Depreciation Tracker
Value retention curves and depreciation rates by model, segment, and brand
Purpose
Depreciation Tracker pulls historical sold summary data across multiple time intervals — 60 days, 90 days, 6 months, and 1 year — to build a statistically-grounded depreciation curve. For each interval it calculates retention percentage, monthly depreciation rate, and annualized rate so you can see whether a model is depreciating linearly, accelerating, or stabilizing.
For dealers, this directly informs stocking strategy: models depreciating faster than the market average carry higher floor plan risk and should be avoided at auction or priced aggressively. The MSRP Parity Tracker reveals which new models are selling above or below sticker — a leading indicator of used vehicle depreciation for the same nameplate.
How It Works
Execution flow. MCP tool calls are shown inline on each step.
get_sold_summaryGet average sale price and sold count for the target make/model for the prior month.
get_sold_summaryPull sold summary data at four lookback points: 60 days, 90 days, 6 months, and 1 year ago. Each call extracts average sale price and volume for that period.
search_active_carsPull current active listing statistics (mean, median, min, max) for the same model as the real-time retail anchor.
Calculate retention %, monthly depreciation rate, and annualized rate at each interval. Describe the curve shape: linear, accelerating, or stabilizing.
MCP Tool Calls
| Tool | Calls | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
get_sold_summary | 5 | Average sale price at current period + 4 historical intervals (60d, 90d, 6mo, 1yr) |
search_active_cars | 1 | Current active listing price statistics as real-time retail anchor |
Example Output
DEPRECIATION CURVE — 2022 Toyota RAV4 XLE (Used) State: Texas | Data: Feb 2025 → Feb 2026 ══════════════════════════════════════════════ DEPRECIATION TIMELINE Period Avg Sale Price vs MSRP Retention Monthly Rate Feb 2026 (now) $29,850 63.2% — — 90 days ago $31,200 66.1% — -1.44%/mo 6 months ago $32,800 69.5% — -1.26%/mo 1 year ago $34,500 73.1% — — Original MSRP $47,225 100% — — CURVE SHAPE: Moderately accelerating Monthly rate has increased from 1.26% to 1.44% — depreciation is speeding up as the model ages past the 4-year mark. ANNUALIZED RATE: 17.3% ACTIVE MARKET (current asking prices) Median: $30,900 | Mean: $31,240 | Range: $26,500 – $36,800 Active supply: 142 units statewide SEGMENT CONTEXT SUV segment avg monthly depreciation: 1.18% RAV4 is depreciating 22% faster than segment average. STOCKING IMPLICATION: Price RAV4 acquisitions 3-4% below market median to protect against accelerating depreciation. Target max hold: 35 days.
Cost Estimate
20 model analyses/month ≈ $0.60 – $2/month
Limitations
- US market only — get_sold_summary is US-only. UK dealers are not supported.
- Depreciation curve accuracy depends on sold volume at each interval. Low-volume or niche models may have sparse data at older intervals.
- MSRP baseline may be estimated from the highest recent sold price if direct MSRP data is unavailable for the specific year/trim.
- Geographic depreciation variance is state-level — city or metro-level depreciation differences are not available.
- EV depreciation comparison requires separate calls for EV and ICE fuel types, which doubles call count for that workflow.
More in the Dealer Plugin
Same Capability, Different Plugin
These skills share the same underlying methodology but are tuned for a different audience.
Appraiser version frames depreciation data for trend-adjusted valuations — explicitly quantifies adjustment to apply to book-value-based estimates
View in Appraiser →Insurer version frames depreciation curves in claims context: settlement impact, reserve adequacy, and total-loss threshold movement over time
View in Insurer →Lender version focuses on collateral depreciation risk and LTV exposure as vehicles age
View in Lender →Analyst version provides macro-level depreciation trend analysis across brands and segments for market research
View in Analyst →