A strong foreclosure auction partnership is key to moving properties fast

Servicers are accelerating and improving the foreclosure auction process through partnerships with providers that include public selling officers (PSOs).

Following record lows posted over the past five years, foreclosure activity is on its way back up, with a substantial 28% year-over-year increase in December of 2025, according to ICE Mortgage Technology. While activity continues to lag that of pre-pandemic years with foreclosure starts improving in the last month of 2025, late-stage delinquencies are at a 2-year high, and servicers are gearing up for a growing number of third-party sales in 2026.

ServiceLink’s auction solution continues to offer asset marketing and nationwide foreclosure auction services to make these sales easier for servicers and buyers alike. Additionally, ServiceLink has expanded its footprint in the state of Ohio by providing public selling officer (PSO) services with the potential to move properties more quickly than ever before.

“We have partnered with an Ohio-based public selling officer and agent to ensure that judicial state foreclosures are managed as efficiently and seamlessly as possible,” said Christine Estevez, senior director of foreclosure auction operations at ServiceLink. “This team of court-appointed, licensed real estate professionals and auctioneers is committed to minimizing servicers’ REO inventories and maximizing their recovery on defaulted assets, while making it as easy as possible for buyers to bid on and purchase properties.”

Once appointed to a foreclosure, the public selling officers receive all court documentation and ensure legal compliance throughout the foreclosure process. Marketing, sale execution, closing and reporting all fall within their purview.

With the understanding that financial institutions are not in the business of owning real estate, auction providers and PSOs partner through streamlined processes and strategic marketing to help banks and loan servicers avoid holding properties longer than necessary. PSO services are designed to protect their bottom line, simplify compliance and enhance asset disposition outcomes.

Benefits of choosing an auction provider with public selling officer partnerships for foreclosure auctions

Estevez said that when looking for an auction provider, a company with a strong foreclosure auction partnership with a PSO delivers real advantages to judicial state foreclosure auction sellers and buyers:

• Faster turnaround
• Broader market exposure
• Increased opportunity for competitive bids
• An enhanced buyer experience

Faster turnaround

PSOs can typically conduct sales more quickly than the traditional sheriff’s process, ultimately reducing holding costs and expediting closing and reporting. Aggressive marketing, online bidding and an established large buyer network, combined with the expertise of an experienced team, streamline the process every step of the way.

Broader market exposure

By marketing properties across multiple channels, PSOs increase exposure to prospective buyers. Strategy can include a customized marketing plan that takes the property type and target audience into account. It may also include digital advertising, email marketing and direct outreach to the company’s buyer network, in addition to listings across multiple real estate platforms. For ServiceLink clients, that includes property listings on the PSO bidding platform, which enable buyers to search, bid and buy properties from the comfort of their homes or offices.

Increased opportunity for competitive bids

Making property listings accessible to more markets, especially with the opportunity to bid online, increases the likelihood of robust bidding and helps ensure servicers get the best price for foreclosed properties. The ServiceLink 2025 State of Homebuying Report revealed that fully half of active homebuyers would consider buying at auction. Their motivation? Cost savings, a faster buying process and the ability to bid remotely. The very same interested buyers who choose not to, or are unable to, attend a sheriff’s sale in person may well make a bid online, given that opportunity.

An enhanced buyer experience

From having the opportunity to bid online to being able to purchase and move into their homes more quickly, buyers can experience a more efficient process using an auction vendor that partners with a PSO versus going through the lengthy sheriff’s sale process. ServiceLink’s PSO partner in Ohio is directly accessible to buyers; they also work with ServiceLink to coordinate title, escrow and deed recording, making the post-sale process faster and more transparent.

“Our PSOs share ServiceLink’s commitment to extraordinary service,” said Estevez. “They provide buyers with detailed property information, guided instructions for the sale and personalized, one-on-one support when needed. They truly make the process easy for first-time buyers as well as seasoned investors.”

The full suite of ServiceLink foreclosure solutions

PSO services are among the full suite of servicer foreclosure solutions ServiceLink offers. ServiceLink provides default services and support through every stage of the asset lifecycle: pre-foreclosure, title and close, field services, valuation, auction and REO asset management.

As foreclosure activity continues to climb, partnering with ServiceLink makes more sense for servicers than ever before. Our breadth of services, including PSO services to streamline judicial state foreclosure sales to buyers, can expedite their buying process — reducing costs and resources and decreasing hold times.

Contact us today for more information and insight.

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