MERS is an electronic loan registry created by the real estate finance industry to eliminate assignments when trading mortgage loans. Borrowers name MERS as mortgagee and nominee for the lender on deeds of trust and mortgages that are recorded in the county land records. Lenders then register the loans on the MERS® System and electronically track changes in servicing and beneficial ownership rights over the life of the loan.

 

Loans registered with MERS are inoculated against future assignments because MERS remains the mortgagee of record no matter how often servicing is traded between MERS members. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, VA, FHA, Ginnie Mae, the Federal Home Loan Bank MPF®, California and New York housing authorities, and all major Wall Street rating agencies have approved MERS.