1) Choose your business model and niche

Before buying your first excavator or tractor, define how you will make money and in which segment you want to become “the reference dealer”.

• Business models: (a) Brokerage (commission per sale), (b) Buy–to–resell (higher margin/risk), (c) Consignment (mixed model), (d) Marketplace (subscription + services).
• Recommended niches: construction (excavators, backhoes), agriculture (100–150 HP tractors), forestry (chippers), lifting (forklifts, platforms), woodworking (band saws, combination machines).
• Differentiation ideas: documented technical inspection, professional photos/video, WhatsApp replies in < 2 hours, listings translated to EN/DE/FR/zh-CN.

The more specific your niche, the easier it is to rank for SEO keywords like “used 3T mini excavator for sale” or “second hand 120 HP tractor Europe”.

2) Minimum viable offer (inventory & suppliers)

You don’t need a huge yard to start. You need liquid machines that sell fast and good partners.

• Initial inventory: 10–20 high-demand units (1–3T mini excavators, 4×4 backhoes, 1.5–3T forklifts, 100–150 HP tractors).
• Suppliers: rental fleets, leasing companies, workshops, dealers, professional owner-operators.
• Minimum documentation: CE declaration, serial number, service book, breakdown history, invoices for major parts.

Create a simple Google Sheet or CRM with: brand, model, year, hours, purchase price, target price, seller, photos, documents and status (available / reserved / sold).

3) Sourcing equipment & generating leads

Combine outbound prospecting with inbound SEO and content.

1. Outbound: call fleets and construction sites, contact decision makers on LinkedIn (site managers, buyers), participate in niche Facebook/WhatsApp groups.
2. Inbound: SEO pages by machine type and brand, educational blog posts, “Sell your machine” forms with WhatsApp and photo upload.
3. Offer: free valuation within 24–48 h + international exposure on Makitor.

Important: every inquiry should enter your CRM with tags (country, category, budget). This becomes your “wanted machines” list for future deals.

4) Valuation & pricing (quick formula)

80/20 pricing formula for a target selling price:

Target price ≈ Average of comparable listings (same tonnage / HP, year)
  – (0.5–1.0 % × hours / 100)
  ± (bonus for documented maintenance and extra equipment)
  – (discount for issues / repairs needed)
Recommended margin: +5–12 % (brokerage) · +12–25 % (buy–to–resell)
    

Use at least 5 comparable machines in the same country or region. Adjust for condition, tyres/tracks, battery, hydraulics, attachments and warranty.

5) Legal aspects & risk management

• Contract: ownership, “as is” condition, agreed warranties, Incoterms, jurisdiction.
• Common risks: manipulated hours, unreadable serial number, missing CE, financial charges on the machine.
• Mitigation: technical checklist + photos of plate/hour meter + copy of service invoices.

For international deals, work with pro-forma invoice, clear Incoterms (EXW, FOB, CIF) and make sure payments and responsibilities are clearly stated.

6) Logistics & machine preparation

• Preparation: deep cleaning, checking for leaks, lights and alarms, tyre pressure, fluid levels.
• Delivery: safe loading (ramps/chains), domestic/EU transport, export documentation.
• Content: 8–15 photos + 30–60 second video with the machine working.

Well prepared machines with a clean look and good photos are easier to sell and help you justify a higher selling price.

7) Listing & distribution (Makitor)

1. Complete listing: brand, model, year, hours, condition, extras, price + VAT, location.
2. SEO: title with [Brand + Model + Ton/HP + Year + Hours] and tags by category and application.
3. Multilingual: Makitor can show your listings in EN/DE/FR/zh-CN and reach international buyers.
4. Direct leads: WhatsApp button + email form with no sales commission.

👉 Publish now on Makitor · Browse machinery categories

8) Marketing & multichannel strategy

• Organic: blog posts by type/brand/country, internal SEO clusters, links from fairs and partners.
• Paid: campaigns by intent (brand + model, “for sale”, “price”), remarketing with video.
• Social: niche FB/LinkedIn groups, 30-second shorts of each machine, WhatsApp catalog.
• Email: alerts for new arrivals by category, brand and country.

Always send buyers back to your Makitor listings so all traffic and leads are tracked in one place.

9) Finance, margins & cash-flow

• Target margins: brokerage 5–10 %, buy–to–resell 10–25 % (depending on risk and rotation).
• Key costs: refurbishment, transport, payment fees, warranty or returns.
• Stock rotation: target < 60–90 days per unit; avoid long-term inventory that eats your cash.

Track every deal with a simple P&L: purchase price, all costs, selling price, net margin and days in stock.

10) KPIs & scaling

• Sourcing: new machines per week, % with full documentation.
• Demand: inquiries per machine per week, response time < 2 h, % WhatsApp vs email.
• Conversion: visits → inquiry → reservation → sale, average margin, days in stock.
• SEO: impressions, CTR, rankings for “brand + model”, “used [type] for sale”, “price [type]”.

Ready-to-use templates (copy & paste)

SEO title

[BRAND] [MODEL] [TON/HP] – [YEAR], [HOURS] h. Checked, ready to work (video available)
    

Listing description

✅ Condition: [ex-rental / fleet / demo], documented maintenance
🔧 Specs: [ton/HP], [year], [hours], [attachments]
🧪 Tested: no leaks, video available on request
💶 Price: [amount] + VAT (negotiable). Financing possible
🚚 Logistics: help with loading, national / EU shipping, Incoterms [EXW / FOB / CIF]
📲 Contact: WhatsApp +34 695 93 72 20 · Message via Makitor
    

Pricing formula (notes)

Comparables (5+) ± hours / condition ± extras – repairs = Target price
Add 5–10 % negotiation margin
    

Start today: more visibility, 0% sale commission

List your inventory on Makitor and receive direct inquiries via WhatsApp and email.

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