before escrow is received and confirmed.
- Don't use anything other than Wire Transfer for the deposit type.
- Don't fill in the contingency date fields — Yes/No only.
- Don't try to edit the PSA wording; use an Amendment.
- Don't set the deposit below 10% of the offer without Admin approval.
- Don't mix up Listing Broker and Selling Broker.
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