The 3 Biggest Misconceptions That Real Estate Agents Have About Short Sale Listings
First of all, “yes” some short sales take long to sell and “yes” some short sale listings can be frustrating. But let me tell you this; not all are created equal! With a little patience and a little creativity you can overcome some of the shortcomings of listing pre-foreclosure/short sale properties and make a lot of money by helping homeowners get out from underneath the huge burden of debt and stress they are under.
Let’s deconstruct three of the biggest short sale myths:
Reduced commissions
They take too long
Too hard to close
1. Reduced Commissions
Yes, it’s true when it comes to a short sale; the lender is in the driver’s seat. And since they hate to lose money they tend to reduce the amount of commissions by an average of 1%, meaning that if your area pays out 6%, they will only approve 5%, which will be split by both the agents involved in the transaction.
You know what I say to that? Who cares! Be creative! Did you know that there are 7 additional profit centers that can offset your 1% cut in commission? Let’s take a look at what they are:
A “Loss Mitigation Fee” via the Lender
A “Loss Mitigation Fee” via the Buyer
A “Loss Mitigation Fee” via the Attorney or Title Company.
A “Loss Mitigation Fee” via the Seller
Referral fee from a listing agent (for doing the loss mitigation work on their short sale).
Buy it as an investment (buy and hold or buy and flip).
Any combination of all of the above!!
The “Loss Mitigation Fee” is a fee that we collect only when we successfully negotiate a short sale and have the foreclosing lender pay for all of the closing costs (the Realtor commissions, attorney/title company fees, conveyance taxes, etc.).
2. It Takes Too Long
The average loss mitigator receives an average of 30 NEW files a day. Not a week, not a month but a DAY! That is part of the reason that short sales can take a while, but it isn’t the main reason. The primary reason is because the majority of real estate agents submit short sale packages that are less than adequate and professional! Meaning;
They are incomplete in terms of paperwork (entire documents are missing)
They are arranged poorly (Yes, that makes a difference!)
They are sent to the wrong person or department (happens very often)
They are incomplete in terms of information (i.e. the financial worksheet isn’t completely filled in)
Those and many more reasons cause short sales to get hung up. Once again, take what the defense gives you. If loss mitigators are overwhelmed, then the key is to put together a professional and presentable short sale package guaranteed to get your short sale offer reviewed and approved.
3. They Are Too Hard to Close
With the right system they are not hard! Let’s take a look at how to overcome the two biggest reasons why short sales blow up right before the closing.
Not managing expectations
This is a negotiating process. Make sure you clearly communicate the process every step of the way to the buyer and the seller. We use an online short sale management tool called to automatically keep everyone connected to the short sale process, which is updated in real time.
Many deals blow up because real estate agents fail to communicate to both the homeowner and the buyer the current status of the short sale and what to expect when they negotiate with the foreclosing lender(s).
Lack of qualified buyers
The key is not to have only one buyer but to have a pool of qualified buyers that are pre-approved. The best buyers to keep an eye out for are those that are already pre-approved and that have funds in place to make an actual purchase.
The two easiest ways to do that are:
Start networking with every real estate agent that specializes in buyer’s representation. They are easy to find because it is in all of their advertisements.
Start working closely with every single mortgage broker or direct lender that you know, or that one of your fellow agents knows.
In conclusion, listing pre-foreclosure/short sale properties can take some time to close. However; in this market everyone needs to stick together and help one another out. By building the right network of real estate professionals, we can all ensure that our listings (short sales or not) do not sit out there without a buyer!
Categories: Short Sale Tags: hud-1, loss mitigators, reduced commission
Short Sale Definition – an Easy to Understand Description
A short sale, by definition, is the sale of a property to a lender for less than the amount of the mortgage owed. This sale is often only permitted under extreme circumstances. The bank or mortgage lender takes into account current economic outlooks, the personal financial situation of the debtor or home-owner, the local real estate market, and the reasonable possibility that the bank will recover some, if not the entirety, of the mortgage loan. The advantages of short selling a property to the debtor are obvious. A short sale is often pursued instead of foreclosure proceedings. Thus, by short selling a property, a debtor can keep a foreclosure off of their personal credit history. Also, the difference between the original mortgage and the short sale offer, also known as the deficiency balance, is partially under the control of the debtor. This means that the debtor is free to pay back the deficiency under their own terms. Sometimes, though rare, this debt is forgiven completely.
The advantages of a short sale are less obvious for the bank or mortgage lender. These institutions are primarily concerned with recouping their financial losses on bad or risky loans. Thus, they may choose to allow a short sale if they believe that this course of action will result in a smaller financial loss than foreclosure proceeding. Whereas a foreclosure can cost the bank or mortgage institution a certain amount of money through legal fees and court proceedings, a short sale is simply an agreement between the debtor and the lending institution and entails much less hidden costs to the lending institution. Oftentimes, a short sale is the best method for the bank to guarantee at least a partial return on a bad or defaulted loan.
A short sale is a fairly common business transaction. However, lenders do not like to view these transactions as financial favors to the debtors. Rather, these institutions view these short sales as sound financial extensions of credit. When retaining an asset makes little business sense or is economically unfeasible, a business will default on their loans. If enough of these loans are defaulted on, a bank or mortgage lender can be put in dire financial straits. Thus, a short sale is utilized to reacquire these economically unfeasible assets and recoup a portion of the extended and defaulted loans. In this manner the financial institution looses only a fraction of the accumulated debt. In these types of business short sales the deficiency balance is almost always forgiven.
There are a number of steps that debtor must take in order to secure a short sale from a bank or other financial institution. Most banks require that a Notice of Default be completed. This alerts the local government of the impending default and stipulates the location, relative value, and financial history of the defaulted property. While conditions vary from bank to bank, several levels of approval are usually required. This is often a long and complicated process for the debtor. Some banks have set limits on short sales, and these restrictions can vary in amount or type. For example, many banks won’t approve a short sale if there are tax liens held against the property. However, if approved, a short sale can be a great way to relieve debt obligation without permanently affecting your credit score.
