The Sr. Director, Closings & Short Sale leads SmartSale's specialist short sale team, which attaches to any homeowner from the Servicer Program or Retail Market Concierge teams once the homeowner is under contract and needs help getting a short sale approved. The team acts as the homeowner's ombudsman to the servicer and investor, guiding the seller and the seller's agent through hardship applications, document collection, relocation assistance, leasebacks, and every other step needed to win approval. The Sr. Director owns the outcome: files cleared to close by the servicer and investor so that Auction.com's closing team can coordinate with external title companies for payment and closing. The role also works with Product to build technology that streamlines document collection, delivery, and workflow. The ideal candidate brings deep distressed asset disposition experience, with direct short sale experience either submitting applications to servicers and investors or reviewing and approving them on a servicer's or investor's behalf, including HUD, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac, and the leadership skills to build and run a team.
Key Responsibilities
Short Sale Strategy & Leadership
Own SmartSale's post-contract short sale approval function for homeowners referred by either Concierge team, from executed contract through servicer and investor approval and clear to close
Set the vision, operating model, service standards, and targets for short sale approvals, including approval rate, approval cycle time, and time to clear to close
Lead the Coordination Manager, who leads the Short Sale Coordinators, and the on-site Facilitators embedded with servicers
Build, hire, develop, and retain a specialist team with deep short sale expertise, and scale capacity as volume grows
Establish operating rhythms, escalation protocols, quality standards, and performance management across the team
Servicer & Investor Approval Management
Serve as senior ombudsman to servicers and investors, including HUD, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac, on short sale applications, submissions, and approvals
Ensure files are complete, accurate, and submitted in line with each servicer's and investor's requirements, and that retention options have been reviewed where required
Manage approval conditions, valuation questions, counteroffers, extensions, and re-approvals, and drive escalations through the right servicer and investor channels
Build and maintain senior relationships with servicer loss mitigation and investor teams, and bring subject matter authority to complex or contested files
Track approval letters, conditions, and expiration dates to prevent avoidable delays and lost approvals
Seller & Agent Support
Ensure the team guides sellers and listing agents through the full short sale process with clear, empathetic, and confidential communication
Oversee hardship application support and document collection, so sellers and agents know exactly what is needed, by when, and why
Oversee coordination of relocation assistance funds, where applicable, and leaseback arrangements as part of the approval package
Keep sellers engaged and informed through long servicer review cycles, and set realistic expectations on timing and outcomes
Work with the seller's agent to resolve roadblocks, maintain momentum, and keep the file moving to approval
Clear to Close & Closing Handoff
Ensure files are cleared to close by the servicer and investor, with all approval terms, conditions, and payoff figures documented
Review preliminary settlement statements for alignment with approval terms, including commission adjustments, seller contribution limits, and buyer credits, and escalate discrepancies before closing
Hand off cleared files to Auction.com's closing team, a broader company function outside SmartSale, which coordinates with external title companies for payment and closing
Track closing risks, such as approval expirations, title issues, buyer delays, and conditions that could require…