Mortgage Loan Underwriter

About the team
The Senior Specialist, Mortgage Underwriting evaluates complex mortgage applications to balance credit risk, customer experience, and investor and regulatory requirements. This role leverages advanced underwriting judgment to assess income, assets, collateral, and credit profiles; resolve escalated scenarios; and support process improvements that enable Zillow's mortgage business to scale responsibly.

About the role
- Lead the end-to-end underwriting review for mortgage applications, ensuring accurate analysis of income, assets, liabilities, collateral, and credit.
- Apply investor, insurer, agency, and internal credit policies to render sound credit decisions, clearly documenting conditions, exceptions, and rationale.
- Review and resolve escalated or exception files, partnering with credit policy, capital markets, and compliance teams to balance risk, customer needs, and business objectives.
- Collaborate with mortgage sales, processing, and closing teams to clarify requirements, remove obstacles, and maintain a timely, high-quality borrower experience.
- Identify trends in underwriting defects, overlays, and repurchase risk, and recommend process or guideline improvements to enhance quality and efficiency.
- Maintain service level and turn-time standards while managing a high-volume pipeline without compromising quality.
- Complete accurate, timely documentation in Encompass and respond to audits and post-closing issues within required timeframes.
- Safeguard borrower confidentiality and stay current on agency/investor guidelines and regulatory or market changes that impact credit decisions.
- Mentor less experienced underwriters by sharing best practices, reviewing complex scenarios, and providing feedback that reinforces consistency and judgment.
- Continuously meet all underwriting departmental goals including but not limited to production, quality, and efficiency.

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, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia 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
• A minimum of 8+ years of recent residential mortgage underwriting 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
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.