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Loan specialist vs real estate agent

The differences between loan specialists and real estate agents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a real estate agent has an average salary of $91,788, which is higher than the $43,081 average annual salary of a loan specialist.

The top three skills for a loan specialist include loan applications, customer service and financial statements. The most important skills for a real estate agent are customer service, real estate license, and excellent interpersonal.

Loan specialist vs real estate agent overview

Loan SpecialistReal Estate Agent
Yearly salary$43,081$91,788
Hourly rate$20.71$44.13
Growth rate-3%5%
Number of jobs29,04141,399
Job satisfaction-4
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 51%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age4249
Years of experience4-

What does a loan specialist do?

A loan specialist is in charge of processing loans to make transactions easier for the clients. They usually work in banks, lending firms, and other financial institutions. One of their primary responsibilities is to guide clients to understand what program works best for them, assist in filling out forms, gathering requirements, and verifying authenticity. There are also instances where a loan specialist must discern whether a client can uphold financial obligations using the information collected. Furthermore, it is also their responsibility to produce and submit reports to creditors or lenders.

What does a real estate agent do?

A real estate agent helps owners in the selling or renting of houses, land, offices, buildings, or any piece of property. They should be knowledgeable in the area they work in, which local properties are in the market, and the competitive prices for various properties. It is their responsibility to either market or sells in the best possible and reasonable price and conditions. Negotiating is a vital skill for real estate agents as they act as the middleman for buyers and sellers. Most agents bill the client with a percentage of the final sale price as the fee, but some would get a fixed commission for every sale.

Loan specialist vs real estate agent salary

Loan specialists and real estate agents have different pay scales, as shown below.

Loan SpecialistReal Estate Agent
Average salary$43,081$91,788
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $68,000Between $66,000 And $126,000
Highest paying CityMount Laurel, NJLong Beach, NY
Highest paying stateMarylandWest Virginia
Best paying companyFNBSanta Clara Valley Water District
Best paying industryFinanceFinance

Differences between loan specialist and real estate agent education

There are a few differences between a loan specialist and a real estate agent in terms of educational background:

Loan SpecialistReal Estate Agent
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 51%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of Pennsylvania-

Loan specialist vs real estate agent demographics

Here are the differences between loan specialists' and real estate agents' demographics:

Loan SpecialistReal Estate Agent
Average age4249
Gender ratioMale, 30.9% Female, 69.1%Male, 43.4% Female, 56.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 12.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 7.3% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 13.0% Asian, 6.8% White, 70.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage7%13%

Differences between loan specialist and real estate agent duties and responsibilities

Loan specialist example responsibilities.

  • Time management and organization skills to effectively prioritize multiple objectives and achieve volume goals.
  • Follow FHA investor guidelines regarding requirements necessary for opening file.
  • Order new and replacement ATM and debit cards.
  • Prepare loan documentation for lines of credit, letters of credit, automobile loans, and UCC secure loans.
  • Order various loan documentation and searches to include title, flood, UCC, insurance, regulatory language, property insurance.
  • Perform notary services for customers.
  • Show more

Real estate agent example responsibilities.

  • Manage all accounting, cash management, budgeting and financing for individual LLC's and for corporate entity.
  • Manage extremely complex REO and short sale transactions, coordinating sellers, buyers, and lenders in order to complete them.
  • Create ad campaigns via Google ad-words and Facebook.
  • Determine whether title transfers are assessable for taxation.
  • Learn all phases of real estate ethics, practice and procedures.
  • Review and analyze corporate leases, securities offerings, and secure transactions.
  • Show more

Loan specialist vs real estate agent skills

Common loan specialist skills
  • Loan Applications, 29%
  • Customer Service, 14%
  • Financial Statements, 10%
  • Outbound Calls, 3%
  • Credit Reports, 2%
  • Mortgage Loans, 2%
Common real estate agent skills
  • Customer Service, 15%
  • Real Estate License, 11%
  • Excellent Interpersonal, 10%
  • Real Estate Market, 10%
  • Open Houses, 7%
  • Develop Marketing Materials, 6%

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