Aircraft Buyer’s Agent and Acquisition Advisor

Why a Buyer's Agent

Buying an aircraft isn't like buying a car — it's more like buying a business. The stakes are higher, the paperwork is deeper, and the consequences of a misinformed decision can cost six or seven figures and years of regret.

OakTree Aviation Services represents you, and only you. We are not aircraft brokers. We do not represent sellers. We accept no kickbacks, referral fees, or consideration from any party other than our client. Your best interest is our only interest.

Who This Service Is For

• Business owners and corporate operators who recognize that Part 91 operations solve airline limitations and miss opportunities.

• First-time aircraft buyers who need a process partner, not a salesperson.

• Experienced owners who want professional representation through search, diligence, and closing.

• Family offices and high-net-worth individuals seeking one accountable advisor to manage the entire transaction.

We represent buyers from piston singles to medium- and large-business jets, helicopters, warbirds, and select experimental aircraft. We do not represent buyers for light sport or commercial-class heavy iron.

How OakTree's Buyer's Agent Service Works

Most buyers come to us already convinced of the aircraft they want. Sometimes they're right. Often, they're not — because the aircraft they want isn't the one their mission actually requires.

1. Mission Analysis

Before we look at a single tail number, we define what you are actually trying to accomplish: how often you'll fly, passenger and luggage loads, typical trip lengths, high-altitude requirements, owner-flown vs. crewed, and a realistic acquisition and operating budget.

Mission analysis is where most aircraft purchases go right or wrong. Skipping it is the single most expensive mistake a buyer can make.

2. Aircraft Type Selection

Once the mission is defined, we identify the type and class that genuinely fits — not the one a friend or social-media post recommended. We translate the mission into a defensible target profile: make, model, year range, configuration, performance envelope, and operating cost band.

3. Market Search and Diligence

We research the market for candidates that meet the target profile and budget, then sift each one to a short list worth deeper investigation — ownership history, maintenance records, damage history, logbook integrity, and known type-specific issues. We coordinate independent valuation analysis to support a defensible offer range.

4. Pre-Buy Inspection

A proper pre-buy is aircraft-specific — never a generic "inspect it and tell me what you find" handed to a local mechanic. We build the scope around the actual aircraft and use type-specific facilities whenever warranted: Cessna Citation Service Centers for Citations, Socata for TBM-series, equivalent OEM and authorized centers for other types. Turbine aircraft commonly require borescope or hot-section inspections; the aircraft's history dictates corrosion-specific inspections, and where it has lived.

5. Negotiation, Insurance, Ownership, and Title

• Negotiation: We advise you through offer structuring, contract terms, contingencies, and closing requirements. Most buyers don't know what to ask for. We do.

• Insurance: We coordinate with established aviation insurance brokers on your behalf to bind appropriate coverage at closing.

• Ownership structure: A typical default is an operating LLC owned by a holding LLC with a trust as ultimate beneficiary, but the right structure depends on your tax posture, asset-protection goals, and operational use. For complex tax or estate-planning structures, we coordinate with your CPA or tax attorney.

• Title and escrow: We work with Aerospace Reports in Oklahoma City — a longstanding partner with an industry reputation for credibility and integrity — for title search, escrow, and FAA registration.

6. Closing, Delivery, and Crewing

We follow the deal through closing, FAA registration, and placed-in-service documentation — including the records that substantiate the in-service date for tax purposes. For larger or professionally operated aircraft, we advise on crewing and management options. For owner-flown aircraft, we help evaluate the training, type rating, and insurance experience requirements.

Independence and the Appraisal

OakTree is a USPAP-certified aircraft appraisal practice. That independence is why banks, attorneys, trustees, and the IRS rely on our valuations — and we protect it carefully.

Wearing two hats on the same transaction — buyer's agent and independent appraiser — is doable, but very difficult to do credibly. It's the same problem a broker faces representing both the seller and an unrepresented buyer: you end up sitting on the fence, and neither party can be fully confident you're truly working for them.

Our default is to separate the two roles. When we represent you, we refer the independent USPAP Certified Appraisal Report to a trusted, qualified colleague. Where a lender specifically permits dual engagement, we will perform both roles only with written disclosure to all parties as required by USPAP, and only after a candid conversation with you about the trade-offs.

How We Are Paid

OakTree's buyer's agent engagements are typically structured as a flat fee based on the scoped work for the specific aircraft and transaction, with a non-refundable retainer at engagement and travel and out-of-pocket expenses billed separately at cost.

We do not work on the percentage of the acquisition price. A percentage fee creates an inherent conflict — it incentivizes the agent to recommend a more expensive aircraft. Our compensation is aligned with yours: we are paid for the work, not for the size of the deal.

Full disclosure, no exceptions. There are no hidden commissions, no backdoor payments, no side deals of any kind. Every dollar of our fee is documented and disclosed up front. Every detail of how we are compensated is on the table before you sign anything. Transparency, honesty, and integrity aren't marketing words for us — they're the foundation of the engagement.

Get Started

A short conversation is the right first step. We'll discuss your mission, your timing, and whether OakTree's buyer's agent service is the right fit for what you're trying to accomplish.

Request a Consultation
Call — (888) 703-2369
Email — acquire@oaktreeaviation.com