Q&A with our Marketplace team leaders: The CarExpert Exchange advantage

At CarExpert, we start with trusted new car research and finish with a great deal, all in one place. Behind that promise are our New Car Specialists, who work closely with buyers and dealers to remove friction, improve efficiency, and deliver better outcomes for everyone involved.

We sat down with Michael Barnes, Josh Harris and Ali Habib, Team Leaders at CarExpert, to talk about how CarExpert Exchange connects dealers with fully qualified, purchase-ready buyers. As well as why this performance model continues to drive higher conversion, faster turnaround and smoother handovers.

‍

Tell us about your role

Michael: "As a Team Leader for Queensland, WA and Northern Territory, I'm involved across the full journey, from the first discovery call right through to delivery. I work closely with our New Car Specialists and customers to understand exactly what they need and ensure the process runs smoothly for everyone involved. By the time a request reaches CarExpert Exchange, the buyer has been properly qualified and dealers can engage with them confidently."

Josh: "I lead a group of experienced New Car Specialists, primarily supporting enquiries across Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. I'm also a point of escalation for CarExpert, our dealer partners, and shared customers. If something needs resolving, I step in to make sure it's handled quickly and professionally. Maintaining strong dealer relationships is a big part of what I do."

Ali: "After three decades of automotive experience, largely in dealerships, I was looking for something that would let me use my skills in a fresh environment. CarExpert and the Exchange model were exactly what I'd been searching for. My focus is on the human side of the process — building genuine relationships with customers and dealer partners, and helping people find the right vehicle for their needs, lifestyle and budget. My team of New Car Specialists looks after New South Wales and ACT."

‍

‍How does CarExpert Exchange help to deliver a better customer experience?

Michael: "CarExpert Exchange allows us to properly qualify every customer before they're introduced to dealers. We confirm intent, exact specifications, timing and trade-in details upfront. That way, dealers aren't guessing. They're speaking to someone who's genuinely ready to move."

Josh: "CarExpert Exchange also gives us access to a broad dealer network, which means we're not just chasing the cheapest number. We're looking at availability, correct specifications, timing and overall fit. It's about matching the right buyer with the right dealer."

Ali: "What I've found is that customers respond incredibly well when they feel heard. The qualification process isn't just about logistics, it's about understanding what a car means to someone. That insight is what allows us to make the right match, every time."

Together, that approach creates a far more efficient experience. There's less back-and-forth, fewer surprises, and smoother transactions from start to finish.

‍

‍What’s the benefit of this model for dealers?

Michael: "The biggest benefit is lead quality, but CarExpert Exchange isn't really a lead product, it's a sales channel. We've done the qualifying work upfront, so dealers are engaging with serious, purchase-ready buyers."

Josh: "There's no cost to participate, and dealers only pay on successful delivery. That removes the risk. From day one, dealers receive complete information on specs, timing and trade-in, so they can focus on pricing and fulfilment rather than chasing details."

Ali: "Having spent over 20 years in dealership management, I understand the pressure dealers face. What this model does differently is respect their time. When a buyer arrives through CarExpert Exchange, dealers can trust the groundwork has been done. That's not something traditional lead products have been able to offer."

CarExpert Exchange removes the noise that often comes with traditional lead models. It's performance-based, transparent and built around delivery, not volume for volume's sake.

‍

How does Exchange save you, and CarExpert Exchange partners, time?

Michael: "Everything is streamlined. I can manage customer details, issue quote requests and make sure dealers have all the information they need in one place. That removes a lot of unnecessary back-and-forth."

Josh: "From an operational perspective, centralising communications makes them much easier to manage at scale. Because every enquiry has already been properly qualified, we're not double-handling or chasing missing details. We can move faster and keep momentum in the deal."

Ali: "Speed matters in this industry. When the process is clean and the information is complete, everyone wins — the customer gets a faster result, the dealer closes more efficiently, and trust is built on both sides. That's what I've always believed in, and it's exactly what CarExpert Exchange enables."

CarExpert Exchange supports a cleaner workflow, quicker decision-making and stronger support for both dealers and customers.

‍

What's the most rewarding part of your work with CarExpert?

Michael: "When a customer drives away in their new car, knowing we've saved them time and money, and made the process easier, that's the win."

Josh: "And when dealers tell us the transaction was smooth and efficient, it reinforces that the model works. When the right buyer is matched with the right dealer and everything runs cleanly, it builds trust on both sides."

Ali: "For me, it's the relationships. I've always prided myself on building connections that last. Customers who come back, dealer partners who trust you. That doesn't change whether you're on a dealership floor or working within a model like this. The human factor is everything."

‍

A better marketplace for dealers and buyers

CarExpert Exchange is designed to deliver value at every stage of the transaction. Dealers gain access to a performance-based sales channel that delivers fully qualified, purchase-ready buyers with no cost to participate and payment only on successful delivery. Customers benefit from expert guidance, transparent pricing and a seamless path from research through to handover.

That's the CarExpert Exchange advantage: a smarter, more efficient way to connect serious buyers with the right dealers, and turn intent into delivered vehicles.