Having done a number of REO listings over the years, it is still a relatively new field for many of us. I am not an expert, I learn something new every day. Please keep in mind this is meant to be humorous!1 - Got an email today from my asset manager letting me know that I was selected to market and list their property. First though I have 24 hours to obtain an occupancy verification, gain interior access to get pictures, find out the HOA company information and any past due amounts, gain access to all the county records to do a quick search to see if any liens on the property, do a BPO on following that particular companies requirements, find out if there are any utilities on or other pertinent information that I need to pass on to my client. Oh, I best find out what the fees are for getting it switched over into my name along with the deposit required so I can make sure I have enough in my bank account to accept this listing and service it properly for by having all the utilities in my name and which I pay for (of course I get reimbursed as long as I turn in my bills and proof of payment in a timely manner and agree to wait for the payment - most of the companies I have chosen to work with pay very promptly - those that don't go on to find out agents).2 - Whew, got that all done, wait a minute, what are all these other tasks now? They weren't there a minute ago?? Oh, now I have to do a personal property evaluation form and they want pictures of each item (good thing I thought ahead and took pictures while I was doing the interior BPO pictures.) And what's this? Because I marked that the property was occupied, I have to now offer Cash For Keys? What are all these forms? I have another 24 hours to get this done? No problem, I will go back to the house, knock on the door and since I know the family is out I will leave the letter and my card in a envelope taped to their front door (don't forget the picture of that) and if they do answer, I will explain what I am offering and give them the number to the Loss Mitigation department if I have received that. I will set up a time within 2 weeks to a month to allow the occupant to find a new place to live and then I will meet him and get the keys if the property is left in clean condition.3 - Now that the home is vacant (trashed out if it was not an occupied property when I took it over), rekeyed the lock, made sure I had the right combination for the private contractor lock box and have placed a proper MLS lock box on the property, now I can notify my Asset Manager we are ready to rock and roll. Oops, I haven't gotten the listing agreement with the amount they are allowing me to market it at, so I have to remove the sign from the yard cause I can only put it up when I have a signed listing agreement. BUT I can keep the sign in the yard that says the home is in the process of pre-marketing and in case of emergency to contact me at a specific number. I don't accept any offers at this time, but I do keep a running tally of the names that call so that I can call them after I have gotten the listing in the MLS.• Are you wondering why I placed the MLS lock box on the house if there is a private lockbox? Well, I am blessed to have an association whose lockboxes keep track of who entered the property so I don't have to keep a running log of whose has called in to get the lock box code, my log is printed out weekly and placed in the file so when I do my monthly marketing report on that property I can give my AM the correct number of showings and in the meantime I've been able to call back for feedback to since the buyer's agents sometimes forget to call and give that. It's a team effort and I don't mind as I would expect it if I forgot to call and give feed back.4 - Well, now we have the listing agreement all taken care of and I am ready to MARKET AND SELL! First, I am going to go back to the property, make sure all the utilities are on, light bulbs are not burnt out, place a fragrance pot in a couple of rooms, set the air conditioning at about 80 in Summer at 65 in Winter so that when the home is shown, clients are not uncomfortable, I want them to think they are truly home so it will sell better. I am also going to place brochures on the counter, information about special financing and contacts for them to be able to call to see if they can help with the loan. I also leave my agency disclosure brochure, my cards, and if there is an HOA then I try to leave copies of at least the rules and regulations and contact information in case the client and other agent want to gather more information. I also want to make sure the yard looks good and if not I get the landscaper to mow it,5 - OK, the house is set up. I can go back to the office, or home since it is probably about 8 PM and put in MLS and call the people that have been calling about it since the in case of emergency sign went up.6 – Been a month, had 5 offers and they've all been turned down. When will people realize that the pricing is normally set within a realistic range and these 40% and 50% offers are not going to cut it, but I present all offers! I got a task from my asset manager that my Monthly Marketing Report (similar to a BPO) is due in 2 days. Oh I forgot to take pictures yesterday when I was over for my weekly checkup on the property, now I have to go get updated pictures and get them sent in with the new solds and listings that have happened in the last 30 days. Maybe they will lower the price, maybe they won't. My job is to get them the best price possible for the property, not price it at a give away amount! It takes a little maneuvering sometimes to get that right price. But they have lowered the price a little now, and so I go in and redo the MLS, redo the brochures, upload the new MLS to my asset manager, replenish the brochures at the property and call the people that have shown it to alert them to price drop.7 - Just got word after month two and another MMR (Monthly Marketing Report) that the price is down again. Wow, my phone is ringing off the hook from that ad I put in the paper. This price is really a great price and