When posting a Vehicle for resale online, consider these tips, courtesy of various remarketing professionals.

  1. Ensure regular preventative maintenance. It's no surprise that the better the vehicle condition, the higher the return will get.
  2. Fix up minor problems. Mike Ahern, special projects manager, Town of Mansfield, Mass., said he does this so he doesn't have to list it as a problem on the vehicle description.
  3. Present your vehicle in its best light. Clean the vehicle, take out the trash, and wash it, said Roger Gravley from GovDeals. Don't forget to take off decals and identifying materials.
  4. Take a lot of quality photos. Have someone who knows how to take good pictures do so. A good number of quality photos are especially important with older vehicles, said eBay’s Clayton Stanfield. How many? Stanfield recommends 40 to 50, including the exterior, interior, each tire, each seat, etc. Without good photos, Stanfield said people put in a “risk discount” when they place bids.
  5. The header and vehicle description matter. A lot. Write a detailed header so people can find the vehicle, Stanfield suggested. Include descriptions such as all-wheel-drive or automatic so it shows up when potential buyers search. The detailed listing should include explanations of all vehicle incidents, scratches, dings, a tear in the seat. Remember that the buyer can’t walk around to look at the vehicles. Be honest and detailed. List what has been added, replaced, or repaired, said Municibid’s Greg Berry.
  6. Consider a low base price. This is a common tactic many remarketing professionals recommend. Berry said often, a fleet manager wanting $5,000 on a vehicle will set the base at $4,500. He recommends lowering it to $500-$1,000. “A low base price brings bidders in, and they get competitive. That’s where the competitive nature of auctions takes over and drives a much higher number,” Berry said.
  7. Include your contact information. There are a lot of unknowns in buying a used vehicle, especially online. According to Stanfield, having contact information listed in a prominent location allows easy access to the seller, putting at ease any questions the buyer may have.
  8. Be quick to respond. With the rise of mobile technology, “what you’ve got now is a customer who’s looking at you on an iPhone, who wants to [buy a car] in the palm of their hand,” Stanfield said. “So answer those questions…and whatever you can do, I think you just have to be fast.”
  9. Keep up your reputation as a seller. The same rules apply for selling online as for selling a car in general, said Manheim’s Nick Peluso. Even if a car is sold as-is, the seller has to be honest and represent the car to the best of his or her ability.

For a full article on modern remarketing options, click here.


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