Loan officer
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Definition
A loan officer is an individual who takes mortgage applications or offers or negotiates mortgage terms for a lender or broker. Many such individuals are licensed or registered through NMLS.
In plain English
The person a borrower talks to about getting a mortgage is often a loan officer. That person works for a lender or a broker and handles the application conversation. A mortgage broker is a firm or role that connects borrowers to lenders. The officer is the individual. This page does not state every license type.
Technical definition
NMLS official materials identify individual mortgage professionals in the licensing system. That identifier system is the PRIMARY consumer-facing identity for this role.
Why it matters
NMLS Consumer Access searches are often for a named loan officer, not only for a company.
Related terms
Sources reviewed
About NMLS
Source reviewedSeptember 4, 2026
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