Welcome to Deal Central Insider Deal Central Insider is your quarterly source for industry insights, dealer success stories, practical tips, and product updates. Each issue highlights trends shaping the automotive retail landscape and shares ideas dealerships can use to create a more connected buying experience. In This Issue - Meet Buyers Where They Are - Start Deals Earlier. Create More Momentum. - Tip of the Quarter - Dealer Spotlight Masano Auto Group - What‘s New at Deal Central Meet the Buyer Where They Are Today’s car buyer starts the deal long before they walk in. Data from Cox Automotive’s 2025 Car Buyer Journey Study found that 63% of buyers say a blend of online and in-store, omnichannel, would be their ideal experience. Yet about half still complete the entire purchase in person. The opportunity sits in that gap: meet buyers where they’re already shopping and bring them in ready to move. Across more than 20 million leads, dealers using Deal Central are seeing exactly that pattern, deals starting earlier, buyers showing up more often, and paperwork moving faster. Start Deals Earlier. Create More Momentum. Deal Central can help your dealership begin the deal conversation earlier in the buying journey. Instead of waiting until a customer arrives in the showroom, you can start building the deal while the customer is still researching, shopping, or communicating with the store. Why does that matter? Because when you create deals earlier, you’re often better positioned to keep the process moving. Across more than 20 million leads, Deal Central dealers were more likely to have a deal in place before key milestones in the buying journey: - Before first contact: 21.4% vs. 3.2% - Between first contact and appointment: 12.4% vs. 2.0% - Between appointment and showroom visit: 16.2% vs. 2.5% It’s not just that