In and around Los Angeles, and most large metropolitan areas, there are many Autobroker to choose from, but choosing the right one can certainly make a difference to your overall transaction and experience.
What is an Autobroker? Generally speaking, an Autobroker is the ‘middle-person’ between a consumer who is looking to buy or lease a vehicle and the source of that vehicle, or a dealership. An Autobroker works with those who know what kind of car they’re looking for, and does the work for that person and on their behalf.
Some Autobrokers take that a step further and become Auto Consultants: those who not only do all the work (negotiating, arranging financing, facilitating delivery, adding products, etc.), but who also act as completely unbiased and neutral parties for those individuals who know that they are in need of a vehicle, but don’t quite know what they want or just need someone on their side to help in their decision making. An experienced auto consultant will have the knowledge base and expertise to guide someone toward a car that will likely work for them, and without their having to test-drive multiple vehicles. Additionally, a good auto consultant will be a neutral party – someone whose interest is not in the vehicle itself, but in the person who will ultimately be behind the wheel of that vehicle.
The concept behind hiring an Autobroker or Auto Consultant is relatively simple: consumers are generally not professional car buyers, so why go up against a professional salesperson alone? With the confusion of financing, fees, add-ons, taxes, and rebates that exist for some transactions and not for others, and the hurried, jargon-filled nature of the auto-buying process, it only makes sense to leave the bargaining to someone who won’t be fazed by the wheeling and dealing, who has relationships with a network of vehicle suppliers, and who sources vehicles in volume as opposed to once every 3 to 5 years.
Thousands of satisfied consumers have been glad they worked with an Autobroker. Countless success stories have been told and retold about the thousands of dollars people saved over a “best-price” offer made one day from a dealership, only to have a broker secure a better price just days or even hours later. In fact, most people who source their vehicle from a (good) Autobroker will swear never to buy or lease a vehicle through more traditional means again.
One of the tricks to using a broker, however, is figuring out what kind of Autobroker you’re dealing with. A simple look through the phonebook or internet search can result in dozens of names, but not everyone is really working for the consumer, and some aren’t even licensed. (Yes, being an Autobroker requires both a state license and a state bond as well.)
A consumer should feel free to ask questions about the broker, his or her background, the fee structure and the history of the company. In the end, most consumers can save hundreds if not thousands of dollars by hiring a professional to broker the purchase of their next car. But beyond the dollars, and of even greater importance in today’s environment, a consumer who chooses an Autobroker will save hours of hassle in avoiding the traditional walk-up or even an Internet-based experience.
What to look for in a car broker:
–Make sure the broker is legally licensed to sell cars
–Ask questions to the company or individual about how they find deals on cars, what background they have in the car business and if they receive any money from dealerships or carmakers for making deals. Find out if their philosophies are in line with yours.
— Look for feedback about other customers’ experiences with the broker on auto chat boards, and forum
— Visit that company’s website to estimate their professionalism, investigate their background and find out about the services they provide. Some Autobrokers/Consultants can do more than others. A great resource is yelp.com.
–Ask people within your network of friends about the Autobroker, or for a good referral.
About DriveWise Auto:
Drive Wise Auto is a Charity Driven Auto Buying and Leasing Consultancy. With over 11 years of expertise, we pride ourselves on being honest and ethical, and have the ability to provide expert level information and advice across all vehicle makes and model. We’re a Charity Driven organization because we make a donation to a client-chosen charity for every vehicle sold or leased. In business for over two and half years, DriveWise Auto has donated nearly $50,000 to local and global charitable organizations, and has assisted over 500 people with their vehicle purchases and leases.