How Do I Sell A Marina?

To sell a marina: get a professional valuation, prepare three years of financials under an NDA, build an offering package with a marina broker, market the marina to qualified buyers, and close through a purchase and sale agreement. A marina sale typically takes 6-12 months from preparation to closing.
National Marina Sales represents marina sellers nationwide. Rick Roughen, MBA, Commercial Maritime Specialist with National Marina Sales (Keller Williams Commercial, Boca Raton, FL), has been part of hundreds of marina and maritime real estate transactions over 30+ years in the industry.

The 6 Stages of Selling a Marina

Selling a marina moves through six stages:

1. Choose a marina broker – ideally one with owner-operator experience and a record of maritime transactions.
2. Sign an NDA and hand over financials – your books and intentions stay confidential.
3. Valuation and offering package – the broker applies add-backs (adjustments that reveal true seller’s discretionary earnings) so the package can defend a maximum asking price.
4. Go to market – the marina is marketed to qualified buyers and consolidators, and inquiries are managed on your behalf.
5. Letter of intent (LOI) and due diligence – the buyer signs an LOI, then inspects financials, environmental reports, permits, and infrastructure.
6. Closing – purchase and sale agreement, final adjustments, and title transfer.

The financials and offering package are shared with buyers only under NDA.

How Long Does It Take to Sell a Marina?

Plan on 6-12 months from preparation to closing. Active marketing through a signed LOI usually runs 2-4 months, and due diligence plus closing takes another 4-5 months. Experienced consolidators move faster and can close in roughly 4-5 months total. Anything that complicates the real estate – environmental issues, ground leases, or submerged-land leases – stretches the timeline (CT Acquisitions; Sailfish Equity Advisors, 2026).

How Is a Marina Valued Before a Sale?

Marinas are valued three ways: the income approach (net operating income ÷ cap rate), comparable sales on a per-slip basis, and replacement cost. In 2026, marina cap rates run 6-10%, EBITDA multiples run about 4-8x as a rule of thumb, with large, well-run, or consolidator-acquired marinas trading higher (8-12x) – and per-slip values land between $5,000 and $15,000 (DealStream; Marina Deal Flow; CT Acquisitions, 2026). Diversified income is what lifts the number: wet slips, dry rack, storage, service, fuel, a ships’ store, and restaurant leases all add recurring revenue, and recurring revenue trades at lower cap rates (Marina Dock Age).

Full valuation methodology: How much is my marina worth?

What Documents Do You Need to Sell a Marina?

Before listing, pull together three years of P&L statements, tax returns, a rent roll and slip-occupancy reports, an equipment list, payroll reports, current leases, permits, and environmental reports (Marina Deal Flow; Simply Marinas). These feed the valuation, the offering package, and the buyer’s due diligence. On the buyer’s side, most purchases are financed with SBA 7(a)/504 loans – the SBA combined loan limit rose to $10M in 2026, widening the pool of qualified buyers for real-estate-heavy marina deals – or with commercial marine lenders (Sailfish Equity Advisors, 2026).

Due Diligence: Where Most Marina Deals Stall

Due diligence is where most marina deals stall. The buyer digs into financials, environmental reports (Phase I ESA, underground storage tanks), permits (Rivers and Harbors Act, Clean Water Act), leases, and the condition of docks and infrastructure (Marina Deal Flow; U.S. EPA; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers). Ordering a Phase I or Phase II ESA before you go to market heads off the most common cause of collapsed deals. Deferred maintenance does the same damage from the other direction – cracked Travelift piers, failing dock power cords, wobbling pilings, a caving seawall all hand buyers leverage to demand price credits. Fix the safety- and operation-critical items before listing, but don’t over-improve: buyers rarely reimburse it (National Marina Sales, “State of the Marina & Boatyard Industry”).

Why 2026 Is a Seller’s Market for Marinas

Right now the market favors sellers. Marinas ranked as the strongest operating-business category in 2026 transaction multiples, and active consolidators – Safe Harbor (Sun Communities), Suntex, Westrec – are competing hard for well-run assets. The higher SBA loan limit only widens the field, bringing more financed independent buyers to the table (CT Acquisitions; Sailfish Equity Advisors, 2026).

Marina Sale Benchmarks at a Glance (2026)

Metric	Benchmark	Note
Cap rate (income approach)	6-10%	Value = NOI ÷ cap rate
EBITDA multiple	4-8x (rules of thumb)	Large/consolidator deals: 8-12x
Per-slip value (comps)	$5,000-$15,000 per slip	Comparable-sales approach
Total sale timeline	6-12 months	Consolidators can close in ~4-5 months
Marketing → LOI	2-4 months	–
Due diligence → closing	4-5 months	–

Sources: DealStream; Marina Deal Flow; CT Acquisitions; Sailfish Equity Advisors, 2026.

How National Marina Sales Helps Sellers

• Marina Valuation – a broker opinion of value built on the income, per-slip, and replacement-cost methods, with add-backs applied.
• Confidential Offering Package & Marketing – NDA-gated financials and a complete offering package, marketed nationwide to qualified buyers and marina consolidators.
• Seller Representation Through Closing – representation from LOI through due diligence and closing, nationwide.

FAQ: Selling a Marina

Can I sell my marina without a broker?

The standard marina sale process starts with choosing a marina broker: the broker prepares the valuation and add-backs, builds the NDA-gated offering package, markets to qualified buyers and consolidators, and manages the deal through LOI, due diligence, and closing.

How long does it take to sell a marina?

Typically 6-12 months: 2-4 months from active marketing to a signed LOI, then 4-5 months for due diligence and closing. Consolidators can close in roughly 4-5 months; environmental issues, ground leases, or submerged-land leases extend the timeline (Sailfish Equity Advisors, 2026).

What documents do I need to sell a marina?

Three years of P&L statements, tax returns, rent roll and slip-occupancy reports, an equipment list, payroll reports, current leases, permits, and environmental reports (Marina Deal Flow; Simply Marinas).

How is a marina valued?

By three methods: income (NOI ÷ cap rate, with 2026 cap rates at 6-10%), comparable per-slip sales ($5,000-$15,000 per slip), and replacement cost. EBITDA multiples run about 4-8x, higher for large deals (DealStream; Marina Deal Flow; CT Acquisitions, 2026).

What is the biggest risk when selling a marina?

Due diligence – it is where most deals stall. Environmental findings (Phase I ESA, underground storage tanks) and deferred maintenance give buyers leverage for price credits. A pre-emptive Phase I/II ESA and fixing safety-critical items before listing reduce the risk of deal collapse (Marina Deal Flow; U.S. EPA).