SANTA MONICA, Calif. -

Edmunds.com has launched a new customized tool called Edmunds Express that is designed to help dealers save time, close sales faster and foster trust with the consumer.

And it doesn’t just revolve around price; it provides an easier path for the dealer to validate the trade-in offer and the perks of cars in the store’s inventory.

First, the basics.

For many shoppers, third-party validation is crucial; that’s where this new product comes into play. It can help dealers more quickly validate pricing and information on all their inventory, Edmunds said.

Through Edmunds Express, the dealership salesperson has access to Edmunds’ True Market Value reports directly from his or her desktop.

Dealers can simply click, and they have access to share with the consumer the details and info on a specific vehicle in stock. Those specs include the TMV price of the car and current available customer cash incentives. 

The TMV report can be shared with the shopper either in person or electronically, with the end goal of confirming to the consumer that the dealer’s offer is fair.

 “Our dealer partners told us that they love using the data on our site because their customers trust our information, but when they’re working with buyers on the phone or in person, they quickly need that information without navigating through our website each time,” said Edmunds.com president Seth Berkowitz.

“Edmunds Express solves this problem. It’s a straightforward sales tool that features Edmunds’ most relevant pricing and data so that both dealers and shoppers can proceed with an easy, productive transaction,” he added.

Beyond the TMV reports dealers have access to, dealers can tap into the Edmunds’ trade-in appraisal and vehicle comparison more easily through Edmunds Express.

The Edmunds’ dealer trade-in value on a car be pulled up through the appraisal, which may be handy in helping to validate the trade-in offer the dealer makes.

Dealers can use the vehicle comparison tool to detail the specific benefits of cars in their inventory through Edmunds third-party data.

The company noted a few other logistics behind Edmunds Express, as well.

The product is a Web-based tool and has customized URLs assigned to individual dealerships. Edmunds encourages the dealership employees to bookmark the page, then access vehicle info by typing in the VIN or stock number. 

The tool is a complimentary value-add for each of the company’s dealer partners.

To become an Edmunds partner, visit the Dealer Center at www.edmunds.com/dealers.