Podcast Summary: Living Your Legacy

Episode: United Auto Lease: How Online Leasing Is Replacing Dealerships
Host: Rudy Mawer
Guest: Joseph Tal, Founder of United Auto Lease
Date: November 26, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Rudy Mawer sits down with Joseph Tal, a globally experienced entrepreneur and the founder of United Auto Lease. Joseph shares how his company is upending the traditional car leasing industry, offering a digital-first, transparent, and hassle-free experience that is rapidly replacing old-school dealerships. The conversation spans Joseph's entrepreneurial journey, the future of automotive retail, consumer psychology, and building a lasting legacy through both business and long-term investments.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Disrupting the Car Leasing Industry

• The Pain of Traditional Leasing

  • Joseph emphasizes that conventional car leasing is “very painful” for consumers due to misleading advertising and bait-and-switch tactics at dealerships.
    • Quote: “You go in, you see this TV ad... You get there, test drive it, fall in love... and then they’re like, ‘oh, well... this car is going to be $900, it’s not 200.’” (Rudy, [02:18])

• United Auto Lease’s Digital Solution

  • The company offers an online-only leasing model:
    • Transparent, fixed pricing
    • Zero down payment
    • Direct home delivery within 48 hours
    • Quote: "With United Auto Lease, the price you see is what you get. And it’s zero down and it’s delivered directly to your door, so you never have to visit the dealership." (Joseph Tal, [02:39])

2. Consumer Shift & Market Trends

• Growth in Leasing

  • Leasing is booming:
    • “In 2023, there were 16 million cars leased, which is a 25% increase from 2021.” (Joseph Tal, [05:16])
  • Root causes:
    • People value flexibility and avoiding commitment
    • Rapid tech changes mean consumers want easier vehicle upgrades
  • Quote: “People like to be quick, nimble... they don't want the long-term commitment, they don’t want to own the car, they don’t want to take care of the maintenance.” (Joseph Tal, [05:38])

• Buying Habits Conditioned by Tech

  • “A lot of people do a lot of important things on their phone. Buying a car shouldn’t be anything different.” (Joseph Tal, [04:49])

3. The End of Dealerships?

• Dealerships Becoming Obsolete

  • Joseph predicts the retail dealership model will be defunct within 10-30 years as full online car purchasing becomes the norm.
  • Future: Central distribution centers, streamlined/online processes, fewer physical showrooms.
  • Quote: "Dealerships won't last. Dealerships is going to be a thing of the past. Could be 10, 15, 20, 30 years." (Joseph Tal, [00:34], reiterated at [08:00])
  • Example: Tesla’s direct-to-consumer model and Carvana’s impact on online buying.

• Inventory Without Warehouses

  • United Auto Lease doesn’t keep inventory; instead, it taps into existing dealer stock nationwide, acting as a broker with reach and efficiency ([07:21]).

4. Joseph Tal’s Entrepreneurial Path

• Diverse Experience

  • Background: Wall Street trader, software developer, international logistics innovator—all led to his current role.
  • Learning from each venture: “It’s not the greatest idea... it’s the people who you’ll meet along the way that will bridge you to your next project and goals.” (Joseph Tal, [10:01])

• Starting United Auto Lease

  • The opportunity arose by chance from a business sale. Success stemmed from identifying market gaps and focusing on design and user experience ([06:30]-[07:15]).

5. Legacy, Investment, and Long-Term Thinking

• Family and Legacy

  • Joseph prioritizes family and generational wealth: “I’m a very, very long-term investor. Decades, generational and legacy wealth is important to me.” (Joseph Tal, [11:08])

• Real Estate vs Crypto

  • Prefers real estate for its intrinsic value: “It’s needed, you could, you can live... Especially if you get trophy property, you can’t beat that.” ([11:59])
  • Crypto’s attraction: “But you have to be disciplined... You buy, take the cold wallet, put it somewhere and leave it alone. It’s a waiting game.” (Joseph Tal, [12:11])

• Types of Real Estate Investments

  • Ranks opportunities: condos < strip malls/multifamily < raw beachfront land—with raw land requiring deep expertise and patience, but the highest reward ([12:25]-[14:40]).
  • Unique story: Secured a “trophy property” in Mexico, waiting for infrastructure (like the Mayan train) to unlock massive value.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Disrupting an Industry

• “Finally, a painless way to lease a car.” (Customer review quoted by Joseph, [00:10] & [03:23])

On Technology & Consumer Expectations

• “There’s absolutely no reason for those dealers to exist.” (Joseph Tal, [00:34], [08:20])

Mindset & Entrepreneurship

• “If you want to do something, go out and do it. Don’t just sit and wait for something to happen. It’s never going to happen.” (Joseph Tal, [14:58])

On Building Real Wealth

• “The real assets for me is real estate, cryptocurrency. Those are the things that are going to appreciate... you want to be in at this game.” (Joseph Tal, [11:47])

Timestamps of Key Segments

• [00:02-00:34]: Joseph introduces the explosive growth in leasing and makes the bold claim dealerships will disappear.
• [02:11-03:43]: Joseph and Rudy identify the pains of traditional leasing and how United Auto Lease reinvents the process online.
• [05:16-06:09]: Rapid growth of leasing, why consumers are shifting to short-term, flexible arrangements.
• [07:21-08:17]: United Auto Lease’s “pure online play” and how it leverages dealer inventory nationwide.
• [08:00-09:06]: Prediction for dealerships, discussion of Tesla, Carvana, and the role of distribution centers.
• [09:33-11:01]: Joseph’s professional background and key lessons learned through successive entrepreneurial ventures.
• [11:08-14:40]: Joseph’s philosophy on generational wealth, investment priorities, and the story of acquiring prime real estate in Mexico.
• [14:48-15:12]: Final thoughts: Mindset, hustle, and practical steps to use United Auto Lease.

Final Takeaways

• Online car leasing is poised to disrupt and eventually replace traditional dealerships—transparency, convenience, and consumer trust are driving this transformation.
• Adopting a long-term, generational mindset toward business and investment creates lasting legacies—focus on fundamentals, not fads.
• Entrepreneurial journeys are shaped less by singular ideas and more by learning, relationships, and consistent action.

How to Connect & Further Info

Joseph Tal:
Unitedautolease.com – Three simple steps: Select from the digital catalog; complete the online credit application; take delivery within 48 hours.
([15:12])

“If you want to do something, go out and do it. Don’t just sit and wait for something to happen. It’s never going to happen.”
— Joseph Tal ([14:58])