Choosing the Right Advertising

Once you’ve decided to sell a car yourself, choosing the right advertising is one of the most important choices you’ll make. Depending on your ultimate goal, there are several advertising options when you list a car, each of which offers varied benefits when it comes to time, money, and exposure.

We believe selling your car on Autotrader is an excellent option, but it’s not the only one. Here’s a rundown of some of the pros and cons of various advertising options (beginning with Autotrader.com):

Autotrader

Cons

• Time to create your ad. Ads are typically completed in less than 30 minutes, but this may be more time upfront than some free or newspaper sources. Of course, with a better ad, you’ll typically spend less time fielding questions from shoppers, saving time overall.
• Lower-priced vehicles may not benefit. If your car is less than $5,000 you may be less likely to want to spend money on advertising. But even for older, high-mileage cars, the cost of advertising on Autotrader is typically 1% or less of the net profit.

Sell My Car on Autotrader now

Cons

• Limited exposure means it may take longer to sell a car. 
• Listing fees can add up if a car doesn’t sell quickly.

Auction Sites

Pros

• You may sell quickly, especially if you’re very flexible on price and don’t set a reserve (a minimum amount you’re willing to sell for).
• Local and national exposure.
• Limited contact with in-person buyers. 

Cons

• Bidders often expect to find better-than-average deals for a few reasons: They often live out of the area and don’t test drive before they commit to buying. Buyers also typically factor in the extra expense of traveling to pick up the car or paying shipping fees.
• Sellers who have never listed on a bidding site don’t have a buyer feedback record and may not be considered trustworthy.

Selling to Family, Friends, and Coworkers

Pros

• An easy transaction. You may not need to place an ad or take a lot of calls.

Cons

• If something unexpectedly goes wrong with the car after the transaction is complete, sellers sometimes feel responsible.
• The car may sell for less than if it had been exposed to a wider market.

Free Advertising (Online and Car-Window)

Pros

• Free!
• For cars worth less than $5,000, free sources (including online and car-window advertising) may make sense.

Cons

• Fewer reliable leads. A car can take longer to sell if not as many serious buyers are aware of it.
• Cars often must be relisted weekly or daily to get prominent placement on free online sources, so be prepared to spend time on advertising.
• Customer support and guided selling tools, like advertising tips, etc., are usually nonexistent.

Wherever you choose to advertise, be sure you know how much time you have to answer calls, how flexible you are on the asking price, and how quickly you need to sell. Before you begin creating an ad, find out What You’ll Need to Start an Ad.

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