Managing a Citation CJ3+ Acquisition Between an Existing Buyer and Seller
Not every aircraft acquisition begins with a broker finding the airplane.
Sometimes the buyer already knows exactly which aircraft it wants to purchase—and already has a relationship with the seller.
That was the situation when an experienced corporate flight department decided to acquire a 2019 Citation CJ3+, serial number 525B-0594.
The buyer and seller already did business together. The client knew the aircraft and wanted to pursue the purchase, but also understood that familiarity between the parties did not eliminate the complexity of an aircraft transaction.
The client hired The Jet Agent to represent its interests and help ensure the acquisition proceeded smoothly from initial evaluation through due diligence and closing.
In this transaction, The Jet Agent’s value wasn’t finding the airplane.
It was helping the client buy an aircraft it had already found—properly.
Transaction Snapshot
Aircraft Acquired: 2019 Cessna Citation CJ3+
Serial Number: 525B-0594
Client Representative: David Richardson, Flight Department Manager
Representation: Buyer
Transaction: Citation CJ3+ acquisition
Aircraft Identification: The client had already identified the aircraft and knew the seller through an existing business relationship
The Jet Agent’s involvement included:
- Buyer representation
- Initial aircraft and transaction evaluation
- Market and pricing analysis
- Transaction strategy
- Negotiation
- Due diligence
- Coordination among the transaction parties
- Closing management
When You Already Know the Aircraft You Want to Buy
A buyer does not always need an acquisition firm to conduct an aircraft search.
Sometimes the opportunity already exists.
In this case, the flight department knew the owner of the Citation CJ3+ through an existing business relationship and had already identified the aircraft as one it wanted to acquire.
That eliminated one part of a traditional acquisition assignment:
Finding the airplane.
It did not eliminate the need to determine whether the transaction itself made sense.
The aircraft still needed to be evaluated.
Its value still needed to be understood.
Commercial terms still needed to be negotiated.
Due diligence still needed to be completed.
And the transaction still had to progress successfully through closing.
The client engaged The Jet Agent to manage those aspects of the acquisition.
Why Hire an Acquisition Firm When You Already Found the Airplane?
Finding an aircraft and acquiring an aircraft are two very different things.
The fact that a buyer already knows the seller can make the transaction feel simpler than it actually is.
But the same fundamental questions still apply:
Is the aircraft appropriate for the mission?
How does the proposed price compare with the market?
What does the aircraft’s maintenance history reveal?
What due diligence should be completed before acceptance?
Are the commercial terms appropriate?
How should issues that arise during the transaction be handled?
What needs to occur before the buyer should close?
The Jet Agent was hired to help the client answer those questions while managing the acquisition on its behalf.
Separating the Business Relationship From the Aircraft Decision
An existing relationship between buyer and seller can be an advantage.
It can also make an aircraft transaction more delicate.
When the parties already do business together, neither side necessarily wants disagreements over an aircraft to damage the broader relationship.
Professional representation creates some separation between the underlying business relationship and the details of the aircraft transaction.
The Jet Agent could focus on the aircraft, the market, the due diligence and the transaction terms while the buyer and seller preserved the professional relationship that existed independently of the airplane.
The objective was not to make the transaction adversarial.
It was to make it disciplined.
Trusting the Seller Does Not Replace Due Diligence
Knowing and trusting an aircraft owner is valuable.
It is not a substitute for independently evaluating the aircraft.
A buyer should still understand the aircraft’s condition, maintenance history, records, value and any other factors that could materially affect the acquisition.
That protects everyone involved.
The buyer can proceed with greater confidence.
The seller has a clearly defined transaction process.
And questions about the aircraft can be addressed as transaction issues rather than personal issues between two business associates.
The Jet Agent managed the due diligence process on the client’s behalf before the acquisition proceeded to closing.
Establishing Market Value
A privately negotiated transaction still exists within a broader aircraft market.
Even when a buyer and seller already know one another, the buyer needs an independent understanding of what the aircraft is worth.
The Jet Agent evaluated the CJ3+ and the market surrounding it to establish pricing context for the transaction.
That market perspective allowed the client to evaluate the opportunity based on more than the seller’s proposed price or the goodwill that already existed between the parties.
The objective was to reach commercially appropriate terms while maintaining a transaction both sides could successfully complete.
Negotiating Without Damaging the Relationship
Negotiation can become more complicated when the buyer and seller have an ongoing business relationship.
A buyer still needs effective representation.
But an unnecessarily combative negotiating style can create costs far beyond the aircraft transaction itself.
The Jet Agent represented the buyer’s interests while helping manage the commercial aspects of the acquisition separately from the relationship between the principals.
