Motors.co.uk and GForces have teamed up to help used vehicle dealers connect with customers on Facebook Marketplace - delivering enhanced customer reach.

In a “UK first” dealers will be able to sell used vehicles through the social media’s Marketplace platform, a destination to discover, buy and sell items.

As this new experience rolls out over the coming weeks, car buyers in the UK will be able to:

• Browse used car inventory on Marketplace from local auto dealers through listing partners Motors.co.uk and GForces
• Use Messenger to communicate instantly with dealerships and find out more about a particular vehicle via live chat providers like Gubagoo and Contact at Once! or through lead forms when live chat with a dealer is unavailable
• Streamline the buying process using filters for year, make, model, mileage, vehicle type and transmission

Motors.co.uk’s managing director, Phil Jones, said: “This solution connects our customers with more consumers who are already using Facebook to search for their next car – making both dealer engagement and the car search process easier.”

A statement about the new venture said that it is hoped dealers will "no longer have to wait for buyers to enter the showroom", but instead communicate through Facebook.

GForces’ retail director, Paul Hilton, said: “Whilst new car registrations have taken a year-on-year dip, our industry-leading BI insights show that used car searches and sales volumes are on the rise in the UK as a direct result of the current market disruption and uncertainty. The new Marketplace offering is arriving at a key time for the UK’s car dealers.”

Facebook said that car dealers using the new platform will be able to: target buyers on the go with mobile-friendly listings; provide instant answers with real-time messaging; and export multiple listings with ease.

Facebook’s global director of marketplace partnerships, ,Annelies Jansen said: “Since launching vehicles on Marketplace, we've seen it continue to grow as one of our most popular categories.

"We're excited to expand this new experience to the UK to help people find their next car.”