David Melton Leads the Industry in Dealership Real Estate Investment and Sale-Leaseback Strategies
Melton Advisors Expands Advisory Work Supporting Automotive Dealers on Capital, Real Estate, and Succession Planning
Chattanooga, TN — May 12, 2025 — As automotive dealers nationwide evaluate how to unlock capital, reposition real estate, and plan for long-term ownership transitions, Melton Advisors continues to expand its advisory work supporting dealer decision-making around capital strategy and dealership real estate.
Founded and led by David Melton, Melton Advisors is a dealership-focused consulting and capital advisory firm serving automotive dealers across the United States. With more than 40 years of firsthand dealership operating and executive experience, Melton advises dealers on how capital structure, real estate ownership, and timing decisions influence enterprise value, flexibility, and long-term control.
Rather than operating as a transaction-driven platform, Melton Advisors works with dealers earlier in the ownership lifecycle—helping them think deliberately about capital and real estate well before urgency or transaction pressure emerges.
An Advisory Perspective on Dealership Real Estate
Dealership real estate is often a dealer’s largest and least coordinated asset. Melton Advisors helps dealers evaluate real estate ownership, rent alignment, and liquidity options in the context of broader capital and ownership strategy.
“A properly structured real estate strategy can dramatically improve flexibility without disrupting operations,” said David Melton, Founder and Managing Principal of Melton Advisors. “Too often, real estate decisions are made reactively. Our role is to help dealers understand their options early, so capital decisions support the business rather than constrain it.”
Melton Advisors regularly advises dealers on real estate considerations such as owned property evaluation, rent discipline, facility planning, and selective sale-leaseback analysis—always as part of a broader capital strategy, not as a standalone transaction.
Capital and Real Estate in a Changing Dealer Landscape
As OEM requirements, consolidation pressures, and cost-of-capital dynamics continue to reshape the automotive retail environment, many dealers are reassessing their long-term plans for growth, liquidity, and succession.
Melton Advisors supports dealers as they evaluate:
How capital is structured across operating entities and real estate
Whether real estate ownership supports long-term flexibility and control
How timing influences valuation and future options
How capital and real estate decisions affect potential transitions
“Capital and real estate decisions compound over time,” Melton added. “When they’re coordinated, dealers preserve optionality. When they’re not, value can quietly erode.”
A Boutique, Advisor-Led Model
Melton Advisors operates as a boutique, advisor-led firm working directly with automotive dealers and their professional advisors, including CPAs, attorneys, and lenders. Engagements are confidential, selective, and focused on long-term alignment rather than transaction velocity.
David Melton’s background as a former dealership COO and senior automotive executive allows him to bring an operator’s perspective to every engagement—grounding advisory work in real dealership realities rather than theoretical models.
“Our clients value clarity and judgment,” Melton said. “They’re not looking to be sold a transaction. They want to make the right decision at the right time, with a clear understanding of the tradeoffs.”
Looking Ahead
As dealership ownership demographics shift and capital markets evolve, Melton Advisors expects continued demand from automotive dealers seeking experienced, independent guidance around capital, real estate, and strategic planning.
“Our work is about preparation,” Melton said. “When dealers are prepared, they control the outcome—whether that means growth, continuity, or a future transition.”
About Melton Advisors
Melton Advisors is a dealership-focused consulting and capital advisory firm serving automotive dealers nationwide. The firm advises on capital strategy, dealership real estate decision-making, and strategic transitions that influence enterprise value, liquidity, and long-term ownership control. Melton Advisors is advisory-led and independent, working with dealers to support thoughtful planning across the full ownership lifecycle.
Media Contact:
David Melton
Founder & Managing Principal
Melton Advisors
📞 423-499-9956