How to Sell a Car at a Dealership

The vast majority of cars for sale at dealerships have been received as either trade-ins or vehicles at auction. For this reason, dealerships like BMW of Sterling have an incentive to take trade-ins like yours! While you can sell your car on your own via a classified listing, it’s not only easier, but also sometimes just as if not more profitable to sell a vehicle at a dealership, especially when you factor in the cost of time spent trying to sell your car on your own. Ready to get started? Learn how to sell a car at a dealership below, vis a vis the automotive experts at BMW of Sterling!

How Does Selling Your Car to a Dealership Work? 

You’ll find that its much easier to sell your car to a dealership like BMW of Sterling than to a private party buyer. There are less steps involved — and that includes finding the right forms and filling them out. When you sell your car to a dealership, they take care of all of that! So, what do you need to do? Here are five suggested steps to take:

1. Clean Up Your Car: Wash your car and clean out the inside or have it professionally detailed; doing so is perhaps the easiest and cheapest way to maximize your ROI/trade-in value. 
2. Write Down the Benefits Of Your Car: Put together a paper trail of any maintenance you’ve done, not to mention any accessories that could boost your vehicle’s trade-in value. 
3. Order Your Car’s Title Or Dig it Up: Make sure you have your vehicle’s title in hand or you order it in advance of selling your vehicle. 
4. Research Your Car’s Value: Use trade-in valuation tools from Cars.com, Kelley Blue Book, or your local dealership to find the trade-in value of your car. 
5. Choose Your Preferred Dealership Wisely: Shop around and be sure that you’re getting the best value for your vehicle! The exception would be times when there are vehicle shortages and trade-in values are already high across the board.

What to Expect When Selling Your Car to a Dealer

Once you’ve gathered what you need to sell your vehicle, it’s time to get into contact with the dealership(s) you’re interested in selling to. Here’s what to do:

1. Make an Appointment: Make an appointment to talk to the dealership finance manager or sales professional(s).
2. Used Car Manager: Most car dealerships will direct you to a Used Car Manager or a salesperson to handle the sale. Often, they’ll also run a history report on your car.
3. Inspection: In most cases, dealers will inspect your car at their service center.
4. Consider the Offer: Based on what the dealership offers you, you can accept the offer or go to another dealership to see if you can get a better offer.

Benefits of Selling Your Car 

When you sell a vehicle at a dealership, you can expect the following benefits: 

• Avoid Unneeded Hassles: Becoming a private seller can create additional hassles, such as listing your car online, answering inquiries, and meeting with potential buyers for test drivers. When you sell to a dealer, you don't have to worry about any of those responsibilities. 
• Lower the Price of a New Car: When you use your vehicle as a trade-in, you can take its value and put it toward the new or used car you plan to purchase. 

BMW of Sterling Will Buy Your Car! 

All in all, selling your vehicle to a dealership like BMW of Sterling is a smart way to either put some extra cash in the bank or to offset the cost of your next vehicle. If you have questions, contact our finance center if you're interested in selling us your car. In the meantime, get pre-approved online to get the purchase of your next vehicle rolling.