Before becoming a dealership buy-sell advisor, Senior Partner Paul Kechnie sold his own Chevrolet and Ford dealerships. He had spent years operating and negotiating in the business, so handling the sale himself did not seem unusual at the time.

But there was one important distinction: he had bought two dealerships. He had never sold one.

More than a decade of representing dealership owners through buy-sell transactions has given him a different perspective on that decision and on the process he would follow today.

Inside Paul’s Own Sale

Paul began with a local buyer and a value based largely on profitability and instinct. When the buyer pushed back on his number and eventually went quiet, Paul began calling other potential buyers himself.

There was no structured marketing process, no confidentiality agreements, and little data supporting his valuation. His calls to other potential buyers generated little interest, and by then, Paul had mentally made the decision that he wanted to sell.

With his negotiating position weakened, Paul eventually reached back out to the original buyer. The negotiation continued downward, and the deal ultimately closed at the buyer’s number, well below where Paul had started.

What He Would Do Differently Today

Looking back, Paul sees several parts of the process differently. He would approach the sale with more market information, a broader view of potential buyers, greater confidentiality, and an intermediary between himself and the buyer.

He would also want to know whether an interested buyer had the financial capacity, dealership performance, and path to manufacturer approval necessary to close.

For dealers considering a future sale, Paul’s experience points to five areas worth addressing early:

• Know the value
• Look beyond one buyer
• Protect confidentiality
• Don’t negotiate alone
• Interest isn’t enough

Selling his own dealerships changed Paul’s understanding of how different the dynamics can be when the business you spent years building is the asset being negotiated.

Read Paul’s full story in the Q3 2026 Texas & Midwest Market Insights, along with recent transactions from across the region.