Mortgage Loan Underwriter

About The Team

At Zillow Home Loans (ZHL), our Underwriting team is at the heart of delivering a best-in-class borrower experience. We’re a group of seasoned mortgage professionals who combine precision, integrity, and collaboration to ensure every loan we underwrite meets the highest standards of quality and compliance.

As part of the Operations organization, the Underwriting team partners closely with Processing, Funding, Quality Control, and Risk to deliver sound, salable loans that support Zillow’s mission of making home financing simpler and more transparent for our customers.

We operate in a fast-paced, high-volume environment where independent judgment and attention to detail matter. Every team member contributes to maintaining our reputation for accuracy and reliability while supporting a culture of continuous learning and professional growth.

Our underwriters are trusted decision-makers who bring deep product knowledge, certification-level expertise, and a commitment to doing the right thing for both the borrower and the business. If you’re passionate about quality, thrive on complex loan scenarios, and want to work alongside industry leaders who value your expertise, you’ll feel right at home on the ZHL Underwriting team.

About The Role

The role of the Underwriter is to conduct a thorough analysis of mortgage loan files to determine compliance with agency, company and investor guidelines to ensure salability of closed loans. Additional responsibilities include:

• Review resubmitted files and documents
• Make and issue independent and compliant loan decisions
• Enter information into Encompass LOS to document and validate the file
• Maintain company service level and turn-time standards
• Maintain confidentiality with private and sensitive information
• Respond to audits and post-closing issues on time
• Maintain working and specific knowledge of agency and investor guidelines and policies and regulatory and market changes
• Collaborate with processing staff on underwriting deficiencies and calculation errors and loan processors regarding acceptable credit documentation

This role has been categorized as a Remote position. “Remote” employees do not have a permanent corporate office workplace and, instead, work from a physical location of their choice, which must be identified to the Company. U.S. employees may live in any of the 50 United States, with limited exceptions.

In California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Washington state, and Washington DC the standard base pay range for this role is $41.30 - $65.90 hourly. This base pay range is specific to these locations and may not be applicable to other locations. In Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont the standard base pay range for this role is $39.20 - $62.60 hourly. The base pay range is specific to these locations and may not be applicable to other locations.

In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role are eligible for incentive compensation and equity awards. Actual amounts will vary depending on experience, performance and location.

Who you are

Candidates with active underwriting certifications (FHA DE and/or VA LAPP/SAR) are highly preferred and will receive strong consideration.

• A minimum of 5+ years of recent residential mortgage underwriting experience
• 6+ years mortgage industry experience
• Ability to Underwrite mortgage loan files for agency compliance and investor guidelines
• Experience reviewing and evaluating borrower profiles, including income documentation, personal and business tax returns, credit reports, preliminary title reports, and appraisals
• Ability to manage a large pipeline and effectively handle pressure and tight deadlines
• Strong analytical decision-making, problem-solving, prioritization of workload
• Ability to succeed in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment and maintain a high level of quality and production standards
• Strong verbal and written communication skills and able to develop and maintain professional relationships with peers and management
• Certifications highly preferred (FHA-CHUMS; VA-LAPP/SAR)
• Experience underwriting Jumbo loans preferred
• Experience with recent manual underwriting
• Experience in a medium to large size nonbank lender preferred
• Encompass experience preferred

Get to know us

At Zillow, we’re reimagining how people move—through the real estate market and through their careers. As the most-visited real estate platform in the U.S., we help customers navigate buying, selling, financing and renting with greater ease and confidence. Whether you're working in tech, sales, operations, or design, you’ll be part of a company that's reshaping an industry and helping more people make home a reality.

Zillow is honored to be recognized among the best workplaces in the country. Zillow was named one of FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For® in 2025, and included on the PEOPLE Companies That Care® 2025 list, reflecting our commitment to creating an innovative, inclusive, and engaging culture where employees are empowered to grow.

No matter where you sit in the organization, your work will help drive innovation, support our customers, and move the industry—and your career—forward, together.

Zillow Group is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive, innovative environment with the best employees. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please contact your recruiter directly.

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable state and local law. Los Angeles County applicants: Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisors, and staff; adhere to standards of excellence despite stressful conditions; communicate effectively and respectfully with employees, supervisors, and staff to ensure exceptional customer service; and follow all federal, state, and local laws and Company policies. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness and professionalism, and safeguard business operations and the Company’s reputation. Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Key skills/competency

• Mortgage Loan Underwriting
• Loan File Analysis
• Agency and Investor Guidelines Compliance
• Encompass LOS Experience
• FHA DE Certification
• VA LAPP/SAR Certification
• Jumbo Loan Underwriting
• Manual Underwriting
• Risk Assessment
• Decision Making