Retail Vehicle Buyer / Vehicle Acquisition Specialist

Toyota of Hemet is seeking a motivated, disciplined, and professional Retail Vehicle Buyer / Vehicle Acquisition Specialist to help grow our used vehicle inventory by purchasing vehicles directly from individual owners.

This is a proactive, customer-facing position for someone who is comfortable creating their own opportunities, consistently following up with prospective sellers, and building relationships with vehicle owners.

Rather than relying primarily on traditional auctions and wholesale channels, our goal is to purchase quality pre-owned vehicles directly from consumers. The Vehicle Acquisition Specialist will identify prospective sellers, establish contact, appraise vehicles, present competitive purchase offers, and guide customers through a professional and convenient selling experience.

Successful candidates will be self-starting, organized, persistent, personable, and accountable for their individual production.

Key Responsibilities

• Proactively identify and contact vehicle owners who may be interested in selling their vehicles to Toyota of Hemet.
• Work our existing customer database to identify potential vehicle acquisition opportunities.
• Develop relationships with guests visiting our Service Department and identify opportunities to purchase their current vehicles.
• Prospect vehicle owners who are actively advertising vehicles for sale through online marketplaces and other approved sources.
• Make consistent outbound calls, texts, emails, and other approved communications to prospective sellers.
• Respond promptly and professionally to inbound vehicle purchase inquiries and appraisal requests.
• Schedule vehicle appraisal and purchase appointments.
• Inspect and evaluate vehicles using dealership-approved appraisal processes and tools.
• Research vehicle history, condition, equipment, mileage, market demand, and current market values.
• Work with management to establish appropriate vehicle purchase values.
• Present purchase offers clearly and professionally to vehicle owners.
• Negotiate purchases while maintaining dealership acquisition and profitability objectives.
• Explain the vehicle-selling process and required documentation to customers.
• Coordinate completion of purchase documents, payoff information, title documentation, and other required paperwork.
• Maintain accurate records of prospects, contacts, appointments, offers, purchases, and follow-up activity in dealership systems.
• Maintain an organized pipeline of current and future vehicle acquisition opportunities.
• Follow up consistently with vehicle owners who are not immediately ready to sell.
• Build long-term relationships and generate referrals from satisfied customers.
• Work closely with Used Vehicle Management, Sales, Service, Finance, and Accounting to ensure acquired vehicles are processed efficiently.
• Consistently meet or exceed established activity and vehicle acquisition goals.
• Represent Toyota of Hemet with professionalism, integrity, urgency, and respect in every customer interaction.

Primary Vehicle Acquisition Sources

The Vehicle Acquisition Specialist will actively develop opportunities from multiple sources, including:

• Toyota of Hemet's existing customer database
• Current and previous dealership customers
• Service Department guests
• Lease maturity and ownership-cycle opportunities
• Customer appraisal and vehicle purchase inquiries
• Vehicle owners advertising vehicles for sale
• Online automotive marketplaces and classified listings
• Referrals and repeat customers
• Other dealership-approved retail acquisition sources

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous automotive sales, vehicle acquisition, appraisal, purchasing, or dealership experience preferred
• Experience in retail sales, business development, lead generation, customer service, or other performance-driven positions will also be considered
• Familiarity with used vehicle values and automotive marketplaces is a plus
• Experience working with CRM and dealership management systems is a plus
• Valid driver's license and acceptable driving record
• Ability to operate both automatic and manual transmission vehicles is a plus

Performance Expectations

This is a production-oriented position. Performance will be evaluated based on both activity and results, including:

• Daily prospecting and outbound activity
• Quality and consistency of customer follow-up
• Appraisal appointments generated
• Vehicle purchase opportunities created
• Vehicles purchased and/or sold
• Cost and quality of acquired inventory
• Accuracy and completeness of documentation
• Customer experience and professionalism
• Achievement of established monthly acquisition goals

The successful Vehicle Acquisition Specialist will consistently build and manage a pipeline rather than relying solely on incoming leads.