From loan officers in training to 20-year veterans, every mortgage loan professional should take strides to maintain their industry knowledge. Fortunately, there are countless mortgage broker books available to help loan officers hone their skills and boost their business. Books on mortgage lending can even help officers navigate unforeseen circumstances, like a major global pandemic.
If you’re on the hunt for loan officer books, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve gathered the 6 best books for mortgage loan officers in one convenient location, so you can get straight to reading — not researching. Here are the loan officer training books every professional should read in 2022.
9 Best Books for Mortgage Loan Officers in 2022
When it comes to mortgage loan originator books (often abbreviated as MLO books), no two knowledge sources are the same. So, consider this best-of list as a mortgage loan officer success guide to every facet of the industry, broken down as the best of MLO books.
1. Best Book for New Mortgage Loan Officers
For the best book for new mortgage loan officers, we selected Be the Better Broker, Volume 1: Become a Top Producer: A Study of Mortgage Agents, Originators & Loan Officers. Author Dustan Woodhouse is a four-time author and industry leader who holds the title of President at Mortgage Architects, a nationwide group of more than 1,500 mortgage professionals.
In 2017, Woodhouse beat out nearly 20,000 Canada-based mortgage brokers to earn the national title of “Broker of the Year” before stepping into the world of mortgage loan professional coaching. As one of the best books on mortgage lending for beginners, Be the Better Broker, Volume 1 is a three-part series in which Woodhouse illustrates the various habits, skills, and professional traits that incoming professionals require before even becoming licensed.
Of all loan officer training books, Woodhouse’s take provides the most action items for mortgage industry novices to best establish their growing lending business, including core principles of communication and technology. Of course, the life of a loan officer isn’t easy. However, Woodhouse’s practices can help set you up for success when your business is just getting started.
Jungo Pro Tip: Check out Jungo’s Top Five Secrets to Succeed as a Loan Originator to read about a few extra tips for beginners!
2. Best Book for Loan Officer Self-Improvement
For those researching the best books for mortgage loan officers to focus on self-improvement, the Mortgage Loan Officer Success Guide is the way to go. Author Micheal Zuren boasts 27 years of industry experience and has held a wide range of positions, including loan officer, marketing coordinator, and sales trainer, contributing to his holistic self-improvement approach.
Zuren’s spin on a traditional loan officer training book provides robust guidance for setting realistic and attainable mortgage goals to work towards a successful loan officer career. The Mortgage Loan Officer Success Guide also covers general industry basics, including how to build a rapport with clients and the steps to seek out a qualified employer.
Though it might seem like one of those mortgage broker books for beginners, Zuren taps into topics such as campaign marketing to provide loan officers with the essential skills they’ll need to increase lead conversion and grow a business. Whether you’re a novice or an expert, these tips can help craft a profitable and positive business that loan officers can feel confident about.
3. Best Book For Increasing Productivity
Does it seem that somehow your life is only about your ability to perform on the job?
For too long, you’ve likely bought into the idea that the business you do and the life you lead are completely separate. What Todd Duncan has learned in his twenty-two years of sales is the polar opposite: When you discover how to connect who you are and what you are about in your selling career, the results will be phenomenal and long-lasting.
In his New York Times Best Seller book High Trust Selling, Duncan addresses practical principles that open the door to a new way of thinking and life – no matter the industry.
“Long-term sales success happens when high trust exists―when you are a trustworthy salesperson running a trustworthy sales business, and when it’s clear to your clients that you are a person of integrity who will not only do what you say but who also has the means to deliver.” ―Todd Duncan
The 14 Laws of High Trust Selling help people supercharge productivity and take control of their lives. High Trust Selling includes insights, illustrations, and practical advice to help you grow your business, and yourself.
4. Best Book For Enhancing Your Mortgage Future
Dave Savage’s drive to help more people understand the debt they were taking on led him to write his book, The Mortgage Planners Handbook.
The Mortgage Planners Handbook addresses unleashing the power of mortgage planning to build high levels of residual income. Plus, learn how to build trusted relationships. When you shift from being an application taker to an advice-based mortgage planner, you no longer hope the phone constantly rings with new leads. Instead, you have the control over your future business because of the value you deliver.
Along with his book, Savage’s once simple calculator has become one of the most robust tools in the industry: Mortgage Coach. To date, Mortgage Coach has helped serve over a million families annually.
5. Best Book For Thriving During the Digital Shift
Through the ups and downs of the market in the last 2 decades, Geoff Zimpfer has taken away that digital initiatives, or lack thereof, will make or break your business. In 2020 he then compiled all this knowledge into his book, Disrupt or Die | How to Survive and Thrive the Digital Real Estate Shift.
