The REO Lab

8:45-9:00 a.m.

11:00 a.m.-5:00p.m.

6:00 p.m.

An opening evening designed to connect REO agents, servicers, attorneys, asset managers, auction platforms, and technology partners ahead of the conference sessions.

Member opportunities to meet with industry partners. Appointments must be made in advance, with limited availability.

Opening up the day’s dialogue with a brief introduction to set the stage for all the important, insightful conversations to come.

Annie Collier, Executive Director, REOX
Steve Pagano, REOX Council Chairman; Principal Broker, Pagano Properties

Changing market conditions are shifting asset management within REO. From volume trajectories and vendor relationships to operations and compliance, industry leaders share practical insights into what servicers and asset management firms need from agents and attorneys in today’s evolving environment.

Ed Laine, REOX Council, Broker, eXp Realty
Justin Askew, Chief Operating Officer, AREMCO
Tara Dugger, Senior Operations Manager, VRM Mortgage Services
Mary Best-Brill, Vice President of Client Relations, Equator
Tom Bohlmann, REOX Councilmember, Broker/Owner, Bohlmann & Bohlman

A diverse, powerhouse panel of experts confront the future through a prognostic lens, utilizing data trends and strategic insights to predict where the industry is headed, and how you can best prepare for what's next.

Moderator
Dorothy Macias, REO Specialist, Commonwealth Home Realty
Panelists
Talia Ramirez, President, Spectrum Solutions Acquisitions
Machelle Redmond, Principal, Raine Asset Management
Sandra Thompson, Former Director, FHFA
Arleas Upton Kea, Former COO & Deputy Chairman, FDIC

Attendees select from a pair of dual tracks, with dynamic quick-hitting talks and audience Q&As‍

Designed for agents looking to scale sustainably in the distressed asset space, experts focus on operational discipline, client retention, technology integration, and relationship-building strategies that support long-term growth in default and REO.

11:00 – 11:15 a.m.
‍What Asset Managers Actually Want From Their Top Agents
Molly Merchant, REO Manager, Statebridge Company

11:15 – 11:30 a.m.
Using Technology to Scale Without Losing Compliance
Rida Sharaf, Chief Strategy Officer, USRES/RES.NET

11:30 – 11:45 a.m.
Vendor Scorecards, Communication & Staying Assignment-Ready
Tara Dugger, Senior Operations Manager, VRM Mortgage Services

11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
‍Building Relationships That Lead to Repeat Business

Attendees select from a pair of dual tracks, with dynamic quick-hitting talks and audience Q&As‍

Experts examine how data, repair strategies, valuation analysis, and market timing intersect to maximize disposition outcomes. Speakers will discuss how predictive decision-making impacts rehab approvals, auction alternatives, days on market, and net recovery performance.

11:00 – 11:15 a.m.
‍The Cost-to-Value Equation in Today’s Market
Justin Askew, Chief Operating Officer, AREMCO

11:15 – 11:30 a.m.
‍Using Market Analytics to Predict Buyer Behavior
Mary Best-Brill, VP, Client Relations, Equator

11:30 – 11:45 a.m.
‍Data-Driven Decisioning in Modern Asset Disposition

11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
‍Repair Thresholds vs. Auction Strategy
Mike Russo, Head of Product Innovation, Auction.com

Joint Session with Servicing Lab and Legal Lab

Auctions have a reputation problem, often seen as a channel of last resort when all else has failed. This session puts that assumption on trial. A debate-style panel of auction advocates, legal practitioners, and institutional operators dismantles the most common objections one by one, making the case that auction isn't a concession—it's a critical asset.

Mike Russo, Head of Product Innovation, Auction.com
Paul Viguerie, Vice President, Head of Commercial and Retail Brokerage, Hubzu

A candid conversation on the institutional mandate—tackling mounting timeline pressures, litigation risks, and operational bottlenecks, providing a strategic roadmap for how attorneys, brokers, and vendors must align with servicer expectations to drive portfolio performance right now.

Steve Pagano, REOX Council Chairman, Principal Broker, Pagano Properties
Jacquelyn Cayon, VP, Global Supplier Services, JPMorgan Chase
Clay Kellett, VP, Mortgage Servicing Contact Center, BOK Financial

Attendees select from a pair of dual tracks, with dynamic, quick-hitting talks & audience Q&As.

As servicers seek alternatives to foreclosure, this session explores the operational realities of pre-foreclosure resolutions, borrower engagement fatigue, and strategies for successful deed-in-lieu and short sale execution.

3:30 – 3:45 p.m.
Why Borrowers Disengage—And How to Reconnect

3:45 – 4:00 p.m.
The Servicer’s View of DIL Success Metrics
Clay Kellett, VP, Mortgage Servicing Contact Center, BOK Financial

4:00 – 4:15 p.m.
Short Sale Timelines, Escalations & Expectations

4:15 – 4:30 p.m.
Market Conditions Driving Pre-Foreclosure Resolution
Chakri Uruma, Vice President, Altisource

Attendees select from a pair of dual tracks, with dynamic, quick-hitting talks & audience Q&As.

