CarLinks.io — Full-Stack Vehicle Acquisition Platform

Overview

CarLinks.io is a B2B vehicle acquisition platform that connects US auto dealerships with pre-vetted private-party vehicle sellers through a managed network of Kosovo-based acquisition agents. The platform replaces manual phone-and-spreadsheet processes with a real-time digital marketplace where leads are sourced, qualified, bid on, negotiated, and closed — all within a single system.

Homex Virtual Agency, the company behind CarLinks, engaged porositweb.com to architect, design, and build the entire platform from the ground up — backend API, two role-based frontend portals, a dedicated image service, real-time Slack integration, and a dealer notification system.

The Challenge

Before CarLinks, dealerships relied on auction houses and trade-ins to acquire used vehicle inventory — competitive channels with thin margins. Private-party sellers listed vehicles on Facebook Marketplace but had no efficient way to connect with dealerships willing to pay fair wholesale prices.

• No existing platform: The entire system needed to be designed and built from scratch — data model, API, both portals, integrations.
• Three distinct user experiences: Admins, agents, and dealers each required tailored views, permissions, and workflows within a single codebase.
• Real-time coordination: Agents in Kosovo and dealers in California needed instant visibility into bids, counters, and appointments across time zones.
• Lean budget, fast timeline: The MVP needed to reach live beta with real dealership clients within six months on a startup budget.

Key Features

Intelligent Lead Routing

When an agent marks a lead as ready, the system automatically suggests dealerships within a configurable radius of the seller's zip code using cached geo-coordinates.

Real-Time Bidding & Negotiation

Dealers browse available leads and place bids directly from their portal. Agents receive instant Slack alerts and can counter-offer. All tracked with full audit history.

Hot Lead Priority System

Exceptional vehicles are flagged as 'Hot' — triggering amber card styling, pinning to the top of dealer feeds, immediate SMS alerts via Twilio, and priority-styled email notifications.

Multi-Channel Dealer Notifications

Dealers receive alerts through three channels: an in-app notification bell with 30-second polling, transactional emails via SendGrid, and SMS via Twilio for high-priority events.

Admin Impersonation Mode

Admins can enter any dealer's portal in read-only mode for support and training — seeing exactly what the dealer sees.