Auto Advisor
Auto Advisor is a private Orlando-based concierge car buying service that connects 850,000+ credit union members in the southeastern US with dealer-partner inventory through trained human advisors, monetizing via affiliate referral fees from its 27+ credit union partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersOrlando, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Auto Advisor does
Auto Advisor (legal entity Auto Advisor Services, LLC) is a privately held Orlando, Florida-based concierge car buying service founded in 1990 by Bill Goldberg and Steve Pescatore. The company operates a phone-driven advisor model in which trained Auto Advisors conduct real-time vehicle searches against a participating dealer partner network, negotiate pricing, and accompany credit union members through the purchase process for new or used vehicles. The platform integrates NADA Guides for trade-in valuation and appraisal, surfaces a 19,000+ vehicle inventory module to partner credit unions, and exposes a "Sell Your Vehicle" submission flow alongside the core purchase service. The technology stack is light: co-branded subdomain portals for each partner credit union, a NADA-powered valuation widget, and a manual advisor-mediated search workflow rather than an automated matching or pricing engine.
The business model is an affiliate/referral arrangement with credit unions: the service is free to consumers, and Auto Advisor is compensated by credit union partners whose members complete auto financing through the credit union rather than dealership finance channels. Distribution is exclusively through 27+ credit union partnerships, primarily in Florida and the southeastern United States, covering 850,000+ members through co-branded websites such as brightstar.autoadvisors.com and adventhealth.autoadvisors.com. Customer testimonials emphasize individual named advisors (Chris Engel, Steve, Andy, George, Jorge, Robert, Jack), underscoring that human capital, not software, is the primary deliverable. The firm is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, no funding rounds, no M&A activity, and 11-50 employees.
Auto Advisor firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Auto Advisor
- Legal name
- Auto Advisor Services, LLC
- Website
- https://autoadvisors.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Auto Advisor is a private Orlando-based concierge car buying service that connects 850,000+ credit union members in the southeastern US with dealer-partner inventory through trained human advisors, monetizing via affiliate referral fees from its 27+ credit union partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Auto Advisor industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Auto Buying Concierge Services
- NAICS
- Sales Financing (52222)
- SIC
- Personal Credit Institutions (6141)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Auto & Vehicle Loan Brokerage (FSAEAEAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- New & Used Auto Purchase Loans (FSAKADAA)
Keywords
Where Auto Advisor is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Orlando
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Auto Advisor business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Credit Union Partnership Fees: Auto Advisor generates revenue through partnerships with credit unions, providing car buying services to their members at no cost to the buyer. The service is free to credit union members, with the company compensated by credit union partners who benefit from generated auto loans staying with their institution.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free service for credit union members |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Auto Advisor product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Auto Advisor operates a free concierge car buying service that helps credit union members find, negotiate, and purchase new or used vehicles at guaranteed lowest prices through a network of dealer partners. Trained Auto Advisors conduct real-time vehicle searches, handle dealer negotiations, accompany buyers to the dealership, and coordinate financing through the member's credit union. The service is fully free to car buyers and is monetized through credit union partnership agreements.
Product overview
Auto Advisor operates as a single unified car buying concierge service that connects credit union members with a network of dealer partners. The core Auto Advisor Program is a free service where trained advisors help consumers purchase new or used vehicles at competitive prices while arranging credit union financing. The platform also includes a vehicle selling feature and NADA-based trade-in valuation tool. Auto Advisors perform real-time vehicle searches with participating dealers to provide accurate pricing and availability, addressing consumer frustration with inaccurate online dealer listings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Auto Advisor Car Buying Service A free concierge car buying service that helps credit union members find new or used vehicles at competitive prices. Trained Auto Advisors conduct real-time vehicle searches with participating dealer partners, provide accurate pricing and availability, and accompany members to the dealership to complete the purchase.
- Sell Your Vehicle Service A vehicle selling service allowing credit union members to submit vehicle details (year, color, VIN, estimated payoff) to receive a complimentary appraisal from independently owned dealerships.
