A Loan Officer, or Mortgage Loan Officer, is responsible for helping customers research loans and navigate the application, approval and closing process. Their duties include recommending commercial and personal loan options to clients and explaining their terms, determining risks for loaning to clients based on their credit and processing paperwork.
A Loan Officer should be able to fulfill various duties and responsibilities. The following are some duties and responsibilities a Loan Officer should be able to execute:
- Oversees the staff that does the paperwork for mortgage applications
- Verifies the information provided on applications to obtain more information if missing data or mistakes are present
- Communicates with customers to help them choose the best mortgage loan they can afford
- Collects data from customers, such as their assets, salaries, debts and employment status
- Reviews file documentation for missing or erroneous information
- Verifies information about applicant history with credit bureaus and other agencies so the lender can approve or deny the loan
A competitive Loan Officer will have certain skills and qualifications, including:
- Experience with mortgage loan software programs
- Communication skills
- Supervision skills to direct junior staff
- Sales skills to sell loan-processing services to customers
- Excellent organizational and time management skills
- Knowledge of federal, state and local levels of loan processing laws and regulations and ability to communicate these laws in a non-technical and conversational manner to others