Complicated title issues continue to delay and derail transactions across the default servicing and REO space. Experts probe answers to probate complications, municipal liens, title defects, HOA disputes, and lien priority conflicts that impact timelines and marketability.

3:30 – 3:45 p.m.
The Curative Problems Asset Managers See Too Late
Molly Merchant, REO Manager, Statebridge Company

3:45 – 4:00 p.m.
Municipal Liens, HOA Super Liens & Investor Risks

4:00 – 4:15 p.m.
Operational Breakdowns That Create Closing Delays

4:15 – 4:30 p.m.
Pre-Sale Risk Identification & Legal Escalation Strategies
Tom Bohlmann, REOX Councilmember Broker/Owner, Bohlmann & Bohlmann

In a landmark special event—just one week after November’s watershed midterm elections—a distinguished panel of industry executives and senior government officials will address the stakes and state of our industry with exceptional clarity and candor, all concluding with a special presentation from Operation Homefront in honor of our military veterans.

Exclusively for REOX members, speakers, servicing partners, and invited guests, the REOX Connect provides a powerhouse opportunity to network behind closed doors, featuring hors d’oeuvres, craft cocktails, and live music in a private venue.

An Intimate Occasion at a Secret Location.
Go below the surface, and beyond the noise with this exclusive, limited-seating event, and you’re invited to secure your
place and participation. Hosted off-site at a fully reserved private venue in Downtown Fort Worth, this is the party the industry will be buzzing about.

Member opportunities to meet with industry partners. Appointments must be made in advance, with limited availability. Participating brands include but are not limited to:
‍
AREMCO | Auction.com | BOK Financial | Covius | Equator | HUBZU | RES.NET | Selene Finance | Statebridge Company | VRM Mortgage Services | Xome

A hands-on walkthrough from assignment to close. Covers pre-foreclosure engagement, occupancy management (Cash-for-Keys), and closing execution.

Laura Dietz, REOX Councilmember, Broker & Auctioneer, Summit Realty
Mary Best-Brill, VP, Client Relations, Equator/Altisource
Bill Colbeck, Head of Loan Management, LoanDepot
Tara Dugger, Senior Operations Manager, VRM Mortgage Services
Steve Pagano, REOX Council Chairman; Principal Broker, Pagano Properties

Executives examine shifting expectations, how the elections impact CFPB posture, new regulatory upshots, foreclosure moratorium risks, and how the next cycle of GSE policies will influence the default and REO markets.

Sharon Bartlett, Executive Director, US REO Partners
Eric Will, Senior Director of REO Operations, HomeSteps, Freddie Mac
Dan Barnett, Former Senior Asset Manager, FDIC
TBA, Senior Fannie Mae Operations Executive

In this final non-exclusive session, obtain the latest, in-depth insights from the inside on today’s servicer operational challenges, evolving vendor expectations, shifting workflow challenges, and what REO leaders can do to stay on top of a changing market.

Clay Kellett, VP, Mortgage Servicing Contact Center, BOK Financial

Changing federal policy, affordability challenges, and regulatory shifts are reshaping the landscape. Industry leaders will discuss how economic pressures and institutional capital influence the future of distressed assets. This briefing explores expectations for liquidity, secondary market trends, and GSE policies in the next market cycle.

Dan Barnett, Former Senior Asset Manager, FDIC
Molly Merchant, REO Manager, Statebridge Company
Ty Miller, Managing Director, Annaly Capital Management

Using the "Yield Delta" model to determine when an asset should be converted to SFR rental versus a traditional sale.

Ty Miller, Managing Director, Annaly Capital Management
Chakri Uruma, Vice President, Altisource

In this solution-driven conversation, our experts will cover critical topics from regulatory uncertainty, performance pressures, and liquidity concerns, to foreclosure prevention policies, investor readiness, and maximizing success in the next cycle.

Clay Kellett, VP, Mortgage Servicing Contact Center, BOK Financial
Dan Barnett, Former Senior Asset Manager, FDIC

Breaking Into the Reverse Mortgage Asset Pipeline

The track most REO professionals haven’t cracked. Bringing together the lenders, servicers, and asset managers who control HECM assignment flow with the qualified agents and brokers positioned to serve them. Equal parts education, access, and business development in a rapidly growing segment.

• Inside the HECM Default and Disposition Pipeline: from triggering events through foreclosure or deed-in-lieu and into REO disposition.
• How HECM Assignments Are Really Awarded: Candidly conversing needs, gaps, what separates a credible candidate from a generic solicitation.
• Servicing the Asset and the Individuals Correctly: A case-driven look at the complexities agents encounter and the communications that define performance.

Exclusively for REOX members and industry parters.

Immediately after the final sessions, join us for an exclusive cocktail hour with fellow members, experts, and industry leaders.

Exclusively for REOX members and industry parters.

Close out conversations, lock in relationships, and raise a glass to the year’s last big hurrah.