What some new borrowers might not realize is that there is more than one way to obtain a Florida mortgage and that there is a large difference between a mortgage broker and a loan officer that works at a bank. Mortgage brokers are paid fees by banks to locate potential borrowers and bring them to the banks for application. A mortgage broker is kind of like a talent scout for the bank as he or she works as a freelance agent with many lending institutions. A loan officer in a bank is someone who is employed by the financial institution to help originate loans.