What a car broker does, how The Model Black is different, and which one suits you. A broker negotiates for a fee; The Model Black is not a broker.
The Model Black is not a licensed motor vehicle dealer or broker and does not act as a broker in any way. Participating dealerships sell and lease every vehicle and complete each purchase directly with you.
The Model Black and a car broker solve the same problem from opposite ends. A broker is a licensed intermediary who negotiates the deal for you, usually for a flat fee in the hundreds of dollars and sometimes with a disclosed referral fee from the dealer. The Model Black is not a licensed motor vehicle dealer or broker and does not act as a broker in any way. Participating dealerships publish their savings, price, and payments up front, so the haggling never has to happen, and they sell and lease every vehicle and complete each purchase directly with you. Both are honest ways to buy a car. Which one fits depends on what you want done.
| A car broker | The Model Black | |
|---|---|---|
| What they do | Represent you, negotiate price and terms with dealers, often handle paperwork and delivery | Shows participating dealerships' published savings and price on live new-car inventory, priced three ways, and answers your questions; the dealership works with you directly once you send a deal |
| Who sets the price | The broker negotiates it with the dealer | The dealership publishes it up front |
| Where you see numbers | After the broker sources and negotiates | Before you talk to anyone: finance, lease (monthly, one-pay, deposits), and cash with taxes and fees for your city |
| What it costs | Typically a flat fee of several hundred dollars to about $1,000 (NerdWallet's guide to car-buying services, as of September 2026); some brokers also receive a dealer referral fee | Creating an account to see pricing is complimentary. A membership covers you and your household at the same address for every purchase during its term and includes an introduction to the participating dealership you choose, so you can complete your purchase directly with them. Pricing for White Level and Black Level, and the full list of what each level includes, are coming soon. |
| Licensing | Licensed as a motor vehicle broker where the state requires it | Not a licensed motor vehicle dealer or broker, and does not act as a broker in any way; the dealership sells the car and signs the contract with you |
| Inventory | Any dealer the broker works with, often out of state | Participating dealerships; each car shows whether its dealership can bring it to you |
| Custom terms and allocations | A broker's strength: hard-to-find builds, allocations, special terms | Custom and factory orders are placed directly with the dealership, on the dealership's own terms |
No. The Model Black is not a licensed motor vehicle dealer or broker and does not act as a broker in any way. Participating dealerships sell and lease every vehicle and complete each purchase directly with you. The Model Black shows each dealership's published new-car pricing three ways and answers your questions. It does not negotiate, it does not represent you, and it does not sign anything; the dealership is the seller.
A good broker negotiates well, and for some cars and some shoppers that is worth the fee. On The Model Black the dealership has already published its savings, so you can look at the vehicle page first and decide from the dealership's published price whether you want a broker's help as well.
Yes. Nothing stops a shopper from checking a participating dealership's published price on The Model Black and hiring a broker for a car no participating dealership lists.
The name is the brand, not a license or a description of a service. The Model Black is not a licensed motor vehicle dealer or broker and does not act as a broker in any way. Participating dealerships sell and lease every vehicle and complete each purchase directly with you.