HUD selling broker registration gets you a NAID, a Name and Address Identification number. Without it, you can't submit a bid on HUDHomeStore and HUD can't pay you. You register by sending HUD its broker forms, known as the SAMS forms, with your license info and your brokerage's details. Here's how I walk new agents through it. Do it now, before a buyer asks. The bid window is short and registration isn't instant.
The short answer
HUD pays the buyer's broker out of every HUD sale. To get paid, HUD needs to know who you are, that you're licensed and where to send the money. The SAMS forms do that. The main ones are the SAMS-1111 (payee name and address) and the SAMS-1111-A (selling broker certification). HUD reviews them and issues the NAID. Your brokerage may already hold one, and your managing broker decides how bids get submitted under it.
Step by step
- Ask your managing broker first. Many brokerages register at the office level. Ask whether you'll bid under the office NAID or get your own. Follow your brokerage policy.
- Get the current forms. Download the SAMS forms from HUD's single family REO broker pages at HUD.gov. HUD updates forms. Don't use a copy someone emailed you two years ago.
- Gather what HUD asks for. Expect your real estate license number, your broker's license, the brokerage's tax ID, a mailing address for payment and proof of a good standing license. Check the form instructions for the full list.
- Fill in names exactly. Use the legal names that match your license and the brokerage's IRS records. Mismatches slow everything down.
- Submit as instructed. The form instructions tell you where and how. Keep copies of everything and note the date you sent it.
- Wait, then check. When your NAID arrives, log in to HUDHomeStore with it and confirm you can see the bid screens. Do a test run through the screens with your managing broker so bid night isn't the first time.
- Keep it current. Moving brokerages, changing your name or license status? Update HUD. An outdated NAID means a rejected bid or a payment that goes nowhere.
What to do while you wait
- Read the HUD sales contract (HUD-9548) and the standard addenda on any current listing. You'll be explaining them soon.
- Learn the financing codes: IN, IE and UI. See HUD financing codes.
- Line up a lender who reads HUD listings and turns pre-approvals fast.
- Line up an inspector and a sewer-scope company who can get into a vacant home with the power off.
- Watch HUD listings in your market for a month. Note list price, days on market and whether the price dropped.
A worked example (illustration only)
Here's a realistic timeline for a new agent:
| Day | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1 | Talk to your managing broker. Decide: office NAID or your own. |
| 2 | Download current SAMS forms from HUD.gov. Gather license and tax info. |
| 3 | Submit. Save copies. |
| 3 to ~30 | Wait. Learn the codes and the contract. |
| ~30 | NAID issued. Log in, test the screens. |
Illustration only. HUD's review time varies. Check current instructions at HUD.gov.
How to explain it to your client
"Only agents HUD has registered can bid on HUD homes. You can't bid yourself, and an agent who isn't registered can't either. I'm registered, so when we find the right house, I can put your bid in that same day. HUD pays my fee out of the sale, so my help on the bid doesn't cost you extra. That's in the listing terms."
If you're not registered yet, be honest: "I'm finishing my HUD registration. Let's get you pre-approved now so you're ready the minute it's done." Or refer the buyer to a registered agent in your office.
Watch-outs
- Don't bid under someone else's NAID unless your managing broker set it up that way. HUD pays the NAID holder.
- License status matters. An expired or inactive license breaks your eligibility.
- Owner-occupant fraud bans brokers too. If you knowingly help an investor bid as an owner-occupant, HUD can bar you. Don't.
- Phishing. Scammers send fake "HUD broker" emails. Only use forms and links from HUD.gov.
- Commission is capped. HUD pays up to the percentage shown in its terms. Don't promise a buyer anything outside HUD's rules.
This is training for real estate agents. It isn't legal advice. HUD's current forms and rules control. Check with your managing broker.
Questions
What does NAID stand for?
Name and Address Identification. It's HUD's ID for the person or company it pays.
Do I need my own NAID if my brokerage has one?
Not always. Your managing broker decides how bids are submitted. Follow your brokerage's policy.
How long does registration take?
It varies. Plan on weeks, not days. Check HUD.gov for current processing information.
Does HUD pay my full commission?
HUD pays the selling broker up to the percentage in its sales terms, as entered on the bid. Lowering it raises your buyer's net.
Where do I get help?
Start with the REO broker information on HUD.gov and the help pages at HUDHomeStore.gov.
Brian Lee Burke is the founder of PadLeaders, a Colorado real estate broker licensed since 2003, team leader of The Kenna Group at Keller Williams DTC (formerly Kenna Real Estate Group) and the author of Mastering Real Estate and The Real Estate Playbook. More about Brian.
- Agent training by Brian Lee Burke, The Kenna Group at Keller Williams DTC
- HUD.gov REO broker pages
- HUD.gov