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IYG broker Vittoria Santarone beefs up her resume by completing an intensive owner’s representative course.
Since its founding, the Italian Yacht Group has always been about going the extra mile. The client always comes first, and every single member of the team is dedicated to providing the absolute best client care in the industry.
Veteran IYG broker Vittoria Santarone just upped the ante even further in that regard by completing a year-long Owner’s Representative course, with two four-hour classes held every week. The significant amount of time Santarone dedicated to this mission is matched only by her determination to make IYG the number one boutique brokerage house in all of yachting.
Why Owner’s Representation Matters for Yacht Builds
The certification comes at a key point in IYG’s evolution, as the company begins to focus more and more on large yachts with a gross tonnage above 499. Yachts that size, which typically are 50-meters length overall and up, benefit greatly from having an owner’s representative deeply involved in their build process from day one. “In order to work with some builders, particularly the Dutch and German builders that we foresee ourselves working with in the future, you need an owner’s rep to be able to sign documents on their behalf and offer representation in many other ways as well,” says Santarone. “It’s a very important role that helps make the client experience as friction-free as possible while also ensuring that the end result—the yacht—is of the highest quality possible.”
Inside the Certification Program
The course encompassed four three-month modules. Santarone found the first module perhaps the most interesting. It dealt with the role responsibilities and skills that will be expected of her. “We really focused on how to deal with complex projects and just as importantly, how to deal with the people involved,” she says.
The ultimate goal is to resolve any conflicts that might arise in a way that best benefits the owner. For example, if the captain gets fed up with the shipyard, it’s my job to find a way to get them back on terms where they are working fluidly with one another. We went over some basic psychological concepts, like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and things like that.”
The other three modules were more technical and went over things like the business structures of various shipyards, flag safety, and the legal aspects of what a yacht needs to be properly classed. “We learned the ‘why’ of what we do,” says Santarone. “As a broker we deal with some of these things all the time, but it’s at a relatively superficial level. Learning the reasons behind the legal requirements, the classing, the flags, and everything else was really interesting and gives us a much more robust skill set to offer our clients.”
How an Owner’s Rep Protects Build Quality, Budget, and Long-Term Yacht Value
One place where there will be a clear financial benefit to IYG clients because of Santarone’s new qualification is in post-delivery expenses. “We need to be very clear with clients that this is how they build the highest quality boat, one they can enjoy without issues and that will also have the best resale value possible when they decide to sell. You need to have a team working for you, and you need an owner’s rep.”
Santarone points to a Rossinavi that IYG currently has in-build as an example. “It’s the first time we have seen super-high-quality paint, the owner took our advice to hire a paint expert and the paint now is bulletproof,” she says.
If you’re spending $30–40 million total and $150,000 goes to a paint expert to make the paint perfect, that makes sense. It will save the client money after delivery by reducing headaches and making the boat more enjoyable to own. This is just one benefit of having an owner’s rep on hand throughout the process.”
Expanding IYG’s Capabilities
For her part, Santarone’s glad the course is over. “It really was a lot of work,” she says.
I learned so much and it will all be very useful for IYG and valuable for clients in the future, but it was all done on European time, which made it an extra challenge. But it’s one I think will be well worth it for everyone. At the end of the day, we all work for the client—brokers, owner’s reps, shipyards, everyone. So if this certification can help make those relationships run more smoothly, and help influence the outcome we all want—which is a high-quality yacht and a happy owner—then the whole thing becomes a no-brainer.”
With Santarone enjoying her expanded skill set as an Owner’s Representative, IYG has significantly broadened the range of services it can offer its clients. It’s a move that should pay dividends for everyone involved.
