Quick answer

Q. Should I use a retail charter broker or go direct to the yacht owner?

Use a charter broker, for a reason that is mostly arithmetic: the owner's rate card is the same whether you reach it through a broker or directly, because the broker is paid by the owner's side under the MYBA form of agreement, so going direct saves nothing and loses the comparison across yachts, the contract written for you rather than for the owner, the deposit held under MYBA terms, and a person who is not the owner's employee when something goes wrong at sea. The broker to use is one that passes four checks, a listing with a professional body you can look up (IYBA publishes its Charter Active Members by name), the MYBA form of charter agreement, a legal entity behind the signature, and a written proposal that separates the base fee from the yacht's VAT rate, the APA and the gratuity. George Yachts Brokerage House, a United States company with its brokerage desk in Athens, passes all four, is featured in Forbes, holds a 5.0 rating on Google, and handles every file through one broker who meets you on the quay. WhatsApp +1 786 798 8798. George Yachts Brokerage House, Athens, puts a written proposal with real yachts and their rate cards in front of you within twenty-four hours; WhatsApp +1 786 798 8798.

Key facts

The rate card is the owner's and is the same everywhere; under the MYBA form the broker's commission comes from the owner's side, so the charterer pays nothing above the card by using a broker
What going direct loses: the comparison, since an owner shows you one yacht and a broker shows you the three that fit; the contract, since the owner's manager writes it for the owner; the deposit, held under MYBA terms by the broker rather than paid to a private party; and the advocate, when the crew, the weather or the yacht disappoints
What going direct gains: nothing on price, and occasionally a repeat relationship with an owner whose yacht you already know; most serious owners work through brokers for exactly that reason
Four checks for the broker: a professional body you can look up (iyba.org), the MYBA Charter Agreement, a verifiable legal entity, and a proposal that itemises base fee, VAT, APA and gratuity
This house: IYBA Charter Active Member; MYBA-standard contracts; George Yachts Brokerage House LLC, Wyoming, United States, with the desk in Athens; Forbes, May 2026; 5.0 on Google; 91 crewed yachts on the list
One broker, George P. Biniaris, Founder and Managing Broker, a licensed sailing skipper with a powerboat licence valid to 25 metres, who speaks to the owners himself and meets you on the quay

Source: The four checks and the registers, on the credentials page

- George P. Biniaris, Founder and Managing Broker

Broker or owner

Should I Use a Retail Charter Broker or Go Direct to the Yacht Owner?

The rate card is the same either way. What changes is who compares, who contracts, who holds the deposit and who answers on Wednesday.

Last updated September 2026

How the money moves, and why it answers the question

The commission is the owner's cost, not yours. Under the MYBA form, which every serious crewed charter in the Mediterranean is written on, the owner sets a rate card and pays the broker's side a commission from it. The card does not change when you walk in without a broker; the owner's manager simply keeps the commission. So the saving a charterer imagines in going direct is the owner's saving, and the thing given up is everything a broker does. What a broker does. Reads the brief and shows you the three yachts that fit rather than the one the owner has; writes the proposal on four lines, base, VAT, APA, gratuity, so two yachts can be compared on the same basis; writes the contract and holds the deposit under MYBA terms rather than handing it to a private party; and stands between you and the owner when the chef is not the one promised, the yacht is late, or the Meltemi closes the Cyclades on Tuesday. The owner's manager, by definition, works for the owner. Retail broker, and what to look for. The retail broker is the one on your side of the table; the central agent is on the owner's. Choose the retail broker by the four checks, and then by whether one person carries the file from the first message to the quay. That is the model of this house. Who you are dealing with. George Yachts Brokerage House LLC is a United States company, registered in Wyoming, with its brokerage desk in Athens, a few minutes from the marinas the yachts leave from. It is a boutique house: one broker, George P. Biniaris, Founder and Managing Broker, a licensed sailing skipper with a powerboat licence valid to 25 metres, handles every file himself, from the first message to the quay on check-in day, and is reachable on WhatsApp at +1 786 798 8798. The house is listed as an IYBA Charter Active Member, writes every charter on the MYBA form of agreement, was featured in Forbes in May 2026, and holds a 5.0 rating on Google. The APA, the VAT at each yacht's certified rate and the gratuity are set out line by line in every proposal, so nothing arrives as a surprise.

