OfferUp Helps Auto Dealers Find Hot Leads Through Artificial Intelligence

OfferUp's Automotive Dealer Program sees a 20x increase year-over-year as dealers embrace the largest mobile marketplace in the U.S.

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OfferUp

Apr 25, 2019, 09:00 ET

SEATTLE, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- OfferUp, the largest mobile marketplace for local buyers and sellers in the U.S., today announced the launch of its Hot Lead Indicator, a machine learning tool that helps automotive dealers identify prospective car buyers who are ready to buy their cars. In addition, the company announced that Buy-Here-Pay-Here (BHPH) dealers can now add a "Verified Low Credit Financing" label to their profile and list vehicles with a "Call for Details" tag in lieu of showing their vehicles' prices. Both features are free and part of OfferUp's Automotive Dealer Program, which launched in 2018, and gives dealers tools to broaden their exposure and manage leads coming from OfferUp's Autos marketplace.

"We launched our Automotive Dealer Program to give dealers the best return on their time and money on our marketplace," said Andrea Moro, Director of Product Management at OfferUp. "In a business where moving inventory quickly is critical, missing out on hot incoming leads means lost sales. Our Hot Lead Indicator helps dealers prioritize leads so they can follow up promptly and personally."

Dealers today have several sources to generate leads, but often do not have data telling them if a potential buyer is a casual browser or a more engaged and serious buyer. The Hot Lead Indicator identifies engaged buyers based on their shopping behavior. It alerts dealers if an interested customer has been searching for cars in the price range and specifications of what they have on their lot. For example, if a shopper searches for compact cars in the $10K price range, and their shopping behavior closely matches those of actual buyers, OfferUp's algorithm will inform dealers whether their car and the buyer are a good fit. Dealers in the program can check out the new feature today by looking for the "active buyer" tag on messages in their sales inbox on the OfferUp app and website.

OfferUp has been providing real-time connections between car dealers and car buyers since 2011. OfferUp has seen a 20x increase in dealer sign ups since the debut of its Automotive Dealer Program in July 2018, with participating dealers reporting an increase in both foot traffic and sales at their dealerships. The company estimates that 10% of used car sales in the U.S. last year were sold through its marketplace. On average, of the cars sold on OfferUp during peak season, more than 30% will sell in two days or less, and more than 50% will sell in less than a week.

"OfferUp is the first dealer advertising platform that lets us know which buyers are seriously looking to buy a car," said Kaleb Bryan, CEO of The Auto Cave in Irving, TX. "Their Hot Lead Indicator has improved our online business and allows our sales consultants to better assist our customers who are prepared to move forward with their purchase. We're excited to get OfferUp's upcoming product enhancements and new Verified Dealer features to come!"

By signing up with the OfferUp Automotive Dealer Program, dealers get access to a suite of tools to procure quality leads from OfferUp's marketplace, which facilitates millions of car sales every year. Every dealer in the program gets a verified dealer profile and tools enabling them to:

List their vehicle inventory feed automatically from their DMS provider
Increase their visibility through advanced advertising solutions
Streamline communication with prospects including Click-to-Call, the Hot Lead Indicator, and other dealer-exclusive features

OfferUp Autos was launched in 2018 to reduce the friction in the car buying and selling process for millions of users. In addition to dealer-focused tools, the program helps buyers find the best deals nearby and connect with independent sellers and dealers instantly and anonymously.

To learn more about driving leads to your dealerships with OfferUp, go to www.offerup.com/autos. Buyers looking to find their next car can go to www.offerup.com/explore/k/cars-trucks/

About OfferUp
OfferUp is dedicated to building the simplest and most trustworthy way for people to buy and sell in their communities. As the largest mobile marketplace for local buyers and sellers in the U.S., the company's iOS and Android apps have been in the top five most popular shopping apps lists for more than three years. The privately held company is based in Bellevue, WA and backed by top investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Warburg Pincus, GGV Capital, T Rowe Price and Coatue Management. For more information, visit our website and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

SOURCE OfferUp