A Fresh Entry Focused on Helping Dealerships Acquire Inventory

MotoAcquire is a new platform designed to improve the automotive trade-in experience for both consumers and dealers. Jordan Cox and I spent several hours interviewing MotoAcquire’s co-founder and CEO, Mike Crothers, to understand how this solution differs from, and aims to innovate upon, the traditional, and often fragmented, trade-in tool landscape.

The Problem with Current Trade-In Tools

Countless tools on dealership websites claim to help customers value their trade. Shoppers are encouraged to fill out forms, click on banners or chat CTAs, and sometimes even navigate third-party services. Each tool can yield a slightly different trade value, using a proprietary blend of data or logic. From a customer’s perspective, this is not only confusing, especially when multiple valuations don’t match, but it also rarely builds trust. Often, the dealership’s post-submission focus quickly shifts to selling a new vehicle rather than fairly evaluating the potential trade.

At the same time, only a small percentage of online trade-value leads convert into an in-store visit and purchase. Many of these “instant trade” solutions give only basic data, while “firm-offer” tools require extensive detail, leading to higher bounce rates. Instead of addressing the need for flexibility in the trade process, these tools tend to lock consumers into a single path that might not fit their timeline or comfort level.

Combining Instant Valuations and Firm Offers

MotoAcquire positions itself as a single experience that unifies both instant valuations and firm offers into one funnel:

1. Instant Valuation Range: A shopper receives a quick range right away, submitting only brief information. This satisfies their immediate interest, knowing roughly where they stand, while still capturing a lead for the dealer.

2. Firm Offer Path: Next, shoppers can opt to continue answering more in-depth questions or uploading photos, should they want a firm offer. Those who don’t need or want to spend extra time can stop after the initial range.

According to Crothers, this flexibility reduces bounce rates and gives customers a clear sense of control:

“You either have an instant valuation or a firm offer. What MotoAcquire does is basically combine the two, so the consumer can choose their path.” Mike Crothers, CEO MotoAcquire

Because MotoAcquire is also agnostic about which valuation data source to use, dealers can incorporate their own proprietary data or partner with well-known names like Kelley Blue Book, all while ensuring consistency for the shopper.

Ongoing Value Tracking and Retention

One of MotoAcquire’s more notable innovations is its automated “value tracking” feature. After a customer receives an initial range or firm offer, they are automatically opted in to receive a monthly email update on their vehicle’s worth. Instead of the typical dealership marketing email, often a promotion or sales pitch, this email focuses on truly useful information for the customer: whether their car’s estimated value went up, stayed the same, or dipped.

By aligning with the way people track their home value on Zillow or their portfolio on a stock-tracking app, MotoAcquire gives consumers a reason to remain engaged with the dealership. This monthly reminder also serves as a gentle nudge that a vehicle is continuously depreciating; for many owners, their current trade is effectively the down payment on a future purchase.

“People are busy,” Crothers explains. “Sending them their car’s updated value every single month helps them decide when it’s the right time to trade in, or if they should schedule service before mileage or wear-and-tear lowers the car’s value even further.”

In essence, instead of pushing a sales pitch, the dealership is offering timely information the consumer already wants. This fosters a sense of trust and positions the dealership as a helpful resource rather than a purely sales-driven contact. As a byproduct, when it finally is time to sell or trade, the shopper is far more likely to return to the dealership that “gave them something of value”, literally.

Data Flexibility and Transparency

MotoAcquire avoids locking dealers into a single method for vehicle valuation. Some might prefer established sources like Kelley Blue Book, while others may have proprietary data. MotoAcquire can integrate with either approach, retaining consistency over time so the consumer doesn’t see one set of numbers in the initial web form and another set in a monthly follow-up. Crothers emphasizes that “valuations in automotive have become highly commoditized,” so the most important factor is transparency and maintaining a uniform message for the consumer.

The Creator Marketplace Angle

Beyond trade-in tools and monthly emails, MotoAcquire also addresses the growing trend of influencer marketing through what Crothers calls “creator marketplaces.” Large automotive personalities, on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok, can have millions of followers. MotoAcquire creates a co-branded marketplace for these creators, allowing their audience to get a valuation or a firm offer on a vehicle. MotoAcquire then connects those leads to local dealerships interested in buying the used vehicle or selling the influencer’s followers their next car.

Similarly, a dealership with a forward-thinking sales or service team can spin up its own creator marketplace. Whether it’s a salesperson with a popular TikTok channel or a service technician filming how-to videos, that individual can funnel trade-in leads directly to their store using MotoAcquire’s platform. This approach taps into the deep brand loyalty and trust that content creators often enjoy with their viewers, bringing in potential trade leads that otherwise might never have found the dealership.

Why It Matters

At its core, MotoAcquire stands out for a few reasons:

1. Unified Experience: It merges instant valuations and firm offers, ensuring that customers who only want a quick number aren’t scared off by a long form, but also that detail-oriented shoppers can get a true offer if they stick around.

2. Long-Term Retention Via Value Tracking: Rather than abandoning leads once they’ve hit submit, MotoAcquire sets up an ongoing relationship, supplying customers with monthly equity updates on their car, the second-largest purchase most people make.

3. Data Agnosticism: Dealers can use the valuation logic or provider they trust without sacrificing the seamless consumer flow. The shopper continues to see consistent numbers over time, building confidence in the dealership.

4. Influencer-Led Marketplaces: By tapping into established audiences or enabling a dealership’s own content creators, MotoAcquire brings a new acquisition channel that goes well beyond the typical “instant trade” widget on a dealership site.

Early Takeaways

Pros:

• Seamless blend of short and detailed trade paths

• Genuine value for consumers with monthly emails rather than pure marketing

• Flexibility in data sources (KBB, proprietary data, etc.)

• Opens new audience channels through creator marketplaces

Potential Considerations:

• More innovation is possible to leverage the monthly email touchpoints, so success depends on how MotoAcquire develops this further

• Creator marketplaces, while powerful, may feel unfamiliar to more traditional stores or markets, and would need clear communication to deliver full value.

Overall, MotoAcquire’s approach goes beyond a standard “lead generation form.” By rethinking the role dealerships can play in helping customers keep track of their vehicle’s equity, and by offering a frictionless path to either quick valuations or firm offers, MotoAcquire aims to bridge the gap between consumer trust and dealership profitability in a way that stands apart from typical trade-in tools. If its monthly value tracking and influencer-led marketplaces gain further traction, it could encourage more dealers to rethink how they acquire and engage with trade-in customers for the long haul.