Despite Slower Boat Sales, Buyers Stay Hooked--and More Elusive--in 2025

MIAMI, July 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The boating industry may be navigating softer sales in the first half of 2025, but consumer interest remains strong. What's changing isn't the desire to own a boat – it's how and when people choose to buy.

As broader economic conditions influence buyer behavior, a new kind of boat shopper is emerging: more intentional, more tech-savvy, and more self-directed. According to Boats Group—the operator of leading marketplaces YachtWorld, Boat Trader, and boats.com—shoppers are still active. They're just taking longer to make decisions and engaging through different channels than in previous years.

"People still want to get out on the water," said Courtney Chalmers, Vice President of Marketing at Boats Group. "But they're taking longer to decide and navigating the process more independently than ever."

While sales transactions have slowed in 2025, consumer activity across Boats Group's platforms tells a different story. Shoppers are conducting extensive research, saving listings, and monitoring changes over time. What was once a linear purchase funnel is now a multi-session, multi-channel journey.

This shift is especially evident in how buyers are interacting with mobile apps. Boats Group reported its app engagement has increased significantly, as buyers rely on tools that allow them to search, compare, and track boats over time.

Key Behavioral Trends Boats Group is Seeing:

• Longer Buying Journey: Boats—especially new models—are staying on the market longer, reflecting more thoughtful consideration cycles.

• Resilient Pricing: Pricing has held steady, particularly for premium vessels, as serious buyers still compete for quality inventory.

• Used Boats Hold Steady: The used market remains robust, with buyers gravitating toward greater value.

• Luxury Buyers Stay Engaged: Affluent buyers continue shopping in the motor yacht segment, sustaining demand at the high end.

• Sailing Enthusiasts Stay Loyal: While powerboats dominate in volume, sailboat buyers remain a devoted niche audience.

Boats Group's ecosystem plays a critical role in today's buyer journey. Consumers are increasingly using its mobile apps to:

• Save searches and favorite listings
• Monitor price changes via alerts
• Browse across multiple sessions and devices

This behavior mirrors how consumers shop for homes or vehicles. It's persistent, personal, and increasingly driven by tools like boato^Ⓡ — Boats Group's AI-powered image search feature, designed to streamline discovery.

As buyers take more control of their journeys, innovative tools like boato are reshaping how people shop. Built to let users search listings using a photo of a boat, boato has already drawn praise for its simplicity, speed, and real-world utility.

In recent user testing, boato was described as:

• "Straightforward and user-friendly."
• "Seeing a boat on the water and instantly searching for it."
• "'Google Lens' for boat shopping... I love it."

Buyers appreciate how quickly they could identify or learn more about a boat they saw docked, at sea, or online–even without knowing the brand or model. In many cases, boato served as a bridge between a moment of curiosity and deeper engagement with listings.

As the buyer journey becomes more self-directed, businesses can no longer rely solely on traditional lead forms to measure demand. Shoppers may not always signal intent through direct inquiries, but that doesn't mean they're not serious. To stay competitive, marine businesses must rethink how and where they show up:

• Be discoverable across apps and platforms
• Use rich, mobile-optimized content
• Maintain presence through every stage of the buyer journey

"The bottom line is, boating isn't fading—it's evolving," said Chalmers. "The challenge for the industry is adapting to a market where buyers are taking longer, thinking harder, and choosing different ways to engage. But they're still out there—and they're actively shopping for their next boat."

As the buyer journey stretches and deepens, the brands that adapt will be the ones buyers find first and remember longest.

About Boats Group

Boats Group operates the world's leading online marketplaces for buying and selling boats, including Boat Trader, YachtWorld, and boats.com. With a global audience of millions of boat buyers, we provide data-driven marketing solutions, AI-driven tools, financing services, and industry insights to help OEMs, dealers, and brokers maximize their sales potential.

Media Contact: Courtney Chalmers
VP of Marketing, Boats Group
Email: press@boats.com
Phone: 1-877-354-4069

SOURCE Boats Group, LLC