Andre, these are exactly the right questions to ask before you take a fee, and you're asking them the right way. In my experience, the cleanest structure is the one that runs through the licensed broker: if you're bringing a deal, the broker handles the lending side and any split is documented between you and the broker, rather than you collecting anything directly from the borrower or lender. A straight referral fee is simpler on paper, but what it pays and whether it's permitted depends heavily on the state and the loan type, and business-purpose commercial loans don't automatically sit outside the licensing rules — Georgia's requirements are specific, so I'd check with the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance and a local attorney before agreeing to anything. And as you noted in your insurance post, once you hold that license too, disclose every role and every payment in writing. The deals that work long-term are the ones where everyone knows exactly who is being paid for what.