David R. Melton
Founder & Principal
Melton Advisors
From the Desk of David Melton
Most dealer principals don't lack opportunity. They lack a capital and real estate partner who actually understands the business they're in.
That's where Melton Advisors operates.
I founded Melton Advisors to provide dealer principals with the kind of advisory that most firms can't deliver — because most firms have never run a dealership, negotiated with an OEM, or structured a sale-leaseback from the inside out. I have. Forty years of firsthand dealership operating experience, including a tenure as COO, shapes every conversation, every recommendation, and every transaction I'm involved in.
Sale-Leasebacks. Build-to-Suit. Dealer Investments. All of it is principal-led — meaning you work directly with David Melton on every engagement.
SALE-LEASEBACKS:
Automotive dealers occupy some of the most valuable real estate in their markets — purpose-built facilities in premier locations that have appreciated significantly and are often misaligned with broader business strategy. A Sale-Leaseback converts that real estate into working capital while retaining full operational control — structured entirely on your terms, with no balloon payments and no restrictive covenants.
I evaluate every sale-leaseback the way an operator would — not just the cap rate and lease terms, but how the transaction affects operating flexibility, franchise relationships, OEM compliance, and long-term enterprise value. That operational lens is what separates our advisory from generalist real estate firms.
What this typically includes:
Sale-leaseback structuring and execution
NNN lease analysis and rent alignment advisory
Capital deployment strategy for leaseback proceeds
Real estate positioning integrated with enterprise value
BUILD-TO-SUIT:
For dealer principals planning new construction, facility upgrades, or campus expansion, the capital structure decision is as important as the facility itself. Melton Advisors structures build-to-suit transactions that align dealer operational requirements with investment-grade real estate performance under long-term NNN leases.
Most dealers have never had an advisor who understands both the real estate fundamentals and OEM facility requirements from the inside. That changes every conversation that follows.
What this typically includes:
Build-to-suit planning and capital partner coordination
Long-term NNN lease structuring at the development stage
OEM compliance coordination and facility cost modeling
Real estate positioning that supports enterprise value in the long term
DEALER INVESTMENTS:
Not every dealer principal wants another rooftop. Many have capital sitting idle — post-sale proceeds, retained earnings, family wealth — while better opportunities exist inside the industry they already know. Melton Advisors helps dealer principals identify, evaluate, and acquire income-producing automotive real estate — quick-lube centers, oil change facilities, collision centers, and branded aftermarket locations — generating predictable cash flow at yields that outperform passive alternatives.
What this typically includes:
Automotive NNN asset identification and acquisition advisory
Cap rate analysis and yield optimization
Sale-leaseback proceeds reinvestment into stabilized automotive assets
Family capital and income planning for non-dealer principals
1031 exchange placement into qualified automotive-use replacement properties
ABOUT DAVID MELTON
I work with dealer principals and automotive real estate investors nationwide — backed by more than 40 years of firsthand dealership experience, including my tenure as a dealership COO.
That background means I've managed the same decisions the dealers I work with are facing today. I understand OEM relationships, operational performance pressures, facility requirements, and the capital dynamics that shape every major ownership decision. I'm not a broker with a transaction quota. I'm a principal with a stake in getting every engagement right.
Real Estate. Capital Structure. Dealer Investments. Built for dealer principals who move deliberately.
David R. Melton
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”
– Abraham Lincoln
Let’s Talk
If you're a dealer principal looking to unlock real estate capital, deploy idle funds into income-producing automotive assets, or evaluate your enterprise position — I'd welcome a conversation. If you're an investor seeking automotive NNN assets backed by strong operators and real estate fundamentals, let's talk.