Dealers' #1 source for auto industry news, content, coaching & analysis

2025 NADA Show: Erin Kerrigan | Kerrigan Advisors

CBT News brings you exclusive coverage from the 2025 NADA Show in New Orleans, where Jim Fitzpatrick sits down with Erin Kerrigan, founder and managing director of Kerrigan Advisors. A frequent guest on CBT News, Erin shares her insights into dealership profitability trends, the buy-sell market, and how shifting market dynamics, including lower interest rates and evolving generational ownership transitions, are shaping the industry’s outlook for 2025. With a deep understanding of dealership valuation and market activity, Kerrigan provides a detailed analysis of what’s driving optimism and where the opportunities lie for dealers in the year ahead.

Key Takeaways

  1. Erin Kerrigan highlighted a positive sentiment among dealers, citing expectations for increased dealership profitability due to factors such as declining interest rates, a pro-business administration, and an anticipated rise in vehicle affordability. She projected that the SAAR (Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate) could grow to between 16.5 and 17 million units, signaling a promising year for top-line growth in the automotive retail sector.
  2. In addition, Kerrigan emphasized the strong momentum in the buy-sell market, noting that 2024 exceeded expectations with the sale of 81 franchises. She attributed this success to stabilizing valuations, buyer confidence in dealership earnings, and the appeal of exiting the market while valuations remain high. She also pointed to generational transitions within family-owned dealerships as a key driver of transaction activity.
  3. In Kerrigan Advisors’ 2024 dealer survey, Toyota and Lexus emerged as the most desired franchises, with Honda and Subaru following closely. Interestingly, weaker-performing brands such as Nissan, Stellantis, and Infiniti accounted for the majority of top-selling franchises, reflecting a significant level of divestment activity. Erin noted the cyclical nature of some brands, with savvy buyers recognizing long-term opportunities even in weaker-performing franchises.

Catch all of CBT News’ coverage of the 2025 NADA Show here.

Stay up to date on exclusive content from CBT News by following us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Don’t miss out! Subscribe to our free newsletter to receive all the latest news, insight and trends impacting the automotive industry.

CBT News is part of the JBF Business Media family.

Jaelyn Campbell
Jaelyn Campbell
Jaelyn Campbell is a staff writer/reporter for CBT News. She is a recent honors cum laude graduate with a BFA in Mass Media from Valdosta State University. Jaelyn is an enthusiastic creator with more than four years of experience in corporate communications, editing, broadcasting, and writing. Her articles in The Spectator, her hometown newspaper, changed how people perceive virtual reality. She connects her readers to the facts while providing them a voice to understand the challenges of being an entrepreneur in the digital world.

Related Articles

Manufacturers In This Article

More Manufacturer News

Latest Articles

From our Publishing Partners