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MortgagePoint » Your Trusted Source for Mortgage Banking and Servicing News 58 November 2025 S P O N S O R E D C O N T E N T OR Zillow OR Realtor.com OR Redfin • "1234 Beach Dr" site: facebook.com 4. Click "Show options" and set: • How often: As it happens • Sources: Automatic or Web + Discussions • Region: United States • How many: All results • Deliver to: Your email Repeat this for every new assign- ment and label them for easy tracking. Real-World Security: Talking to the Neighbors D igital protection is only half the job. NRBA members also make personal contact with the neighbors around each property. When we take on a new listing, one of the first things we do is introduce ourselves to the surrounding home- owners. We let them know who we are, what's going on with the property, and most importantly, that no one should be moving in. We ask them to call us immediately if they see anyone entering the property, advertising it, or acting suspiciously. This simple outreach is one of the most effective forms of protection we have. Many of our members have caught squatters, fake tenants, and scam "landlords" before serious dam- age occurred—simply because a vigilant neighbor picked up the phone. It also reassures the neighborhood that the property is being professionally managed, which helps maintain com- munity stability and public trust in the lender or servicer. This also has the added benefit of cutting down on code enforcement and HOA complaints (fines) if the neighbors know they can call us instead to handle the issue. "Technology is great," as one NRBA Master Broker put it, "but nothing replaces a handshake with the next- door neighbor. That's where real asset protection starts." Layered Protection: The NRBA Way S etting up Google Alerts and talking with neighbors are just two layers in the NRBA's comprehensive protection system. Our members also: • Save property addresses on Zillow, Realtor.com, and Craigslist to catch duplicate listings. • Use Social-Searcher.com to monitor Facebook and X (Twitter) posts. • Run Google Lens image searches to catch stolen photos. • Report suspicious listings immedi- ately to the platform, local police, and asset managers. Together, these simple, disciplined steps form a protective shield around every property we manage. Why It Matters E very REO veteran has a story: a fam- ily moves into a vacant house believ- ing they rented it legitimately—only to find out it was a scam. Then come the police, the media, and a PR nightmare for everyone involved. It's completely avoidable. Two min- utes of setup and some local relation- ship-building can prevent months of cleanup. Postscript for Asset Managers A sset managers can and should do this too. Setting up a Google Alert for each property under management takes less than 30 seconds—and provides a simple extra layer of visibility. Not only will it alert you if a prop- erty is being fraudulently advertised or reposted, but it will also show when and how your broker is actively marketing the home. It's a great way to see how quickly your listing is being promoted across platforms, verify activity, and stay ahead of potential issues. NRBA members welcome that transparency. We take pride in our marketing, responsiveness, and perfor- mance, and we don't mind our clients watching. In fact, we encourage it. Because when you work with NRBA brokers, you're partnering with profes- sionals who have nothing to hide and everything to protect. NRBA Brokers: Setting the Gold Standard in Property Protection A t the National REO Brokers Association (NRBA), our members uphold the highest professional and ethical standards in property preserva- tion and asset management. We don't just market and sell—we protect, monitor, and defend the prop- erties entrusted to us. Setting up alerts, building commu- nity awareness, and staying one step ahead of scammers are what define true expertise in this business. That's why lenders, servicers, and asset managers trust NRBA brokers— because we don't just manage listings; we safeguard investments. Final Takeaway S cammers are smarter, faster, and everywhere. But NRBA brokers are smarter still. If you're managing REO assets, make digital and neighborhood monitoring a permanent part of your process. And if you're a lender or servicer— make sure your brokers are NRBA members. Because real protection starts long be- fore the first showing—and continues long after the lockbox goes on the door.