Weekly Real Estate News
Summary
MBA and FirstHome IQ launched MBA Homebase for loan officers across lending channels, with annual registration listed at $150 for members and $300 for nonmembers, plus education and coaching.
The Mortgage Bankers Association is launching a professional-development program aimed directly at loan officers, including originators whose employers do not belong to the trade group.
MBA Homebase was announced Monday at the association’s annual convention in Chicago in partnership with FirstHome IQ, according to HousingWire’s account of the launch. It combines continuing education, coaching, professional connections and access to industry advocacy. The announcement does not establish a new licensing requirement.
The program is open across mortgage lending channels regardless of employer membership in MBA. That is a departure from the trade group’s traditional institutional focus and could give individual producers a more direct relationship with its training and policy work.
Four education providers were named: Diehl Education, Knowledge Coop, Lockedin Learning and MLO Force. The program also promises monthly coaching and weekly business-development communications. MBA’s official registration page lists a $150 annual member price and a $300 nonmember price, with an eight-hour NMLS continuing education course from MLO Force, monthly coaching and FirstHome IQ Trust Certified enrollment. State-by-state course availability and licensing applicability should still be verified before enrollment. Loan officers should verify those details before counting on Homebase to meet licensing deadlines.
Owen Lee, chief executive of Success Mortgage Partners and MBA’s incoming 2027 chairman, is leading the initiative. FirstHome IQ executive director Kristin Messerli said the partnership is intended to connect consumer education with professionals who can guide homebuyers through financing decisions.
FirstHome IQ’s official website describes a nonprofit focused on homeownership education, research and advocacy. The organization says more than 160 ambassadors participate in educational work. That is a broader program figure, not a reported Homebase enrollment count.
The new platform also offers a Trust Certification from FirstHome IQ. This is a private credential, not a state mortgage license or government endorsement. Its practical value will depend on the curriculum, assessment and recognition among borrowers and employers.
For working originators, the initiative’s usefulness will depend on cost, course quality and whether coaching improves professional performance. MBA and FirstHome IQ have not published an independent outcomes study or a verified participation figure for the newly announced platform.
The program arrives as loan officers contend with elevated rates and a slower housing market. WRE News recently reported on tighter September mortgage credit availability. Education can help originators explain financing choices, but it cannot eliminate borrowing costs or substitute for lender compliance obligations.
Homebase’s reach beyond MBA-member companies is the clearest change announced Monday. Its impact will become easier to judge as enrollment and participation figures emerge and originators evaluate the training against their licensing and business needs.
