Real Estate Agents: Get Licensed to Originate Loans
Already helping clients with financing? Get licensed to originate. We sponsor your license, mentor your first files, and you keep your real estate work.
If you have ever chased a lender for a status update, gathered a client's pay stubs, or talked a buyer through why their debt-to-income ratio was a problem, you have already been doing part of a loan officer's job. You just have not been paid for it.
That is not a policy choice anyone can waive. Being paid to take a loan application or to offer or negotiate loan terms requires a mortgage loan originator license under the federal SAFE Act. And RESPA prohibits paying anyone a fee for referring a client to a lender. So an agent without that license cannot be paid for the loan side of a deal, however much of the work they do.
The fix is a license, and it is more attainable than most agents assume.
What we offer
- We sponsor your license. A loan officer license has to be sponsored by a licensed mortgage company. We are that company.
- We reimburse your education. The cost of your pre-licensing courses and test prep is reimbursed at the time of your first closing with us.
- A senior loan officer works your first files with you. You are not learning on your clients' money alone.
- You keep your real estate business. Getting licensed to originate does not mean giving up your license or your clients.
What getting licensed involves
The requirements come from the SAFE Act and from each state. In broad strokes:
- Create an NMLS account. NMLS is the national licensing system every state uses.
- Complete pre-licensing education. The federal minimum is 20 hours from an NMLS-approved provider: 3 hours of federal law, 3 of ethics, 2 on nontraditional mortgage lending, and 12 of electives. Some states add hours of their own.
- Pass the SAFE MLO test. It is a national exam with a uniform state component.
- Clear a background check and a credit report through NMLS, including fingerprints.
- Get sponsored by a licensed company, and apply in each state where you want to originate.
In California, real estate licensees typically originate under their DRE license with a mortgage loan originator endorsement, which runs through the same NMLS education, testing, and background steps.
We are licensed in California, Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Your own license is individual and state by state, and we will help you add the states that match where your clients buy.
Wearing both hats
Holding both licenses lets you be paid for the loan work you are licensed to do. Acting as a client's agent and their loan officer on the same transaction comes with disclosure requirements, and some lenders have their own policies about it. We walk through how that works in your state before your first file, not after.
National Realty Group and National One Mortgage share ownership. If you are with National Realty Group, referrals between the two companies carry an affiliated business disclosure, and we will show you what it is and when it is given.
Start the conversation
Tell us your state, how long you have been licensed in real estate, and how much loan work you are already doing for your clients. We will tell you honestly what the path looks like from where you are.
FAQ
Can I keep selling real estate? Yes. Many loan officers with us also hold a real estate license. You keep your real estate business and add the ability to originate.
Can I be paid now for helping my clients with their loans? No. Until you hold a loan originator license, you cannot be paid for loan work or for referring a client to a lender. That is federal law, not our policy. Getting licensed is what changes it.
Who pays for the education? You pay for your pre-licensing courses and test prep up front, and we reimburse that cost at the time of your first closing with us.
How long does it take? The 20 hours of education can be done in a few weeks. After that it depends on scheduling the exam and how quickly your state processes the application.
Will I be on my own once I am licensed? No. A senior loan officer works your first files with you, so you learn on real transactions with someone checking the work.
An inquiry is not an offer of employment or an independent-contractor engagement. Any opportunity, compensation, reimbursement, terms, and licensing requirements are determined separately and in writing. National One Mortgage Corp is an equal opportunity employer.
This page describes general licensing requirements and is not legal advice. Requirements vary by state and change; confirm current requirements with NMLS and your state regulator.