Zimpfer is a national sales trainer and coach, helping other lenders, brokers, and agents navigate the mind field of digital marketing. Disrupt or Die | How to Survive and Thrive the Digital Real Estate Shift addresses six winning lead generation strategies, how to disrupt proof your business and remain relevant, and more.
“If you’re going to survive and thrive through the digital shift, you need to understand how we got here and what you can do now to remain relevant,” Zimpfer said. “I want to help you to make the shift to become a modern mortgage or real estate professional!
If you want to remain relevant, have a thriving business and differentiate yourself from the rest of the pack, consider reading Disrupt or Die | How to Survive and Thrive the Digital Real Estate Shift and apply its principles.
6. Best Book For Navigating the “New Normal”
Though not always lumped into books on mortgage lending, New York Times best-seller Post Corona: From Crisis to Opportunity is an excellent resource for any professional looking to best navigate the post-pandemic world. In Post Corona, author Scott Galloway provides an honest discussion of the positive and negative impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
As professionals who are part of the real estate and mortgage loan industry, you’ve seen the overwhelming influence COVID-19 has had on the housing market. Galloway’s post-pandemic discussion can be used to build a better picture of your current loan officer’s business outlook and implement changes to help you adapt to these unprecedented times.
Also a tech entrepreneur, NYU Business School Professor, and one of the World’s 50 Best Business School Professors, Galloway established his own podcast guiding business professionals on all sorts of post-pandemic best practices. These best practices are mirrored in Post Corona: From Crisis to Opportunity, even advertising practices that suit the new normal.
7. Best Book for Passing the Mortgage Loan Originator Test
One of the first (and most necessary) steps to beginning a mortgage loan officer career is passing the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System & Registry SAFE Exam. Pass the Mortgage Loan Originator Test: A Study Guide for the NMLS SAFE Exam is the go-to exam prep guide for those looking to pass their test on their first attempt. Created by the Real Estate Institute, this leading real estate education provider has helped license more than 100,000 professionals worldwide.
Pass the Mortgage Loan Originator Test: A Study Guide for the NMLS SAFE Exam clearly and concisely offers guidance on the most recent NMLS standards, including, but not limited to, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) and the FTC Red Flags Rule. This loan officer training book also provides multiple practice exams to give upcoming professionals a taste of what to expect once they reach the exam room.
8. Best Book to Learn How to Market Your Mortgage Firm
After you’ve passed your mortgage loan originator test and are working hard to build your career, you will need to know the ins and outs of marketing your mortgage business. The Mortgage Marketing Manifesto: Unlocking the Holy Grail of Mortgage Lead Generation is your go-to guide for increasing lead generation and overall return on investment (ROI).
Author Andre Pawlak boasts more than ten years of sales and digital marketing experience and is viewed as a pioneer in conversion optimization for mortgage and real estate marketing. In The Mortgage Marketing Manifesto: Unlocking the Holy Grail of Mortgage Lead Generation, Pawlak guides individual loan officers and small to medium-sized mortgage businesses to success via numerous marketing secrets and techniques.
This book on mortgage lending marketing offers professional resources, such as scripts to increase referral businesses and guidance on gaining more business through successful realtors. Pawlak also provides a full breakdown of digital marketing strategies, including a list of a mortgage website’s most critical components and strategies for gaining consistent leads through social media.
Jungo Pro Tip #2: Check out Jungo’s The Art of Social Media for Loan Officers to learn social media basics and all the tips and tricks you need to grow your mortgage business through social media!
9. Best Book to Learn How to Earn More Referrals
An overall successful mortgage loan officer operation is commonly attributed to a professional’s ability to routinely acquire customer referrals. To increase these referral rates, The Loan Officer Revolution looks at the changing dynamic of the loan officer and realtor relationship and the best practices professionals should take to increase their referral rates.
Belonging to the top 1% of mortgage loan originators in the U.S since the 1990s, author Rick Elmendorf shares his numerous strategies for building healthy real estate industry relationships that fuel personal business growth. It’s no surprise that as the nation’s top loan originators, Elmendorf has written one of the top mortgage loan originator books for new officers and veteran officers alike.
This valuable MLO book outlines numerous referral best practices ranging from simple customer file management techniques to in-depth engagement practices that help loan officers organize and implement their referral campaigns. Tying in Elmendorf’s referral campaign best practices can help mortgage loan officers automate their referrals for increased success.
Continue Learning with Jungo
With this collection of the best books for mortgage loan officers in 2022, loan officers have everything they need to take their upcoming or pre-existing mortgage loan officer business to the next level.
As you work your way through these mortgage broker books, be sure to check out Jungo’s blog for a wide variety of relevant mortgage conversations and best practices to elevate your industry knowledge! Plus, strengthen your referrals and relationships by passing on the books that help you the most to others in your circle.
