123Notary is a signing platform that you can sign up with to potentially getting signings through them. It is also quite a controversial site. You can sign up to be on the platform for free, but you will most likely be pressured to pay a fee to upgrade to have a higher spot on the list for companies who are looking for a notary.
Initially it may seem smart to list yourself on this website, as you are taught that the more places you are listed equals more signings for you.
However, not all sites will be working in your favor. You will need to make the decision yourself, but we would not be doing our job if we didn’t at least address some people have had with this site.
If you do a search about the owner of this site, you will find a lot of information about him and his practices. He has a tendency to write very unprofessional things about the notaries on his site, and comes off to many as quite rude and arrogant. He also has a long history of calling notaries out of the blue and then questioning them on different policies and procedures. This tends to make people very uncomfortable, and rightly so. He will actually write things saying how the people he calls don’t know their job, and become very insulting. For these reasons, we do not choose to list with 123Notary.
It is up to you whether you want to list there and deal with all that comes with it. We just do not find it necessary to go through all of that, as there are so many other places to list yourself without the hassle.
You will definitely want to keep track of your signings. This will help you greatly as it pertains to taxes, knowing what method each company uses to pay and how long it takes to get paid.
Some people like to use QuickBooks or NotaryGadget. Other people add all of their signings on the SnapDocs platform, even though the assignment did not originate from SnapDocs. This could be a mistake, as sometimes, SnapDocs may solicit these companies to go through them in the future, which will result in less income per signing. As you know by now, I like to keep my profit as high as possible. For this reason, I do not use any of these for tracking my signings. I simply use an Excel spreadsheet, which is free.
One of the most important reasons for keeping track is because most of these jobs don’t pay until 30-90 days out. I use an Excel spreadsheet, but another good option is QuickBooks. I choose to use Excel because it is free, and I am very good at keeping my own records and doing my own taxes. If you are not proficient is these areas, you may want to use QuickBooks. On my Excel sheet, I use the following column titles:
- Date Of Signing
- Last Name Of Signer
- Company That Hired Me
- Miles Traveled For The Signing
- Fee I’m Being Paid
- How They Pay (Direct deposit, check in email, check in mail)
- Date Payment Received
- Any Notes About The Signing
As soon as I accept a signing, I enter the information into my spreadsheet (in black color). The signing remains in black until I receive payment. Once payment is received, I turn the line to red and add in any extra info. about the payment (for example, how I was paid and the date I received payment).
Also, you will want to keep track of all your expenses relating to the business, as well as mileage. If you are tax savvy, you can do this by yourself. If not, please be sure to hire someone qualified to do this for you. Taxes are very important, especially in this business. Make sure you are deducting (or writing off), everything you can. Also, since a Notary Public is a public office, you are exempt from self-employment tax.
Acknowledgements are very easy, but sometimes they can be misunderstood. Unlike a Jurat, the signer does not have to sign in front of you. In this case, you are simply ensuring that the person signing is actually the person listed (confirm this from their ID), as well as ensuring that they are signing of their own free will, and that they are mentally sound and aware of what they are signing. You will see examples of acknowledgements when you visit the document section.
It’s always a good idea to have a few blank acknowledgements on hand in case you need to attach one to a document. This can occur if the document you are notarizing does not have enough space to notarize, or if the wording for your state is not correct . In this case, you will add your own acknowledgement. Just be sure to never, ever fill out and stamp a blank acknowledgement and leave it with someone or send back with the documents. Make sure that that acknowledgement is attached to a certain document. You can even write on the page before it, “See attached “, and then note on the acknowledgement which document it is for.
Not making sure that it is attached to a certain document, creates a situation where someone could commit fraud and attach your notarized document to another form.
How much or little you advertise is completely up to you. For me, I have never paid to advertise and built a very successful business. Use any and all free platforms you can. When you are commissioned in your state, you will be listed by the state as a Notary Public. Also, you should set up a Google business page and a Facebook profile or group, as well as getting yourself listed on Yelp for your area. Another free way to get your name out there is to join a local business networking group.
I would suggest that you do get business cards. Having a business card could be the difference between a signer feeling comfortable or not. It also allows you to leave cards where you think you might get business from. I consider a business card as an expense, and not necessarily advertising. They are a standard in any business.
You definitely do not need a website in this business. Most companies either find you, or you have signed up with them voluntarily.
