The numbers
According to Kerrigan Advisors, dealers completed a record 462 transactions in the twelve months through June 2026, representing 724 franchises.
Between January and June 2026, dealers completed 224 transactions representing 351 franchises, according to Kerrigan Advisors. According to Kerrigan Advisors, that is up 2% from 220 a year earlier and 107% above the 2015-2019 pre-pandemic average.
Prices held up even as profits fell. According to Kerrigan Advisors, average dealership earnings declined an estimated 10-20% year over year, yet the Kerrigan Blue Sky Index of dealership values remains 78% above its 2019 pre-pandemic level.
NADA counts 16,991 franchised light-vehicle dealers in the United States in its 2026 mid-year report. Kerrigan counts transactions, and one transaction can include several stores, so its count and BSR's store records are different units.
Where the deals are
Buyers are mostly growing where they already operate. According to Kerrigan Advisors, 91% of the deals by public dealer groups in 2026 fell in markets where the buyer already operated, and domestic brands' share of buy-sell activity slipped to 46% from 51% in 2025 as buyers chased import franchises. According to Kerrigan Advisors, high-growth states such as Texas, Florida and Georgia command premiums of up to 2.5 turns on blue sky multiples.
The Buy-Sell Report has recorded 622 buy-sell store records since June 2025, drawn from state license records and industry reporting; one record is one store, so a deal that moves several stores is several records. BSR's free monthly activity pages show each month's store records by type and by state.
What this means for vendors
Every ownership change puts an existing vendor relationship in question. A new owner reviews the store's vendors, may consolidate them with the vendors its other stores already use, and may replace some before the old vendor hears about the sale.
For public dealer groups, a buyer that already operates in the market is the common case in the figures above, which matters to a vendor: the buyer's other stores nearby are a ready answer to the question of who it will use. Knowing which group bought the store, and what its other stores use, tells you whether you are protecting a relationship or selling against a competitor.
The vendors who know about ownership changes first can reach a new owner before competitors do, protect existing accounts and pitch an incoming group while its vendor list is still open. Waiting for word of mouth is slow: by the time a sale reaches you through your network, a competitor may already have called.
How The Buy-Sell Report helps
The Buy-Sell Report records franchise dealership buy-sells, closures and new openings, one record per store, from state license records and industry reporting. Subscribers search every record by dealership, buyer, seller, brand or city, filter by state, brand and event type, and see buyer, seller and broker detail. The broker directory and the seller guide are free.