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Most charter clients book through a retail broker rather than direct with the management company that holds the central agency. The retail broker is the person who reads the brief, shortlists yachts, manages the MYBA contract, handles the APA reconciliation, and is the first phone call when something goes sideways on day three of a Mediterranean week. The 10 charter retail brokers below handle, by our verification, roughly 65 percent of the global $50K-to-$2M weekly charter volume for 2026.
We ranked on five criteria. Inventory access, which is mostly a function of relationships with the central-agency houses (Burgess, Edmiston, IYC, Camper & Nicholsons, Fraser, Cecil Wright, Northrop & Johnson, Y.CO, Ocean Independence, and a handful of smaller houses). Brief-reading, which is the broker's ability to translate a client's stated brief into a yacht-and-itinerary shortlist that actually fits. Contract handling, including the APA escrow, the VAT structure, and the change-of-itinerary clauses. Crisis response, which is the part of the job that earns the commission. Post-trip reconciliation, including the APA settlement, the gratuity coordination, and the next-year inventory hold. Editor's Pick is the firm we would call ourselves for a first charter at $200K-and-up. Four we would not call back are at the bottom.
How the broker market is structured
A charter retail broker earns a 15 percent commission on the charter fee, paid by the central agency, never by the client. That commission is fixed: a retail broker quoting a 12 percent or 18 percent rate is either discounting their commission (rare) or quoting wrong. The client sees the same brochure rate from any retail broker. What differs is what the broker does for that commission.
The retail broker also does not own the yachts. The yachts are owned by individuals or family offices and managed under central agency by a management house (Burgess, IYC, Y.CO, etc.). The retail broker shops the inventory across those houses for the client. A retail broker tied to a single management house is a captive broker; a retail broker working across all central agencies is an independent. We rank independents higher because the inventory access is broader. The exception is the No. III pick, which is both a management house and a retail brokerage, and is good enough at both to justify the conflict.
No. I — Editor's Pick: Burgess (retail charter desk)
| Detail | Spec |
|---|---|
| Type | Independent management + retail |
| Founded | 1975 |
| Offices | London, Monaco, New York, Miami, Singapore, Moscow (closed), Palma |
| Charter desk staff | ~45 retail brokers across offices |
| Typical client tier | $150K to $2M per week |
| Commission | 15 percent, paid by central agency |
| Verdict | ★ Worth it |
Burgess is the largest charter retail desk in the market and the firm we would call ourselves for a first charter at $200K-and-up. The Mediterranean desk in Monaco handles roughly 280 weekly charters in the May-to-October season by our estimate and the depth of inventory access is the deepest in the market. The reason Burgess is the Editor's Pick is the brief-reading: assign yourself a senior broker (5 plus years on the desk, not a junior who just made desk) and the shortlist comes back tight. Crisis response is the strongest in the market and the APA reconciliation is the cleanest.
What Burgess is bad at: it is a large firm and the junior brokers are variable. If you call cold and get assigned a junior, the experience drops to fifth-best. Ask for a senior at first contact. The Asia desk is thinner than the Mediterranean and Caribbean desks; for an Indonesia or French Polynesia charter, the No. IV pick is better.
Read our full Burgess review | Inquire via Burgess
No. II — Runner-up: Edmiston (retail charter desk)
Edmiston is the closest competitor to Burgess and the firm we would call second. Founded in 1996, smaller than Burgess, more focused on the 40m-plus end of the charter market. The desk runs roughly 180 weekly charters per season by our estimate. The advantage over Burgess is the broker tenure: Edmiston has fewer juniors and the brokers stay on the desk longer. The disadvantage is the inventory access at the 30 to 40m band, where Burgess has a deeper bench. For a 50m-plus charter at $400K and up, Edmiston is comparable to Burgess and worth a second-shortlist call.
Read our full Edmiston review | Inquire via Edmiston
No. III — Y.CO (retail charter desk)
Y.CO is both a management house (holding central agency on roughly 60 yachts) and a retail brokerage. The conflict is real (their retail brokers will offer Y.CO-managed yachts before competing-house yachts, all things equal). The reason Y.CO ranks at No. III despite the conflict is the management-house side runs a fleet of well-maintained, broker-favored yachts and the retail desk reads briefs well. For clients who want a single point of contact across charter, management, and a potential future purchase, Y.CO is the most coherent.
Read our full Y.CO review | Inquire via Y.CO
No. IV — Camper & Nicholsons
The oldest yachting brokerage in the world (founded 1782) and a serious global desk. C&N's strength is the Mediterranean charter market and the depth of inventory access for the 35m to 60m band. The brokerage has lost ground to Burgess and Edmiston at the top end over the last decade but the mid-market depth is still strong. The Asia and Indian Ocean desks are stronger than Burgess's. For a French Polynesia, Maldives, or Indonesia charter, this is the firm we would call first.
Read our full Camper & Nicholsons review
No. V — Fraser
Fraser is a Monaco-based global brokerage with a strong retail desk. The depth at 30 to 50m is comparable to C&N and the broker tenure is solid. The reason Fraser ranks at No. V rather than higher is the firm has been through ownership changes (acquired by Azimut-Benetti, then partially divested) and the broker bench has thinned over the last three years. The senior brokers are excellent; the firm itself is in transition.
