Who does what in a short sale?

Start with roles, not job titles

A homeowner may hear from an agent, a mortgage company, a negotiator and an escrow officer during the same week. They are not all answering the same question. A useful starting point is to identify each person’s role, the task they handle and the decision they can actually confirm.

Use this general map to identify who handles each part of your transaction. Ask each professional to confirm the scope of their work in writing.

Your mortgage servicer: the starting point for loan questions

Your original lender provided the loan. Your current servicer handles its day-to-day administration and sends mortgage statements; these may be different companies. Use a recent statement to identify your servicer rather than assuming the company on the original loan paperwork still handles it.

Ask the servicer where to send a short sale request, how to obtain current requirements and how to confirm its status. Keep its official contact information separately from messages forwarded by other people.

The loan owner and other mortgage holders: clarify the approval path

The CFPB explains that short sale approval involves the servicer and the owner of the loan. If there are other mortgages, their servicers also need to be involved. A person coordinating your file is not necessarily the person authorized to decide it.

Ask: “Which approvals are needed for this transaction, who is requesting each one, and what written response is still outstanding?” Do not assume one company’s answer covers another mortgage.

Your real estate professional: agree on the coordination work

Before engaging an agent or broker, ask who will handle pricing, marketing, offers, transaction communication and follow-up with the servicer. If another person will handle negotiation or documents, ask for that person’s name, role, fee arrangements and reporting process. Verify applicable licensing independently.

• Who represents me, and how is that relationship documented?
• Who will tell me when an offer or proposed term changes?
• Who is responsible for sending each required item?
• What work is outside the engagement and needs another professional?

These are suggested questions, not a statement that every agent provides every service. Keep coordination separate from the written approval decision.

Title and escrow: identify requirements and coordinate closing

California DRE describes a title search as a way to identify ownership history and liens or encumbrances. Ask the title professional to explain the report and flag items that need additional review; do not try to infer debt priority from a checklist.

Escrow is the neutral part of the transaction that holds documents or funds and carries out the closing instructions when the required conditions are satisfied. Ask the escrow officer which written instructions and approvals remain outstanding. An open escrow file is not your answer to an unresolved personal legal question.

Independent advisers: route consequential questions deliberately

A HUD-approved housing counselor can help you explore mortgage options and work with your servicer. You do not have to choose a sale before asking for help.

Use a California attorney for questions about your rights, notices, signing obligations or unresolved debt liability. Bring tax questions to a qualified tax professional. Ask what documents they need through their verified secure channel. This guide does not determine a legal or tax outcome.

Add an independent housing counselor to your plan

You can ask for help understanding your mortgage options before deciding whether to sell. A counselor at a HUD-approved housing counseling agency can help you assess your situation, prepare an action plan and communicate with your servicer. Foreclosure-prevention counseling through these agencies is free. This is a separate service from listing a home for sale.

Find the right service, not just a familiar name

Start with the CFPB’s directory of HUD-approved agencies or call HUD at 800-569-4287. Confirm that the agency offers mortgage-delinquency or foreclosure-prevention counseling. Not every agency offers every service. Ask about your preferred language, phone or secure online appointments, and accessibility needs.

Five questions for the first call

1. Is this the right service for my situation? Explain whether you are worried about a future payment, already behind, or dealing with a notice. Ask how soon someone can review your circumstances.
2. What should I prepare? Ask which recent loan and financial records are needed and how to provide them securely. Keep those documents out of public website forms.
3. What can you help me do with my servicer? Clarify whether the counselor will help organize questions, review offered options or participate in a call. Agree on who takes each next step.
4. What will our action plan include? Ask for the tasks, responsible person and next check-in date. Keep unanswered questions visible rather than treating a discussion as a decision.
5. Which questions need another professional? Ask when to involve an attorney, tax professional or real estate professional rather than expecting one person to handle every issue.

A practical example: You are unsure whether the payment proposed by your servicer fits your budget. Ask the counselor to help you understand the proposal and prepare follow-up questions. Separately, ask your real estate professional about a realistic sale estimate. Comparing those two sets of information can make your next conversation more useful without committing you to a sale.

Counseling does not guarantee that you can keep your home. If a foreclosure sale is approaching or you have received legal papers, seek qualified legal help promptly.

Sources checked November 10, 2026: CFPB: how housing counseling can help; HUD: housing counseling services and fees; CFPB: agency directory.

Make a one-page responsibility map

Keep this suggested worksheet privately, not in a website form. For every unresolved item, record:

1. The exact question: for example, “Which written response is still missing?”
2. The responsible contact: name, role and independently verified contact method.
3. The next action: who will request, send, review or confirm it.
4. The evidence: the written response or document you are waiting for.
5. The follow-up: the agreed date and the person to contact if it is unanswered.

When two people give different answers

Write down both answers and the dates. Ask each person which document or instruction supports their answer, then send the precise unresolved question to the professional responsible for it. Do not translate “I am working on it” into a decision.

Continue with the servicer-call checklist or the short sale process overview. Do not upload financial documents, account numbers or passwords through this website.

Updated November 10, 2026; counseling sources checked November 10, 2026. General education.

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