• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Jeff Bezos pledged $10 billion for climate change. With the 2030 clock ticking, his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, is leading the charge to spend it

2

Anne Hathaway says she was spammed with ChatGPT-written thank you notes after hiring for a recent role: ‘Nobody on that list gets that job’

3

Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer publicly dismissed Chrome as a 'rounding error'—but Google’s CEO says he used the jab as fuel to win the browser-wars

1

Jeff Bezos pledged $10 billion for climate change. With the 2030 clock ticking, his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, is leading the charge to spend it

2

Anne Hathaway says she was spammed with ChatGPT-written thank you notes after hiring for a recent role: ‘Nobody on that list gets that job’

3

Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer publicly dismissed Chrome as a 'rounding error'—but Google’s CEO says he used the jab as fuel to win the browser-wars
Tech

How an unconventional startup plans to speed up online car sales

By
Kirsten Korosec
Kirsten Korosec
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kirsten Korosec
Kirsten Korosec
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 9, 2015, 8:04 AM ET
Courtesy of Car Lister
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Car Lister is unlike its competitors—in just about every way—in the increasingly crowded online used car marketplace.

DreamWare, the parent company that built Car Lister, isn’t a product of Silicon Valley. The company is based in Naples, Fla. Although in true tech-startup style, three developers who helped build the e-commerce platform all live in a house together (they even have a dog).

The company roster isn’t chockablock full of Stanford and MIT alums, nor has it attracted the same kind of headline-making venture capital. Of the company’s 37 employees, five are ex-military, including founder Bryan Harmon. Nearly half of its employees are women, two of whom are designers. To date, the company has raised $6.5 million in seed money from individuals.

The more important difference, however, is the company’s business model. Unlike many of its rivals, Car Lister isn’t trying to cut out or sidestep automotive dealers; it includes them.

“To be successful online you have to understand how to scale, especially in the automotive industry,” Harmon told Fortune. “You need to know the industry, you can’t just come in and bypass them altogether. They have all the inventory.”

Now the company is working to make the financing—often the slowest, most arduous part of car sales—a speedier process. The company announced Wednesday that it has partnered with eLend Solutions to integrate an online credit application product into the Car Lister platform. The upshot? The time it takes to pay for a car should be minutes, not hours.

Car Lister, which launched in October 2014, allows dealers and consumers to instantly list, buy, and sell new and pre-owned vehicles directly from their mobile device. Once users provide the vehicle identification number and answer a few questions, the application instantly generates titles and vehicle descriptions, allows for the upload of images and video, and includes a full vehicle history report at no cost. The whole process takes about two minutes, Harmon says. The service is free for individuals. Car Lister charges dealers a flat $999 fee.

 

Car Lister also created a built-in social network for car enthusiasts, experts, manufacturers, businesses, sellers, and buyers. Users can message buyers and give them a virtual tour of the vehicle using video streaming applications like FaceTime.

While the Car Lister platform makes it easier and faster to list a car for sale, there hasn’t been a process for paying for the vehicle—until now. Buyers either had to have the cash or go through the financing process with the dealer or another lender. Under the partnership, eLend Solutions’ system will be integrated into the Car Lister app. Buyers will be able receive instant pre-qualification and direct access to near-final payment terms from multiple lender programs through the Car Lister app without impacting their credit score. Buyers can select their loan preference, payment options, and term, and place a down payment to hold the vehicle.

In short, the customer will have financing squared away before walking into the dealership to pick up the car.

Pete MacInnis, CEO of eLend Solutions, told Fortune that Car Lister is one of a number of players that is bringing a renewed energy into the auto industry around improving the entire buying process and contributing to the “connected car-buying experience.” “We are actively engaging in companies not satisfied with the status quo,” MacInnis says.

Car Lister still faces a mountain of competition from a numerous companies, each one putting its own spin on buying and selling cars online. There are the car referrals sites like TrueCar and AutoTrader.com as well as online used car startups such as Beepi, Carvana, Shift Technologies, and Vroom—all of which have raised more money.

