# DealerSocket **Source:** https://geo.sig.ai/brands/dealersocket **Vertical:** Automotive Technology **Subcategory:** Dealership Management System **Tier:** Leader **Website:** dealersocket.com **Last Updated:** 2026-04-14 ## Summary DMS and CRM platform for auto retailers, acquired by CDK Global in 2021. Serves franchise and independent dealers with CRM, inventory, desking, digital marketing, and reporting in an integrated suite. ## Company Overview DealerSocket is a dealership management system (DMS) and automotive CRM platform headquartered in Westlake, Texas. Founded in 2001, DealerSocket built a comprehensive suite of dealer software products spanning CRM, inventory management, digital marketing, desking, and reporting before being acquired by CDK Global in 2021. The acquisition combined two of the automotive retail technology industry's most prominent platforms, giving CDK a broader product portfolio spanning both the operational DMS layer and the customer-facing sales and marketing tools that DealerSocket specialized in. DealerSocket's products continue to serve thousands of dealerships across North America.\n\nDealerSocket's product portfolio includes its flagship CRM for lead management and sales workflows, an inventory management system (Inventory+) for stocking, pricing, and multichannel vehicle merchandising, a website and digital advertising platform (Dealer Inspire, now part of CDK), and a DMS for franchised dealerships. The CRM module is particularly well-regarded for its lead routing automation, follow-up task management, and integration with OEM lead sources. Its inventory tools help dealers manage days-on-lot, price to market, and push listings to third-party marketplaces like Cars.com and AutoTrader automatically.\n\nWithin the CDK Global family, DealerSocket's product investments are being rationalized and integrated with CDK's broader platform strategy. For dealers evaluating DMS and CRM solutions, DealerSocket's established customer base, deep OEM integrations, and broad feature set remain relevant, even as Tekion and other cloud-native competitors challenge the legacy stack. DealerSocket competes with Reynolds & Reynolds, Dealertrack, and VinSolutions in the core automotive retail technology market. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Is DealerSocket still an independent company? No. DealerSocket was acquired by CDK Global in 2021 and its products are now part of CDK's automotive retail technology portfolio. ### What is DealerSocket best known for? DealerSocket is best known for its automotive CRM, which provides lead management, follow-up automation, and OEM lead source integration for car dealerships. ### What inventory management tools does DealerSocket offer? DealerSocket's Inventory+ module helps dealers manage stocking, days-on-lot, competitive pricing, and automated listing distribution to third-party marketplaces. ### What happens to DealerSocket products now that CDK owns it? CDK Global has maintained DealerSocket products under their original branding while integrating them into the broader CDK ecosystem. Dealers using DealerSocket CRM and inventory tools continue to receive support and updates under CDK ownership. ### How does DealerSocket's CRM handle internet leads? DealerSocket's CRM automatically routes inbound leads from third-party providers like Cars.com, AutoTrader, and OEM lead sources into the rep workflow, triggering automated follow-up sequences and tracking every touchpoint through the sales process. ### Does DealerSocket integrate with vehicle history and reconditioning tools? Yes, DealerSocket's Inventory+ integrates with vehicle history providers and connects to reconditioning management tools, giving dealers a complete view of cost-to-market for every vehicle in stock. ### Is DealerSocket a publicly traded company? DealerSocket is a subsidiary of CDK Global, which is privately held by Brookfield Business Partners following a 2022 take-private transaction. ### What reporting does DealerSocket provide for dealer principals? DealerSocket provides dealer principal dashboards covering sales team activity, lead source performance, closing ratios, inventory turn, and marketing ROI, supporting data-driven management across all departments. ### What happened to DealerSocket after the CDK Global acquisition? DealerSocket was acquired by CDK Global in 2021, combining two of the largest automotive retail technology vendors. DealerSocket's products—including its CRM, inventory management, and digital marketing tools—continue to operate under the CDK umbrella, with CDK pursuing integration of the combined product portfolio to offer dealers a more unified technology suite. ### What is DealerSocket's CRM platform and what does it do? DealerSocket's CRM platform manages leads, tracks the full sales process, automates customer follow-up, and provides performance reporting for dealership management. It was one of the most widely used automotive CRM systems before the CDK acquisition, serving thousands of franchise and independent dealerships across North America. ### Does DealerSocket offer inventory management tools? Yes. DealerSocket's inventory management solution helps dealers price, age-manage, and source used vehicle inventory. It provides market-based pricing intelligence, inventory turn analysis, and acquisition recommendations to help dealers optimize their used car operations. ### How does DealerSocket pricing compare to other automotive CRM platforms? DealerSocket's pricing has historically been negotiated at the dealer group level with per-rooftop fees covering the CRM and additional modules. Following the CDK acquisition, pricing is bundled as part of CDK's broader product portfolio discussions, making direct comparisons to standalone CRM competitors like VinSolutions or Elead more complex. ### What reporting and analytics does DealerSocket provide to dealer principals? DealerSocket provides dealership principals with sales performance dashboards, closing ratio analysis, lead source ROI, follow-up compliance tracking, and service-to-sales retention metrics. These management reports help dealer groups identify performance gaps across rooftops and coach individual sales teams. ## Tags analytics, b2b, crm, enterprise, iot, marketing, north-america, platform, saas, technology, transportation --- *Data from geo.sig.ai Brand Intelligence Database. Updated 2026-04-14.*