Buyer Services
Aircraft Dealer vs Broker
There is much confusion over the difference between a "dealer" and a "broker". A dealer sells the airplane he owns. A broker sells an airplane for the owner for a commission. In a slow market, many dealers would rather broker airplanes so they avoid long holding time expenses.
As a buyer, a dealer will tend to know aircraft he owns a lot better than a broker. Many brokers are reading off sheets on an aircraft, and probably have very little knowledge of the airplane. Expect surprises when you go look at a brokered airplane from a large broker.
As a buyer you should ask some questions:
- Have you personally inspected and flown this particular airplane?
- Who has maintained the aircraft?
- Have you personally inspected the logbooks
As a buyer you should ask yourself these questions:
- How comfortable do you feel sending a deposit on an aircraft that the
broker has never seen or flown?
- How comfortable will you be traveling half way across the country to look at an airplane you or the broker know so little about?
As a buyer, never sign a purchase agreement unless it specifically says that you will get all your deposit back at any time before closing, for any reason.
