If you’re thinking about buying a home, you’ve probably heard that the real estate market can be competitive. In many areas, desirable homes receive multiple offers within days—or even hours—of hitting the market. When sellers have multiple offers to choose from, how do they decide which one to accept?
While price is a big factor, a strong, reliable preapproval letter can be the key to getting your offer accepted. Unfortunately, not all preapprovals are created equal. Many buyers don’t realize that a weak preapproval—or worse, just a basic prequalification—can actually hurt their chances of getting the home they want.
At the California Employee Loan Team, we don’t just provide preapprovals—we provide a strategic advantage. Our fully verified preapprovals help our buyers stand out from the competition and give sellers confidence that their deal will close.
What Makes a Preapproval Stronger?
Not all preapprovals are viewed the same way by sellers and real estate agents. Here’s what separates a real preapproval from a basic prequalification:
🚫 Prequalification – This is often just an estimate based on self-reported information. It may not include an actual credit check or verification of income and assets. Many sellers and agents don’t take these seriously because they don’t confirm whether the buyer can truly get the loan.
✅ Full Preapproval (What We Provide) – This means your credit, income, cash, and reserve requirements have all been verified. Our preapprovals go through Fannie Mae’s Automated Underwriting System (AUS) and are fully vetted before being issued. This tells sellers and their agents that you are 100% qualified and ready to move forward with your loan.
Why Sellers and Agents Prefer a Strong Preapproval
When sellers receive multiple offers, they want to choose the one that is the most likely to close smoothly and on time. A well-qualified buyer with a fully verified preapproval is seen as less risky than a buyer with only a prequalification or a weak preapproval from an unknown lender.
Real estate agents—who advise sellers on which offer to accept—know that some lenders have stricter underwriting and can slow down or derail the transaction. That’s why they prefer working with lenders they trust—lenders who have done their due diligence upfront.
With our process, sellers and their agents can be confident that:
✔ All income and asset documentation has been reviewed
✔ Your loan has already been run through underwriting
✔ There are no outstanding issues that could delay or derail closing
The Extra Edge: Our Preapproval Video
To further separate our buyers from the competition, we take an extra step that most lenders don’t: we send a personalized preapproval video with all of your offers.
This video:
🎥 Introduces our team to the seller and their agent
📞 Provides our direct contact information so they can reach us with any questions
✅ Confirms that we’ve fully verified your loan eligibility and that financing will not be an issue
This extra touch builds trust with the seller and their agent. While we cannot and will not disclose any of your personal financial details, we can verify that we’ve done the work upfront and that you are a rock-solid buyer.
Fast, Easy, and Hassle-Free Preapprovals
We understand that going through a full preapproval might sound like a lengthy or difficult process—but it’s not!
⏱ It takes just 15 minutes to get started
📲 Our technology allows us to automatically verify most of your financial information
📄 This means less paperwork for you—no more digging through documents!
As a top 5 mortgage bank, we’ve invested in the latest tools to make the mortgage process fast, easy, and stress-free. Our goal is to help you focus on finding your dream home, not stressing over paperwork.
Ready to Get Preapproved?
If you’re serious about buying a home, the best thing you can do is get preapproved now—before you start house hunting. A strong preapproval not only makes your offers more competitive but also helps you shop with confidence, knowing exactly how much home you can afford.
📅 Schedule your preapproval today: [Insert link to schedule]
If you have any questions, we’re happy to help! Give us a call or send us a message—we’re here to make your home-buying journey smooth and successful.
