2025 Martket Heading into 2026
The bottom line: The 25-30m pre-owned motor yacht market has fundamentally shifted from a seller’s game to a buyer’s market. Inventory is rising, days on market are climbing past 472 days globally, and prices are being cut an average of 12.1% from original asking prices. If you’re buying, the window of opportunity is wide open. If you’re selling, the strategies of 2021 will get you nowhere.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
The global market sold 9.1% fewer boats in 2025 versus 2024, with the 56–79ft segment (the heart of the 25m class) seeing unit volume fall 6.1% and total value decline nearly 3%. Meanwhile, available pre-owned inventory has grown 10% since mid-2025 — more choice than buyers have seen since 2019.
The days when a listing generated multiple offers in weeks are gone.
The “Squeezed Middle” Problem
The 25-30m segment faces a structural squeeze that experienced buyers are noticing immediately:
- Buyers are leapfrogging to 30-40m yachts, which offer dramatically more gross tonnage, better charter economics, and more efficient crew structures
- The 24-metre regulatory cliff (MCA Large Yacht Code compliance) is making buyers question whether the compliance burden is worth the marginal volume gain over a sub-24m vessel
- Production overhang from Azimut, Sunseeker, and Princess means a buyer can find 3-5 identical vessels simultaneously — stripping scarcity value and making price the only real differentiator
Modern wide-body designs are also making traditional 2010-2018 hulls look dated, steepening their depreciation curve faster than most owners anticipate.
What Turkey’s New Tax Means for the Eastern Med
In September 2025, Turkey introduced an 8% Special Consumption Tax (SCT) on leisure vessels — replacing what was previously a zero-tax environment. For a brokerage market built around Turkish-flagged and Turkish-built vessels, this is not a minor footnote.
Expect a short-term inventory surge as owners seek to sell internationally. The silver lining: with 55 active superyacht shipyards, Turkey is pivoting hard toward becoming a world-class refit and service hub — a legitimate competitive advantage for cost-conscious owners.
Two Classes of Vessel Will Define 2026
The market is bifurcating cleanly into two tiers:
Tier 1 — The Liquid Fleet:
- Post-2019 build year, wide-body design, modern stabilisation
- Priced to trade within 6-9 months
- Appeals to charter investors and turnkey buyers
Tier 2 — The Legacy Fleet:
Pre-2015 build, traditional layout, high engine hours, dated systems
Faces steep depreciation and bid-ask spread
Unless priced 20%+ below market average, risks becoming illiquid
If you’re holding a 2012-2016 production yacht without recent upgrades, the clock is ticking.
Strategic Imperatives — for Both Sides of the Table
For buyers:
Negotiate from strength — inventory and rising OPEX give you leverage the market hasn’t seen in years
Target well-maintained vessels in the 24-30m range where “leapfrog” buyers have created value gaps
Prioritise turnkey condition; refit costs and lead times in European yards are prohibitive
For sellers:
Acknowledge the 12%+ average price reduction from the outset and price accordingly
Invest in professional photography, video walkthroughs, and complete service documentation — the buyer journey is now digital first
Understand your competitive set: if five identical vessels are listed alongside yours, price is the only differentiator
Navigate This Market With Experience Behind You
After 45 years working alongside engines, hulls, and hard negotiations, I can tell you that this is not a market for guesswork. The right vessel at the right price, properly presented and correctly positioned, still transacts — every time.
Contact YMB Yachting at yacht-marine-brokerage.com to get an honest, experienced assessment of where your vessel stands — or to find the right pre-owned 25-30m motor yacht before the recovery picks up pace and the window closes.
Data sourced from the Boats Group 2025 Year-End Market Index and European Yacht Market 2025 analysis (25-30m LOA segment).