Notice of SAFE Act Approved Course Instructor Qualifications and Skills
Requirements
Purpose
The purpose of this notice is to assist NMLS approved course providers to understand the
minimum qualifications expected for course instructors.
Background and Reason for the Notice
The Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing Act of 2008 (SAFE Act) requires that
state-licensed mortgage loan originators (MLOs) complete pre-licensure and annual continuing
education. While NMLS approved courses providers and their courses in accordance with the
SAFE Act, it does not approve individual instructors. However, there are minimal qualifications
NMLS expects instructors to possess in order to teach approved courses. To avoid having their
approval status suspended or removed, approved course providers are required to ensure their
instructors meet the following qualifications.
Instructor Qualifications and Expectations
Professional Requirements: Instructors must demonstrate through experience, credentials
and/or other means that he/she is a subject matter expert in or more areas of mortgage loan
origination laws and practices, to include, but not limited to:
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Federal laws and regulations
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State laws and regulations (for one or more state and/or agencies; and
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General mortgage origination knowledge and practices.
Detailed requirements for instructors from various segments of the mortgage industry are as
follows:
Industry Professional: It is expected that instructors will have at least five (5) years of
professional experience in the industry in a position (or positions) that bears directly on
mortgage loan origination practices including but not limited to origination, underwriting,
secondary marketing, operations compliance, quality control, and/or comparable
positions.
Federal/State Regulator: It is expected that regulatory instructors (state or federal) must
have at least three (3) years of responsible experience in a regulatory position (or
positions) including the conduct or supervision of mortgage company examinations
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(brokers and/or lenders), consumer complaint investigation and resolution, or mortgage
legal affairs.
Associated Mortgage GSE Professional: It is expected that instructors formerly or
currently associated with Mortgage GSEs must have a minimum of three (3) years of
responsible experience in a position that is comparable to either the industry professional
or regulator position described above.
College Degree: It is preferred but not required that an instructor have a BA/BS degree
from a regionally accredited institution and/or equivalent experience and credentials.
Background Checks: Instructors must also meet the minimum requirements for a
criminal background check as described in the SAFE Act (see Sec 1505(b)(1-3)).
In addition to the above technical qualifications, instructors are to also possess the following
skills:
Interpersonal Skills: Instructors are to possess excellent interpersonal skills that foster
relationships and team building. Instructors should able be able to work appropriately
with diverse groups of people.
Communication Skills: Instructors must be able to use language, including industry
terminology, confidently and appropriately.
Teaching Skills: Instructors are required to possess the ability to share information oneto-one and/or one-to-many. Additionally, an instructor is required to be able to master
information, plan and lead classes, and collect and use information from a diverse set of
resources. Instructors need to be able to distill complex information and/or concepts in
such a manner that students can master the information.
Organizational Skills: Instructors need to be able to set goals (generally in the form of
learning objectives), plan activities, establish priorities, and manage time and people.
Inquires or Concerns Regarding Instructor Qualifications
Question regarding instructor qualifications should be submitted via e-mail to Richard Madison,
Sr. Director, Mortgage Education (rmadison@csbs.org). Always be sure to include as much
information as possible when making any inquiry.
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