The Blog

Finding the right used vehicles at the right time is one of the biggest challenges dealerships face. But with increasing competition and rising auction costs, dealers are turning to a more effective channel private seller leads.

Most car dealer management software (DMS) focuses on CRM, desking, or service. But in today’s inventory-starved market, the most valuable feature might be the one few platforms truly optimize: vehicle acquisition.

Stocking your lot with high-quality, high-margin vehicles shouldn’t be a guessing game. As competition tightens and auctions get more expensive, dealers need smarter tools to stay ahead.

As the automotive market becomes increasingly competitive, dealership growth is no longer just about sales it’s about acquisition

In today’s tight market, dealers can’t afford to rely on just one or two inventory channels. Auctions are competitive and often overpriced. Trade-ins are unpredictable.

For dealer groups operating multiple rooftops, used car acquisition is no longer just a store-by-store process it’s a scalable operation

Inventory is the lifeblood of every dealership but many still treat acquisition like an afterthought.

nventory management is often thought of as something that happens after a car hits your lot—pricing, merchandising, aging reports.

The faster you can identify, engage, and acquire the right inventory, the more profitable your dealership becomes

Sourcing used inventory has always been a challenge but in today’s market, it’s a full-time battle

Most dealer management systems (DMS) do a solid job with inventory, sales, and back-end operations—but few of them help you acquire vehicles.

With auctions becoming less profitable and trade ins increasingly inconsistent

The used car market has changed—faster cycles, tighter margins, and higher expectations.

For years, private party acquisition was seen as a manual, one-off strategy. A good way to pick up the occasional clean car but not something scalable.

Sourcing used vehicles from private sellers is one of the highest-margin strategies in the industry but it’s also one of the most time-consuming

Most dealerships don’t have an acquisition problem they have a consistency problem

When you’re running a high-volume dealership, the pressure to keep your lot full never stops. But relying solely on auctions, trade-ins, or inbound leads isn’t sustainable.

The automotive industry is shifting fast, and nowhere is that more evident than in how dealerships acquire used inventory

Buy centers are under pressure to move faster, source smarter, and keep their acquisition teams productive without burning them out.

As dealer groups expand, so does the complexity of their inventory operations

This simple truth of buying cars right is the key to unlocking higher profits in the car business.

The best cars don’t hit the lane; they’re in someone’s driveway.

How Dennis Dillon Auto Group Built a Winning Private Party Buying Program

Private party vehicle acquisition offers significant advantages over auctions by reducing reconditioning costs, accelerating Time to Line (T2L), and enhancing profitability. Dealers can personally inspect vehicles from private sellers, leading to lower recon costs and eliminating auction fees, making it a more efficient and cost-effective strategy for inventory sourcing.

Dealers can succeed in private party vehicle acquisition by focusing on building relationships and playing the long game. By dedicating a buyer, leveraging automation, and expanding their reach, dealerships can acquire more cars at better prices, while avoiding high auction fees and strengthening their customer base.

Finding a skilled used car buyer is essential for dealerships to stay competitive and reduce acquisition costs, particularly in the private party market. Dealerships can recruit buyers from within their network, using employee referrals or job boards, and should focus on candidates with drive, curiosity, and ethics, as these traits often lead to success in the role.

Private-party vehicle acquisition is becoming a key trend in retail automotive, with three primary strategies: inbound, outbound, and third-party sources. Outbound efforts, such as targeting active sellers on platforms like Facebook Marketplace, offer the highest profit potential by building direct relationships with sellers and reducing acquisition costs by up to 84%, making it the most lucrative approach for dealerships.

Mastering market absorption is essential for dealerships looking to dominate their local market by acquiring a significant share of private party vehicles. By focusing on acquiring locally listed vehicles, dealerships not only reduce competition but also boost customer loyalty, increase market share, and strengthen their brand, much like Amazon's market absorption strategy across industries.

Corey shares strategies for dealerships to enhance used vehicle acquisition through private-party purchases, boosting inventory, brand awareness and profitability.

Dealerships are increasingly turning to private party vehicle acquisition to reduce costs, diversify inventory, and build long-term customer relationships as private sales now account for 36.9% of the used car market. This shift offers significant savings and growth opportunities, positioning dealerships to thrive in a changing market.

