How Do I Become a Mortgage Loan Officer?

Mortgage loan officers are financial professionals who help lenders find borrowers who need mortgages to pay for real estate, and they help borrowers find the right lenders. These kinds of professionals normally work for financial institutions, such as banks, but they might work independently or for other firms. For example, a person who is interested in taking out a mortgage loan might contact a mortgage loan officer to find out what he or she needs to properly fill out an application and to receive the right kind of loan for his or her financial situation. To become a mortgage loan officer, it is essential to receive the proper kind of license or job certification that is required in your area. To get this kind of certification, plan on taking government-approved courses and completing a proficiency exam.

Although it might not be necessary to have a college degree to become a mortgage loan officer, this kind of credential certainly can help you to appear as a better-qualified job candidate. If you plan to go this route, major in a field such as finance or accounting. Earning accountant certification also can be a good idea for a person who would like to become a mortgage loan officer, especially because many employers require applicants to have auditing skills.

A person who wants to become a mortgage loan officer should be comfortable learning and using financial software. If you choose not to enroll in a college program, you should take some courses that prepare you to use these systems. Mortgage loan officers commonly have to gather and analyze financial data. They use computer programs to generate graphs that help borrowers and lenders better understand the markets in which they are working.

If you would like to become a mortgage loan officer who works for a bank, it might be necessary to understand some of the overall workings of this kind of financial institution. In other words, instead of simply working with borrowers, you might also have to collect and analyze mortgage loan data and explain how the data affects larger strategic plans. People in these positions might be required to give presentations and write detailed reports.

In most cases, an individual who would like to become a mortgage loan officer must also be a good customer service representative. If you are the kind of mortgage loan officer who helps borrowers directly, you should listen carefully to clients' needs, aspirations and concerns. A person who wants to act as a mortgage loan officer in a financial institution should behave professionally at all times, because he or she is representing that institution.