Merle Wood & Associates

Name

Merle Wood & Associates

Legal name

Merle Wood & Associates, Inc.

Website

https://merlewood.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Luxury Yacht Brokerage

NAICS

Boat Dealers (441222)

akta.pro primary industry

Luxury Motor Yacht Manufacturing (IMAJAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Full-Custom Superyacht & Megayacht Manufacturing (IMAJAMAB), Private Cruise Ship Charters (Full-Vessel) (THAEAEAC)

Keywords

• Luxury yacht brokerage
• Yacht sales
• Yacht charter services
• New yacht construction
• Superyacht transactions

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Lauderdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Yacht Brokerage Sales Commission: Commission-based revenue from representing buyers and sellers of luxury yachts. The company facilitates transactions for yachts ranging from millions to hundreds of millions of dollars, earning commissions on successful closed sales totaling over USD 30 billion cumulative.
2. Yacht Charter Services: Commission revenue from arranging yacht charters for clients seeking luxury vacation experiences. The company represents yacht owners who wish to make their vessels available for charter and works with prospective charterers to match them with appropriate yachts.
3. New Yacht Construction Representation: Fees for representing clients in new yacht construction projects, including consulting on build specifications, design specifications, shipyard selection, and project coordination. The company has over 150 years of combined experience in new yacht construction.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Merle Wood & Associates is a full-service luxury yacht brokerage firm that represents buyers and sellers in the purchase and sale of motor and sailing yachts worldwide, ranging from production yachts to megayachts over 500 feet. The firm also arranges luxury yacht charters and provides consulting and project representation for new yacht construction, drawing on more than 250 years of combined brokerage experience and cumulative closed sales exceeding USD 30 billion.

Product overview

Merle Wood & Associates is a full-service luxury yacht brokerage firm offering a portfolio of interconnected services: yacht sales and acquisition, yacht charter arrangement, new yacht construction consulting, and bespoke yacht marketing. The firm operates through two main divisions—the Superyacht Division (specializing in megayachts over 500 feet) and the Production & Custom Yacht Division—supported by an online Yacht Search Platform that enables filtering by builder, age, guest capacity, and amenities. The company leverages over 250 years of combined brokerage experience and cumulative closed sales exceeding USD 30 billion to serve buyers, sellers, and charterers of motor and sailing yachts worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Luxury Yacht Sales Full-service yacht brokerage for the sale and purchase of luxury motor and sailing yachts, providing access to both publicly listed and off-market vessels worldwide. Designed for ultra-high-net-worth individuals and owners seeking expert representation in transactions ranging from millions to hundreds of millions of dollars.
• Luxury Yacht Charter Services Charter arrangement service that connects clients with luxury yachts available for charter worldwide, including Caribbean, Mediterranean, and other global cruising destinations. Tailored for individuals, families, and corporate groups seeking bespoke vacation or event experiences aboard luxury vessels.
• New Yacht Construction Representation Consulting and project representation for clients building custom yachts, including design specification development, shipyard selection, build specification oversight, and project coordination for vessels from 100 feet to megayachts over 500 feet. Geared toward owners seeking end-to-end guidance through the new-build process.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over USD 30 billion in cumulative closed yacht sales
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Burgess: Global luxury yacht brokerage, charter, and management firm handling sales, new construction, and charter of motor and sailing yachts including megayachts. Directly comparable to Merle Wood & Associates across all three core service lines (sales, charter, new construction) with a similar UHNWI client focus.
• Fraser Yachts: International yacht brokerage, charter, and management company covering motor and sailing yachts globally. Directly comparable service mix (sales, charter, new construction) and client base as Merle Wood & Associates.
• HMY Yachts: Large U.S. yacht brokerage with sales and charter operations across multiple offices, focused on motor yachts in the mid-to-large size range. Direct competitor in the brokerage services Merle Wood provides, with greater scale but similar service model.
• Allied Marine: U.S.-based yacht brokerage and charter firm with a strong Fort Lauderdale presence, offering sales, charter, and new construction services. Direct regional competitor serving the same UHNWI buyers and sellers in the yachting hub Merle Wood calls home.
• Worth Avenue Yachts: Luxury yacht brokerage and charter firm specializing in the sale and charter of premium motor yachts to UHNWI clients in Florida and globally. Directly comparable boutique brokerage model with similar client engagement approach.
• Denison Yachting: Yacht brokerage and charter firm with offices across the U.S. and Europe handling sales and charter of motor yachts, sailing yachts, and sportfish vessels. Direct peer in the sales-and-charter service model Merle Wood operates.
• Northrop & Johnson: Worldwide yacht brokerage specializing in sales, charter, and new construction of luxury motor and sailing yachts. Direct competitor with overlapping service offerings and a similarly relationship-driven UHNWI sales approach.
• IYC (International Yacht Company): Global luxury yacht brokerage offering yacht sales, charter, new construction, and management services. Directly competes in the megayacht segment Merle Wood's Superyacht Division serves, with a similar UHNWI buyer focus.
• Camper & Nicholsons: Heritage luxury yacht brokerage with sales, charter, new construction, and yacht management services worldwide. Competes head-to-head with Merle Wood on megayacht sales and new-build representation for UHNWI clients.

Emerging players

• YATCO: Digital yacht marketplace and MLS platform aggregating listings across the global yacht brokerage industry. Adjacent competitor whose marketplace model could partially disintermediate traditional broker relationships that underpin Merle Wood's value proposition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MerleWoodAssoc
• Facebookfacebook.com/MerleWoodandAssociates

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Merle Wood & Associates