Growing your company at the NADA Show goes beyond showcasing your product. It's about creating experiences, building lasting relationships, and setting the right goals. Let's make this NADA Show a milestone for your automotive software company!

The Winning Mindset for Buying Cars Off the Street

How a car dealership can destroy its competition with one simple strategy.

VETTX Attends NADA for the third year straight 🔥

The building blocks to a high-performing acquisition strategy.

How dealerships can buy cars off Craigslist consistently and profitably

How car dealers can implement AI tools to better help them acquire used inventory off the street.

4 main categories of revenue are generated when a dealership buys a private party vehicle.

Attendees of NIADA Accelerate Convention and Expo 2023, the largest expo in the independent auto industry, have an exclusive opportunity to see how VETTX car dealership software can increase their revenue by millions of dollars per year.

Used car price trends show that the cost of used cars is dropping. These trends have created new opportunities for car dealers to take advantage of to expand their inventory.

Effective vehicle management can help you stay on top of your stock levels, make informed purchasing decisions, and ultimately sell more cars.

When it comes to buying cars for your dealership inventory, you don’t have to settle for the auctions of old.

Accelerating your car dealership's growth is suitable for coping with the microchip shortage. How do you expand your inventory with used cars and positively impact your dealership's growth?

If you’re wondering which used vehicles to stock right now, check out this list of the top-selling used cars in the USA to find out which models your customers are searching for.

An increasing number of dealers abandon the time-honored tradition of going to an auction to find new inventory, the competition for privately sold vehicles intensifies.

Shifts in the way consumers think about transportation and used car acquisition continue to evolve. What does this mean to the automobile industry's future, and how can VETTX help?

Platforms such as VETTX car dealer software make the process of tapping into the private party market much easier and less time consuming for you and your team.

Digital used car sales are becoming more popular than ever, making it a critical time for used car dealers who must adapt to a changing industry.

There are pros and cons to the usual types of car acquisition methods, and the best way to increase your used car inventory might be to use a tool like VETTX, which can help you find reliable vehicles for sale by private parties.

The Pain Points of Used Car Auctions The biggest challenge connected to relying on auctions to restock your used car inventory is the inability to not only drive the vehicle but to also interact with the previous owner. The lack of face time with the vehicle's owners, it's impossible to get an impression of how well they cared for the car, the type of driving they did, and even if they are reputable people.

Manual sourcing might have worked in the past, but today’s market moves too fast for old-school methods to keep up.

The used car industry is undergoing a massive transformation—and at the center of it is technology.

In today’s fast-moving used car market, simply having a sales team and a physical lot isn’t enough

Inventory is the engine of every used car dealership. But sourcing quality vehicles—consistently and profitably—is one of the toughest parts of the job.

Margins are tighter. Inventory is harder to find. Competition is everywhere. If you're still managing your used car lot with spreadsheets and manual sourcing, you're not just falling behind—you’re missing out.

Automotive buying services are becoming a crucial part of dealership strategy—but not all services are created equal.

High-volume dealerships face a constant challenge: sourcing enough quality used cars to meet demand while maintaining profitability.

The used car market is evolving fast—and dealerships that want to stay ahead need to rethink how they acquire inventory.

Used car inventory is harder to come by—and more expensive—than ever.

Traditional methods of finding used cars—such as auctions, trade-ins, and cold outreach—can be time-consuming, costly, and unpredictable.

Every dealer knows that great sales start with great inventory—but acquiring that inventory has become one of the biggest challenges in the used car business.

In a market where margins are tight and competition is fierce, dealers need more than hustle—they need tools that give them an edge.

Used car dealerships are no longer relying solely on auctions and trade-ins to fill their lots.

For years, dealerships have relied on auctions to source used vehicles. While auctions offer convenience, they also come with significant costs that eat into profit margins.

The used car market is more competitive than ever—and growth is no longer about just selling more vehicles.

For years, auctions have been the go-to source for dealerships looking to stock their used car inventory.

In today’s competitive used car market, dealerships are constantly looking for new ways to acquire high-quality inventory at the right price.

With rising auction fees and increasing competition, used car dealers are turning to Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace as lucrative sources for acquiring quality inventory.