seems to be attracting a lot of attention. Listen to my efax tell me I have three faxes waiting, TERRIFIC, multiple offers on this property. But 2 of the agents didn't call to let me know they were submitting offers.8 - I start filling out the forms for the new offers, oh no, those two agents that didn't call me and just faxed over the offers did not include their contact information, no letter of preapproval on one, no proof of funds on the other, and I have no way to easily find their phone numbers. So I put everything off to the side, go into my MLS system to the agent roster and hope that the name that is scribbled on the last page where they signed it is legible and now I start calling the numbers to verify their contact information. I hope that since it is after hours, they have updated their cell number in the agent roster so I can contact them tonight and get this submitted. Great, it's 11 PM and I've got all these offers submitted in the system and I am closing up shop!9 - 1 PM the next day, I get an email from my AM, notify all parties involved we are in a multiple offer situation and to submit their highest and best offers by 5 PM the next day. Back on the phone, contact all agents and make the notifications and wait for the new paperwork. In the meantime made a notation in the MLS so that other agents will know what is going on and that they have to submit their highest and best by 5 PM the next day.10 - New offers are in - 1 at the same price and two updated ones and look there, three more new ones. And who said there were no multiple offers anymore. Way to go to all you agents out there with buyers!! Ok, all offers are submitted again, now I am off to bed and hey it's only 11:30 PM.11 - Start the next day off, excited cause I know that one of those offers is going to be accepted. Wow, locked up the office tonight and no emails, calls or information from my Asset Manager.12 - Day two - still no word13 - Day Three - I've gotten calls from agents wanting to know if I have heard anything yet. No, nothing yet,14 - Day Four - Yeah, an email! Offers 1,2,3,5 and 6 are rejected. Offer 4 is accepted with the counter proposal paperwork and all addendum's attached. I notify all the rejected agents that their offers have been rejected, I call agent with offer 4 and let them know that I am forwarding the paperwork for review and signatures and I have 24 hours to get it back to my asset manager. Mind you, offer was an all cash offer, but had a couple of contingencies on it and offer 4 was the same price, all cash but no contingencies. The bank accepted the easiest one with a quicker close date as the only counter proposal. Mind you offer 2 was higher than all of them, but was a conventional loan with 10% down.15 - Day Five = Got a call back from the agent with offer 4, his buyer has decided that he is not willing to meet the contingency with the new closing date and has chosen not to sign anything. He had given his highest and best offer! Back to the drawing board. To cut a long story short, we were able to get Offer 5 resurrected and put on the agenda to close. Got everything to lawyers, agents, etc. set up closing date in 2 weeks. I am all smiles!!16 - Day before closing, I get a call from the sellers attorney that the deed had not been recorded yet and we are not able to get the closing done in time because the deed is still in transit and it will be a few more days. Ok, no problem!! I call the buyer's agent and alert them and suggest we get an extension signed for 10 - 15 days or earlier, make sure the buyer's attorney has been notified and wait this out.17 - My asset manager calls me, they never call me they only email me this is scary, and ask if I can help the process along by going to the courthouse and seeing if there is anything I can do to walk the deed through for signatures. Ok, sure I will be happy to. I've learned, don't upset the people at the Recorder's office and don't upset the people at the Master In Equity office. I do my due diligence, find that the deed is actually at the recorder's office, they are recording it as I stand there, I go back to the office, call my asset manager and I am a hero!!16 - Ok, closing is just a couple of days late, but that's ok. Now I have to get all the lock boxes off the property, remove all the information from inside, pick up my sign and call and have all the utilities removed out of my name. I then have to get the utilities to send me an expedited bill as I only have 10 days after closing to get ALL bills submitted for payment.17 - Closing is done!!! Check is in my hand!!! Whew, that was good!18 - 30 days have gone by, I still haven't received my check for my utility payments, collection call made.19 - Oh look, three new listings just came across the email - and I wanted to be an REO agent WHY???The above is purely HUMOROUS only! I love what I do and it is an exciting business. I meet great people and have wonderful experiences to share. Please though, if you are thinking of becoming an REO agent, do your due diligence and research. Understand that your asset manager and banks have guidelines they must follow and you have guidelines you must follow. It is your responsibility that you are legal and ethical in everything that you do. If you are a member of a local, state and National Association of REALTORS you have a Code of Ethics that you must follow and you need to make sure that you keep yourself AND your asset manager out of trouble. Your biggest job outside of marketing and selling that property is to make your asset manager's job easier so they can get the other 200 files on their desk completed a little faster, and they will remember you and the extra efforts you did to help get the property sold AND closed.Remember, when the closing is done, send your thank you cards to everyone and include that Asset Manager also. They may have missed their bonus because of the delayed closing and they may need a little smile to cheer them up to help remember you on the next go round of properties in your area.Under Promise, over supply and as always - Have A Better Than Great Day!!
