Inventory and customers,
straight from owners.
Carlay is three acquisition channels in one dealer portal: bid on owner cars before they hit the wholesale market, and pick up local buying, selling, and service leads — each with the customer's paperwork already attached.
The auction preview is public — no account needed. Joining and bidding are free.
One portal. Three ways to win.
The auction gets you cars. The lead inboxes get you buyers, sellers, and service customers — all local, all with intent already on paper.
Owner-car auctions
Bid on consumer vehicles before they reach the wholesale market. 24-hour windows, proxy bidding, and valuation context on every car.
Local Dealsheets
In-market consumers near you share a competitor's quote — buying or selling — with their name, number, and the document attached.
Local Repair Orders
Consumers share the repair estimate their shop handed them, itemized line by line. Win the job — or win the car.
The auction: first pick of owner cars
Consumer vehicles in your radius, listed for dealers before they hit wholesale. Sortable, filterable, and priced with context.
Bid your way
Set a max and the portal bids for you — “We’ll bid for you up to…”, auto-raising in $50 steps. Or place a hard bid at an exact amount, with an optional “Defend me up to” ceiling.
24-hour windows, no sniping
Every car runs a full day, and a bid in the final 3 minutes extends the clock by 2 more. You always see whether the seller’s target price has been reached — in your terms.
Valuation context built in
Every listing carries seller photos, a copyable VIN with the full factory spec, a seller-reported condition report, and “Similar Sales” comparables.
A buy box that hunts for you
Filter by make, model, year, mileage, price, and radius — 50 to 3,000 miles. Save and star searches for instant or daily email alerts, and watchlist cars before they list.
Sellers can counter once. A counter at or under your stored max accepts automatically; anything else is yours to accept, reject, or adjust in-app.
Local Dealsheets: the quote they got somewhere else
A consumer near you uploads a dealer's quote to Carlay — buying or selling. AI extracts the numbers, and when they tap “Send to local dealers”, it reaches every dealership whose radius covers their ZIP. You see the customer, the numbers, and the actual document.
- Buying leads show the full finance picture: asking price, down payment, trade-in, credit score, rate, and term.
- Selling leads show the car — trim, VIN, mileage — and the rival dealer’s offer amount.
- The customer’s actual uploaded document renders inline, with click-to-call, click-to-email, and their note to dealers.
- Track every lead with Save, Contacted, or Dismissed — private to your rooftop.
Subscribe to unlock dealsheets — seller contact info included.
Local Repair Orders: win the job — or the car
Consumers also share the service estimate their shop handed them. Someone else's shop quoted this customer; you decide whether to beat the quote, book the work, or make an offer on the vehicle itself.
- Shop name, VIN, mileage, fees, tax, and the quoted total — every labor and parts line itemized.
- The original estimate renders alongside, exactly as the shop wrote it.
- Same Save · Contacted · Dismissed tracking as your dealsheets, private to your rooftop.
From application to “All set!”
The whole dealer journey, as it actually runs — no surprises after you sign up.
- 1
Register and bring your team
A two-step application — dealership info, then location. The Carlay team reviews it, and your welcome email arrives with your dealership’s code. Staff join themselves with your Employee Code — no invites to chase — and one login can bid on behalf of multiple rooftops.
- 2
Set your buy box and bid
Filter by make, model, year, mileage, price, and radius; save and star searches for instant or daily email alerts, and watchlist cars before they list. Every car runs a 24-hour window — set a max and the portal bids for you in $50 steps, or place a hard bid with a “Defend me up to” ceiling. Rivals stay anonymous.
- 3
Win, transact, work your leads
Seller contact unlocks the moment you win. Under 40 miles, the seller books a drop-off at your store; farther out, you arrange pickup and the Bill of Sale is e-signed online — tracked until “All set! The sale is complete.” Meanwhile your Local Dealsheets and Repair Orders fill with nearby customers who already have a quote in hand.
Takes a few minutes. Free to join and bid.
The details that make it work
Seller insights, if you want them
An optional subscription adds the seller's financing picture to every listing — and “Looking for”: the next car they want. Buy the trade, sell the replacement. Winners always get seller contact free.
Email that earns its keep
Outbid warnings, closing-window nudges, saved-search matches — instant or daily — plus a digest of fresh auctions in your radius.
Fair by design
The auction rules are written down and they favor nobody — worth reading before your first bid.
- A bid in the final 3 minutes extends the clock by 2 — nobody snipes you at the buzzer.
- Ties go to the first bidder.
- A lone bidder is never raised.
- The reserve never bids against you.
- Rivals appear only as “Local dealer.”
Dealer questions, answered
What does it cost to join?
Nothing — registering your dealership and bidding are both free.
How do I register?
Complete the two-step application at dealer.carlay.today — dealership info, then location. The Carlay team reviews it, and your welcome email arrives with your dealership's code. Prefer a hand? Leave your details in the form below and our dealer team will reach out.
How does my team get access?
Staff join on their own with your Employee Code — no invites to manage. One login can bid on behalf of multiple rooftops.
How do I know what a car is worth?
Every listing carries seller photos, a copyable VIN with the full factory spec, a seller-reported condition report — mechanical, exterior, interior, accident and title flags — and “Similar Sales” comparables for pricing context.
What happens when I win?
The seller's contact info unlocks instantly. Within 40 miles, the seller books a drop-off at your store and you see the appointment; farther out, you arrange pickup and the Bill of Sale is e-signed online, tracked in the portal. Your invoice is itemized plainly: pay to seller, pay to Carlay.
How do I get access to the leads?
Local Dealsheets and Local Repair Orders live right in your portal. Subscribe to unlock leads and seller contact info — the Carlay dealer team will walk you through what's included when you register.
Can I look around before registering?
Yes — the auction preview at dealer.carlay.today/preview is public. Browse real listings and vehicle detail pages without an account.
Want a hand getting set up?
Leave your details and our dealer team will reach out — or register directly at dealer.carlay.today.
- 1
Our dealer team reaches out and walks you through the application.
- 2
The Carlay team approves your dealership.
- 3
Your welcome email arrives with your dealership's code — bring your team and start bidding.
Rather look around first? The auction preview at dealer.carlay.today/preview is open — browse real listings before you sign anything.