If you’re in the market for a mortgage, you may want to set up a pre-qualification meeting with a bank or lender. Even if you’re not sure which lender you’d like to apply for a mortgage with, pre-qualification can still be a valuable step to take. And given that it only takes a few minutes, it’s something every potential homeowner can do.

If not done properly applying for a mortgage can be stressful and time consuming, but with the right preparation the entire process can be seamless. Here are some crucial pieces of information that almost any lender will require before approving a mortgage.

Being pre-approved for a mortgage isn’t just a way to get a step ahead, in many cases it’s a necessity to buying a home. Many sellers don’t want to go through the negotiation process of selling their home only to have the buyer drop out when they can’t get approval for the mortgage they were relying on.