Shortsale without a realtor?

[Sean Dougherty]

I have located a distressed homeowner who is willing to shortsale his preforclosed home to me. He had no plans to list his home through the MLS. He lost his job in January and it seems he will qualify for a shortsale with his lender.

Now I am trying to decide if it is necessary to bring a realtor in to represent me to the lender.

Would the Bank rather deal with a professional than a private buyer directly?

Would I be able to offer less by cutting out realtor and their fees?

And most importantly: A shortsale specialist told me that banks will ONLY approve a shortsale if it has been listed on the MLS through a realtor. Is this accurate?

Thanks in advance for the help. :)