The new trend I’m seeing is new notaries getting a badge to wear to signings. This is certainly not mandatory and really is not necessary, in my opinion. To me, this is just a waste of money. If someone wants to verify you, they will ask for a business card, or they may call their loan officer. Anyone can make and wear a badge, so there really is not any benefit to having one.
Some new notaries overthink getting their name out there and, therefore, they spend money on things that really have no benefit to them.
There are many times that you will have to deal with walking into a house where there are pets, most often dogs. Many people are not comfortable with that. Do not be afraid to ask the signers to put the dogs away if that’s what you need to feel safe. I am a dog lover and do not mind having dogs around, but most of the signers are very aware that others may not be comfortable and offer to put the dogs away before you enter the house. I have also been inside homes that have a lot of cats, many reptiles and one place that had over 21 dogs in the house. Some of them were in cages, and others were roaming free. The best rule, as far as animals are concerned, is that your need to feel safe comes before anything else. It’s very easy to move the signing to another location nearby, such as Starbucks or a local McDonalds.
Always, always, always ask questions. I see so many people new to this either assume something, or simply decide to not fill out a document because they don’t know what it is. This can be a disastrous mistake.
If you are not 100% certain you are doing the right thing with a document, always ask your contact for confirmation. Many new signing agents think that this will make them look incompetent. In fact, it does the opposite. It will actually boost your reputation. All companies really appreciate when you ask. After all, it reflects badly on them, as well, if you return docs that will need corrections.
Taking back to back signings seems very stressful, but it is also extremely profitable if you plan it well. You can easily make $700+ a day doing this. This may mean that as you are out and about doing prescheduled signings, you may very well have to stop at a library, FedEx or UPS store to print the docs for a last minute signing. I prefer a library because it costs much less to print there than the other options. There are a lot of libraries, and you should easily be able to find one in the area you happen to be in. It is well worth it if you are willing and able to hustle.
If you have signings planned for a certain day, do not be afraid to take last minute signings as you go about your day. Monitor your phone as you go about your day, and it is easy to pick up extra income the same day. The key is to be creative, open and flexible. Fit extra signings in whenever possible, and you will see your profits skyrocket.
Almost every signing service will ask you for a background check. This needs to be done every year. Even if you find a client does not require this, it is best to get one anyway. However, most companies will not hire you if you do not have a background check to provide them with. Please look in depth at each company’s requirements to make sure you know if you need this.
I do my background checks through NNA. It is affordable and you are able to download the full report. You can then upload to each website that asks for this. It will absolutely help to have a background check. Not only because most companies require it, but because the signers’ will feel better about who they will be meeting with, especially if they will be inviting you into their home.
Many states require that you get a bond before doing any notarial work. The purpose of the bond is to ensure that members of the public will not suffer financially as a result of your work.
Getting a bond is very easy. All you really need to do is to Google, “notary bond (your state). You will find many places to purchase a bond. You can also ask your vehicle/ home insurance agent. They can often let you know where you can get the bond, if they do not provide bonds.
You have the option to start a business bank account or to use your regular bank account. For me, personally, I never found a need to have a business account. Remember that when it comes to filing taxes, you will need to separate your personal income from your business income. If you do not feel comfortable in this area, you may want to consider either hiring a good tax professional and/or opening a business account.
Creating a business is optional as a Signing Agent. If you do decide to create a business, you will want to come up with a good business name. You can visit the department in your state that oversees business names. Most states allow you to do a business name search to see if the name you are wanting is already being used.
When choosing your name, do not try to overthink it. You will want your business name to be creative, but what seems like a good idea to you, may not look the same to others.
Three good rules when naming your business are:
- The name should sound professional.
- The name should reflect what kind business you’re in.
- If you choose a business name that is fairly long, or that you may want to shorten, make sure to choose a name that will abbreviate with initials easily.
An example of number 3 is this course itself. The name is Ultimate Signing Course, making the initials USC, which serves well on a Google search and does not seem out of place.
Again, forming a business is entirely up to you, but is definitely not required. I did not start a business, but simply used my name. If there is paperwork asking for your business, I simply used my name. This is perfectly fine and accepted by all the hundreds of companies I have worked for.
If you do decide to form a business, you will need to register with your state. If you don’t know which agency oversees the registration process in your state, you can search using these words, “Starting a business in (your state). That should lead you to all the information you will need to start a business. If you have questions, please call your county government building and ask all the questions you want until you feel that you have all the info. you need.
