If you don’t have the time or desire to haggle with a dealership, consider hiring an auto broker to buy a new car. These professional car buyers usually charge a flat fee to negotiate the lowest price for you. Many auto brokers have worked at dealerships and know how low dealers can go on a car’s price. Using a broker can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars, according to one automotive consumer website, Edmunds.com.
Check the auto broker’s credentials. After you find a broker online or in the phone book, verify that the business is licensed to sell cars in your state. Search for the broker’s name in the business license database on the secretary of state’s website for your state or contact the Better Business Bureau.
Make sure the auto broker will represent your best interests. Edmunds.com recommends that you ask brokers about their car-sales background, how they set their fee and how their company started. Ask how they find car deals and whether dealerships or car manufacturers pay them anything when they sell a vehicle. Call dealerships and ask what they say about the broker, and see what previous customers say on auto chat boards online about the broker you are evaluating.
Confirm the auto broker’s fee. To get the best price, verify that the broker charges a flat rate and agree on it before you buy the car. Fees can range from about $200 to about $1,000, Edmunds.com says.
Tell the auto broker about the car you want. The broker will contact dealerships and car manufacturers to find the lowest price for the make, model, options and color you are looking for.
Check the auto broker’s price. Don’t take the broker’s word that you are getting the best deal. Check car-pricing websites to see what a vehicle like the one you want is selling for in your area. You might be able to get a better deal by contacting the fleet or Internet sales manager at a dealership.
Buy the car. The auto broker purchases the car from the dealership or manufacturer, and you buy it from the broker.
