Methodology
Six steps from peer group to defensible range — the process behind every valuation we issue.
The principle
A valuation is only as good as the comparisons behind it. We publish our method because owners deserve to understand how a number was reached before they make a decision worth millions.
We define the true peer group first — builder tier, hull material, length and gross tonnage, layout and intended use. A 32-metre displacement motor yacht does not compete with a 32-metre planing hull, and valuing them together produces a number nobody can defend.
Length alone is a poor proxy for value. Volume determines guest experience, crew accommodation, operating cost and, ultimately, price. We weight every comparison by gross tonnage so that a voluminous yacht is not undervalued against a longer, narrower one.
We score paint, machinery hours and history, interior condition, tenders and toys, class and flag status, and the quality of recent refit work. A documented refit by a reputable yard is worth materially more than the same spend without records.
Asking prices tell you what owners hope for. We anchor to transactions we can verify — through our own deals and through the Northrop & Johnson network — and adjust for the date, location and circumstances of each sale.
Location changes value. Import status, berthing availability, survey history in the region and the depth of local buyer demand all move the number in Asia in ways that a European comparison set will miss.
You receive an indicative range rather than a single figure, the comparables behind it, and a clear recommendation on asking price if you intend to sell. The reasoning matters as much as the number.
Next step