It’s also a relative newcomer. Car Lister rolled out its platform to dealers in January 2015, following a beta period with individual sellers and select dealerships in Colorado to test the platform.

[fortune-brightcove videoid=4292342519001]

 

Still, Car Lister has had success in the short time it’s been available to dealers and individuals—and former Morgan Stanley President Bob Scott is now its chairman. Today, the company has signed on 254 automotive dealers in 35 states. The company is also starting to see traction among dealers in using the FaceTime feature, which Harmon says creates a level of transparency that has not always been associated with the used car industry.

The company plans to continue to add features. A “buy now” button is under development and the company is testing interstate shipping. The goal is for the “buy now” button and shipping features to be integrated into the web app by the first quarter of 2016. Car Lister is also testing a third-party integration with a platform that allows users to schedule a mechanic to come to their home or office to fix their vehicle.

About the Author
By Kirsten Korosec
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Patricia Camden is EY Studio+ Customer Experience and Loyalty Leader
CommentaryConsulting
EY: we found your biggest AI blind spot. It’s called the ‘tempo gap’
By Patricia Camden and John DuboisJune 20, 2026
4 hours ago
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 11: Marques Colston #12 of the New Orleans Saints stands on the field before a football game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on October 11, 2015 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
InvestingSports
A Saints legend is selling fans a piece of professional sports for $500
By Eva RoytburgJune 20, 2026
4 hours ago
Photo of Jensen Huang
SuccessCareers
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says electricians and plumbers will be needed by the hundreds of thousands in the new working world
By Preston ForeJune 20, 2026
4 hours ago
p
CommentaryInternet
GoDaddy Corporate Domains chief: The next Internet land rush is happening right now
By Phil LodicoJune 20, 2026
4 hours ago
Executive pay climbed again in 2025—and the CEO-to-worker gap kept widening
C-SuiteElon Musk
Executive pay climbed again in 2025—and the CEO-to-worker gap kept widening
By Catherina GioinoJune 20, 2026
6 hours ago
Why odds of SpaceX merger with Tesla keep climbing every time the stock shoots up
Big TechSpaceX
Why odds of SpaceX merger with Tesla keep climbing every time the stock shoots up
By Shawn TullyJune 20, 2026
8 hours ago

Most Popular

Jeff Bezos pledged $10 billion for climate change. With the 2030 clock ticking, his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, is leading the charge to spend it
Environment
Jeff Bezos pledged $10 billion for climate change. With the 2030 clock ticking, his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, is leading the charge to spend it
By Sydney LakeJune 19, 2026
1 day ago
Anne Hathaway says she was spammed with ChatGPT-written thank you notes after hiring for a recent role: ‘Nobody on that list gets that job’
Success
Anne Hathaway says she was spammed with ChatGPT-written thank you notes after hiring for a recent role: ‘Nobody on that list gets that job’
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 18, 2026
2 days ago
Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer publicly dismissed Chrome as a 'rounding error'—but Google’s CEO says he used the jab as fuel to win the browser-wars
Success
Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer publicly dismissed Chrome as a 'rounding error'—but Google’s CEO says he used the jab as fuel to win the browser-wars
By Preston ForeJune 17, 2026
3 days ago
The affordability crisis is so bad that, for the first time ever, both mom and dad are working full-time in most American families
Economy
The affordability crisis is so bad that, for the first time ever, both mom and dad are working full-time in most American families
By Jacqueline MunisJune 17, 2026
3 days ago
Exclusive: Azzi Fudd joins Project B, the international league chasing a billion-dollar opportunity in global basketball
MPW
Exclusive: Azzi Fudd joins Project B, the international league chasing a billion-dollar opportunity in global basketball
By Emma HinchliffeJune 19, 2026
1 day ago
The man who lived through the fall of the Soviet Union and helped wealthy Chinese move to Canada sees a familiar picture in America
Success
The man who lived through the fall of the Soviet Union and helped wealthy Chinese move to Canada sees a familiar picture in America
By Nick LichtenbergJune 17, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.