Quantifiable outcome
- Process completion in as little as 4 days from start to finish
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Auto Advisor
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Auto Advisor technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature2 records
Auto Advisor partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
29 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- AdventHealth Credit UnioncoreAdventHealth Credit Union offers Auto Advisor services to its members through a co-branded website (adventhealth.autoadvisors.com). Members can access free car buying assistance and are directed to apply for auto loans through the credit union.
- Baptist Health South Florida FCUcoreBaptist Health South Florida Federal Credit Union partners with Auto Advisor, offering members access to 19,000+ vehicle inventory searches with real-time pricing and availability through participating dealer partners.
- BrightStar Credit UnioncoreBrightStar Credit Union offers Auto Advisor services to members, featuring dedicated advisors like Robert who provide hands-on car buying assistance for multiple vehicle purchases.
- Darden Employees Federal Credit UnioncoreDarden Employees Federal Credit Union provides Auto Advisor car buying services to its employee members through a co-branded portal.
- FiCare Federal Credit UnioncoreFiCare Federal Credit Union partners with Auto Advisor to provide car buying assistance services to its members.
- First Choice Credit UnioncoreFirst Choice Credit Union offers Auto Advisor services to members through its co-branded website.
- First Florida Credit UnioncoreFirst Florida Credit Union provides Auto Advisor services to members seeking vehicle purchases through a co-branded platform.
- Florida Central Credit UnioncoreFlorida Central Credit Union offers Auto Advisor services to members through its co-branded website.
- FSU Credit UnioncoreFSU Credit Union (Florida State University) provides Auto Advisor car buying services to its members.
- Florida West Coast Credit UnioncoreFlorida West Coast Credit Union offers Auto Advisor services to members through its co-branded website.
- Guardians Credit UnioncoreGuardians Credit Union provides Auto Advisor services to members seeking vehicle purchases.
- Hialeah Municipal Employees Federal Credit UnioncoreHialeah Municipal Employees Federal Credit Union offers Auto Advisor services to its municipal employee members.
- JetStream Federal Credit UnioncoreJetStream Federal Credit Union provides Auto Advisor car buying services to members through a co-branded portal.
- Memorial Employees Federal Credit UnioncoreMemorial Employees Federal Credit Union offers Auto Advisor services to its members.
- My Healthcare Federal Credit UnioncoreMy Healthcare Federal Credit Union provides Auto Advisor services to members through its co-branded website.
- Orlando Credit UnioncoreOrlando Credit Union offers Auto Advisor services to members seeking vehicle purchases.
- Partners Federal Credit UnioncorePartners Federal Credit Union provides Auto Advisor car buying services to members through a co-branded platform.
- Power Financial Credit UnioncorePower Financial Credit Union partners with Auto Advisor, offering members free car buying concierge services.
- PowerNet Credit UnioncorePowerNet Credit Union offers Auto Advisor services to simplify the car buying experience for its members.
- Priority One Credit UnioncorePriority One Credit Union provides Auto Advisor services to members seeking vehicle purchases.
- Sun Credit UnioncoreSun Credit Union has partnered with Auto Advisors to provide a FREE Concierge Car Buying experience to members, with dedicated phone line 954-967-4441.
- Tampa Bay Federal Credit UnioncoreTampa Bay Federal Credit Union offers Auto Advisor services to members seeking vehicle purchases.
- Transport Federal Credit UnioncoreTransport Federal Credit Union provides Auto Advisor car buying services to members.
- Trax Credit UnioncoreTrax Credit Union offers Auto Advisor services to members through its co-branded website.
- Tropical Financial Credit UnioncoreTropical Financial Credit Union provides Auto Advisor car buying services to members.
- USF Federal Credit UnioncoreUSF Federal Credit Union (University of South Florida) provides Auto Advisor services to members through a co-branded platform.
- Velocity Community Credit UnioncoreVelocity Community Credit Union offers Auto Advisor services to members seeking vehicle purchases.
- WeFloridaFinancialcoreWeFloridaFinancial provides Auto Advisor services to members seeking vehicle purchases.
