It has been said that a yacht brokerage can be very much like the real estate business. Listings are acquired for yachts and kept in up to date files. The broker then tries to match up a particular boat with a buyer's financial situation and other particular preferences. If a sale is made the broker receives approximately 10% commission, which is split when multiple listings are shared with other brokers.

In addition to selling yachts a broker will usually offer a charter service. This also requires up to date listings of boats available for charter, as well as accurate knowledge of the boat and owner (and the crew if they are included).

A third area in the brokerage business is marine insurance. Usually a broker will act as an agent for a larger company. In A.E. Fraser's case he represented Chubb & Sons, and Federal Insurance Co., although there is little record of this activity in the Fraser Papers.