Ready-made deals platform · California auto broker license #21138
How much car lease brokers and concierges charge in California
By Azat Cutliahmetov, Hunter Lease·Checked October 4, 2026
Hunter Lease is a California platform of ready-made new-car lease and finance deals: the price is already negotiated, the fee is $95 at booking. Published buyer fees run from $299 at CarOracle to $1,000 at Delivrd, and one broker, Formula Auto Lease, charges the buyer nothing and is paid by the dealer network. NerdWallet puts broker fees at $0 to $1,000.
This price list is compiled by Hunter Lease, one of the services in it. Every fee was taken from the website of the service itself on October 4, 2026.
What brokers and concierges charge the buyer as of October 4, 2026
- Hunter Lease charges $95 when you book a car, and the price in the Hunter Lease catalog is already negotiated.
- CarOracle, a California auto broker, charges a flat $299 for a new car and $399 for a certified pre-owned car.
- SMG Auto Brokers charges $249 up front and $249 on delivery of the car.
- SoCal Auto Brokers sells a vehicle sourcing retainer at $495 that is credited toward the full service fee of SoCal Auto Brokers.
- Formula Auto Lease charges the buyer no upfront fee: Formula Auto Lease is paid by the dealer network when the buyer takes delivery.
- Authority Auto, on its Improve Your Deal service, takes a percentage of what it saves the buyer, up to $2,000.
- Car Concierge Pro charges $998 for its car buying concierge, half to begin and half on completion.
- CarEdge Concierge costs $999 per car, DriveMatch Concierge costs $999, Delivrd costs $1,000 and Belgravia charges $999 for access.
- On Leasehackr PND the broker fee runs from $0 to $699 per deal.
- NerdWallet, updated November 18, 2025: broker fees "can range anywhere from $0 to $1,000".
What the fee buys: Hunter Lease next to brokers and concierges
| Hunter Lease | Brokers and concierges |
|---|---|
| What you pay the service | |
| $95.The Hunter Lease service fee of $95 is stated on the site up front and is paid when you book a specific car. | CarOracle: $299 for a new car, $399 for a certified pre-owned car.SMG Auto Brokers: "We charge $249 up front, and $249 on delivery of your new vehicle."SoCal Auto Brokers: a $495 retainer, "credited toward your full service fee".Car Concierge Pro: $998, half to begin and half on completion.CarEdge, DriveMatch, Belgravia, Delivrd: $999 to $1,000.Source: the FAQ and pricing pages of these services |
| Negotiation of the price | |
| $0 for negotiation.At Hunter Lease the price of each of the 8,197 cars is already negotiated with the dealer and sits in the catalog, with tax and fees. | Formula Auto Lease: "No upfront fee to you. We are paid by the dealer network when you take delivery."Authority Auto: takes "a percentage of what we save you, up to $2,000".Delivrd: $1,000 for the negotiation.Source: the FAQ pages of Formula Auto Lease and Authority Auto; the Delivrd payment page |
| A check that nobody beats the price | |
| $0 at booking.At booking, Hunter Lease asks dealers, up to ten of them, for new final terms. If you bring a better written dealer offer and Hunter Lease cannot beat it, the $95 comes back. | Belgravia: "We beat any written dealership offer with your name on it, or your $999 back".CarEdge, DriveMatch, Delivrd: this is the concierge service itself, at $999 and $1,000.Source: the pages of these services |
| The car is not in the catalog, or you already hold an offer | |
| $149.A custom search for a car at Hunter Lease costs $149 and is not refunded. A check of a dealer offer you already hold costs $95: Hunter Lease looks for the same car for less, and if it does not find one in time, the fee comes back on its own. | Concierge: CarEdge $999, DriveMatch $999, Car Concierge Pro $998, Delivrd $1,000, Belgravia $999.Source: the pages of these services |
| If the numbers at the dealer come out higher | |
| $95 back.If the final number at the dealer is even one cent above what was locked at Hunter Lease, or the bank declines, the $95 fee is refunded in full. | CarEdge Concierge: 24 hours after the consultation the fee is non-refundable "regardless of the outcome".AutoBandit: "cannot guarantee pricing be honored by dealers".Source: CarEdge Pricing; AutoBandit Terms of Use |
| Who is next to you at signing | |
| Included in the $95.A Hunter Lease delivery manager goes to the dealer with you or joins online, walks through the contract line by line and checks every number against the locked one. | CarEdge, terms: "does not enter into final negotiations on behalf of Consumers".Leasehackr, terms: the deal stays "solely between you and" the seller.Source: the Terms of these services |
Prices and terms of the other services were checked on October 4, 2026 against their websites and terms. They change, so check at the source.
Broker, concierge or a ready-made deal: which one fits
- A local broker such as CarOracle or SMG Auto Brokers fits if you want a person to source one specific car for a flat fee.
- A concierge such as CarEdge Concierge or Delivrd fits if you want someone to negotiate the car for you: CarEdge works in all 50 states.
- Hunter Lease fits if you want a new car in California at a price that is already negotiated, with every number shown before you pay.