At IMX Auto Group, a car buying center at 811 N Victory Blvd. in Burbank, the in-person appraisal takes about 15 minutes for most straightforward vehicles. We test drive the car, look over the interior and exterior, review the vehicle history report and confirm features, trim and mileage. You get a validated offer that's good for 5 calendar days.
The appraisal turns an online estimate into a firm number. For most vehicles, our online form can give you an offer range. That's fine for planning, but the form only knows what you typed into it.
The process and our offer are the same whether you're selling outright or trading into something new.
What happens during a car appraisal at a car buying center?
At IMX Auto Group, the appraisal is the middle step of a three-step sale. You start with a free online estimate, bring the car in for an inspection that takes about 15 minutes, then sign the paperwork and leave with a check.
Every used car buying center runs its appraisal a little differently. Ours follows these steps:
- Click "Start now" on our sell-your-car page to start your free online estimate. For most vehicles, the estimate comes back as a range.
- Bring the car to 811 N Victory Blvd. in Burbank for an in-person inspection that takes about 15 minutes.
- If you accept the validated offer, sign the paperwork and walk out with a check the same day.
You never need an appointment to get an offer. Booking one does help us get you in and out faster. We're open Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 7 PM and Saturday from 9 AM to 6 PM, and Sunday visits are by appointment only.
During the inspection, the appraiser takes the car for a test drive to see how it runs. They also evaluate the interior and exterior, review the vehicle history report and confirm the car's features and options.
Most straightforward inspections are finished quickly. A leased car can take longer, especially when the lease buyout is complicated. In that case we have to contact the leasing company for a payoff quote and work through that lender's procedures before the numbers are final.
You leave with a validated offer that stays good for 5 calendar days, so you don't have to decide on the spot.
What do appraisers check first?
Most appraisers start with the facts that set a car's baseline value: year, make, model, trim and mileage. Then they look at condition, history and ownership. At IMX Auto Group, the offer is built from a test drive, an interior and exterior evaluation, the vehicle history report, and the car's features and options.
What IMX Auto Group considers in an offer
These are the inputs we use when we put a number on your car:
- How the car drives, checked on a test drive
- The condition of the interior
- The condition of the exterior
- The vehicle history report, including accident and service records
- Features, packages and options
- Trim level and mileage
- Current demand for that model in the Los Angeles market
What appraisers generally look at
These checks describe car appraisals in general rather than our exact process. They're worth running through yourself before any appraisal.
Mileage is usually one of the first numbers an appraiser writes down. Higher mileage generally means more wear, and mileage also has to be reported when ownership changes. California DMV guidance says odometer disclosure is required on transfer for vehicles of model year 2011 and newer that are less than 20 model years old (California DMV, Vehicle Industry News VIN 2021-10, checked October 2026).
Physical condition covers what an appraiser can see and feel. That usually means paint and body panels, glass, tires, interior wear and any warning lights on the dashboard. A walkaround can turn up things an online form never asks about.
The vehicle history report shows what happened to the car before today. Appraisers generally look for reported accidents, title problems and gaps in service. Records you bring can fill in maintenance that the report doesn't show.
Title and loan status decide how the deal gets paid. An appraiser will ask whether you own the car outright, a lender holds the title or the car is leased, because that sets who gets paid first and whether any equity is left for you.
What should you bring to the appraisal?
Bring every key and remote, a valid state-issued photo ID for each person on the title, your current registration and, if you own the car outright, the title. If the car is financed or leased, bring the account information and a payoff quote if you already have one.
We ask sellers to bring:
- All keys, key fobs and remotes
- Every titleholder, in person
- A valid state-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license, for each titleholder
- Valid, current registration, which confirms ownership
- The title, if you own the vehicle outright
- Loan or lease account information, if the car is financed or leased
- A payoff quote, if you already have one
- Service records, if you have them
A restricted lease buyout may need extra paperwork that's specific to the lender. If the car belongs to a business, a Business Office associate will go over the requirements with you before the sale.
The spare key matters more than many sellers expect. Replacing a modern key fob costs money, so appraisers generally take note when one is missing. Service records help in a different way, because they back up the maintenance history the appraiser sees on the report.
For more on California paperwork, including what changes hands when ownership transfers, see our guide to the documents to bring when you sell a car.
