Let’s be honest, hiring a loan officer who lasts longer than a houseplant is more complicated than it sounds. You post the job, and you get 200 resumes, but half aren’t licensed. A quarter ghost you after the first interview. And the one you pick? Quits after closing two deals. Sound familiar? That’s why you are here.
You don’t need a loan officer, but you need the right one. Someone who shows up ready to work, knows how to talk to clients without sounding like a textbook, and actually enjoys the chase of a tough deal. Someone who doesn’t need six months of hand-holding, and that’s not magic.
Define Your Ideal Loan Officer Profile
Before you even think about posting a job, grab a pen. Write down exactly what perfect looks like for your team. Not 5 years of experience. That’s lazy.
Think:
- Do they need to be a killer at FHA loans?
- Are they walking into a team that’s all remote?
- Do they need to already know Encompass or Calyx?
Are you in a high-volume market? Then you need someone who succeeds under pressure, not someone who needs naps between closings. The tighter your profile, the less time you waste on candidates. And trust us, you will thank yourself later.
Discover insights in this related post that could change your thinking.
Source High-Potential Candidates Strategically
If you are still relying on Indeed or ZipRecruiter to find your next top closer, you are fishing in a kiddie pool. Top loan officers? They are not scrolling job boards. They are not updating their LinkedIn every Tuesday. Many aren’t even looking; they are too busy hitting quota. Is loan officer recruiting difficult now? That is where CallingAgency comes in. They don’t wait for them to find you, but go knock on their digital door.
Cold calls that don’t sound like telemarketers. LinkedIn messages that get replies because they’re personal, not copy-paste. Emails that feel like a real conversation, not spam. They built a machine that finds the quiet killers, the ones who close 30 loans a month but don’t brag about it online. The ones who are licensed, compliant, and ready to jump ship for the right opportunity.
Where to find loan officers
You won’t find gold in the same old places everyone else is digging. Here is where the real talent hides:
LinkedIn (the right way): Not just searching for a loan officer. You can use Sales Navigator to filter by license type, production volume, and years in specific markets. You can message them like humans, not HR bots.
Cold Calling (yes, still works): But only if you are calling people who have already been pre-qualified. No dialing blind, but verify licenses first, then we talk.
Email Campaigns That Don’t Suck: Short subject lines. No “Dear Sir/Madam.” Just straight talk: “Hey, saw you closed 42 loans last quarter. We have got a team that will let you do 60.”
How to Hire a Top-Performing Loan Officer
Here’s how we do it, with you in the driver’s seat:
Step 1: The Real Talk Chat
You can hop on a call, not a sales pitch, like a real conversation. What is your biggest hiring headache? What blew up the last time you hired? What does your dream loan officer actually do all day? Write notes.
Step 2: Build Your Custom Plan
No two lenders are the same. Maybe you need someone in Texas who knows VA loans. Maybe you are scaling a remote team in three states. You can build the plan around your timeline, your market, and your quirks.
Step 3: Hunt & Gather
- Tap your network.
- Scour your database.
- Hit LinkedIn.
- Make calls.
All with one goal: find people who match the profile you built in Step 1. Licensed and experienced, not just available but interested.
Step 4: The Real Screening
This ain’t resume roulette. You need to check NMLS numbers. Call past managers. Ask for production reports, such as, We want to know,
- How many loans did you actually close?
- What was your fallout rate?
- Do clients call you back?
Step 5: You Get the Shortlist
No stacks of resumes. Just 3-5 profiles, with license info, production history, and why we think they will fit your team. You pick who to talk to. We set up the interviews. No chasing. No ghosting.
Step 6: They Start. You Stick Around.
Hiring isn’t a one-time event. If someone is struggling in week two, you need to stay engaged. Need to adjust the compensation plan? You are here to help. You don’t disappear after the handshake.
Skills to look for in a great loan officer
Forget about the cliché of being a good communicator, as that’s something you will find on every resume. Instead, focus on these qualities:
- Licensed & Locked In: NMLS active. No compliance flags. State-specific certs? Already handled.
- Closes When It’s Ugly: Appraisal came in low? Rate locked too early? They don’t panic. They problem-solve.
- Talks Money Without Making People Sweat: Can explain DTI to a college grad and a retiree, in plain English.
- Owns Their Pipeline: Doesn’t wait for marketing to feed them leads. Knows how to farm, follow up, and ask for referrals.
- Tech Doesn’t Scare Them: Can navigate your LOS, update the CRM, and e-sign docs without calling IT.
How to Check Loan Officer Production
Ask for:
- Last 6 Months of Production
- Actual loan count
- Average loan size
- Total volume (Now I closed a lot.)
- References Who’ll Tell the Truth
- Their last boss
- Their processor
- Their manager (Not their best friend.)
- Client Stories
- Tell me about a time you saved a deal that was falling apart.
- Real examples: rehearsed answers
- Why They Left Their Last Job
- If they badmouth their old team → Red flag
- If they say I outgrew it → Positive sign
Conclusion
Hiring a loan officer who lasts? Who crushes quota? Who fits your team like a glove? That’s not luck. That’s CallingAgency specialty. They don’t fill seats. They fill them with people who will make you money, make your clients happy, and make your life easier. No fluff. No filler. Just licensed, pre-vetted, ready-to-go pros who know how to close.
FAQs
Do loan officers need special certifications?
Absolutely. No way around it. NMLS license is table stakes. Each state’s got its own extra hoops, too. You can’t even think about a candidate until you double-check their license is clean, active, and matches your state’s rules. No exceptions.
What qualities should I look for in a loan officer?
Beyond the license? Look for grit. Someone who doesn’t melt when a deal goes sideways. Someone who follows up even when it’s boring. Someone clients actually like talking to. And yeah, someone who’s hungry. This job rewards hustle. If they’re in it for the 9-to-5, they won’t last.
How do I determine if a loan officer is a top performer?
Ignore the resume. Look at the results.
Ask:
- How many loans did they close last month? Last quarter?
- What’s their average loan size?
- How many deals fell through, and why?
- Do they bring their own clients? Or rely on handwritten leads?
Top performers? They will tell you the numbers, and they will own the misses. The rest? They will give you vague answers and blame the market.
Should I offer commission or a salary for loan officers?
Most top performers prefer a commission-heavy approach. A combination of base salary plus bonuses is often ideal. For example, offering a $50K base with uncapped upside can be very appealing. If you cap their earnings, they might look elsewhere. Design your compensation so that when they succeed, you succeed even more. Always make sure the incentives are aligned.
What’s the average salary of a loan officer?
Base pay might be around $50K to $80K, but the total compensation can be much higher. Top closers are earning between $150K and $300K+, and some even reach half a million if they are in a dynamic market and know how to make the most of it. Remember, pay for performance, there’s no cap. The most successful ones earn every penny they deserve.
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