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A couple of months ago I received an reo listing from an asset management company that sometimes sends me listings, not many, but hey every little bit helps. They ordered the CFK, and although I am usually succesful with cfks, in this case the homeowner did not agree to it. She was receiving advice from an attorney/friend that told her to stay in the house. After a while, as it happens, I was notified of the lock out date. The family was already gone on the lockout date, but they had destroyed the property. Among many other things, they took of all the electric outlet covers throughout the house and left the wires exposed. The house has illegal additions, code violations, an empty pool, electric issues, they broke walls, took all appliances, Central A/C, etc. Since I am very familiar with the way this particular city works, I sent in a document attached to the bpo explaining everything and advising what needed to be done before the house started showing to avoid problems with the city. Needless to say they sent my bpo back 3 times because the appraissal came in at a higher value. Of course the appraisser was not using reo comps with similar illegal additions and/or conversions. He failed to mention that probably more than half the house would have to be demolished because it was done without permits. Finally my price is approved and the property goes on the market, I go back to the property before listing it on the mls to make sure it was ready to be showed. When I get there, I find the only thing done was the trash out and they caped the exposed wires. I again write to the am and send pics, since they have their own preservation co to do everything, they've decided that was all they were going to do to sell the property as is. Ok, well I dont want to be a pain...To make a long story short, the house has been on the market for less than a week and somehow the city already heard about this beauty and went there today (without even notifying me) I don't know how they got in. They later faxed a 2 page long violation to my office listing everything they could think of and they want it fixed yesterday. Now for the plastic cover plates that I recommended to put on all the electric outlets just to make it look decent we have to hire an electrician, pull permits and pay fines!!! They are going to make my life miserable and hold up the sale for months and many of this problems could have been avoided by just doing some minor work in the house, not only to avoid problems with the city, but also for safety issues. Now even the mosquitoes in the neighborhood are coming from inside this house. LOL. I could only laugh when I saw what they were hitting us with. I love my job, I work very long hours, try to stay optimistic in all situations and will go the extra mile to get issues resolved and close the deal. This one will close, I know that, but Im going to have to move into the city office until everything is done the way they want it and they take pity on me or get tired of having me around. Oh... and drain my pockets while I wait for reimbursement.
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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.comRead more…
Yesterday I attended an awesome REO seminar from www.NFSTI.com, National Foreclosure Sales Training Institute in Santa Monica, California. The featured speakers were 2 top REO listing agents and we had some surprise guest speakers. One was a top Asset Manager (can't mention any names, sorry). Another guest speaker was Thomas Moore from eBrokerHouse and he demonstrated their software live!Following is a photo of top REO listing agent Pam Eikelberry from Northern Nevada, giving instruction:
Because I have seen several recent post about OCWEN no longer taking on Listing Agents in CA. FL and, NV I decided to blog on a this recent trend of doing away with the Listing Agent.
Now, before I get started in on this topic, let me make something very clear, I have no first hand knowledge on these situations I will be discussing. I am simply putting together what I have heard, read and understood about the REO industries changing dynamics and how it might effect me or you.
Ok, so, OCWEN is no longer taking on Listing Agents for their properties in CA, FL and NV so, how is that possible?
First off, you need to understand that many of these disposition companies are trying their hardest to figure out how they can grab more and more of the listing agent commissions on these properties. Many companies are notorious for reducing commission, attaching high split percentages or adding un-necessary fees due from the listing agent. The terribly sad part of all this is, many listing agents have folded to these claims on their commission in order to simply close the deal and make something vs. nothing.
Well, these practices have led many companies to logically pursue these commission grabs to their conclusion by asking a simple but, dangerous question and that is, “How can we keep all the commission for ourselves?”
