Short sale: we buy, the lender approves a short payoff
A short sale is not us buying the house from the bank. You still have title. You are the seller. We are the buyer. The lender is a lienholder who has to agree to take less than you owe and release the lien.
We negotiate our price because we are the buyer on the contract. We do not represent you. If the servicer wants the house listed, a listing agent lists it. We stay the disclosed buyer.
This takes longer than a cash payoff. If the sale date is close, say so. Waiting is how this out dies. How a short-sale purchase runs.