How to hire a real estate officer

How to hire a real estate officer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step real estate 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 officer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new real estate officer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The real estate officer hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   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 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of real estate officers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Real Estate Officer	Description	Hourly rate
   Real Estate Officer	Loan officers evaluate, authorize, or recommend approval of loan applications for people and businesses.	$14-49
   Mortgage Underwriter	A mortgage underwriter is responsible for reviewing mortgage loan applications and deciding on its approval or rejection by evaluating the submitted documents and the applicant's eligibility. Mortgage underwriters create assessment reports, research on the applicant's credit score, analyze potential loan risk, and request for additional documentation as needed... Show more	$18-38
   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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Real Estate Loans
   • Asset Management
   • Due Diligence
   • Loan Portfolio
   • Financial Statements
   • Affordable Housing
   • Credit Analysis
   • Sale Agreements
   • Development Projects
   • Real Estate Assets
   • Probate
   • Commercial Property
   • Real Estate Portfolio
   • Escrow

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage segment's treasury function including equity forecasting and investment requests as well as lender relations in a difficult banking environment.
   • Prepare charge-back reconciliations, identify existing and potential problems, and develop detail positions for presentation to management.
   • Form corporate organizational documentation including LLC and LP agreements and file with appropriate jurisdiction.
   • Prepare LLC legal transactions including entity formation, operating agreements and entity formation and dissolution documents.
   • Prepare legal description necessary for property conveyance indicating any encumbrances affecting the property.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, real estate officers' average salary in utah is 46% less than in maine.
   • Seniority. Entry-level real estate officers 71% less than senior-level real estate officers.
   • Certifications. A real estate 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 officer's salary.

   Average real estate officer salary

   $55,921yearly

   $26.89 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level real estate officer salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 16, 2026

4. Writing a real estate officer job description

   A real estate officer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a real estate officer job description:

   Real estate officer job description example

   The Commercial Real Estate Workout Officer I delivers proactive management of a substandard portfolio of 10 to 20 Commercial Real Estate loans to minimize credit losses, ensure return matches risk and, where possible, return customers to a satisfactory rating. Our group is focused on a rescue culture to retain as many clients as possible. If you enjoy solving problems and coming up with innovative solutions, this is a great opportunity for you!
   The portfolio will be mainly bi-lateral but also at times may include:
   
   + Syndicated loans with individual Citizens Bank exposure averaging $5MM+.
   
   + W orking alongside a team leader to devise strategies, negotiate and structure transactions, obtain credit approval and document accordingly. T
   
   + Financial analysis, property valuation assessment, and maintaining all required internal and external reporting.
   
   Qualifications
   
   Qualifications
   
   + 3+ yrs of Commercial Banking Experience, preferably in a Commercial Real Estate environment.
   
   + 3+ yrs experience in loan documentation and relevant Uniform Code and Bankruptcy considerations.
   
   + Adaptability to a high paced and challenging work environment.
   
   Desired qualifications
   
   + Highly developed at persuasively presenting the Bank's thoughts and position to gain consensus and execute proposed solutions to remedy substandard and non-performing credits.
   
   + Excellent math and analytical skills.
   
   + Excellent communication skills both oral and written.
   
   + Excellent time management skills.
   
   Education:
   
   + Bachelor's degree required
   
   Hours and Work Schedule: 3 days in the office, 2 remote
   
   Hours per Week: 40
   
   Work Schedule: Monday-Friday
   
   Some job boards have started using jobseeker-reported data to estimate salary ranges for roles. If you apply and qualify for this role, a recruiter will discuss accurate pay guidance.
   
   Why Work for Us
   
   At Citizens, you'll find a customer-centric culture built around helping our customers and giving back to our local communities. When you join our team, you are part of a supportive and collaborative workforce, with access to training and tools to accelerate your potential and maximize your career growth.
   
   Equal Employment Opportunity
   
   Citizens, its parent, subsidiaries, and related companies provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all colleagues and applicants for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, citizenship, physical or mental disability or perceived disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, genetic characteristic, marital or domestic partner status, victim of domestic violence, family status/parenthood, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, pregnancy/childbirth/lactation, colleague's or a dependent's reproductive health decision making, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by federal, state and/or local laws.
   
   Equal Employment and Opportunity Employer/Disabled/Veteran
   
   Citizens is a brand name of Citizens Bank, N.A. and each of its respective affiliates.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find real estate officers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any real estate officers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level real estate officers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your real estate officer job on Zippia to find and attract quality real estate officer candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as efinancialcareers, financialjobsweb.com, careerbank, financial job bank.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting real estate officers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   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 officer

   Once you have selected a candidate for the real estate officer position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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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