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Moran Yacht & Ship was founded in Fort Lauderdale in 1988 by Robert Moran and has spent 38 years building one of the three brokerages a US-based buyer of a 60m-plus yacht should have on a shortlist. The firm has closed more than [VERIFY: $4 billion to $6 billion] in lifetime yacht sales and is the broker-of-record on a meaningful percentage of US-buyer new builds at Lürssen, Feadship, Oceanco, and Abeking & Rasmussen [VERIFY: current new-build pipeline]. The team operates primarily out of Fort Lauderdale with additional senior brokers in Newport, Monaco, and Sydney [VERIFY: 2026 office footprint]. We rank Moran in the top three on our best yacht sales brokers page for the upper-LOA US-buyer segment specifically. We also name two things we would change.
This review was built from conversations with current and former Moran brokers, buyers who closed transactions through the firm in 2023 to 2025, sellers who listed centrally with Moran, captains on Moran-sold yachts, and competing brokers who win and lose deals against the firm. The current refresh is May 2026.
Where Moran sits in the market
Moran is the US-anchored counterpart to Burgess, Edmiston, and Cecil Wright. Where Burgess and Edmiston run integrated charter, sales, management, and new-construction operations across multiple corners, Moran runs a sales-and-new-build-led business with charter and management as supporting services rather than full divisions. The firm is calibrated to the 60m-plus segment for sales and the upper end of the new-build market. The buyer-side relationships, particularly with US, Canadian, and Caribbean-based principals, are among the deepest in the market.
The structural advantage Moran holds in 2026 is the US-buyer access. American buyers commissioning 70m-plus new builds at Lürssen, Feadship, or Oceanco have run a meaningful share of those transactions through Moran for two decades, and the firm's relationships with the senior project directors at those yards are personal rather than transactional. For a US buyer entering the upper-LOA new-build market for the first time, Moran is a defensible default broker-of-record alongside Burgess and Edmiston US.
The structural disadvantage is the depth in the second-hand market at the mid-LOA band. Moran does not run a Fraser-style or IYC-style central-agency book of 100-plus 25-to-50m listings. A seller in that band who chooses Moran will get senior attention if the yacht is unusual, but typically not the breadth of buyer-pool reach that the larger central-agency firms provide. Buyers in the mid-LOA band will see fewer Moran central listings on a shortlist than they will see from Fraser, IYC, or Denison.
Sales
The Moran sales desk runs a central-agency book that is smaller than Burgess, Edmiston, or Fraser in raw count, with [VERIFY: 20 to 35] yachts under central listing in 2026. The book is heavily concentrated in the 50-to-100m band and skews toward yachts with US-based or US-friendly ownership. The team is structured around senior brokers (Robert Moran, the founding partner, plus [VERIFY: 4 to 8] senior brokers) rather than a wide bench of junior listing staff.
The first sales strength is the buyer-side advisory at the 60m-plus band. Moran brokers will typically run a buyer through a structured shortlist of 5 to 10 yachts (mixing central listings and off-market inventory) with deliberate written commentary on each, rather than a generic property dump. The commentary is data-rich on the build pedigree, the maintenance history, and the realistic transition cost. For a US buyer who has not previously bought a 70m-plus yacht, this advisory work is the most valuable contribution a broker can make and Moran handles it well.
The second strength is the off-market inventory at the upper LOAs. Moran has access to private inventory in the 60-to-100m band that is not on any central-listing system and not on Yachtworld, and the firm's relationships in this off-market pool are competitive with Burgess, Edmiston, and Cecil Wright. A buyer with a $50M-plus budget should ask any broker on a shortlist what off-market inventory they can show and Moran is one of the few brokers who can produce a meaningful answer.
The sales weakness is the seller-side marketing on yachts below 50m. Sellers in the 25-to-50m band who list centrally with Moran will get senior attention on the engagement but typically less buyer-pool reach than the same yacht would receive at Fraser or IYC. The asking-to-selling gap on Moran's lower-LOA listings is wider than the firm's reputation in the upper segment suggests. Sellers in this band should consider whether the senior attention is worth the narrower buyer pool, or whether a co-central with a higher-volume firm makes sense.
New construction
The Moran new-construction advisory is the firm's most differentiated offering. The desk is led by senior partners with build-side experience, and the firm has been broker-of-record on [VERIFY: more than 30] new builds at Lürssen, Feadship, Oceanco, Abeking & Rasmussen, and Heesen since the late 1990s. The advisory work covers yard selection, contract structure, spec development, design-team coordination, milestone management, and delivery acceptance.
The new-build strength is the yard-relationship depth. Moran's senior partners are on first-name terms with the project directors at Lürssen, Feadship, and Oceanco, and the firm's commentary on yard availability, current order books, and realistic delivery timelines is among the most reliable in the market. For a buyer commissioning a new build at any of these yards, having Moran as broker-of-record materially improves the contract structure and the realistic delivery confidence.
The new-build weakness is the alignment risk on the commission structure. Brokers-of-record at the major yards are typically paid by the yard rather than the buyer, and the commission is in the one-to-two percent range of contract value. The structure creates a quiet incentive for the broker to favor yards where the relationship is strongest rather than yards where the buyer's brief is best served. Moran is not unusually exposed to this risk relative to Burgess or Edmiston, but the structural alignment question applies and buyers should ask the broker to disclose the commission arrangement in writing before commissioning.
