How a broker can help find the right car

Car classifieds allow buyers to drill down to the make and model they want. But photos of vehicles for sale can be poor, or there are sellers who don’t leave a phone number or forget to remove the ad once it’s sold.

You can end up driving all over the place, looking at tired, wornout examples.

A used car broker could save you time and money and get a better car than you might find after hunting around by yourself.

Not all brokers offer an identical service, so you might need to shop around to find one who can best help you with the car you want and your budget.

The standard fee is $200-$300, but that can change according to what type of car you’re after and how hard the broker needs to chase for it.

A broker won’t drive around looking at 100 cars for you, but they should have the experience to identify poor cars advertised online.

They also should have contacts in the trade to know if a trade-in is coming up for wholesale at a new car dealer that you might be interested in.

Some brokers primarily run a used car buying service that can offer sellers a better price than a new car dealer can at trade-in. These brokers usually sell most of these cars direct to the used car dealer, but can also sell privately.

If a broker finds such a car and knows it’s the sort you’re interested in, it’s easy for them to sell it to you and this can also be an excellent way for you to find a good car before it makes its way to a used car dealer’s lot.

The broker may or may not be selling you the car directly. If the broker is selling you the car and has a motor vehicle dealer’s licence, there are consumer protections (such a guarantee of title) and possibly statutory warranty provisions.

If, however, the broker finds you a privately advertised car, you must do all the usual checks to ensure it is not stolen, written off or encumbered. You should also have the car inspected, so that there are no nasty surprises after you buy.