While a Loan Officer's duties vary according to company and state, the goal of this person remains the same: to get someone a loan. The goal may be simple, but the job always isn't. If a loan officer works for a bank, their responsibilities  are more curtailed than if they were to work for a broker. A bank loan officer's role is to listen to the needs and wants of their client, answer questions, procure documents (income statements), communicate with them through the process, and handle any problems along the way. 

The role of a brokerage Loan Officer is identical to that of the bank loan officer, other than that the Broker LO has to find a wholesale bank that is able to lend to their customer. Sourcing a wholesale bank, especially for difficult or niche type of loan, can consume the majority of the loan officer's time.

You will typically see broker loan officers keeping a higher percentage of the overall mortgage commission. Additionally, a broker loan officer is typically tasked with having to find their own clients, while a bank loan officer deals with incoming calls and walk-ins. For this reaso,n you will find the bank LO a bit less car salesman like. Bank LO's normally work on a base salary plus bonus, while broker LO's are all commission based, so tread lightly.