ARLINGTON, Texas -

Certified pre-owned sales often generate some of the most robust sales — and potential profit — for franchised dealerships.

Well, the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association revamped its vehicle certification program, so independent operations can gain a bigger piece of the what the association calls the used-vehicle industry’s hottest market.

On Tuesday, the association said its new, upgraded NIADA Certified program gives independent dealers more choices, higher standards, better technology and more ways to give their customers what they want.

“NIADA Certified has been completely redesigned and expanded to give independent dealers the chance to compete on a level playing field in the most popular and profitable segment of the used vehicle market,” NIADA vice president of member services James Gibson said in a news release.

“Our administrators are among the most trusted names in the industry, offering top-of-the-line warranties, marketing, training and service. We’re very proud of the program we’ve put together,” Gibson continued.

The new program is available to all NIADA members and includes tighter standards for vehicles to earn the certified designation. But NIADA said it still provides the opportunity for units up to 12 model years old with up to 150,000 miles to qualify for limited coverage in the newly created verified pre-owned category.

For the first time, the association highlighted NIADA Certified includes multiple administrators, adding GWC Warranty, AUL and ProGuard Warranty to previous administrator GSFSGroup to give dealers more options and offer nationwide coverage.

“NIADA is an extremely well-respected brand, and GWC is, too,” GWC vice president of sales operations Jeremy Beck said in the news release. “Together with the other administrators, we offer an opportunity for consumers to really have confidence in the program, while at the same time building on the NIADA brand and our individual administrator brands.

“It’s a perfect marriage for all of us to get together and offer this program,” said Beck, who referenced GWC’s involvement in this sponsored episode of the Auto Remarketing Podcast.

Dominic Limongelli is president and chief operating officer of ProGuard Warranty.

“This is a perfect collaboration,” Limongelli said in the news release. “We share a common objective to help independent dealers succeed. NIADA Certified gives them access to best-in-class products, sales training and tools, and that dovetails with ProGuard’s goal of protecting the customer and the dealer’s reputation by providing additional value.”

Broadening the base of administrators is not the only move NIADA made to enhance this certified program.

The association pointed out that another key component of the program is its integration with Carketa, which provides a 200-point digital inspection and condition report for all NIADA Certified vehicles.

Carketa’s system can automate the inspection process and generates a digital condition report — with images — that can be automatically added to the dealership’s website, advertising, vehicle detail pages, third-party listings and vehicle history reports.

The association said the report adds credibility and consumer confidence to the NIADA Certified program and illustrates for the customer why the vehicle is worth the price.

“We build the value proposition by highlighting those items on the digital condition report, on your website, your VDP and on Carfax and AutoCheck,” Carketa chief executive officer Brady Thurgood said, whose company closed a $6 million series seed financing in November. “That fits so well with NIADA’s new CPO program by building that value.

“It’s showing consumers what you’ve done on the car to validate the certified state of that vehicle. You’re showing that it’s held to a higher standard. And that’s the reason for CPO,” Thurgood said.

NIADA reiterated why the association went these lengths to enhance its certified program, citing a Cox Automotive projection of CPO sales this year reaching 3.0 million, which would break the current record set in 2019.

“Customers want certified vehicles and are searching for them,” Gibson said. “NIADA Certified offers independent dealers the tools to give those customers exactly what they’re looking for.

“And there is more to come. NIADA’s program will continue growing and improving, with more innovations coming in the future,” he went on to say.

For more information, visit niada.com/certified-pre-owned.