Loan officer careers in New York
A mortgage brokerage that sits under the same roof as a real estate team. Multiple wholesale lenders so you can place any file, Arive from day one, and realtors who need financing for their buyers sitting at the next desk. For licensed mortgage loan originators and those finishing their NMLS course.
The parts of the job a company can actually make easier
Multiple lenders
Shop every file across wholesale lenders instead of selling one bank's guidelines. A file one lender declines goes to another the same day.
Realtor referrals
LJ Realty Team's agents work under the same roof and their buyers need financing. You are introduced at the weekly meeting in your first week.
Arive LOS
Origination, pricing, disclosures and pipeline in one system, configured with you, not handed to you.
Processing support
A processing workflow built around purchase deadlines, and line-by-line reviews of your first submissions with the broker before underwriting.
Program depth
Conventional, FHA, VA, ARM, Bank Statement, DSCR, 1099, investor and commercial. The non-QM range that Queens, Brooklyn and Bronx borrowers require.
Licensing handled
NMLS sponsorship, continuing education through Mortgage Educators, and AML/BSA and cybersecurity training tracked in the portal.
Marketing and follow-up
Affordability and mortgage calculators on the company site to share with borrowers, team social channels, and scripts and a daily planner in the portal.
Eight states
Serve borrowers relocating or investing in New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Michigan and Indiana without referring them out.
Confidential compensation
Plans are shared in a one-on-one conversation and put in writing before you commit. We will walk you through a real file's math.
Through multiple wholesale lenders
Availability and terms vary by lender and borrower. This is the range LJ loan officers work with day to day.
FHA
1–4 units, primary residence.
Conventional
Primary or investment (personal name).
HomeReady & Home Possible
Conventional with 3% down for income under 80% of Area Median Income.
HomeOne
Freddie Mac 3% down, no income or area limits.
VA
Eligible veterans, active duty, Guard/Reserve and surviving spouses.
DSCR (No Income Check)
Investors qualify on the property's rental income, no tax returns.
Bank Statement
Self-employed: 12 or 24 months personal or business statements instead of tax returns.
Non-QM 1099
Contractors qualify on 90% of gross 1099 income, 2 years same employer.
ITIN
Tax ID holders without a Social Security number.
HELOC
Second-lien line of credit to 90% CLTV; interest-only draw period of 3, 5 or 10 years.
HELOAN
Fixed-rate second mortgage, 20 or 30 years, 75–90% CLTV, up to $500K.
Commercial
Office, retail, industrial, 5+ unit multifamily, mixed-use.
Fix & Flip
12-month rehab loans, $50K–$3M, up to 90% loan-to-cost and 75% after-repair value.
Ground-Up Construction
Builders and investors, 1–4 unit infill and spec homes.
Minimums are starting points; each lender's overlays apply. Full guidelines, kept current by the team: ljmortgageteam.com/loanprograms · Program guide for loan officers →
What you start with
Arive
Loan origination, pricing, disclosures and pipeline in one system, set up before your first day.
Multiple wholesale lenders
Shop every file across lenders instead of selling one bank's rate sheet.
Loan programs
Conventional, FHA, VA, ARM, Bank Statement, DSCR, 1099, investor and commercial.
Referral network
LJ Realty Team's agents work under the same roof and need financing for their buyers.
Agent Portal
Rates, calculators, guidelines, required-documents lists and scripts in one place.
Licensing support
NMLS sponsorship and continuing education through Mortgage Educators.
How to get your New York mortgage loan originator (MLO) license, step by step
Written for New Yorkers. Follows the example of Marcus, a 34-year-old from Valley Stream who left a bank teller job and was originating loans within four months. New York licenses MLOs through the Department of Financial Services (DFS) using the national NMLS system. Fees shown are ranges as of 2026 and change; confirm current amounts on NMLS and NY DFS before you pay. This is general information, not legal or licensing advice.
Create your NMLS account
Every MLO in the country is tracked in the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System. Create an individual account at nmlsconsumeraccess.org's partner site (mortgage.nationwidelicensingsystem.org) and request your unique NMLS ID. You will use this number for the rest of your career.
Complete the 20-hour SAFE pre-licensing course, with New York content
Federal law requires 20 hours of NMLS-approved pre-licensing education: 3 hours federal law, 3 hours ethics, 2 hours non-traditional mortgage products, and 12 elective hours. New York requires that the course include New York specific content, so choose a package labeled for New York (Mortgage Educators' New York all-in-one PE course is the one most LJ loan officers used). Live online classes run over two or three days; self-paced versions take one to two weeks.
Pass the SAFE MLO National Test
Schedule through NMLS at a Prometric center. The test is 120 questions, 190 minutes, 75% to pass, and includes the Uniform State Content section, so one exam covers New York. The test fee is roughly $100–$125. Most people study two to three weeks after the course. If you fail, you wait 30 days to retake.
Background check, credit report and fingerprints
Authorize an FBI criminal background check and a credit report inside NMLS. New York does not require a specific credit score, but unpaid judgments, tax liens or a recent bankruptcy will get questions from DFS, so be ready to explain them in writing. Fingerprints are scheduled through NMLS at an approved vendor.
Find a sponsoring mortgage company
A New York MLO license cannot be active without sponsorship from a DFS-licensed mortgage broker or banker. Ask any company you interview: which lenders do you work with, who processes files, what is the loan origination system, and where do referrals come from. LJ Mortgage Team is a licensed broker (NMLS 2120286) working with multiple wholesale lenders, and its loan officers sit in the same office as LJ Realty Team's agents.
