The best mortgage continuing education courses are those that offer both online and classroom training sessions, certify students in multiple regions, and remain current in their compliance with both national and local mortgage laws. These types of courses are generally offered at local colleges and through online correspondence. Most college programs, however, tend only to certify for the local region in which they are located and are not a viable source of education for employees working for companies that operate across regional boundary lines.
Mortgage continuing education classes are typically designed for professionals who are already employed in the real estate market. Attendees tend to include mortgage brokers, loan officers, and some real estate agents who wish to stay current on new and developing mortgage and home loan processes. Students may wish to begin searching for the right program for them by reviewing when and how often classes are offered. Since the majority of those signing up for such courses must also work at full time careers, many programs offer online study options that allow participants to view lectures and take tests at their leisure to facilitate these tight schedules. Online courses are often combined with classroom meetings as well, in order to serve a wide variety of learning needs.
Brokers and loan officers also should verify that the mortgage continuing education courses in which they are interested are accredited in the local region in which they wish to practice business. Laws regarding the buying and selling of property are typically determined by the region in which the sales occur. Courses for which students may receive official credits are generally tailored to the specific area in which they will be working. Some training programs offer general mortgage courses, but these are often considered background information to the more intensive classes and do not include a certification test at the culmination of the study.
Some training programs that offer mortgage continuing education classes guarantee that they are compliant with national and local mortgage regulations. This type of compliance training is often the best solution for large businesses that need to certify multiple employees at once. Compliance means that the training module is current on all newly released national guidelines, and can supplement with relevant local law changes as well. For example, an employee who must become certified in the mortgage practices of multiple regions could take one standard-length course and several shorter, modified additional courses in a compliance program. This would save the company the cost of sending the employee to multiple lengthy single courses that cover similar materials through other training programs.