Home Loan Advisors: How to Become One
If you were to ask a group of home loan advisors about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.
That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for home loan advisors to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of home loan advisors expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.
Keep reading to learn more about career steps for home loan advisors.
What Education & Experience is Needed for Home Loan Advisors?
Do home loan advisors need a degree? What kind of experience do home loan advisors typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for home loan advisors to secure jobs.
Education Level Required in Job Postings for Home Loan Advisors
Jobs Postings for Home Loan Advisors By Education
- High School or GED: 2,925 (40%)
- Bachelor's degree: 2,087 (28%)
- No Education Listed: 2,008 (27%)
- Master's degree: 215 (3%)
- Ph.D. or professional degree: 89 (1%)
High School or GED is the level of education sought the most by employers of home loan advisors. According to job data, a High School diploma or GED was required for 40% of positions. In 28% of job listings a bachelor's degree was required and in 27% of postings no education level was listed.
Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Home Loan Advisors
Jobs Postings for Home Loan Advisors By Experience
- 0-1 Years: 1,157 (31%)
- 2-3 Years: 1,686 (45%)
- 4-6 Years: 736 (20%)
- 7-9 Years: 83 (2%)
- 10+ Years: 96 (3%)
While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for home loan advisors. In 45% of job postings for Home Loan Advisors, employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience. In 31% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 0-1 years of experience, while 4-6 years of experience was sought in 20% of job postings for home loan advisors.
What Kind of Degree Do Home Loan Advisors Need?
So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for home loan advisors, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?
According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 4 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective home loan advisors, and in 2023 a total of 56,869 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.
Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective home loan advisors.
Top Degree Programs for Home Loan Advisors
Top 5 Degree Programs for Home Loan Advisors (2023)
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Finance, General. | 50,779 |
| Financial Planning and Services. | 5,054 |
| Banking and Financial Support Services. | 1,034 |
| Credit Management. | 2 |
What Skills Do Home Loan Advisors Need?
Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by home loan advisors to secure a job?
A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for home loan advisors, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Home Loan Advisors
Based on 6,807 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Home Loan Advisors
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Loans | 3,217 | 47% |
| Mortgage Loans | 1,460 | 21% |
| Loan Servicing | 1,269 | 19% |
| Accounting | 1,041 | 15% |
| Financial Services | 967 | 14% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Home Loan Advisors
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Customer Service | 3,210 | 47% |
| Communication | 2,551 | 37% |
| Detail Oriented | 2,101 | 31% |
| Sales | 1,856 | 27% |
| Management | 1,802 | 26% |
Based on 6,807 job postings related to home loan advisors, loans was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 47% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for mortgage loans, loan servicing, accounting, financial services and finance were also highly sought.
As for common skills, customer service was the most desired skill found in job postings for home loan advisors, followed by communication, detail oriented, sales, management and collections.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Loans | 3,217 | 47% |
| Mortgage Loans | 1,460 | 21% |
| Loan Servicing | 1,269 | 19% |
| Accounting | 1,041 | 15% |
| Financial Services | 967 | 14% |
| Finance | 774 | 11% |
| Marketing | 713 | 10% |
| Auditing | 680 | 10% |
| Loan Documentation | 665 | 10% |
| Cross-Selling | 651 | 10% |
| Accounts Receivable | 586 | 9% |
| Product Knowledge | 577 | 8% |
| Underwriting | 576 | 8% |
| Consumer Lending | 575 | 8% |
| Call Center Experience | 537 | 8% |
| Billing | 522 | 8% |
| Lending Products | 508 | 7% |
| Truth In Lending Act | 507 | 7% |
| Financial Analysis | 499 | 7% |
| Commercial Lending | 491 | 7% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Customer Service | 3,210 | 47% |
| Communication | 2,551 | 37% |
| Detail Oriented | 2,101 | 31% |
| Sales | 1,856 | 27% |
| Management | 1,802 | 26% |
| Collections | 1,640 | 24% |
| Problem Solving | 1,457 | 21% |
| Operations | 1,366 | 20% |
| Writing | 1,284 | 19% |
| Verbal Communication Skills | 1,222 | 18% |
| Microsoft Office | 1,122 | 16% |
| Microsoft Excel | 1,114 | 16% |
| Research | 1,102 | 16% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 974 | 14% |
| Multitasking | 972 | 14% |
| Real Estate | 828 | 12% |
| Professionalism | 825 | 12% |
| Organizational Skills | 819 | 12% |
| Time Management | 714 | 10% |
| Computer Literacy | 691 | 10% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about home loan advisors? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for home loan advisors.
What do home loan advisors do?
How much do home loan advisors make?
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