You can choose to start your business as an LLC, Sole Proprietor, Corporation, etc. You can also form a business and add a DBA (Doing Business As) under the business name. I can’t give you advice on which is right for you, as all states are different. However, if you research and still aren’t sure which one is best for you, please reach out to a tax professional. Once you discuss your personal position, they will be able to advise you on which one is best for you.
Inevitably, there will be a time when you need to cancel a signing. It is very important that you handle this in the correct way. Cancelling without very good reason, especially if it’s the same day of the signing, can end with you being removed from that signing service’s list. That could also be spread among other signing services and title companies. This is not something to take lightly. Even one cancellation will almost always result in you being seen in a negative light.
If you absolutely must cancel, make sure you contact the hiring party as soon as possible. Be honest and explain why you must cancel. This business is not like regular jobs as far as cancelling or missing a shift. Cancelling can literally cost the clients thousands or dollars, so it’s taken very seriously. Also, cancelling can get you blacklisted, as many signing services and title companies keep track of their most reliable notaries.
Sometimes, you might want to cancel because a higher paying job comes up for the same time. It may seem as if it’s a good idea to cancel the lower paying job for the higher paying one, but that is not true. I can tell you for certain that loyalty, in this business, is everything. If a company can depend on you, you will definitely get more signings from them in the long run. However, if you cancel a signing so you can get a higher paying signing, this will reflect very negatively on you. The higher paying job may be from a company that hires you only a few times a year. The lower paying job my give you many signings a year, so it’s important to choose carefully. If the price is right for a company that hires you for a lot of signings, that will be more lucrative than working for higher pay, but only a couple times a year.
When you are assigned to a signing, you will want to confirm with the signer right away. Given the amount of spam phone calls people receive these days, I always start with a text message. Most people these days text. If you don’t receive a text back within about 45 minutes, you may want to try calling. Sometimes, you will not be given a phone number, but an email address instead. You will also be surprised at how many times the phone number you are given is wrong. As soon as you realize the phone number is bad, call your hiring company right away to let them know. No matter how it goes, if you can’t get in touch with the signer within a few hours, it is imperative that you reach out to the signing service to let them know and ask them for an alternate contact method.
Once you do successfully reach the signer, you will want to confirm the following things:
Signing Address
Signing Time
How many signers there will be (many times you will be provided with only one name on the signing instructions, but never assume this is correct. I like to ask, “Are you the only one signing, or is there anyone else that will be there to sign?”
Ask them to please make a copy of their ID for you to send back with the docs. I have found that only about 5% of people actually do this, however, it doesn’t hurt to ask.
Signers (depending on the signing type), will have gotten their Closing Disclosure or other document with numbers ahead of time. Feel free to ask, when you confirm the signing, what amount they show on their documents for either what they own at closing, or what amount they will be receiving.
One of the best things I have learned is to ask signers to send me a picture of their ID when I confirm the signing. This has helped me more times than you can imagine. I have had several signings where the ID does not match the name on the documents. Knowing this ahead of time allows me to avoid printing the docs, going to the signing and then realizing it’s not correct. It is always much better for you, and the signer, to catch these mistakes before you get to the closing table.
Almost all of my confirmations are by text. My text goes like this: “Hi! This is (my first and last name) and I’m a local Notary Public. I will be doing your (type of signing) on (date) at (time) at (address of the signing). Is this correct?” I find that these words are the best to cover all aspects of the confirmation.
However, you choose to confirm, always update the company or person who hired you, whether the confirmation was successful or not. Do not wait until the next day. Signing services, title companies and other entities hiring you all have different ways to respond that you have or have not confirmed the signing. Some of them have that as the next step on the signing platform, and others will be you simply emailing the hiring company. No matter how you do it, always get back to them within an hour, so they at least know that you have tried confirming.
There is a little known niche that most notaries don’t know about. You’ve all seen the conventions that come to town every once in a while. Many of them are get rich workshops, but there are many other kinds of conventions. The one that I was able to tap into was regarding real estate. This particular convention focused on the attendees investing money in order to get into the real estate market.
Some of these conventions need a notary to notarize the applications for the client. It is an extremely easy job and pays very good. You are set up at a table outside of the convention room. If the convention produces people who want to buy in to their program, they send those people to your table. Once there, they will provide you with the application that they have fill out. Your job is simply to ensure that they filled out the application correctly and to notarize that they have signed the application themselves and to make sure they are who they say they are (just like any other signing). Once the document is signed and initialed, and the person has signed your journal, you can send the person on their way. In this specific example, you will need to use a PDF app on your phone and take pics of the application to send to the person who hired you. You will also keep a list of the names of the people you have signed.
