ServiceLink provides end-to-end REO solutions to help servicers manage REO inventory.

Although the inflow of new defaults has leveled off in recent months — notably, new FHA defaults were down 15% year-over-year in June, according to the June 2026 ICE First Look at mortgage performance trends — servicers continue to wade through a backlog of distressed loans. Foreclosure starts reached a six-year high of 43,000 in June, a 29% increase over May, and total active foreclosure inventory reached roughly 292,000 loans. The share of mortgages in active foreclosure sat at 0.53% in June, a rate last seen in March 2020, just before pandemic disruptions.

“Rising homeownership costs, affordability issues, unemployment and a host of other variables have put pressure on borrowers that, for many, has resulted in foreclosure,” said Terri Hunter, vice president and national sales executive at ServiceLink. “Servicers charged with the disposition of these properties need a streamlined, holistic approach to work through the volume and maximize their financial recovery.”

ServiceLink offers that end-to-end approach, enabling servicers to hand over REO assets located anywhere in the nation with confidence in the knowledge that those properties will be professionally secured, maintained, valued, marketed and sold. ServiceLink’s integrated teams lift the burden of servicers having to manage multiple vendors, and focus on minimizing hold times and costs, mitigating risk, ensuring compliance and maximizing capital recovery.

ServiceLink’s end-to-end REO solution

When a servicer needs REO support, ServiceLink builds a team to work on their portfolio in alignment with the servicer’s workflows and requirements. Backed by a singular integrated platform designed to infuse speed and transparency into the asset management and disposition process, the team manages the entire REO process seamlessly from start to finish, providing services in each of the following areas.

REO asset management. The ServiceLink asset management team determines the best disposition strategy for the REO property. They assign a broker to do an occupancy check, manage the eviction and/or cash for keys process if needed, and order broker price opinions (BPOs) or a BPO plus full appraisal to ensure accurate property valuation. If the team determines that the property requires repairs before listing, they work with the integrated property preservation team to solicit bids and manage that process.

Once the property is valued and in market-ready condition, ServiceLink’s asset management team works with local real estate agents and ServiceLink’s auction team to market and list the property. As offers come in, they manage those bids, verify buyer financing and negotiate terms on behalf of the lender.

REO property preservation and maintenance. Throughout the REO process, ServiceLink’s field services team works to preserve the asset’s market value and protect the servicer from risk. They secure the REO property and manage required activities including inspections, rekey and cleaning services, repairs and rehab, and recurring maintenance services, as well as asset registration, code violation remediation and utilities management.

REO auction. When a property is cleared to go to auction, ServiceLink’s auction offering provides integrated support that includes an auction platform and marketing outreach that matches buyers to properties and auction events, technology that supports smooth workflows and portfolio management, and a team of experienced auction experts who provide hands-on support. Customized workflows are developed to help accelerate property sales, reduce timelines and expand the buyer pool.

Auctions are scheduled concurrently with evictions to save time and holding costs, and a property can be moved from auction to retail marketing as soon as it is ready to be traditionally listed. In some situations, ServiceLink uses a dual-path strategy for REO properties, marketing them simultaneously through the ServiceLink’s online auction platform and the traditional retail MLS.

Once bids are in and the asset management team confirms a qualified buyer, the title and close team gets the transaction across the finish line, managing the closing, delivering the final settlement package and recording the new deed with the county.

REO title and close. ServiceLink streamlines the overall closing process to quickly clear any liens and ensure the title is ready to transfer to a new buyer. “We can typically deliver the title report in six days and clear title in about 15,” said Jennifer Schalip, vice president of ServiceLink title and close. “Overall, our closing time averages less than 30 days, which can be twice as fast as standard industry turn times.”

Additionally, the ServiceLink team works with the buyer, seller, agents and lenders to ensure a swift and smooth closing process. “We are a one-stop shop, committed to managing multiple parties as we ensure every file is on track to close — the title is clear, the deed is prepared and the notary is scheduled. We prepare and review all closing statements to confirm all the fees are accurate prior to submitting it to the seller,” said Schalip.

Closing options through ServiceLink run the gamut from traditional in-person wet signings to fully digital eClosings and hybrid closings incorporating remote online notarization (RON). With a nationwide network of mobile and RON-eligible notaries as well as attorney partners, ServiceLink can tailor the closing to the buyer’s needs and preferences, creating an exceptional customer experience.

“What sets ServiceLink’s holistic REO solution apart is not only our depth of specialized expertise in local markets across the nation, but also our structure: Having our own title, property preservation and auction divisions enable us to work as a collaborative team toward a common goal,” Hunter said. “Servicers can work through a single point of contact and know we will consistently deliver the best possible outcomes for them.”  

Learn more about ServiceLink’s end-to-end REO solutions here.

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