After a first-quarter slowdown in the wake of last year’s election uncertainty, the pace of dealership transactions has picked back up, as Presidio anticipated in our last report. We estimate first-half 2025 activity at 208 transactions involving 285 stores — the same transaction count as first-half 2024, which had a higher dealership count of 326.
Presidio also updated its transaction tally for 2024 to 418 deals involving 595 stores as news of additional transactions emerged. That put 2024’s transaction total at 8.9% higher than 2023’s, with 2.2% more stores trading hands.
As 2025 continues, the team at Presidio expects transaction counts and number of dealerships sold to meet or exceed 2024’s level. July contributed to deal pace acceleration with several acquisitions during the month, most notably Asbury Automotive Group’s blockbuster $1.45 billion purchase of 33 Herb Chambers Cos. dealerships in New England.
The Presidio team has facilitated more transactions so far in 2025 than in the same period in recent years. And the number of deals in the Presidio pipeline waiting to be closed is higher than it’s ever been before.