Sometimes customers ask, “What information can a broker get for me that I can’t get for myself? I get a copy of Controller magazine and I can get a pretty good idea of what aircraft are for sale and for what price.”
That’s true, but often what you’ll find in these “classified ads” are the actual numbers of now many aircraft of a given type are on the market, how many have sold in a given time frame, and how many have sold recently, for what actual price. (Which may be very different from asking prices!)
It’s also helpful to see if prices and sales velocity is moving up or down.
Of course the aircraft market report isn’t everything. It helps to have the experience and connections to know about aircraft that are NOT on the market yet, and to have good relationships with industry professionals who know about buying and selling opportunities.
More detailed information gives you a better negotiating position. Here’s a partial sample report for a Gulfstream V.
