How to hire a real estate loan officer

How to hire a real estate loan officer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step real estate loan officer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a real estate loan officer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new real estate loan officer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a real estate loan officer, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect real estate loan officer also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents real estate loan officer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Real Estate Loan Officer	Description	Hourly rate
   Real Estate Loan Officer	Loan officers evaluate, authorize, or recommend approval of loan applications for people and businesses.	$26-69
   Mortgage Consultant	A mortgage consultant is a professional who helps customers and businesses identify the best option for mortgage deals based on their financial resources. To maintain an excellent relationship with clients, mortgage consultants must possess a broad knowledge of the company's products to answer all the clients' queries and concerns... Show more	$11-30
   Loan Consultant	A Loan Consultant specializes in assessing loan applications to ensure potential clients uphold their financial obligations. Their responsibilities include conducting interviews with applicants, reviewing and verifying documentation, and evaluating financial credit and other records... Show more	$12-25

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Real Estate Loans
   • Mortgage Loans
   • Business Development
   • Escrow
   • Financial Products
   • Financial Statements
   • Financial Institutions
   • Loan Products
   • Loan Programs
   • Origination
   • Loan Process
   • Business Relationships
   • Cross-Selling
   • Bank Products

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage a multifacete commercial real estate investment firm.
   • Supervise loan from origination and application through processing and final disposition.
   • Complete origination documents, obtain necessary signatures and deliver complete loan package to processing.
   • Schedule property website implementation from template, update internet/social media advertising, and handle MLS entry.
   • Train to use a mortgage calculator and experience using calyx point.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your real estate loan officer job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A real estate loan officer can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, real estate loan officers' average salary in hawaii is 40% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level real estate loan officers 61% less than senior-level real estate loan officers.
   • Certifications. A real estate loan officer with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a real estate loan officer's salary.

   Average real estate loan officer salary

   $90,206yearly

   $43.37 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level real estate loan officer salary

   $56,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 31, 2026

4. Writing a real estate loan officer job description

   A good real estate loan officer job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a real estate loan officer job description:

   Real estate loan officer job description example

   RESIDENTIAL LENDING OFFICER
   
   Essential Functions:
   
   + Responsible for marketing Real-Estate loans to Realtors, Builders and other spheres of influence by facilitating presentations, attending events, and cold calling.
   
   + Must originate loans in accordance with FirstBank's lending policies, procedures and guidelines.
   
   + Responsible for entering all loan applicants into the EZlender system, and run DU and credit reports.
   
   + Provide the processing team with all necessary contact information, including but not limited to Realtor, access to property and closing agent.
   
   + Responsible for interviewing and guiding prospective customers, enabling customers to select the best FirstBank product for their
   
   needs.
   
   + Must complete a full mortgage loan application (1003), gather initial documentation, and set the expectations for customers, Realtors,
   
   and builders as to appropriate timeframes and targets.
   
   + Communicate any and all additional and required documentation to customers.
   
   + Must originate all mortgage loans in accordance with all Federal, State, FirstBank, and investor guidelines.
   
   + Must submit completed applications in a timely manner to the Processors for disclosure within the three (3) days of application as required by Federal regulations.
   
   + Must provide processors and underwriters with updates on any material changes that may take place during the loan process.
   
   + Evaluate the documents provided by the customer and re-runs DU when appropriate.
   
   + Monitor progress of approval through closing.
   
   + Assist the support team with the gathering of any additional information required and all communication with the customer and referral
   
   source.
   
   + Represent the Bank in functions within the community.
   
   Required Education and Experience:
   
   “Employee must comply with all requirements related to the Secure and Fair Enforcement Mortgage Licensing Act of 2008 (SAFE Act) and its corresponding regulations, including, but not limited to, obtain and maintain an active record and a unique identifier within the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry (NMLSR), continue to meet said record and associated minimum register standards, including any applicable continuing education courses set forth by the Safe Act.”
   
   + Bachelor's degree in Finance/Business Administration or related field
   
   + 3 years of experience in a similar job is required or equivalent combination of education and experience banking and/or lending
   
   industry
   
   + Good understanding of financial products, loan documentation, and business objectives of a real-estate lending department
   
   + Successful completion of approved real-estate training program
   
   + Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office
   
   + Good communication skills
   
   EOE/D/V/M/F/DFWP

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right real estate loan officer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with real estate loan officers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit real estate loan officers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   To find real estate loan officer candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as efinancialcareers, financialjobsweb.com, careerbank, financial job bank.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit real estate loan officers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new real estate loan officer

   Once you've selected the best real estate loan officer candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new real estate loan officer first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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