Trade Appraisal
Work out what your store should pay for a used car, from your own past trades and retail sales.
Version 1.3 · Sep 24, 2026
The problem
Most trades get appraised the same way: pull a book value, glance at auction, call a number. The book describes the national market. It has never seen what your store paid on the last 30 cars like this one, what those cars retailed for, or that you already have several listed. That's how stores overpay for units they can't turn and underbid on cars their own shoppers want. The answer is already in your first party data. Trade Appraisal pulls it together while the customer waits.
What you get back
What your store typically paid for comparable trades, with a range (the middle half of those trades). Never a single bare number.
How many of your own trades it came from, then a check against your retail: what the car sells for at your store and the share of retail you usually pay.
How many open leads at this store want this car or something similar. The list if you ask for it.
Up to 10 similar used units in stock, same trim first, with list price, days listed, leads on each car and your median sale price.
A few lines on supply against demand, the closest car on your lot, and where to bid.
How it works
It checks your history first. Your store needs about 30 months of its own DMS data, or it says so instead of guessing.
It finds what you paid on comparable trades, adjusted for age and mileage. If your store has too few, it uses your group's trades on the same trim.
It checks that figure against your retail, using the share of retail your store has paid on past trades it went on to sell.
It walks your lot and tells you whether one more of these adds a buyer or just adds supply.
Example output
2019 Ford Escape SE, 62,000 miles, Your Ford Store
- Typical paid
- $12,400
- Middle half
- $11,200 to $13,600
Based on 23 Escape SE trades this store took in, adjusted for age and mileage. Retail here runs $19,600; the store buys at 64% of retail, which would put this at $12,500.
31 open leads at this store on this or a similar vehicle.
| Stock | Vehicle | Miles | List | Days | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E4471 | 2020 Escape SE | 48,210 | $20,995 | 12 | 3 |
| E4502 | 2019 Escape SE | 71,900 | $17,495 | 41 | 0 |
Four Escapes listed, two with a lead on the car. Lean low: bid $11,200 to $12,000.
Try this first
What can [your store] pay for a 2021 Honda CR-V EX with 41,000 miles?
Claude asks for anything missing, like the trim, then gives a typical-paid number with a range, a lead count, and a table of similar cars on your lot.
More questions to ask
- Appraise this trade: [paste VIN], 52,000 miles
- What's this car worth to our store?
- Who in the CRM wants this car?
- What do we already have on the lot like this?
Good to know
- Needs about 30 months of your store's own DMS history. Below that, it tells you instead of giving a thin number.
- If your DMS isn't connected, it can't give a figure. It can still count the leads.
- Condition, options, accident history and local demand aren't in this data. Walk the car.
- Your data usually sits at the dealer group level. If you want a specific store, say so
- Meant for managers, not individual salespeople.
Test before you rely on it
Run it on a few trades you've already booked and compare it to what your desk paid.
Version history
What's new in v1.3: Now lists similar units on your lot, with leads on each one, before you bid.
| Version | Released | What's new |
|---|---|---|
| v1.3 | Sep 24, 2026 | Now lists similar units on your lot, with leads on each one, before you bid. |
| v1.2 | Aug 12, 2026 | Works when your DMS trade records have no mileage, and tells you the number is age-adjusted only. |
| v1.0 | Jun 30, 2026 | First release. |