Dealer vs Private Sale: Which Gets You More for Your Car?
Selling to a dealer is faster and safer but usually pays 5–15% less than a private sale, while a private sale gets the highest price if you can spend 2–6 weeks managing listings, inspections and payment risk.
It's the age-old question every Australian car seller faces. Below is an honest side-by-side comparison to help you decide what's right for your situation.
Selling to a Dealer
Selling Privately
The Price Difference: Is It Worth It?
On average, private sale prices are 10–20% higher than dealer trade-in offers. However, this gap is narrowing as the Motorly platform creates competitive dealer bidding. When multiple dealers compete for your car through Motorly, the final offer often approaches private sale value — without any of the hassle.
Factor in the hidden costs of private selling — listing fees ($50–$200), time spent on enquiries and test drives, potential price drops over weeks, and the risk of scams — and the dealer option often provides better net value for your time.
The Best of Both Worlds
Selling through Motorly gives you the convenience of a dealer sale with competitive pricing. By getting multiple dealers to bid on your car simultaneously via the Motorly platform, you get the security and speed of a dealer sale with prices that rival private selling.