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If you have your REO Systems in place and you are experiencing growth, have you considered an REO Team?

 

If so, what would you consider looking for as you build your team? I have just chosen three tips for this post. There are many more, but I find that these three are important to building a successful REO business.

 

1. Experience

2. Education

3. Integrity


Experience

How much experience does the potential member have in doing BPO’s? What asset companies have they dealt with and for how long? What about tasks such as Utility set up and ordering services from your vendors? When it comes to the closing transaction tasks, how much experience do they have in dealing with escrow/title companies, lenders and co-agents? These are just a few of the question you should consider when building your REO team.

This is important because the REO market is different for every REO agent. And it is crucial to have a good amount of experience in dealing with asset companies, asset managers, banks, title companies, lenders and other REO agents. I have found that there is a basic flow to an REO transaction, but sometimes there are exceptions. And I have found that learning from that exception, adds to my REO experience. And I can add this to my REO process to reach a successful transaction.

Education

Training is so vitally important. Would you consider adding a team member to your business who already has been trained on various REO portals or someone who you have to train? Time is critical, especially when it comes to tasks such as BPOs or determining occupation status. Do they know the criteria for searching for comps for the BPO?

And when it comes to the contract to close tasks, how much training does the team member have in using various online transaction management systems? Such as EbrokerHouse, SettlementRoom, RELAY, TransactionDesk, TAZAREO, and others? Again, your time is important and having a member who is proficient in using these systems will save you time and money.

Integrity

Enough can’t be said about this topic. Simply put, everyone needs to be honest in their business dealings with one another. I feel that this is a foundation in a truly successful business. If a member is cutting corners to try to get the job done, it will come out in the end. Just a quick example. If a bid (quote) is submitted by a vendor for a repair on the REO property, don’t change the amount when submitting it to the asset company. I have known of this to happen and the person did think they were getting away with it. And since it was just a small amount in the beginning, it was not discovered. So the person felt safe and increased their bid amounts. But when the asset company discovered this, all monies had to be refunded for all of the bids. And of course that agent lost their business with that asset company. A hard but powerful lesson.

I hope these few tips: Experience, Education and Integrity can help you in your search for a successful REO Team.

To your business success!

Roxanne

 

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My Son is on Cash Cab Wed July 13th at 6:30

Set your DVRs! My son Dan and 3 other members of his theatre company www.shelbycompany.org are going to be on Cash Cab NY.  It was filmed last fall but finally will air tomorrow.  This is a not to missed show. I promise you all a great time.

It comes on at 6:30 on the east coast. Direct TV will show it at 3:30 and 6:30 on the west coast.

 

It is on the Discovery Channel for those of you living under a rock and have never heard of the show.

Marcy

Marcy Moyer Keller Williams Realty Palo Alto, Ca. Specialist in Trust and Probate Sales

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Hi there everybody,

As a certified real estate instructor that specializes strictly in broker price opinion education, I try to stay on top of industry trends. As such, I have been following a company for the last few months called, StreetLinks. They are a major AMC provider and soon to be provider of BPO orders nationwidear130704277945359.jpg.

I have had the great fortune of connecting with a fantastic representative from their company and have gain a lot of valuable information to help you guys save time and to assist you in being able to make an informed about if you should sign up with this company.

I would HIGHLY recommend taking the 15-20 minutes it takes to register to be a BPO agent or broker for them right away! And no I am not affiliated with them or getting paid by them to endorse their organization! It isn't every day that a new company pops up that is not only credible, but I think will quickly be a force to be reckoned with when compared to the top major BPO mills. From my research, Streetlinks should be able to offer decent volume across the U.S. right out of the gate, and if everything goes well I foresee that they will see huge growth in order volume because of having an already solid client base.

So, as BPO order volume is down across the nation, smart BPO agents and brokers branch out and sign up with more quality companies to increase their likelihood of receiving more work. Do yourself a favor and click on the link below to sign up with them, I strongly believe that you will thank me in a few months!

Today I spent about 15 minutes signing myself up at their website, here's a link for you to do the same: https://www.streetlinks.com/solutions/agents_brokers

Also, feel free to pass along this info to others in the business that you think will benefit from it!

Lastly, to wrap up this blog post I want to point out some important points of how this company operates, what you can expect from them and what requirements they have of their new BPO agents and brokers. Please take a few minutes to read through the short list below:

StreetLinks Price Opinion Panel members benefit from:

  • Rapid Payment - Payment direct deposited to your account with 72 hours of report completion
  • No Cost to You- No fees for signup, membership or marketing!
  • Fast Order Submission - Get a free and easy to use online account to complete and submit orders
  • Fair Order Assignment - Assignment based on proximity and your historical performance
  • Exemplary Support- Full support services and training from our BPO support team
  • NABPOP Membership Discount- Join NABPOP at a special discounted rate! StreetLinks offers preferred assignment status to NABPOP certified members.

