The lender co-op boardsalready trust.
When your pristine credit score isn't enough — because it never is with co-ops — you need a lender who speaks fluent board package.
Co-ops Closed
Across all five boroughs
Total Volume
Since 2008
Board Approval Rate
Industry average: 71%
Recognition Agreement — Exhibit A
"Most lenders have never seen one of these. We write them."
You're not buying
real estate.
In a co-op, you purchase shares in a corporation that owns the building — not a deed to an apartment. That distinction makes 90% of mortgage lenders walk away before the conversation starts.
Recognition Agreements
The tri-party contract between you, your lender, and the co-op board. Most lenders don't know how to negotiate one. We've signed hundreds.
Underlying Mortgages
The building's own debt affects your financing. We analyze debt service coverage ratios before you spend a dollar on an application.
Board Package Fluency
Co-op boards read your financials like a forensic accountant. We prepare your package to pass scrutiny before it lands on their table.
42 days from
offer to close.
A client from Westchester — pristine 810 credit score, 30% down, no debt. Three lenders passed. The building had an underlying mortgage with a debt service coverage ratio that spooked their underwriters. We read the financials, called it fine, and closed in 42 days.
The Building
West 88th Street Cooperative
Upper West Side · Pre-war · 47 units
Purchase Price
$1.24M
Underlying Mtg
38% LTV
DSCR
1.42x
Flip Tax
2%
Document 1 of 4
Financial Statements
12–18 pages
Two years of tax returns, W-2s, recent pay stubs, and a personal financial statement in the co-op's exact format.
How We Handle It
We format your financials to match the specific board's preferences — some want net worth broken out, others want assets grouped differently.
Document 2 of 4
Bank & Investment Statements
3 months
Document 3 of 4
Reference Letters
3–5 letters
Document 4 of 4
Recognition Agreement
Tri-party contract
A novella of
your financial life.
The co-op board application is unlike any document in residential real estate. It's not a loan application — it's an audition. The board is deciding whether you're the kind of neighbor they want in their building for the next twenty years.
Most buyers assemble it themselves, make three avoidable mistakes, and wait eight weeks for a rejection that never explains why. We've read enough rejection letters to know exactly what boards are looking for — and what makes them nervous.
For Real Estate Attorneys
We understand recognition agreements and proprietary lease assignments. Send us the building's financials and we'll turn a preliminary opinion in 48 hours.
From buyers, attorneys,
and everyone in between.
"Three lenders told me the building's underlying mortgage was a problem. Cooperate read the same financials and closed in 38 days. The difference was fluency — they spoke the language."
Margaret Holloway
Buyer
Sutton Place, Manhattan · $1.85M
"As a real estate attorney, I've worked with every major lender in the city. Nobody handles recognition agreements like Cooperate. They've saved four of my deals this year that would have died at the co-op counsel stage."
David Chen
Real Estate Attorney
Chen & Associates · Midtown Manhattan
"We moved from our house in Westchester into a co-op on the Upper East Side. I thought my 810 credit score would make this easy. It didn't. Cooperate explained the actual mechanics and got us through a board that rejected two previous buyers."
Sandra & Robert Vance
Downsizers
Upper East Side · Pre-war co-op · $2.1M
44days
Avg. Days to Close
94%
Board Approval Rate
200+
Buildings in Network
38%
Clients Referred by Attorneys
Schedule Your
Co-op Consult.
A 30-minute call. We'll review the building's financials, your situation, and tell you exactly what we need to get you to closing.
The specific building helps us pull financials before we speak. Borough is fine if you're still searching.
Not ready to book? Start with the checklist.