NPLA Launches the Broker Certification Course
by Amy Kame
A year ago, at our National Private Lenders Association (NPLA) member meeting in Miami, broker education was the main topic of conversation. Lenders were clear that the industry needs a higher standard. Brokers represent their investor clients, but they are also direct partners with the lender, and the expectation is that they take ownership of the quality of every deal they submit. That Miami meeting kicked off a series of discussions about how NPLA could fill the gap in a meaningful, long-term way.
That is why we built the NPLA Private Lending Academy, anchored by the NPLA Certified Broker Course. It is a training and certification platform designed to strengthen broker standards, improve execution, and support long term professionalism in business-purpose real estate lending.
The Certified Broker Course
The Certified Broker Course is built for brokers who want a clear operating standard for deal packaging, underwriting alignment, compliance, and risk controls. It is designed to reduce fallout, improve speed to term sheet and close, and support consistent submissions across asset types.
When we announced the program, our Executive Director, Jon Hornik, captured the purpose clearly: “Brokers sit at the center of execution in private lending. The Certified Broker Course is designed to raise the standard so submissions are cleaner, risk is addressed earlier, and lenders and brokers can move faster with more certainty,” he said.
From the start, we knew the curriculum had to reflect how deals actually get done. A course only works if it is grounded in real workflows, real lender expectations, and the realities brokers face every day. So, we built this program from lived experience, shaped by broker execution on the front end and by the best practices lenders have consistently asked brokers to implement.
We were also intentional about building the course with both sides of the transaction in mind, because the strongest standards come from combining the broker’s lived reality with the lender’s underwriting and risk lens.
One of our instructors is Aaron Metaj from Lima One Capital. Aaron has spent much of his career working alongside brokers from the lender side of the table. He understands what strong submissions look like at intake, what lenders need to get to a confident decision quickly, and where brokers can improve alignment with guidelines and underwriting expectations to keep deals moving.
Another instructor is Chris Pepe, CEO of LoanGeek. Chris brings the broker-operator angle, backed by a technology platform that connects real estate investors and brokers to a network of nonbank lenders and helps route deals to the most appropriate capital options. Chris has also spent two decades brokering and structuring business purpose real estate loans, and he has seen firsthand where deals break down and what it takes to reduce fallout.
NPLA Private Lending Academy
The Academy is not built around the idea that education ends when the course ends.
Yes, the program includes core curriculum, videos, and downloadable tools. Those elements matter because they give brokers structure and repeatability. They establish a baseline framework for how to package deals, align underwriting, and operate with a consistent submission standard.
We believe what sits alongside the curriculum is as important as the curriculum itself: continuing education, ongoing support, and community. That is why the NPLA Private Lending Academy was built as a platform, not a one-time course purchase.
When brokers complete certification, they receive an official certificate and become eligible to be listed in the NPLA member portal directory as an NPLA Certified Broker. This listing is designed to give NPLA lenders clearer visibility into brokers who have met the program standard and to support stronger broker lender alignment across the marketplace.
Certified brokers also gain ongoing access to the Academy portal, which is designed to support real execution. The Academy includes continuing education, monthly calls focused on deal execution and lender presentations, and a resource library that includes scripts, checklists by property type, standardized deal submission guidance, and tools brokers can apply immediately.
The platform also creates a place for live feedback on deals and scenarios, so brokers can pressure test approach, improve communication, and work through issues in real time. Most importantly, it connects brokers directly into a lender community that is invested in better standards and better outcomes.
In addition, the Academy offers optional operational support through NPLA’s partner ecosystem. Brokers can access help that is often difficult to build alone, from marketing and leads to processing support, deal placement, and closing assistance. The goal is to provide infrastructure that helps brokers strengthen their business across every stage of the pipeline, while operating under a clearer standard that supports lenders and improves outcomes.
You Asked for It
This program was built because the industry asked for it. Over the last year, lenders made it clear that professionalism and execution standards are not an abstract goal. They are a requirement. Brokers who operate with consistent standards close more deals, move faster, and build stronger relationships with lenders. Lenders who can rely on a consistent baseline deploy capital with more confidence and fewer operational setbacks. And the market benefits.
Enrollment for the first cohort is now open with a limited introductory rate through April 1, 2026. Brokers interested in applying or requesting additional information can contact the NPLA directly at [email protected].
