Getting to know REO broker?

[Francis Dai]

One piece of advice I've heard regarding REOs is to get to know the top REO broker in my area. Also helpful is getting to know the loan officers. The goal is to get to know about properties before they hit the MLS.

Does anyone have any tips about how exactly to go about this?

For example, is there a way to look up which agents are moving the most properties in a certain area?

Thanks in advance.

[John Chan]

Finding out which agent is moving the most properties in a certain area is easy. Just search the MLS under that agent's name. As for developing a relationship with a top REO agent, that takes time. You can't just try to spark a conversation over the phone. Most likely, you'd be talking to one of his or her assistants. If you're consistly buying from this agent over time, they will get to know you. Also, if you give both sides of the commission to the agent, they always appreciate that. That is from my experience as an agent dealing with REO agents.