Broker Black rolls a lease payoff into the next deal's numbers on every vehicle page, because getting out early is usually a math problem, not a paperwork problem. There are four exits: transfer the lease to someone else, buy the car and sell it, trade it into the next car, or terminate early and pay the lender. On a lease with 18 months left, the difference between the best and worst of these is often several thousand dollars.
| Exit | How it works | Typical cost | Catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lease transfer (assumption) | A credit-approved person takes over your payments | Transfer fee; some lenders do not allow it | You may stay liable if the new lessee defaults, depending on the lender |
| Buy and sell | Buy the car at the payoff, sell it privately or to a dealer | Tax on the buyout in some cases; nothing if the sale covers it | Only works when the car is worth more than the payoff |
| Trade it in | The next dealer pays the lease off and rolls any shortfall into the new deal | The shortfall becomes part of the new payment | Negative equity raises the next payment; Broker Black shows exactly how much |
| Early termination | Return the car and pay the lender's early-termination formula | Often most of the remaining payments plus fees minus the car's value | The expensive one; use it last |
Enter the payoff on any vehicle page (or apply a trade appraisal) and the finance, lease, and cash numbers update. On a lease, a payoff larger than the car's value is added to what you finance, so the new payment rises; on a finance deal it is added to the loan. Seeing that number before you talk to the dealer is the whole point: the dealer has already set its price, and Broker Black shows what the roll-in does to it.
Policies change and vary by contract; some lenders allow a credit-approved assumption with a fee, others do not, and some keep the original lessee liable. Ask the lender before listing the lease anywhere.
The contract formula usually adds the remaining payments and fees and subtracts the car's realized value; with a year or more left it is often the most expensive exit.
Yes. The dealer pays off the lease; any shortfall is rolled into the new deal and any equity reduces it. Broker Black prices both cases on the vehicle page.
When the car is worth more than the payoff, yes. Check whether your state charges tax on the buyout and whether the lender restricts third-party sales.