How is the offer calculated?
The offer reflects what the inspection finds about your specific car, set against current demand for that model in the Los Angeles market. Trim, mileage, condition, history and features all feed into the number. There's no fixed formula.
Two cars with the same year, model and mileage can still get different offers. In general, a reported accident or worn tires can pull a number down. A higher trim or complete service records can push it up.
That's also why an online estimate is a range. A form can't see paint damage, hear the engine idle or check that every feature works. An appraiser standing next to the car can, and the validated offer reflects what they find.
Local demand plays a part because a car is worth what buyers in this market will pay right now, and that moves over time.
If you're wondering whether to fix brakes, tires or body damage before the appraisal, run the numbers first. Our post on whether you should fix your car before selling it walks through how to weigh repair costs against value.
If you still owe money on the car, the offer and your payoff are two separate numbers. We appraise the car, then contact your lender or leasing company for a payoff quote and work out any equity. If the offer is higher than the payoff, the difference is your equity. That's why your equity check can be smaller than the offer itself.
What if you already have another offer?
Upload it before your visit. IMX Auto Group lets you upload a photo of an offer you already have, and we'll look at it next to our own appraisal of the car.
If you've already shopped your car to another car buying service, you can upload an offer you already have on our beat-my-offer page. Whether we can beat a specific number depends on the car, so the useful comparison is our validated offer against theirs.
When you compare, look past the headline figure. An instant offer made without an inspection can still change once someone sees the car in person. Ask these questions to see whether two offers are comparable:
- Is it a range, or a validated offer made after someone inspected the car?
- How many days is it good for?
- How and when will you be paid?
- Does the buyer handle your loan or lease payoff?
- Do you have to buy a car to get that price?
How and when do you get paid?
You're paid the same day you sell. IMX Auto Group pays by check, which you can deposit or cash, and you leave with it in hand once the paperwork is signed.
If you've seen the phrase "cash offer" elsewhere, it usually means a firm purchase price paid quickly rather than literal cash.
If the car has a loan or lease, the payoff goes to the lender and your check covers any equity. With a lease, we contact the leasing company for the payoff quote ourselves, so you don't have to arrange it before you come in.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an appointment for a car appraisal at IMX Auto Group?
No. You never need an appointment to get an offer at IMX Auto Group in Burbank. Booking one helps us get you in and out as quickly as possible, though. We're open Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 7 PM and Saturday from 9 AM to 6 PM. Sunday visits are by appointment only.
Is the online estimate the same as the final offer?
No. For most vehicles, IMX Auto Group's online form gives an offer range based on the details you enter. To get a validated offer, you bring the car to our Burbank location for an in-person inspection that takes about 15 minutes. The validated offer reflects how the car drives, its condition, its history report and its features.
Do I have to buy a car from IMX Auto Group to sell mine?
No. You can sell your car to IMX Auto Group without buying anything from us, and our offer is the same whether you buy a car from us or not. That also helps if you're deciding whether to sell or trade your car, because the appraisal and the validated offer work the same way in both cases.
How long is an IMX Auto Group offer good for?
A validated offer from IMX Auto Group is good for 5 calendar days. You don't have to sign on the day of the appraisal. You can use that time to get a payoff quote from your lender or to compare our number with another offer, then come back to 811 N Victory Blvd. in Burbank to finish the sale.
Can IMX Auto Group appraise a leased or financed car?
Yes. IMX Auto Group appraises the car, contacts the leasing company or lender for a payoff quote and processes any equity you have. We buy leases from restricted brands that many other dealers cannot purchase. A complicated lease buyout can take longer than the usual inspection of about 15 minutes, because each lender has its own procedures.
How we can help
IMX Auto Group has served drivers in Burbank, Glendale, Van Nuys and across Los Angeles since 1988. We inspect every car in person through our precision appraisal process, so the offer is based on how your car drives, its condition, its history and the trim and options it actually has. We buy used cars and handle complex lease buyouts, including leases from restricted brands that many other dealers cannot purchase. Our offer is the same whether or not you buy a car from us, and you leave with a check the same day you sell.
To get started, start your free online estimate, then bring the car to 811 N Victory Blvd. in Burbank for an inspection that takes about 15 minutes. If you have questions first, call (818) 303-0800 or contact IMX Auto Group.