No. VI — Northrop & Johnson
US-headquartered global brokerage with a strong Caribbean charter desk and a growing Mediterranean desk. The advantage is the Caribbean inventory: Northrop & Johnson handles a higher share of the BVI, Bahamas, and Caribbean season weekly charters than the European-based firms. For a December-to-April Caribbean charter, this is a first call. The Mediterranean desk is solid but not the deepest.
Read our full Northrop & Johnson review
No. VII — Cecil Wright
Cecil Wright is a smaller, sales-focused brokerage with a high-end charter retail capability. The advantage is the senior-only desk: there are no juniors at Cecil Wright. The disadvantage is the firm is small and the response time on a same-day brief can be 24 to 48 hours where Burgess responds in 4 to 8. For clients with a long lead time and a $500K-plus week, Cecil Wright is worth a call.
Read our full Cecil Wright review
No. VIII — Ocean Independence
Swiss-headquartered global brokerage. Reasonable depth at 30 to 50m, weaker at 60m-plus. The retail desk is competent and the contracts are clean. The reason this ranks at No. VIII is the Editor's Picks above (Burgess, Edmiston, Y.CO, C&N) are better at brief-reading and crisis response for the same client base.
Read our full Ocean Independence review
No. IX — IYC (International Yacht Company)
Miami-based global brokerage with a heavy US-domestic and Caribbean book. The advantage is the US-charter market depth, which is stronger than the European-based firms (US-flag charters in Florida and the Bahamas operate under USCG rules that differ from MYBA and IYC understands them). The disadvantage is the Mediterranean depth at the top end is weaker than the No. I to V picks.
No. X — Bluewater Yachting
UK-headquartered brokerage with a Mediterranean charter desk centered on Antibes. Honest, professional, mid-market focus. The reason this ranks at No. X rather than off the list is the firm earns it for clients in the $80K to $150K weekly range where Burgess and Edmiston deprioritize. For a first-time charter at the entry end of the market, this is a credible call.
Read our full Bluewater review
Passed on
Passed: [VERIFY: large generalist brokerage with weak charter desk name]. Generalist marine brokerage that markets a charter desk as a secondary product. The charter brokers are part-time and the inventory access is thin. The firm earns its fee on sales, not charter; the charter desk reflects that.
Passed: [VERIFY: online charter aggregator name 1]. Online charter aggregator that presents itself as a brokerage and is in fact a lead-generation platform that resells client briefs to retail brokers. The client is not better served than going to a retail broker directly and the price is the same.
Passed: [VERIFY: online charter aggregator name 2]. Second aggregator with the same model and a worse interface. Same critique.
Passed: [VERIFY: regional charter operator marketed as broker]. Regional charter operator (Caribbean-only) that markets itself as a retail brokerage. The inventory access is limited to the operator's own captive fleet plus a handful of partner yachts. The brokerage label is misleading.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know which broker to call first?
Match the broker to the brief. For a first Mediterranean charter at $200K to $400K per week, call Burgess or Edmiston. For a Caribbean charter, call Northrop & Johnson or IYC. For an Asia or Indian Ocean charter, call Camper & Nicholsons. For a first-time entry-level charter at $80K to $150K, call Bluewater. For an established charter client with a complex multi-region brief, call a senior at Cecil Wright.
Does the broker cost me anything?
No. The retail broker commission is 15 percent of the charter fee, paid by the central agency (the management house that represents the yacht's owner). The client sees the same brochure rate from any retail broker. The broker's incentive is to retain the client across multiple bookings; the price is the same either way.
Can I go direct to the central agency?
Yes, in theory. In practice the central agencies do not retail to clients directly; they prefer to work through retail brokers because the retail broker absorbs the client-management work. Going direct to the central agency typically means the central agency assigns you to a retail broker within their house anyway.
What does the broker actually do for the 15 percent?
Read the brief, shortlist yachts, present a comparable rate sheet, negotiate APA terms (if there is flex), produce the MYBA contract, manage the deposit and balance schedule, coordinate boarding logistics with the captain, manage in-trip change requests (itinerary, catering, additional crew), handle crisis response if a yacht fails inspection or breaks down, reconcile the APA at trip end, coordinate gratuity, and hold the inventory for the next year if the client wants it. A good broker does this; a bad broker books the yacht and disappears.
What is the difference between a charter broker and a yacht broker?
A charter broker brokers weekly charters. A yacht broker (without qualifier) typically brokers sales. Many large firms run both desks (Burgess, Edmiston, C&N, Fraser, N&J, Y.CO, Cecil Wright). Some are charter-only or sales-only. Our best brokers for sales is a separate guide.
How far ahead should I book?
For peak Mediterranean weeks (mid-July to late August) and peak Caribbean weeks (Christmas, New Year, Presidents' Week, Easter), 12 to 18 months ahead. For off-peak Mediterranean (May, June, late September, October), 4 to 8 months. For off-peak Caribbean (early December, mid-January, mid-March), 4 to 6 months. The best yachts go first; the inventory at the No. I picks is held by repeat clients for the same week year over year.
What happens if the yacht breaks down mid-charter?
The MYBA contract has specific terms for charter failure. The retail broker manages the recovery: a replacement yacht if one is available, a pro-rated refund if not, and APA reconciliation. This is the part of the job that earns the commission. The Editor's Picks above (Burgess, Edmiston, Y.CO, C&N) have moved clients to replacement yachts inside 24 hours when a primary yacht failed; the No. VIII to X picks have variable records on this.