In her column for GlobalAir.com, Denise Wilson, CAM, reveals how an underrepresented jet buyer can get burned during an aircraft acquisition.
May 20, 2025
Buying a private jet is one of the most complex, high-stakes transactions you’ll ever face.
With aircraft prices ranging from millions to tens of millions, no buyer would walk into such a transaction casually; yet many buyers still dive in without formal representation.
Whether you’re stepping into jet ownership for the first time or adding to an existing fleet, the stakes are too high to navigate an acquisition alone.
How Unrepresented Jet Buyers Get Burned
In a market built on insider knowledge and hidden risk, formal representation during an aircraft acquisition is your only real safeguard.
Here are five reasons why an experienced acquisition consultant isn’t just helpful—it’s essential:
1. The Market Isn’t Transparent. (That’s the Point.)
Online listings give the illusion that you can shop for a jet like you’d shop for a car. But unlike Zillow or Autotrader, aircraft marketplaces rarely reflect the whole story.
Many of the best aircraft are sold off-market through industry relationships. And those that are listed often don’t proactively disclose maintenance issues, hidden damage history or upcoming costly inspections. Those costly surprises are up to the buyer to uncover.
A professional acquisition consultant doesn’t just search online listings. They source, vet and verify available aircraft (on or off market) using tools and connections unavailable to the general public.
2. Without Representation, You’re a Target.
When an aircraft buyer isn’t represented, the other side sees an opportunity. Sellers and some brokers may see a chance to increase price, offload a problem airplane or double-dip on commission.
In many cases, buyers unknowingly overpay or take delivery of an aircraft that looks fine on the surface but has serious deficiencies that show up after the deal closes.
A professional buyer’s agent protects you from predatory pricing, misrepresented aircraft—and bad actors.
3. The Seller Has a Broker. Who Has Your Interests?
Jet sellers nearly always engage a broker to represent their interests. That broker’s duty is to get the best deal for the seller, not for you. No matter how personable the broker may seem, they’re not a neutral party.
If you don’t have a formally engaged acquisition advisor, no one in the transaction is solely looking out for your best interest.
Sellers’ brokers often imply that they can “help both sides.”
But remember—their loyalty is to the seller, not you.
Without your own representation, their “help” can mean inflated valuations, lost negotiation leverage or post-closing regrets, if not all three.
4. You Can End Up Paying for a Broker Without Even Knowing It.
Here’s a hard truth: When buyers try to “save money” by avoiding formal representation, they often still end up paying a broker’s fee – just not their own broker’s.
In back-to-back deals, brokers may insert themselves between the true seller and buyer, quietly marking up the price without disclosing it to either party.
Then you, the buyer, may end up paying a hidden premium that exceeds what a formally engaged acquisition consultant would have charged, but without any of the fiduciary protection.
5. Good Acquisition Consultants Pay for Themselves.
An acquisition consultant adds immense value at every stage—from aircraft selection to closing.
They can save you hundreds of thousands by steering you to the right aircraft, negotiating strategically and avoiding regulatory pitfalls.
They will also handle the following:
- Align your mission profile with the right aircraft
- Evaluate your true aircraft value and ownership costs
- Find legitimate off-market opportunities, which could save you time and money
- Uncover and interpret maintenance and damage history
- Manage pre-buy inspections and closing logistics
- Protect your interests in legal, tax and title matters
With the right advisor who has a fiduciary duty to you, you get expert guidance focused on your best interests.
The Bottom Line
You wouldn’t buy a multimillion-dollar business without a lawyer or invest in real estate without due diligence.
So why would you buy a jet—a far more complex asset—without formal representation?
If you’re in the market for a jet, don’t make the mistake of navigating it alone. Hire an experienced acquisition consultant who works solely for you.
It’s the only way to ensure you buy the right aircraft at the right price, with the right protection.
In aviation, the costliest mistakes are the ones you never saw coming.
About the Author
Denise Wilson, CAM, is the founder and President of The Jet Agent. Wilson has more than 25 years of experience in all facets of the aviation industry. This includes 20+ years of flying Citations and other jets in both business aviation and commercial operations, and 18 years assisting clients in the acquisition and sales of jet aircraft.
She previously served as founder & CEO of Desert Jet, collectively consisting of an aircraft acquisitions and sales division, a jet charter and management company, a jet maintenance business, and a popular FBO featuring a newly built private terminal, Desert Jet Center. Under her leadership, the company grew exponentially, ranking on the Inc. 500 list of the nation’s fastest growing, privately-owned companies five consecutive years.
As a jet aircraft broker and acquisition consultant, Wilson provides concierge-level acquisition representation, aircraft sales, and coaching to clients. She authored the Amazon #1 Bestseller “The Insider’s Guide to Buying and Selling Jets.
