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Diagram of VAN's Managed Buyer sourcing private-seller vehicles for a dealership
VAN Managed Buyer Program™

A Full-Time Private-Seller Buyer for Your Store.

Our done-for-you Managed Buyer sources, contacts, and negotiates with private sellers on your behalf for $5,995/mo. Elk Grove Subaru used it to grow from 35 to 86 used cars a month.

VAN Managed Buyer™

A dedicated buyer for $5,995/mo

No hiring. No turnover.

About the cost of one buyer’s salary, fully managed.

Dedicated full-time Buyer · all outreach, offers & scheduling · weekly Acquisition Coaching™ · backup coverage

Book a Managed Buyer Demo

See the full plan comparison →

Proof

Dealers are growing with Managed Buyer.

★★★★★  5.0 on Google, from 50+ dealer reviews

Elk Grove Subaru: grew used-car retail from 35 to 86 cars a month, about $4.8M a year in added gross.

Read the full case study →
The Math

What is Managed Buyer™ worth to your store?

Estimate the gross you would add from the incremental units a VAN buyer sources each month.

Program fee: $5,995/mo, all-in.

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Estimates only. Figures reflect incremental units acquired through the Managed Buyer™ program; “added gross” is front + back gross before recon and holding costs. Default values are illustrative. Enter your store’s real numbers.

Hire vs. outsource

About the cost of one buyer’s salary, without the risk.

Hiring in-house

  • ~$69K average OTE
  • 15-25% recruiter fee to hire
  • 60-90 day ramp before productive
  • $34K-$138K to replace on turnover
  • You manage, train, and cover absences
RECOMMENDED

VAN Managed Buyer™

  • $5,995/mo, fully managed
  • Trained and productive from day one
  • Backup coverage built in, no gaps
  • No recruiting or HR overhead
  • VAN handles performance management

▲ Source: VAN’s Vehicle Acquisition Specialist hiring guide. Related: Should you hire a buyer or outsource the work?

How it Works

What We Do for You.

With the VAN Managed Buyer Program™, we handle every step of private seller acquisitions so your dealership can focus on closing deals. Our dedicated buyer manages outreach, offers, and scheduling, ensuring a steady flow of quality vehicles.

  • We hire, train, and manage a professional buyer who works exclusively for your dealership.
  • Backup Buyer Support: If your buyer takes a day off, we provide a backup to ensure your dealership’s processes continue uninterrupted.
  • Outreach, Follow-Up, Offers, and Scheduling: We handle everything, so you don’t have to.
  • Sellers arrive at your dealership with accepted offers and are ready to sell.
  • Prevent sellers from turning to CarMax or Carvana by offering a professional, seamless experience.
  • Build long-term loyalty and generate more referrals.
Benefits

Why Dealers Love This Program!

Scale your private-seller acquisitions. Acquiring vehicles from private sellers is one of the most profitable dealership strategies. The VAN Managed Buyer Program™ ensures you get the inventory you need without the hassle, saving your team time and building profitable relationships with sellers.

More Profitable Inventory

Acquire vehicles directly from private sellers, avoiding auction fees and transportation costs.

Save Time & Resources
 
Focus on closing deals while we manage the entire private seller process.
Better Seller Experience
 
Sellers arrive at your dealership informed, prepared, and ready to sell.
Turnkey Solution
 
There is no need to chase leads, offers, or manage seller interactions. We've got it covered.
FAQ

Managed Buyer questions, answered.

How long is the commitment?
Managed Buyer starts with a 90-day initial term, the runway your Buyer needs to ramp and prove ROI. It’s a fraction of the commitment, cost, and risk of hiring a full-time buyer.
How fast until the first cars?
Most partners acquire their first car within the first 30 days, often within weeks of onboarding.
Who owns the seller relationships?
You do. Your Buyer sources and negotiates on your behalf, then hands you the appointment, and the seller relationship stays yours.
What if it underperforms?
Underperformance is a signal, not a dead end. Your Acquisition Coach™ reviews activity and results weekly and adjusts the playbook: market targeting, outreach cadence, or the Buyer themselves. Most dips are quickly resolved once we retune.
What areas do you cover?
The United States (including Puerto Rico) and Canada.
How is Managed Buyer different from software-only?
With our software plans, your team works the leads. With Managed Buyer, VAN provides a trained, full-time Buyer who handles sourcing, outreach, and negotiation for you. It’s done-for-you, not do-it-yourself.
Where does the Buyer find cars?
Your Buyer sources private-seller vehicles from 25+ online marketplaces, matched to your dealership’s criteria, and works each seller from first contact to a set appointment.
Low-risk by design

A short commitment, not an open-ended hire.

90-day initial term
A fraction of the commitment of a full-time hire, with no open-ended lock-in.
Productive fast
Most partners acquire their first car within the first 30 days.
Actively managed
Weekly Acquisition Coach™ reviews, and we retrain or re-target if results lag.
Always covered
Backup coverage is built in, so a day off never stalls your pipeline.
VAN Managed Buyer team supporting a dealership

Put a Dedicated Buyer to Work in Your Market.

Ready to add private-seller inventory without adding headcount? Book a demo and we'll run your store's numbers.