Submit the New York MLO application (Form MU4)
File Form MU4 in NMLS, select New York, attach your course completion, test result, and disclosures. Pay the NMLS processing fee and the New York DFS application and investigation fees. New York also requires MLOs to be covered by a surety bond, which LJ Mortgage Team provides under its company bond. DFS reviews typically take two to six weeks depending on volume and whether they have questions.
Start originating
Once DFS approves and sponsorship is active, LJ sets you up in Arive, walks you through the lender guidelines we use most (FHA, Conventional, bank statement, DSCR), and introduces you at the weekly team meeting where realtor referrals start. Your first files are reviewed line by line before they go to underwriting.
Renew every year
MLO licenses renew annually between November 1 and December 31 through NMLS. New York requires 8 hours of NMLS-approved continuing education plus New York specific content each year, and you cannot take the same course two years in a row. LJ posts the approved CE, plus the anti-money-laundering and cybersecurity training we require, in the Agent Portal.
Compensation and any fee reimbursement are discussed one-on-one, in confidence.
Line up your sponsor now
The MU4 cannot go active without one. Twenty minutes with LJ and the sponsorship is ready when your test result posts.
Talk to LJHow onboarding actually goes
- Day 1. NMLS sponsorship filed, Outlook and Teams set up.
- Day 2. Arive configured with you: pipeline, templates, disclosures.
- Week 1. Programs and guidelines: FHA, Conventional, and the down-payment assistance programs we use most.
- Week 2. Introduced at the team meeting, added to the agent roster, first referrals start.
- Week 4. Your first submissions reviewed line by line before they go to underwriting.
Three steps, no pressure
Talk
Twenty confidential minutes with LJ. Lenders, programs, Arive and compensation, walked through on a real file.
Decide
Compensation and structure in writing before you commit. Nothing is shared with your current company.
Start
NMLS sponsorship filed, Arive configured with you, introduced at the team meeting, first files reviewed line by line.
Local pages for each market
Queens
LJ Mortgage Team (NMLS 2120286) is a Queens mortgage broker recruiting licensed loan officers and MLOs.
Loan officer jobs in Queens →Long Island
Loan officer careers on Long Island and Nassau County with LJ Mortgage Team, NMLS 2120286.
Loan officer jobs in Long Island →Brooklyn
Brooklyn loan officers: join LJ Mortgage Team, a licensed mortgage broker (NMLS 2120286) with multiple lenders, non-QM programs and realtor partners under one roof.
Loan officer jobs in Brooklyn →Bronx
LJ Mortgage Team (NMLS 2120286) is hiring loan officers serving the Bronx.
Loan officer jobs in Bronx →What agents and loan officers say
Real quotes from real people on the team. Placeholders are shown until they are collected.
[Placeholder — real agent quote goes here. Ask an agent who moved from another brokerage what changed for them.]Realtor, Queens
[Placeholder — real loan officer quote goes here. Ask about lender access and referral flow.]Loan Officer, Long Island
[Placeholder — real quote from a newly licensed agent about training and their first closing.]New agent, first year
Frequently asked
Is LJ Mortgage Team a broker or a lender?
A licensed mortgage broker, NMLS #2120286. We work with multiple wholesale lenders and place each file with the lender that fits the borrower.
How is loan officer compensation structured?
Compensation is discussed one-on-one in a confidential conversation and put in writing before you commit. It is not published on this site.
Which states can I originate in?
New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Michigan, Indiana, Georgia, Florida and Virginia.
What technology do you use?
Arive for origination, pricing, disclosures and pipeline, configured with you before your first file. Rates, calculators, guidelines and required-document lists live in the Agent Portal.
Do I need to be licensed already?
Licensed originators can start right away under LJ's sponsorship. If you are not yet licensed we will point you to the 20-hour SAFE course through Mortgage Educators and sponsor you when you pass.
Resources for loan officers
Every Loan Program a LJ Mortgage Team Loan Officer Can Offer
The 14 loan programs LJ Mortgage Team loan officers place through wholesale lenders: FHA, Conventional, HomeReady, VA, DSCR, bank statement, 1099, ITIN, HELOC, commercial and construction, with minimum credit, down payment and DTI for each.
Read →How to Get a Mortgage Loan Originator (MLO) License in New York
Step-by-step guide to the New York MLO license: NMLS account, 20-hour SAFE course with NY content, the national test, background and credit checks, sponsorship, Form MU4, fees, timeline and a Long Island example.
Read →Mortgage Broker vs. Mortgage Banker: What It Means for a Loan Officer
For loan officers deciding where to work: how brokers and bankers differ in lender access, product range, pricing, compensation, licensing and day-to-day workflow.
Read →How Mortgage Loan Officers Generate Realtor Referrals
Practical ways for mortgage loan officers to build a referral network with real estate agents: speed, communication, program knowledge, and working where the agents are.
Read →How to Choose a Mortgage Company as a Loan Officer
The questions loan officers should ask before joining a mortgage broker or lender: lender access, LOS, processing, compensation, licensing support and referral sources.
Read →Request a confidential conversation
Twenty minutes with LJ. We will walk through lenders, programs, Arive and compensation on a real file. Nothing is shared with your current company.
You already know how we talk. This is the same team.
The videos are Lucky and the LJ agents, filmed in the South Ozone Park office and on Queens and Long Island streets, no script and no agency. Follow along, then come meet the people in them.