That allowed the parties to address price, aircraft issues and transaction requirements within a professional framework.
The goal was not simply to negotiate aggressively.
It was to negotiate effectively.
Managing the Details Between Agreement and Closing
Once the parties agree conceptually to a transaction, there is still considerable work between a handshake and aircraft delivery.
The Jet Agent remained involved through the acquisition process, including evaluation, pricing strategy, negotiation, due diligence and closing.
That coordination is particularly valuable when the client has already selected the aircraft.
Without a traditional aircraft search occupying the beginning of the engagement, the focus moves immediately to execution:
Understanding the aircraft.
Establishing the transaction framework.
Protecting the buyer’s interests.
Keeping the process moving.
And resolving issues as they arise.
The assignment was ultimately about transaction management.
An Existing Relationship With Denise
David Richardson had worked with Denise Wilson before this Citation CJ3+ acquisition.
In an earlier aircraft transaction, completed before The Jet Agent was founded, his flight department selected Denise to represent the sale of one of its Citation CJ3s after soliciting proposals from multiple brokerage firms.
That earlier experience established confidence in Denise’s transaction management and aircraft-market expertise.
When the flight department later identified the Citation CJ3+ it wanted to acquire, it again chose Denise—this time through The Jet Agent—to represent its interests in the purchase.
In David’s Words About His Earlier Experience With Denise
“As we began the process of selling one of our department’s Citation CJ3s, we solicited proposals from multiple brokerage firms. Denise quickly stood out from the competition with her exceptional service and dedication to earning our business.
Once we decided to move forward with Denise, she delivered on every promise she had made. We were pleasantly surprised by her optimistic expectations for the timeline and sales price, but she exceeded them both with ease.
Her experience and expertise were truly invaluable throughout the sales process.
Moving forward, we have no doubt that Denise will be our first choice when it comes to any future aircraft transactions. We highly recommend her services to anyone seeking a knowledgeable and reliable partner in the aviation industry.”
— David Richardson, Flight Department Manager
The Result
The client successfully acquired 2019 Citation CJ3+ 525B-0594 with The Jet Agent representing its interests throughout the transaction.
The aircraft itself did not come from a broker search.
The client already knew the seller and had identified the opportunity.
The Jet Agent was brought in to help turn that opportunity into a well-managed aircraft acquisition.
Our role included:
- Evaluating the aircraft and transaction
- Providing independent market and pricing perspective
- Developing the transaction strategy
- Representing the buyer during negotiations
- Managing due diligence
- Coordinating the transaction process
- Guiding the acquisition through closing
The result was a smooth acquisition between two parties that already had a business relationship—without sacrificing the independent representation the buyer wanted for a significant aircraft purchase.
What This Citation CJ3+ Acquisition Demonstrates
You Don’t Have to Need an Aircraft Search to Need Buyer Representation
The client already knew which CJ3+ it wanted.
That did not make acquisition representation unnecessary.
It changed where The Jet Agent’s work began.
Instead of starting with aircraft sourcing, the engagement began with evaluation, valuation, transaction strategy and execution.
A Relationship With the Seller Is Not Due Diligence
Knowing the seller can create confidence in the transaction.
It does not answer every question about the airplane.
Independent aircraft evaluation and due diligence remain important even when the parties know and trust one another.
Professional Representation Can Help Protect an Existing Business Relationship
Buyer and seller had a relationship outside this aircraft transaction.
Having The Jet Agent manage the aircraft-specific issues helped create separation between the commercial details of the acquisition and the broader relationship between the companies.
Market Analysis Still Matters in a Private Transaction
An aircraft does not stop having a market value simply because the buyer and seller negotiated privately.
Independent market analysis gives the buyer context for evaluating the proposed economics of the transaction.
The Broker’s Value Isn’t Limited to Finding the Aircraft
Aircraft sourcing is one component of acquisition representation.
Evaluation, pricing, negotiation, due diligence, transaction management and closing can be equally important.
For this client, those were the services it needed.
Already Found the Citation You Want to Buy?
You do not need to start with an aircraft search to engage The Jet Agent for buyer representation.
Perhaps you’ve already found an aircraft through your own network.
Perhaps you know the seller.
Perhaps you’ve been approached directly with an opportunity.
Or perhaps you’ve identified an aircraft online and want independent representation before moving forward.
The Jet Agent can step into the transaction at that point.
We can evaluate the aircraft and market, establish pricing context, help structure and negotiate the transaction, coordinate due diligence and represent your interests through closing.
You find the aircraft.
We’ll help you determine whether—and how—you should buy it.
