Pearl Technology Holdings has released a platform with several new tools aimed at helping dealers communicate with and purchase vehicles from consumers.

Dealer-branded widgets can be used within a dealer’s website to allow customers to submit information about their vehicle if they want to pursue a purchase offer or inquire about trade-in value. The tool also provides the dealer with a private label smartphone application that can be distributed to customers using Apple or Android platforms to facilitate its real-time bidding platform.

“Valuation widgets on dealership websites need a significant upgrade,” said Bruce Thompson, Pearl’s chief executive officer. “The current generation of car buyers wants the ability to buy and complete a transaction online. They do not want to spend hours at the dealership. Digital retailing is where our industry is headed and to get there a dealer must be able to accurately value the trade and communicate with the consumer efficiently.

“Aggregators like AutoNation and Sonic Automotive are quickly heading down a path to streamline the retail transaction to 30 minutes or less,” Thompson continued. “Pearl’s new tools give any dealer the ability to value a trade or simply give the consumer a cash offer in minutes. It’s a real-time bidding platform that has incredible functionality and is light years ahead of anything on the market today.”

Live notifications are sent to a dealer once a consumer submits their vehicle information, giving the dealer the opportunity to decide if they need more information before making an offer on the vehicle. Once decided, the dealer can either submit an offer to the customer via the application or request more information — if the consumer accepts the offer, details for drop-off instructions are given. If not, the customer can submit a counter offer.

Among others, Pearl will be on hand at the 2015 NADA Convention in San Francisco this weekend to display the technology live. For more information about Pearl or its offerings, visit its website.