Housing counselor

Reviews your full picture — income, credit, savings, goals — and builds a plan to get you ready, including which programs and education courses fit.

Works for

You. HUD-approved agencies are held to counseling standards and conflict-of-interest rules.

Paid by

Usually free to you — agencies are funded by HUD grants, states, and nonprofits.

When you need them

First, and any time you feel stuck. Earlier is better: 1–2 years out is normal, not late.

Worth asking at the first conversation

• Are you HUD-approved, and is pre-purchase counseling free?
• Which homebuyer education course do you offer, and does its certificate satisfy the programs I'm looking at?
• Can you help me build a credit and savings plan with dates on it?

The only person on this list whose entire job is your readiness, with no transaction to close.

Find a counselor near you →

Real estate agent (buyer's agent)

Finds homes, arranges showings, advises on offers, negotiates, and steers the contract through inspection and closing.

Works for

Depends on the agreement you sign — a buyer's agent represents you; a seller's agent represents the seller; dual agency limits what either can do for you. Ask which one you are talking to, every time.

Paid by

Commission at closing. Since 2024, buyer-agent compensation is negotiated in your written agreement rather than assumed — read it before signing.

When you need them

Once you know your budget — after pre-approval is ideal, so your search matches your real numbers.

Worth asking at the first conversation

• Will you represent me as a buyer's agent in writing?
• What happens if I want a home where you also represent the seller?
• How many buyers have you closed with down-payment assistance programs?

That last question matters: some agents discourage assistance programs because the paperwork slows their closing. Yours should welcome it.

Lender / loan officer

Qualifies you for a mortgage, quotes rates and costs, and moves your application through underwriting to closing.

Works for

Their institution. A good loan officer helps you genuinely, but the duty of loyalty runs to the lender.

Paid by

Loan fees and the lender's margin — costs that appear, itemized, on your Loan Estimate.

When you need them

Once your credit and savings are roughly in place — and talk to two or three, not one. Quotes are free; loyalty before comparison costs money.

Worth asking at the first conversation

• Which down-payment assistance programs do you actually work with?
• Can I see a Loan Estimate for the same loan the other lenders quoted?
• What would make my rate or costs change between now and closing?

Our lender pages show what each lender's real borrowers looked like last year — credit, down payments, loan types — from public federal filings.

See lenders and who they lend to →

Underwriter

The person you never meet who actually decides the loan — verifying your income, debts, credit, and the property against the loan's rules.

Works for

The lender.

Paid by

The lender — their work is inside your loan costs.

When you need them

After you apply. Every document request you get ("conditions") is the underwriter asking.

Worth asking at the first conversation

• Ask your loan officer: what conditions has underwriting raised, and what exactly satisfies each one?
• Ask early: is anything about my file unusual enough to need extra documentation?

Answer document requests fast and completely — underwriting time is the part of closing you can actually speed up.

Home inspector

Examines the home's condition — roof, foundation, plumbing, electrical, HVAC — and gives you a written report of what needs attention.

Works for

You. You choose them and the report comes to you.

Paid by

You, directly, at the time of inspection.

When you need them

During your inspection contingency window, right after your offer is accepted. Attend if you possibly can.

Worth asking at the first conversation

• Are you licensed (where required) and can I attend the inspection?
• Does the fee include re-inspection after repairs?
• Which findings are safety issues versus normal aging?

Not the same person as the appraiser. The inspection protects you; the appraisal protects the lender. A home can pass appraisal with a failing roof.

Appraiser

Estimates the home's market value using its condition and comparable sales — because the lender will not lend more than the home is worth.

Works for

The lender, by design independent of everyone in the deal.

Paid by

You, usually — it appears in your loan costs — but the report is ordered by and for the lender.

When you need them

After your offer is accepted, ordered by the lender.

Worth asking at the first conversation

• Ask your agent: what happens to my contract if the appraisal comes in below the price?
• Ask your lender: can I get a copy of the appraisal? (You are generally entitled to one.)

Settlement / closing agent (title company)

Searches the title for liens and ownership problems, issues title insurance, holds the money in escrow, and runs the closing where ownership actually transfers.

Works for

The transaction itself — a neutral coordinator, though title insurance protects the lender first unless you buy an owner's policy.

Paid by

Closing fees, itemized on your Closing Disclosure.

When you need them

Between contract and closing. In MD, DC, VA, and CT, who conducts closing (title company vs. attorney) varies — your agent will know the local practice.

Worth asking at the first conversation

• Is an owner's title insurance policy included, and what does it cost?
• When will I get the final Closing Disclosure so I can compare it to my Loan Estimate?
• Exactly how much money do I bring, and in what form?

You can generally shop for title services — it is one of the few closing costs where comparison actually works.

Insurance agent

Sets up the homeowners policy your lender requires before closing — and it is also where you insure the things the mortgage does not care about.

Works for

Varies: captive agents sell one company's policies; independent agents compare several.

Paid by

Commission inside your premium.

When you need them

A few weeks before closing — proof of insurance is a standard closing requirement.

Worth asking at the first conversation

• What does this policy NOT cover? (Flood is almost always separate.)
• What deductible am I actually choosing, and what does changing it do to the premium?
• Does bundling with my auto insurance genuinely save money, or just move it?