I'm just curious as I get into this marketing REO properties business. Is the chance of getting a both sides sale about the same as private owner listings or better? I'm sure it depends on your marketing and area of the country but just an over all average is what I'm asking. Or do you even try to get the buyers?

I almost always try and get both sides,thats the only way I would make any money as the average home is 50,000-100,000.And by the time I pay 25% referral fee it wouldnt be much.So most of the time I do both sides.

On average I would say about half the time that I get both sides.

I am in California and for the 9 or 10 transactions closed in 2007, I got both sides only once. But I do not like working with buyers.

Personally I do not make a habit of working both sides of REO Properties. I represent the bank and/or asset management company. The several times I broke my own rule, there were problems...whom do I represent? The bank or asset management company or the buyers who wants to purchase the property for as low as he can and wants to know everything possible about the history of the property.

The other problem in selling my own REO listings is the amount of offers that are submitted on a property. Treating them all equal and in a timely manner as you present them to the Asset Manager when I have an offer in the mix is difficult to say the least.

I was doing about 50%, until my broker hired in an agent just to work with buyers. Now most leads that come into the office are givn directly to the other agent and ads were run that are generating lots of calls, and I have to give all those to the other agent. I will be lucky this year to get 10% both sides. So, my broker has set it up so that, in spite of most of the increase in business being from my work, that my income will drop.
I have NEVER been a dual agent, representing both sides. I make it clear that I work for the sellers and for the buyers not to give me personal or financial information that they don't think the sellers need to know. I don't think it's possible to represent both sides and do well for both, so I just make sure it's disclosed who I am working for. I bring it up often, so the buyers don't forget, too. Like when they ask "How much do you think they will take for this house?" I point out that "As I told you, I work for the sellers..." and explain that means, even if I did know the bottom dollar, I would not be allowed to tell them because "I have a contract with them, not with you..."
Multiple offers, even with one of my own in the mix, aren't a problem. I just tell all agents and my buyers that there are other offers and submit highest and best if they really want the property. Sometimes it has been my buyer, sometimes not.

35% ..............

About 50% which is OK with me.

The problems I have with dealing with a buyer's agent are:

1. They try to dump 100% of the work on me or they need their hand held so the result is more work for me at less than half the pay.

2. You have to trust that the buyer's agent knows what they are doing and that the deal does not puke because the buyer is not
really qualified as they represent him to be or the buyer does not understand the as-is nature of REO.

I rarely work with buyers and prefer to represent the sellers best interest on all my REO props. Now on commercial property thats a different ball game. It's double end all the way.

40%. I have a partner who lists the property and I sell it. Then split the total commission 50/50. And 40% on 80 properties is a nice chunk!