The natural answer to this is to do away with the Listing Agent and keeping the 3% average commission on that side of the transaction. So how can they do this?
Well, they aren’t really getting completely rid of the Listing Agent. You see, instead of having 50 agents to cover a particular county, they reduce their agents down to 3 and then offer them a job to act as their agent, with a steady income and benefits like, retirement, health, dental, vision, paid vacation and more.
So how is this even possible, you may ask. I have one word for you and that is TECHNOLOGY! These companies invest lots of money in developing specific software that can almost manage the entire listing from birth to grave. This software is so highly developed that it can dramatically reduce the number of required agents to work the same, if not more workload than before.
Many REO agents are already using some of this software when you log into your Asset Managers Back Office and input your forms, update your work flows, etc…. All the company has done is taking that software and perfected over the years of use that you as a REO agent helped with.
Now, you’re thinking, “What kind of Realtor would do this?” Well, I can assure you, plenty of Realtors are out there that would give up their commission and work for a company just to do the same job but have, regular income and all the benefits.
So….I know I probably just rained on your REO parade but, it’s important for you to know this industry is changing. REO will not be the same when we end 2009 as it was when we ended 2008.
Good luck, stay safe and hopefully I will see ya on the flip side.
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Ok, this blog is going to touch on a lot of nerves but, I need to write it because, I just need to.
You don’t “deserve” a listing, that’s right, you don’t “deserve” anything to be completely upfront and honest with you.
I grew up dirt poor, ugly as home made sin around a drug addicted, in and out or prison single mother who was more abusive to her children that she was ever loving. We lived on government assistance through out the majority of my young life and we even managed to come and go from shelters 2 years. I was oppressed, depressed and un-impressed with life.
Now, I look back at my life and its hard for me to even imagine that lifestyle because I am so far removed from it however, I don’t deserve what I have now! I have EARNED, what I have now!
I was part of a recent blog where someone wrote in and said they were glad to hear that the California Legislature was working to break up the monopoly some Realtors have on REO Listings. She went on to say, she “deserved” a REO listing for surviving through this economic downturn. THIS MADE MY BLOOD BOIL!
I responded to her blog, ever so polite and, my point was, her “deserving” mentality seemed more like a socialist agenda straight from Karl Marx than it did anything else. Well, that launched a firestorm of comments, from people with all different aspects and opinions, which I knew it would. (insert evil capitalist laugh here)
My point is, it took me three years to break into this business and even now, I am by no means a REO power listing agent, truth is, I can handle much more business than I have but, I don’t go around with a defeatist socialist mentality that says, “I deserve the right to be a REO agent”. I help those that come behind me by offering as much a resource as I can, not because the government say I have to……BECAUSE I AM THAT NICE OF A GUY!
Those of you looking to get into this business, I really wish you the best of luck and, help yourselves by blogging, responding to forums, going to conferences, getting a formal education, partnering with a local REO agent and, overall contributing to this industry, it pays off, trust me!
Those of you in this business, make as much money as you can and be prepared to fight for what you have because, the tsunami of agents is at the door and they are prepared, willing and in many cases able to take you down and take your business.
I think it was Aristotle who once said, “Necessity is the mother of innovation” so, if it is necessary for you to become a REO Agent, then innovate. If it is necessary for you to remain a REO Agent, then innovate. Above all else, you don’t deserve anything you have, get out there and EARN IT!
As the one and only Super Model of the World once said, “….YOU BETTER WORK IT!”
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Did you know you are graded on everything you do with an AM? You are graded on the quality of your BPO, the time it took you to turn it in, the pictures (following specific instruction) and if it is complete.Your REO listing is graded on all of your tasks and by each AM you come in contact with. So basically you are under a microscope the minute your profile is even viewed. Crazy huh?? I am always wondering what my grade is and I try to beat around the bush to find out what it is and they NEVER tell me. I am still getting assignments so I guess I am doing something right. Another blogger (JESSE) posted that AM's are looking for a 95% grade or higher to continue sending you REO listings. I thought....Wow an A!! I was always a B student so an A feels pretty good. I guess I should have applied myself a little more. Then I think...naaaahhhh I would probably still be where I am now in RE doing BPO's and getting REO listings. I think those A's would have been nice but THESE A's really mean something!!Point of my blog is don't be a B student. BPO mills probably don't grade but the companies that solicit for REO's should have top priority and you should put in that extra effort. Cause if you don't.....I WILL!!
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