(The above paragraph was taken from StreetLinks website. All Rights Reserved © 2011 StreetLinks LLC.)

Let me know if you have any questions too! Email me at: nicole@bpo-university.com

Warmly,

Nicole Ocean

Certified R.E. Instructor (WA State)

www.bpo-university.com

360-224-6988

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Blast BPOs - Dumb and Dumber

Earlier this year I had a scare when my 3yr old daughter started sneezing and later coughing up blood. I did my best to keep my cool, but I inside I was freaked out. What I needed as I drove to Kaiser was an accurate diagnosis of what was wrong so we could make the best decisions possible.

Later this got me thinking about blast BPO companies (don’t ask me why). These blast BPO companies are paid by their client to compile the most accurate information possible, but instead send the order to the first person that raises their hand. What if instead of going to a qualified pediatrician for my daughter, I sent out a blast message to anyone who had taken a science class? What if I didn’t choose the person with the most experience, or the person that had performed well in this area in the past, but rather I chose the first person to respond??

That would be STUPID!! I’d probably end up with some college dropout who took a semester of biology instead of a trained physician. Isn’t it just as STUPID though when we’re talking about a family’s home? This BPO can decide whether that family gets a needed loan mod or gets rejected; whether they successfully short sale their home or go to foreclosure? Whether the underling investor loses 150k or 225k?

Just a thought, who do you think is more likely to be sitting in front of their computer all day fondling the refresh button hoping to capture an order? The successful broker who has sold tons in the area, or rather the lame-brain agent who last sold a home when Reagan was in office?

Anyone else have a different take on this? Which BPO companies have you had the worst experiences with?

 

 

http://agentacceleration.com/blast-bpo-companies-%E2%80%93-are-you-really-surprised-your-bpos-are-crap/

 
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Are you a REO agent providing minimal information about each bank owned listing? The bank expects you to market each listing as much as possible so the best possible offer is received. You should never look at an REO property as a burden and/or think little effort is required. Remember, each successful sale contributes to the next listing you receive from the REO Company/Bank.Here are a few tips when listing the REO:• Take the time to take incredible picture of the property. If the property has been de-trashed after the listing, upload the new pictures to the MLS. Do not leave the garbage-ridden pictures on the MLS or your flyers.• Take the time to write about the property and its features. There is more to a property besides the standard, "Bank owned, sold as-is, great property." Write about the upgrades, good features, kitchen, amenities, etc. Give the property much needed attention.• Fill out the square footage and acres if your MLS does not import all of the information from the tax records.• Make sure your email address and fax is accurate.• Always list the docs required from the bank in the broker area regarding all offers.• Create a flyer and upload as an attachment in the MLS.• Upload the offer instructions and letter of intentions as attachments to the MLS.• List the property on various FREE websites. It is a good way to obtain buyers and investors for your database and sphere.• Keep copies (PDF) of all marketing efforts so the banks will know that you are giving your best.• Schedule showings and obtain feedbacks. You will need this information for the MMRs. If your area does not have a showing system, hire one or hire an assistant that can assist with your showings and feedback collection.• If you do not have your own website, consider getting a site through Point2 so you can display your REO listings or have a site created.• Create a network among local agents. Send updated listings to each on a weekly basis. Make sure you have permission. Even though marketing is an effort performed by all agents, I am still amazed at the number that balks when new listing emails are received.Some of these tips appear as common sense but it is not all common.Carolyn Dobbs, www.onlinerepa.com | www.reobookkeeper.com | www.point2close.com
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Do you have a plan that will help you manage your properties? How organized are your files and if the bank calls you regarding an invoice submitted three months ago or inquires about the details of a property, are you prepared? I help several agents remotely organize their files and provide different resolution based on their setup.Here are a few tips that will help keep you organized. It may not pertain to everyone and depends on the current process being used.• Get rid of the post-it notes. They are not meant to be used as long term solutions to tracking notes.• Create a spreadsheet or pay an expert database designer to create a MS Access database that runs on queries. If you would like to create a secure online program, you will need to hire an expert programmer.• If you are not ready to go paperless, I suggest using 3-ring binders and index tabs to keep your files sorted by banks and property address, and/or• Use the correct folders so proper recording is maintain. Go to http://www.filesource.com/ for an assortment of real estate related folders, or use the classification folder with dividers, click here, and/or• Use an online transaction management program for online storage and upload all pertinent documents to the BPO or bank system immediately and check off as completed.• Upload your action plans online or use Outlook to track due dates and send out reminders.• Only use one email address to communicate with the BPO Companies or banks. Multiple emails accounts increase the chance of mail being sent to the junk box or deleted. Include your full contact information in the signature line and account name section.• If you find that you are always responding too late or missing the BPO orders, setup alerts through your Blackberry or a compatible email account such as Yahoo or Hotmail so you can receive your notifications via text message. You can also hire an assistant that will work as a backup to catch those that you have missed and begin the process of ordering photos, pulling comps, etc• If you decide to go paperless, invest in a PDF converter that will allow you to extract documents, delete documents, sort pages, insert files, etc. As the transaction progress, you can add the new pages and/or delete the amended pages and more.• Once the property has closed, remove all old and completed transactions. Archive each to CD or DVD. Make multiple copies if needed.• Use the task reminder of you contact management program. Once you input a task based on a property, you will receive the alerts. This will increase your responsiveness to the bank and buyer agent.•Use Microsoft Street & Trips to calculate proximity if you are looking for a reliable program.• Keep an updated copy of all bank guideline at the front of the binder and/or store online within your OTM program.• Store each property file separately on your computer and label each property using the property address. Example: 1234 Mockingbird Lane, Anywhere US 01234. Then create subfolders. One for the listing documents and the other for the closing documents.• Add the full contact information for each bank, asset manager, accounts payable, etc to your Outlook contact file for the bank using categories. Print out the contact sheet and include it in your binder, folder, or online within the OTM program. This will provide quicker access to contacts when on the road and less searching on the PDA.• Offer a fillable PDF of the Offer to Purchase and all bank documents on your website. By doing so, this will give the buyer agent the opportunity to present a clearly written offer with all required fields completed. You can also include a check list as a part of the download. If the agent doesn't provide all of the check list items, they don't have a serious buyer.• Learn how to improve your process. If one method does not work, move on to something better, not worse.• Know what you have in inventory at all times. A simple spreadsheet can be used to track your inventory and the status.How do you keep your files organized?Carolyn Dobbs, Carolyn@REOBookkeeper.com | www.reobookkeeper.com | www.onlinerepa.com | www.point2close.com
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Before you Sign-up for BPOs and REOs

