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How a multi-state lender hired 48 licensed loan officers on commission only, and kept them.
Skillfi built a licensed talent pipeline, turned commission-only into a selling point and designed a 30-day onboarding module that nearly doubled 90-day retention.
Plenty of loans to win. Nobody licensed to close them.
Rate swings had pushed experienced loan officers out of the industry, and every lender in the region was chasing the same shrinking pool of licensed talent. Our client had the volume to grow across four states, but couldn't hire fast enough to capture it.
Every role was 100% commission-only. Most candidates dropped out after the first call, branch managers recruited in their spare time, and new hires who did join had no structured path to their first close. More than half were gone within 90 days.
We could close the loans. We just couldn't hire anyone fast enough, or keep them long enough, to close them.
VP of Retail Lending, client
Treat commission-only as the offer, not the obstacle.
Instead of chasing more applicants, we focused on the right ones: licensed, self-motivated producers who want uncapped earnings. Then we made sure every new hire had a clear path to their first paycheck.
A licensed-only talent pipeline
We sourced loan officers from NMLS registry and state licence data, then reached producing LOs at competing lenders through LinkedIn and email sequences.
Commission-only, sold properly
We rebuilt the pitch around real earning scenarios, flexibility and support, and screened for self-starters before the first interview.
A 30-day onboarding module
Every hire followed the same week-by-week program to their first funded loan, with a mentor and clear 30/60/90-day milestones.
Six months, month by month
From an empty pipeline to a licensed sales team that stays. Here's how the engagement unfolded.
- Month 1Profile defined
Discovery & hiring profile
We studied the lender's top producers, comp plan and markets to define exactly who to hire and how to pitch them.
- Month 1–21,400 candidates
Licensed pipeline built
NMLS and state licence sourcing, plus LinkedIn and email outreach to producing LOs at competing lenders.
- Month 29 LOs hired
First cohort hired
A fast, structured interview process replaced ad hoc branch recruiting. The first licensed LOs started within three weeks.
- Month 38 hires / month
Onboarding module launched
Every new hire moved into the 30-day program, with a mentor and a weekly check-in from day one.
- Month 4–53,200+ in pipeline
Scaled across four states
Multi-state licensed LOs and bilingual originators were added to support the lender's expansion markets.
- Month 678% retained
Retention proven
Three full cohorts passed the 90-day mark. Retention had nearly doubled and new LOs were closing in half the time.
30 days from licence to first funded loan
Commission-only loan officers quit when the first paycheck feels too far away. The module was built to shorten that gap, one week at a time.
Licensing & compliance
- NMLS sponsorship & state transfers
- Compliance & fair lending training
- Run in parallel, so no one waits
Systems & products
- CRM & loan origination system
- Pricing engine walkthroughs
- Full product menu & guidelines
Lead generation playbook
- Realtor partnership outreach
- Past-client & sphere campaigns
- Daily activity targets
Mentor & live deals
- Paired with a top producer
- Shadow live files to closing
- First applications taken solo
What changed in six months
90-day retention of new loan officers
Share of new hires still active 90 days after their start date.
We went from begging for applicants to choosing between licensed candidates. And for the first time, new hires are still here at day 90.
Head of People, clientHiring commission-only talent that won't stay?
We'll look at your hiring targets, comp model and current retention, then show you how we'd build the same engine for your team.
- A licensed talent pipeline for your markets
- A recruiting pitch that sells commission-only
- A custom onboarding module for your products
- Ramp & retention tracking for managers
30 minutes. No obligation.
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