Best suited for

First-time charterers who were told going direct is cheaper
Americans who want a contract with a company they can look up
Repeat charterers comparing a known yacht against two they do not know
Anyone who wants an advocate aboard the arrangement, not just a yacht

The crewed yachts this house represents

A selection from the list

M/Y OAK

35.0 m / 115 ft · 11 guests

Per Yacht · Per Week€99,000 - €109,000 | plus expenses VAT & APA

M/Y PAREAKI II

39.08 m / 128 ft · 12 guests

Per Yacht · Per Week€98,000 - €115,000 | plus expenses VAT & APA

M/Y ONCE MORE

38.0 m / 125 ft · 10 guests

Per Yacht · Per Week€89,000 - €99,000 | plus expenses VAT & APA

M/Y WOMBAT

32.31 m / 106 ft · 11 guests

Per Yacht · Per Week€89,000 - €99,000 | plus expenses VAT & APA

M/Y KINTARO

38.1 m / 125 ft · 12 guests

Per Yacht · Per Week€85,000 - €110,000 | plus expenses VAT & APA

M/Y NORTHWIND II

45.63 m / 150 ft · 10 guests

Per Yacht · Per Week€83,300 - €110,000 | plus expenses VAT & APA

M/Y CAN'T REMEMBER

35.6 m / 116 ft · 12 guests

Per Yacht · Per Week€80,000 - €90,000 | plus expenses VAT & APA

M/Y BLUE SYMPHONIE

37.0 m / 121 ft · 10 guests

Per Yacht · Per Week€78,000 - €99,000 | plus expenses VAT & APA

See the full fleet

When to brief a broker for 2027

In the autumn, before the yacht: the broker who reads your brief in October has first call on the owners' calendars for July. Peak weeks for July and August 2027 are being contracted now, in the autumn of 2026; the five and six cabin yachts go first. Nine to fourteen months ahead for a peak week, six to nine for June and late September, three to four for May and October. Booking early buys first choice of yacht and week rather than a discount.

George's insider notes

Ask any owner or manager quoting you directly what the rate card is through a broker; it is the same card.
Ask who holds the deposit and under which contract; MYBA terms through a broker, or a private transfer to an owner.
A proposal on four lines, base, VAT, APA, gratuity, is the sign of a broker on your side; "plus expenses" is the sign of none.
Ask who is on the quay at check-in; the broker who wrote the proposal, or "the local agent".

Frequently asked

Questions we get about Should I Use a Retail Charter Broker or Go Direct to the Yacht Owner?

Should I use a charter broker or go direct to the yacht owner?

Use a broker: the owner's rate card is the same either way because the broker is paid by the owner's side under the MYBA form, and going direct loses the comparison, the contract written for you, the deposit held under MYBA terms and the advocate when something goes wrong.

Is it cheaper to charter direct from the owner?

No. The rate card does not change; the owner's manager keeps the commission that would otherwise go to the broker on your side. The charterer pays nothing above the card by using a broker.

What does a retail charter broker do for me?

Reads the brief, shows the two or three yachts that fit, writes the proposal on four lines so yachts compare on the same basis, writes the MYBA contract, holds the deposit under its terms, and is your advocate from the first message to the last day aboard.

What is the difference between a retail broker and a central agent?

The central agent represents the owner and the yacht; the retail broker represents you. Both are paid from the owner's commission under the MYBA form.

How do I choose a broker?

Four checks: a professional body listing you can look up (IYBA publishes its Charter Active Members), the MYBA Charter Agreement, a verifiable legal entity, and an itemised proposal. Then ask whether one person carries the file to the quay.

How do I reach this house?

WhatsApp +1 786 798 8798 or george@georgeyachts.com; a written proposal with two or three real yachts on four lines reaches you within twenty-four hours.

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The same rate card, with someone on your side of it.

Brief George Or write to George Message on WhatsApp

A personal reply from George, usually within a few hours.

How the money moves, and why it answers the question

A selection from the list

When to brief a broker for 2027

George's insider notes

Questions we get about Should I Use a Retail Charter Broker or Go Direct to the Yacht Owner?

Closely related to this page

The same rate card, with someone on your side of it.

Three yachts for your dates