Deciding to work with a BPO and/or REO company should be a two-way interviewing process. Brokers and agents eagerly try to get into the business by randomly completing the online or hard copy application process then several weeks or months after completing a BPO, act like a disgruntle employee by complaining to others because he/she/they did not get paid. Well, how much research did you do?You should never leave your business and services to chance and hope. Neither will pay your expenses nor will it guarantee that you will be paid. So what do you do during the initial process while researching and signing up for BPOs and REOs?1. Review the company history (website, financial data, etc) and read what others are writing on various forums.2. Randomly send out inquiries to ten or fifteen brokers and agents (in and out of state). If a broker or agent "outside" of your area/state freely gives the thumbs down, the company may not be a benefit.3. Check with the Better Business Bureau where the company is located.4. Run a $19.99 D & B check. http://www.dnb.com/us/5. Inquire with some of the title companies or closing attorneys in your area. What do they have to say?6. If you have noticed that some of the big firms or a top agent no longer service a particular company, chances are the asset management company is a slow payer and/owes big bucks.7. Talk to some of the property preservation companies in the area, are they being paid in an appropriate amount of time, 14 - 60 days or 60 - 365+ days?8. Review the company's service agreement thoroughly. What are there terms, what is the process for accepting BPOs, how do you submit BPOs, are there any documented instructions, are the BPOs also guaranteed listings (if listings are what you are seeking), what is the rating system, etc?9. How are the BPO and REO process handled? Is it managed through a user-friendly system such as RESnet, IAS, REOTrans, Wells Fargo, or Citi Residential? Let's hope that they are not on the fax or email system whereas it is assumed that your fax or email is received before the deadline and not afterwards.10. Know the phone, fax, and email for Accounts Payable. Get a name if possible.11. Cost - review the cost. If you are going to pay big bucks to join, you should be getting a huge return on your investment. Yes, it does take money to make money but you don't go broke in the process. If you are paying by the zip code, be selective with the zip codes. Don't select areas where there is a high mixture of residential and commercial properties unless you service both.12. Customer service - if you call customer service, is the person on the other end receptive, confused, rude, or hanging out in the twilight zone and need to walk toward the light?13. Read the reviews of your peers. Are the compliments and/or complaints legitimate?Take your time when researching BPO and REO companies. Don't assume that working BPOs and REOs is a piece of cake. All of the agents I work with are hard at work at midnight and back online before the sun comes up most days. It's called dedication. Reaching that level of success did not come overnight. There were a lot of bumps, bruises, missed school events, late dinner, and delayed vacations that paid the price. I'm sure many of the veterans have other questions that should be ask. These are a few I have been faced with over the past five years when I research companies and make general inquiries before wasting my time with the application process on behalf of brokers and agent.ARE YOU REALLY READY TO WORK IN THIS INDUSTRY?Food for Thought!Carolyn Dobbs, www.reobookkeeper.comJoin the BPO and REO Solutions Group!
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