MERS® System
Experience the Benefits of being a MERS® System Member!
The MERS® System is a national electronic database that tracks changes in mortgage servicing rights and beneficial ownership interests in loans secured by residential real estate.
Two of the primary benefits of being a MERS® System Member (“Member”) are:
- Saving money
- Eliminates need for certain paper assignments, thus reducing costs associated with transferring mortgage rights
- Reducing issues related to breaks of chain in the title
- At closing, the borrower and lender agree to name Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. (MERS) as mortgagee or beneficiary on the mortgage or deed of trust
- The lender then records the mortgage in the county land records and registers the information about the loan on MERS® System
- MERS remains mortgagee in the land records as servicing rights and notes are bought and sold between active Members. No interests are transferred on the system; they are only tracked
Membership is open to originators, servicers, lenders, and brokers serving the mortgage industry. Learn about MERS to determine if membership is right for you.
MERS® System Resources
What are the benefits of MERS and the MERS® System?
- Eliminates breaks in the chain of title
- Hard dollar savings on each loan for lenders
- Identity of servicer and investor available for free to homeowners via phone or Internet
- Used by lenders to find undisclosed liens
- Used by governments and code enforcement officers to find companies responsible for maintaining vacant and abandoned properties
- Simplifies lien releases because chain of title starts and stops with MERS
- Increases efficiency in sale of loans and servicing transfers in secondary market
- Uses the Mortgage Identification Number (MIN) assigned to each loan for tracking throughout the life of a loan
How to become a MERS® System Member
To ensure an efficient path to MERS® System membership, please review and assemble the list of required documents before applying. When you are ready to apply, click Apply for Membership to access the MERS® eApplication Walkthrough, which is a recorded guide to accessing and completing the MERS® eApplication. We highly encourage you to view this walkthrough in full to improve the likelihood of a successfully completed application. Please plan on approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour to complete your guided application.
MERS® Link
MERS® Link is a service that allows organizations to retrieve summary information regarding mortgage loans registered on the MERS® System, including the loan’s current Servicer and any Property Preservation Company associated with the property. Because MERS® Link is accessed through MERS® OnLine, the browser-based interface to the MERS® System, use of MERS® Link requires membership in the MERS® System.
To become a MERS® Link Member:
- Review the MERS® Link Terms and Conditions
- Click the link at the bottom of the Terms and Conditions to download the MERS® Link Membership application.
- Complete and execute the Membership application.
- Email your completed Membership application to the MERSCORP Holdings Help Desk.