DA Dealer

How it Works

How DealerAuction works
for dealers.

Apply & Get Onboarded

Create your account and access your dealer portal.

Complete a short onboarding form with your dealership details, primary contact, and required store information.

Once approved, you’ll receive account activation instructions and login credentials to access your DealerAuction portal and begin listing vehicles.

Select Vehicles to List

Choose retail-ready inventory suited for auction.

DealerAuction is designed for frontline-ready vehicles you may have otherwise wholesaled.

Your inventory is preloaded into your portal, allowing you to quickly select units to list.

Ideal vehicles include aged inventory, retail-worthy trades, and overflow units you no longer want to carry.

All vehicles must meet the following standards:

Fully reconditioned and safe to drive
No undisclosed mechanical issues
Clean, accurate photos and descriptions

Create Your Listing

Add details that build buyer confidence.

You can enhance your listing directly in the dealer portal by:

Uploading any additional photos and insepction or reconditioning reports
Add comments on condition, history, or imperfections and applicable photos

Indicate whether the vehicle is available for in-person view or test drives.

Our team may review listings for clarity and consistency before they go live.

Set Your Reserve

Define your minimum acceptable price.

You control your bottom line by setting a confidential reserve price — typically aligned with wholesale market values such as MMR.

DealerAuction may provide guidance to help position your reserve competitively and drive strong buyer engagement.

Go Live & Receive Bids

Let the market compete for your vehicle.

Once your listing is live, DealerAuction promotes it to a national audience of retail buyers.

Bidders can ask questions directly on the listing, and your team can respond through the portal.

All bids are binding, and any bid placed in the final moments extends the auction to ensure a fair and competitive outcome.

You can monitor activity in real time without needing to actively manage the auction.

Auction Outcome

Close the deal or continue the opportunity.

When the auction ends, one of three outcomes occurs:

Reserve Met or Exceeded
The vehicle is sold at the final bid price. You connect directly with the buyer to complete the transaction.

Reserve Not Met
The highest bidder is invited to negotiate with you for up to 24 hours through the platform.

No Bids Received
The vehicle remains unsold. You can relist, adjust pricing, or move it through your existing wholesale channels.

Finalize the Sale

Complete the transaction directly with the buyer.

You handle the sale just like any retail deal — including paperwork, payment, financing, and delivery.

Buyers work with you directly to finalize details, and you retain full control of the transaction process, including F&I products and customer experience.

Maintain Marketplace Standards

Deliver a consistent, high-quality buyer experience.

To ensure a strong and trusted marketplace, you are expected to:

Accurately represent all vehicles
Clearly disclose known issues
Respond to buyer questions promptly
Honor accepted bids and negotiated agreements
Treat every buyer as a valued retail customer

FAQ’s about how DealerAuction works.

Most DealerAuction listings run for three days. Auctions include an automatic time extension feature if bids are placed near the end, ensuring all bidders have a fair opportunity to participate.

In accordance with the Dealer Agreement, dealers agree not to sell vehicles that are actively live on DealerAuction through any other wholesale or retail channels. Should a vehicle sell outside of the platform, DealerAuction must be notified immediately. Repeated violations of this policy may result in suspension or removal from the platform.

Yes and No. The winning bid reflects the vehicle price only. You retain full control to offer financing, warranties, protection products, and other dealer-installed options just like any traditional retail transaction. Any dealer-installed options on the car must be disclosed and be included in the winning bid price or they must be optional for the customer. You may not raise the selling price to the customer for added equipment.

Yes. Dealers retain full control of financing and all back-end products. DealerAuction delivers a retail customer—everything else works just like a standard deal.