What are the responsibilities and job description for the REO Portfolio Manager position at Essent Guaranty, Inc.?
Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE: ESNT) is a Bermuda-based holding company (collectively with its subsidiaries, "Essent") which serves the housing finance industry by offering private mortgage insurance, reinsurance, risk management products and title insurance and settlement services to mortgage lenders, borrowers, and investors to support homeownership. We are focused on managing risk and dedicated to serving as a strong and fair counterparty. As a company, we bring strong private capital and a commitment to risk management to the mortgage insurance industry.
Title: REO Portfolio Manager
Location: Radnor, PA (Fully in office)
The REO Portfolio Manager is a motivated and experienced professional responsible for the end-to-end management of Essent’s Real Estate Owned (REO) portfolio in alignment with policies, procedures and regulatory requirements. This includes analyzing and communicating the benefits and risks, accountability for the process of acquiring properties from investors, managing the portfolio to maximize returns, and selling properties to retail buyers or institutional buyers, including iBuyers. This role demands operational acumen, tech-forward orientation and excellent communication skills.
As a dynamic and resourceful professional, we will rely on you to perform the following duties:
REO Portfolio Management and Strategy
- Oversee the daily operations and strategic management of Essent’s REO portfolio to ensure alignment with our investment goals.
- Manage the process of buying REO properties from investors and selling them through various channels, including retail and iBuyers.
- Manage relationships, negotiations, contracting and SLAs with third party vendors and ensuring timely closings.
- Order and review property valuations and reconcile the value by analyzing and comparing data from multiple valuation sources to arrive at the most accurate and defensible value.
- Assess inspections of REO properties to assess their condition and identify necessary repairs.
- Develop plans, leveraging third parties where applicable, to implement and manage REO repairs meeting quality standards and timelines.
- Design and execute efficient, scalable, and technology-driven processes to optimize REO handling.
- Develop and maintain productive relationships with industry constituents including iBuyers, real estate networks, valuation authorities, Essent Title, and REO service providers, as needed.
Economic Analysis and Reporting
- Establish and monitor KPIs and KRIs to measure effectiveness and risk exposure of our REO program.
- Develop and manage the REO dashboard within Power BI for pipeline management and performance, executive reporting, and organizational communication.
- Conduct detailed financial analysis and due diligence on properties within Investor auction cycles to identify and assess feasibility of purchase opportunities.
- Prepare detailed reporting and analysis on REO properties including conditions, repairs, valuations and forecasted outcome.
- Monitor market trends and provide insights to inform property valuation and marketing strategies.
Compliance and Governance
- Proactively identify and mitigate potential process and loss risks.
- Partner with Risk, Legal, and Finance teams to assess property values, mitigate risks and ensure compliance with all regulations.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Minimum Education & Experience Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Real Estate, Business or a related field.
- 5 years of experience in real estate, mortgage servicing, loss mitigation, or a related field.
- Proven experience in managing REO properties.
- Strong understanding of the real estate transaction lifecycle, from acquisition to disposition.
- Experience with real estate valuation and financial modeling.
- Familiar with the Freddie Mac auction process is a plus.
- Excellent negotiation and communication skills.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
- Experience in a tech-forward environment with proven ability to implement process and technology improvements.
- 100% compliance with all applicable policies and regulations.
- Achievement of operational efficiency and loss reduction targets.
- Timely and effective communication of key insights and decisions.
Our commitment to your success is enhanced by our competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package including paid time off, medical, dental, vision, 401(k) and disability benefits. We work to maintain a positive environment for our employees, where people can learn and grow with the company. Essent is an Equal Opportunity Employer.