- NADA GuidessupportingNADA Guides vehicle valuation and appraisal tool integrated into the Auto Advisor platform for trade-in valuations and vehicle pricing information. Displayed across all partner websites.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Auto Advisor competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- AutoNation: Largest US auto dealership group with nationwide presence, in-house financing, and online car buying tools. Adjacent to Auto Advisor in competing for the same car buyer purchase funnel with transparent pricing and financing options.
- Cars.com: Major online automotive marketplace connecting car shoppers with dealers, with pricing tools and dealer reviews. Comparable as an intermediation layer in car buying, though broader in scope and not specialized in credit union loan capture.
- CarMax: Largest used car retailer in the US with no-haggle pricing, in-house financing, and online purchasing. Comparable in offering a haggle-free car buying experience, though CarMax operates as a vertically integrated retailer rather than an intermediary service.
- AutoTrader: Long-standing online car marketplace owned by Cox Enterprises that lists new and used vehicles from dealers nationwide. Adjacent to Auto Advisor in connecting consumers with dealer inventory and pricing, though not focused on financing capture.
Direct peers
- TrueCar: Online car buying and pricing platform that connects consumers with certified dealers for transparent, no-haggle pricing. Highly comparable to Auto Advisor in the core function of eliminating negotiation friction in vehicle purchases, though delivered through a digital rather than concierge model.
- LendingTree: Online loan marketplace connecting consumers with multiple lenders for auto loans and other credit products. Directly comparable to Auto Advisor in facilitating auto loan origination, though broader in product scope and digital-first in delivery.
Emerging players
- Carvana: Online used car retailer with no-haggle pricing, in-house financing, and home delivery. Competes with Auto Advisor by solving the same consumer pain points (haggle-free, transparent pricing, financing convenience) entirely through a digital, vertically integrated model.
- Vroom: Online used car retailer offering no-haggle pricing, financing, and home delivery. Overlaps with Auto Advisor in providing a low-friction car buying experience, though operates as a direct retailer rather than an intermediary.
- CarGurus: Car shopping platform that uses pricing transparency and dealer ratings to help consumers find vehicles. Comparable in addressing the consumer pain points of inaccurate pricing and inventory availability that Auto Advisor's concierge service also targets.
Others
- Edmunds: Long-running automotive information and pricing platform that provides vehicle reviews, pricing tools, and dealer connections. Comparable to Auto Advisor in leveraging pricing transparency to improve the car buying experience, though as an information provider rather than a transaction intermediary.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Auto Advisor social profiles
Digital presenceAuto Advisor financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Auto Advisor leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Auto Advisor funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Auto Advisor M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Auto Advisor
What does Auto Advisor do?
Auto Advisor operates a free concierge car buying service that helps credit union members find, negotiate, and purchase new or used vehicles at guaranteed lowest prices through a network of dealer partners. Trained Auto Advisors conduct real-time vehicle searches, handle dealer negotiations, accompany buyers to the dealership, and coordinate financing through the member's credit union. The service is fully free to car buyers and is monetized through credit union partnership agreements.
Is Auto Advisor a public or private company?
Auto Advisor is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Auto Advisor founded?
Auto Advisor was founded in 1990. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Auto Advisor based?
Auto Advisor is headquartered in Orlando, United States, in the North America region.
How does Auto Advisor make money?
One revenue line is on record: credit Union Partnership Fees.
Who are Auto Advisor's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are AutoNation, Cars.com, CarMax and AutoTrader. Direct peers are TrueCar and LendingTree. Emerging players are Carvana, Vroom and CarGurus. Edmunds is listed as an others.
Does Auto Advisor have an API?
No public API is recorded for Auto Advisor.
What industry is Auto Advisor in?
Auto Advisor's product category is Auto Buying Concierge Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEAEAK, Auto & Vehicle Loan Brokerage, with a secondary code of FSAKADAA, New & Used Auto Purchase Loans. Its NAICS code is 52222 and its SIC code is 6141.