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Mortgage specialist vs broker

The differences between mortgage specialists and brokers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a broker has an average salary of $124,861, which is higher than the $38,757 average annual salary of a mortgage specialist.

The top three skills for a mortgage specialist include customer service, residential mortgage loans and origination. The most important skills for a broker are brokerage, financial services, and insurance products.

Mortgage specialist vs broker overview

Mortgage SpecialistBroker
Yearly salary$38,757$124,861
Hourly rate$18.63$60.03
Growth rate-3%5%
Number of jobs26,4712,770
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age4249
Years of experience4-

What does a mortgage specialist do?

Mortgage specialists are professionals who work with lending institutions to identify the best lending product for their clients in exchange for taking the title of the debtors' properties. These specialists must process mortgage loan applications by reviewing their paperwork to ensure accuracy and completeness before submitting for approval. They should monitor accounts during the bankruptcy proceedings to ensure that the rights of their clients are protected. Mortgage specialists are also required to guide associates regarding procedural guidelines from FNMA, FHLMC, and MHA.

What does a broker do?

Brokers can either be a firm or an individual acting as an intermediary between a securities exchange and an investor. They often provide services to individual investors and traders who cannot engage directly with security exchanges, which only accept orders from their members. They provide investors and traders with an investment plan, market intelligence, and research. They may cross-sell some financial services and products offered by their brokerage firms. They are also typically classified as discount or full-service brokers.

Mortgage specialist vs broker salary

Mortgage specialists and brokers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Mortgage SpecialistBroker
Average salary$38,757$124,861
Salary rangeBetween $29,000 And $51,000Between $68,000 And $227,000
Highest paying CityOakland, CANew York, NY
Highest paying stateWashingtonNew York
Best paying companyCitiChild Guidance & Family Solutions
Best paying industryFinanceInsurance

Differences between mortgage specialist and broker education

There are a few differences between a mortgage specialist and a broker in terms of educational background:

Mortgage SpecialistBroker
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Southern California

Mortgage specialist vs broker demographics

Here are the differences between mortgage specialists' and brokers' demographics:

Mortgage SpecialistBroker
Average age4249
Gender ratioMale, 39.3% Female, 60.7%Male, 63.8% Female, 36.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 13.3% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.5% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 5.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 6.9% White, 70.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage7%13%

Differences between mortgage specialist and broker duties and responsibilities

Mortgage specialist example responsibilities.

  • Manage internal team SharePoint and document repository.
  • Time management and organization skills to effectively prioritize multiple objectives and achieve volume goals.
  • Work due diligence and process loans per FHLMC guidelines on conventional, USDA, FHA/VA and CHFA/DAP loans.
  • Advise clients with mortgage needs by providing information regarding traditional and government programs, including USVA, FHA and VA loans.
  • Review HUD-1's to confirm fees and charges with initial GFE and RESPA compliance, order wire and provide funding approval.
  • Maintain a working knowledge of FDCPA and RESPA guidelines.
  • Show more

Broker example responsibilities.

  • Manage, lease and sell office condominiums on site.
  • Retail trader, fix income securities; manage client account activity; properly allocate client funds to appropriate investment options
  • Manage indexes, options, foreign equities, and short-selling positions that are compatible with clients' long-term investment goals.
  • Expand and maintain professional relationships with trading accounts including banks, hedge funds and portfolio managers.
  • Specialize in finding undervalue and/or overbought commodities by using fundamental and technical analysis that exist throughout the markets.
  • Install the oracle client for windows.
  • Show more

Mortgage specialist vs broker skills

Common mortgage specialist skills
  • Customer Service, 22%
  • Residential Mortgage Loans, 6%
  • Origination, 6%
  • FHA, 5%
  • Va, 5%
  • Loan Applications, 4%
Common broker skills
  • Brokerage, 17%
  • Financial Services, 9%
  • Insurance Products, 7%
  • Risk Management, 6%
  • Client Relationships, 6%
  • Real Estate Transactions, 5%

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