Charter
Moran operates a charter desk but the booked-weeks volume is meaningfully smaller than Burgess, Fraser, or Camper & Nicholsons. The desk handles roughly [VERIFY: 50 to 120] booked weeks per year, concentrated in the Mediterranean and Caribbean and skewed to the $200K-plus weekly band. Charter clients dealing with Moran will typically see a senior broker rather than a junior coordinator, and the yacht-matching is structured around the client brief rather than the available inventory.
The charter strength is the captain-and-crew commentary on yachts that Moran has previously sold. The firm has institutional memory on the operating product of [VERIFY: hundreds of] yachts in the upper-LOA fleet and can tell a client which yachts are at the top of their game in 2026 and which are in a transition year. This commentary is rare and valuable.
The charter weakness is the inventory breadth at the lower budget bands. A charter client with a $150K weekly budget approaching Moran will see a thinner shortlist than they will see from a charter-led firm like Edmiston, Fraser, or Camper & Nicholsons. The firm is not calibrated to handle this band at the same volume.
Management
Moran operates a small yacht-management offering as a supporting service to the sales and new-build lines. The portfolio is small (estimated [VERIFY: 5 to 15] yachts under partial or full management in 2026) and the scope is calibrated to clients who have purchased yachts through the firm and want continuity in the post-purchase phase. Owners who want a full-scope management offering as a primary engagement should look at Burgess, Fraser, Hill Robinson, or Y.CO rather than Moran.
Fee structure
Sales commissions: typically 8 to 10 percent of the sale price on standard central agency listings, split between the seller's broker and the buyer's broker. Custom structures on transactions above [VERIFY: $50M].
New construction broker-of-record: typically 1 to 2 percent of contract value, paid by the yard. Buyers should ask the broker to confirm the commission structure and the alignment of incentives in writing before commissioning.
Charter commissions: 15 percent of the charter fee, paid by the yacht owner. Standard.
Management fees: typically [VERIFY: $30K to $80K per month] for partial-to-full management at the upper LOAs. The offering is calibrated to clients with existing Moran relationships.
Two things we would change
The published listing detail on the website. Moran's online central-agency presentations are thinner than Burgess, Edmiston, or Fraser at the same LOA band. Specs are usually present but the build pedigree, the refit history, and the survey findings are typically light. A buyer doing pre-broker research on a Moran central listing will need to ask for the full data package and many do not. We would prefer a fuller online dossier on every central listing above 40m.
The transparency on the new-build commission alignment. Moran does not publish a standardized disclosure on the yard-paid commission structure for broker-of-record engagements, and buyers commissioning new builds should not have to ask separately. We would prefer a published, signed disclosure in the engagement letter that names the yard-paid commission and the buyer-paid component (if any), and that the broker discloses any preferred-yard arrangements before yard selection begins.
Passed on
Passed: Moran as the sole central-listing broker for a 25-to-50m yacht in standard specification. The senior attention is real but the buyer-pool reach in this band is narrower than the larger central-agency firms. Sellers should consider Fraser, IYC, Northrop & Johnson, or a co-central structure.
Passed: Moran as the charter broker for a first-time charter client under $150K weekly budget. The desk is calibrated to the upper end of the charter market and the inventory shortlist at this budget will not be the strongest the market can produce. A charter-led firm at this budget band is the better default.
Passed: Moran as the management company for an owner who wants full-scope management as a primary engagement. The management offering is a supporting service rather than a full division. Burgess, Fraser, Hill Robinson, or Y.CO are the more appropriate defaults.
Passed: Moran for a buyer who has already settled on yard, project director, and basic spec for a new build. Like any new-construction advisory engagement, the value is highest when yard selection is open. A buyer who has done the upstream work elsewhere is paying for advisory that has already been done.
Bottom line
Moran is one of three brokerages a US-based buyer of a 60m-plus second-hand yacht or a new build at Lürssen, Feadship, or Oceanco should have on a shortlist, alongside Burgess US and Edmiston US. The new-construction advisory desk is among the most credible in the market, the buyer-side senior attention is consistently delivered, and the off-market inventory at the upper LOAs is competitive with the European top-tier firms. We rank Moran in the top three for upper-LOA US-buyer sales in 2026. We would change the two things named above and we would recommend the firm on its current operating product to any client whose brief matches the upper-LOA, US-anchored orientation.
Frequently asked questions
Is Moran Yacht & Ship independent from any yacht builder?
Yes. Moran operates as an independent broker without ownership ties to any yard. The firm holds broker-of-record relationships with multiple major builders on a transactional basis and discloses commission arrangements to buyers.
Where is Moran Yacht & Ship headquartered?
Fort Lauderdale, with additional senior brokers in Newport, Monaco, and Sydney [VERIFY: current office list].
What yachts has Moran been broker-of-record for in new construction?
Moran has been broker-of-record on a meaningful percentage of US-buyer new builds at Lürssen, Feadship, Oceanco, and Abeking & Rasmussen since the late 1990s [VERIFY: representative new-build credits].
What is the typical sales commission at Moran?
8 to 10 percent of the sale price on standard central listings, split between seller's broker and buyer's broker, with custom structures on the largest transactions. Industry standard.
Does Moran handle charter bookings?
Yes, but the volume is smaller than the dedicated charter firms. Booked-weeks volume is concentrated above $200K weekly and clients with smaller budgets are typically referred to more appropriate brokers.
How do I start a conversation with Moran?
The firm operates a contact form at moranyachts.com. Sales inquiries above $20M typically route to a senior broker within 24 to 48 hours. New-build inquiries route to the broker-of-record desk in Fort Lauderdale.