EPISODE 8 | Time Kills Deals: How Aircraft Transactions Really Close (and Blow Up) | 10/23/25

Host: Jason Zilberbrand, President of VREF, ASA appraiser, expert witness, 30+ years in aviation. Topic: The messy middle between accepted offer and title transfer—what’s supposed to happen, what actually happens, how deals go off the rails, and how to protect yourself. Episode Summary Jason pulls the curtain back on the transaction phase: LOIs, deposits, pre-buys, escrow, title and liens, and closing mechanics. You’ll learn why “time kills deals,” the most common failure points, and how psychology, paperwork, and poor preparation can turn a routine purchase into a costly, month-long fight. Jason also walks through a real “deal from hell” that morphed from a 30-day plan into a multi-year headache—and the concrete lessons it left behind for buyers, sellers, brokers, lenders, and escrow. Key Takeaways Time kills deals. The longer a transaction drags, the more uncertainty, second-guessing, and failure points creep in. Process over fairy tales. Perfect two-week closings with flawless logs are outliers; plan for friction. Paper beats promises. A clear, signed LOI is the roadmap. Without it, you’re gambling. Pre-buy is non-negotiable. Skipping it is how small problems become existential ones. Escrow is protection, not a formality. Read the agreement; demand transparency; verify ownership, liens, and title. Soft markets amplify friction. Buyers press leverage, sellers panic over carrying costs, lenders get cautious. Airplanes don’t kill deals—people do. Ego, impatience, and poor communication are the real culprits. The Ideal Transaction Flow (What Should Happen) Letter of Intent (LOI) signed Defines terms, pre-buy scope, who pays for what, defaults, closing mechanics. Sent to escrow. Deposit to escrow (5–10%) Typically refundable until technical acceptance; then it goes “hard.” Required before lender issues a funding commitment. Pre-buy inspection (at OEM-authorized or reputable independent facility) Logbook review, borescope, engine runs, oil analysis, known trouble spots. Confirms serials on engines/props/APU; surfaces corrosion and compliance gaps. More show notes can be found at https://vref.com/news/episode-8-time-kills-deals-how-aircraft-transactions-really-close-and-blow-up-10-23-25 Resources Mentioned If you’re preparing to buy or sell, don’t guess. Ground your decisions in real data with VREF Online and avoid the traps discussed in this episode. VREF Online — Real-time aircraft values, operating cost estimates, and depreciation forecasts for 900+ models. Make decisions with data, not hunches. https://vref.com/vref-online-aircraft-valuation-platform/ Listen to Past Episodes Episode page: https://vref.com/news/category/podcast/