“This Is the Worst It’ll Ever Be”—State of Dealership AI and What Dealers Should Be Asking | Eric Rea, CEO of Podium

Jul 1, 2025

38:37

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Today I’m joined by Eric Rea, CEO of Podium. We dive into the state of Dealership AI in 2025, the questions dealers should be asking to stay ahead, why 10% of US dealers are using Podium's AI and much more.

This episode is brought to you by:

1. Qmerit - Selling EVs can have a lot of friction points. But home charging installation shouldn’t be one of them. That’s why dealers and automakers trust Qmerit—the go-to expert for home charging installations. Join Qmerit’s dealership partner program and start earning referral incentives on every installation. Visit @ qmerit.com/carguy to learn more.

2. Lotlinx - Get the best possible market advantage on every vehicle transaction. Optimize operations and boost profits using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Learn more @ https://lotlinx.com/

3. Podium - Don’t miss another lead. With Podium’s AI BDC, dealerships are seeing an 80% increase in after-hours appointments by handling leads 24/7. Instantly respond to inquiries, book test drives, and let your team focus on what matters: closing deals. Learn how Podium can help you sell more cars at https://www.podium.com/car-dealership-guy

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Topics:

00:15 What fueled Podium's rapid growth?

01:07 How did Podium get started?

03:00 How is AI transforming dealerships?

05:42 What makes Jerry AI special?

08:11 Customizing AI for dealers how?

13:08 Will AI replace BDC teams?

16:27 Future AI applications in auto?

26:00 How AI revolutionizes service departments?