Agents, Take Agency
Auto dealers will be looking to you as much as ever this year to help them make smooth turns in an unpredictable market.
Are there other ways you can help clients diversify their revenue streams to further cushion them from unexpected turns this year?
Pexels/Lukas
As this new year gets under way, your dealer clients need your guidance now more than ever. Fresh off the hectic holiday season and a year jam-packed with change, you can cut through the chaos with clear direction.
While it may be tempting for auto dealers to plunge into 2026 headfirst, you can be the voice of reason that advises stepping back and developing a plan to focus on the basics and maybe refresh their product offerings for today’s conditions.
As the average auto consumer struggles to pay for basic needs, including reliable transportation, products and services will be all the more essential for helping them bridge gaps while protecting dealers’ profits. Are there new products or new approaches you could share to position dealers most advantageously?
Used vehicles will be as popular as last year due to the high prices of new autos. How can you work with the dealers to maximize their inventories to gain advantage over competitors? Ford is now selling its used units on Amazon in several major metropolitan areas, with plans to add more metros, all the more reason other brands must shore up their supplies for shoppers.
Are there other ways you can help clients diversify their revenue streams to further cushion them from unexpected turns this year? Reinsurance programs, a new financial adviser or a business tax reboot are a few possibilities.
From trade tariffs, shifting federal policies, automaker strategy pivots, and cash-strapped consumers, auto dealers would appreciate any guidance you can offer to help them ride the waves to land safely by December, maybe in better shape than now.
LEARN MORE: Defining Your Agency's Edge in 2026
More Sales
Used Lots Getting the Business
Many consumers are seeking out the units to save money, and the demand – higher in July than normal – is keeping supply limited and prices up.
Read More →
Two Kinds of Agents and the 5 Ps That Separate Them
Follow these key guidelines to distinguish your agency from competitors by adding more value to your dealer clients' businesses.
Read More →
Positive Equity Reaches Record High
Mainstream vehicle owners who bought a car seven years ago are likely to have positive equity when trading in for a new vehicle, according to second-quarter Edmunds data.
Read More →
Used Market Stabilizes
The Carfax Used Car Index noted a major drop in used-vehicle price increases in July after several months of hikes.
Read More →
July Auto Sales Simmer
Deliveries were up modestly from a year ago despite still-high prices as OEMs offered more incentives and loan rates eased somewhat.
Read More →
Used Sales Hit Summer Drag
The vacation season, combined with high prices, has dented deliveries and added to inventories, though supply is still slim enough to keep listings elevated.
Read More →
June Automotive Boon?
A forecast for this month’s new-vehicle sales tells a familiar 2026 story: Year-over-year comparisons must be made in light of last year’s aberrations.
Read More →
Affordable New Cars a Thing of the Past
More than one out of five new vehicles sell for more than $60,000, according to Edmunds. That's up 7% compared to prepandemic 2019.
Read More →
Legacy Automakers Risk Falling Behind
As legacy automakers, mostly in the U.S. and Japan, have revised their 2030 electric-vehicle sales targets and shifted to a hybrid focus, they risk falling behind new market leaders.
Read More →
New Cars a Tad More Affordable
May averages show that combined circumstances gave auto consumers slightly better buying power for the month, though average prices were up year-over-year.
Read More →