Ensign Yachts moving into new virtual offices

Instead, the brokerage will introduce travelling showrooms that will visit yacht clubs and marinas as part of a startegy that was “moving with the times”, Ensign joint managing director Sean Rush said.

“We already enjoy industry-leading coverage with a strong presence in Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Perth, and will be increasing our coverage across Australia with more sales professionals in additional strategic locations,” Rush said.

“We have hired four new Ensign sales ambassadors since we took over the business, increasing our team to more than 25, and are looking to bring on more.”

Ensign’s brands include Bavaria sail and powerboats, Nautitech multihull sail and powerboats, and Italia and Sanlorenzo luxury motor yachts.

Part of the reason behind the move to reduce the brokerage’s physical footprint was the realisation that few of Ensign’s employees were using the company’s physical workplaces, spending most of their time off-site with customers and involved in other activities such as pre-delivery sea trials.

“As retail transitions to the digital environment, we are getting ahead of the curve and interacting with our clients in a more modern and customer service-oriented way,” Ensign’s other joint managing director, Andy Howden, said.

“We want to bring our brokers and our opportunities to the clients. We are finding it’s important our team is mobile and ever-willing to meet clients where it suits them,” he said.

“More times than not that is at home, over a coffee at the club or on board. We want to be where the boats and the boaties are, not anchored to an office.”

The move also is in recognition that many boat buyers are now time poor, and already well-researched before deciding what boat they want to own.

Ensign’s expansion plan will maintain hubs in each key market, with staff becoming much more mobile.

“Many people still want to touch, feel and experience our yachts first-hand so we will continue to have quality stock at our showcase destinations to help refine and research the right fit to meet our customers’ individual needs,” Howden said.

‘We want to expand into more and more areas, to offer complimentary products and services, a better customer service experience and a more diverse product range on a truly national platform, not only concentrating on the major centres,” he said.

Rush said the Australian boat-buying market was changing. “Baby boomers are buying boats and taking them to regional centres to live on or to have a base there, and we’re looking to follow the market,” he said.