Sometimes you will have as many as 5 or more people signing up, but many times you will sign no one. You are sitting alone and waiting to see if they are successful at signing people up. Sometimes, your contact at the conventions will tell you that you can go once they feel confident that no one is going to sign up. Other times, you will not see or speak to anyone and will have to ask your contact once you realize the convention is almost over and no one is coming to sign up.
No matter how this plays out, you will be paid anywhere from $60-$80 dollars an hour. You are also almost always be guaranteed 3 hours of pay, even if you are not there for that amount of time. This is this the easiest job you will do in this industry. You will spend almost the entire time sitting by yourself, so you can read, watch something on your phone, or do anything you want. If it gets towards the end of the convention and no one has come to speak to you, feel free to ask your contact if they would like you to leave, or if they feel that they may get more people to sign up.
Once you are given the green light to go, make sure you have the contact sign your paperwork, so that the hiring company can see that you were, in fact, there, and that you were given the go ahead and leave.
Sometimes, you will be asked to go back to a signing to make corrections. Depending on the situation, you will need to know how to deal with this. If you made a mistake, you definitely need to go back and fix it for free. This will do a lot to boost your reputation. Having said that, you will need to know when and where to draw the line, so that you are not taken advantage of. At all times, you need to know your worth and stand up for yourself. Always remember that the company hiring you needs this signing to be completed as much as you do. An example of this is a signing I did for 2 very elderly people. Both husband and wife were in their late ’90’s.
They were refinancing their home (which is almost always more than 200 pages). When I went into their home, it was extremely cluttered and there was nowhere for me to sit. I stood the entire time I was there and passed the docs from one of them to the other. Because of their advanced ages, the signing took much longer than normal.
As always, the docs are given back to me after they both sign. I check to make sure that they have signed correctly and that the date they wrote was correct. I could see that their handwriting when signing and dating was very shaky. After this signing, I dropped off the docs to the title company. Soon after, they called and asked if I could go back to have them sign again because the writing was quite shaky. I agreed because this title company was extremely loyal to me, even though I knew the writing would not get any better.
I went back and had them sign and date some documents, but then realized that my first instinct was correct. This was the best they could do at their ages. I contacted the title company and told them that I was returning the docs and would not require the couple to again sign the rest of the documents. They accepted that. Always remember to hold your ground if you know you are doing the right thing.
Covid certainly has created a disruption in the life of a signing agent. However, there are ways to get around this and have successful signings. It is best to include the precautions of these unique times when you confirm the signing. You are free to choose what is best for you and your signer to have a successful signing.
Once Covid hit, my confirmation texts looked a bit different. I let the signer know that, because of Covid, I was doing open-air signings. I told them that we could do the signing a few different ways and gave them the choice. I let them know that we could do it at their home, as long as they had a table and chairs either outside, or in their garage (where the garage door would be open). If they could not provide these accommodations, I offered to do it at my home. I have set up a table and chairs in my garage and set it up so that we would be sitting at least 6 feet away from each other.
No matter what the signer chose, I would have hand sanitizer with me. I made sure myself and the signer both sanitized before we began the signing. This is important, as there really is no way to get around passing the docs back and forth.
This has worked very well for me, and I have not gotten any push back for doing it like this. In fact, the signer has really appreciated that I was doing all I can to keep them safe.
There are some recommendations out there that will say you can conduct the signing through a window. In this case, the notary will look through the window as the signer signs the documents. For me, I don’t see this making any sense and would be almost impossible for you to make sure the docs are filled out and signed correctly. Once they sign all of the documents and then you have them back, you will most likely find mistakes and then will have to give them back for corrections anyway. This may work for you, but to me, it makes more sense to be able to check each page as they are handed back to you.
In the end, the most important thing is that you and your signer feel comfortable. Plan the signing with signer input, so that it works for you both.
There will be times that you notice that the date of the document is different from the date you are signing. It is important to know when this is ok, when to ask for new documents, or when you can change the date.
This is also a state specific situation, so make sure you research what your state’s rules are.
It is also important to note that, if you are keeping a journal, that the date of the document may be different from the date of the signing. This will have to be recorded in your journal. The entry could have two different places to fill out: the date of the document and the date of the signing.
It often does not matter what the date on the document is, as long as you are dating correctly when you sign.
If you notice that the date is different than when you are signing, you need to immediately reach out to the company who has hired you. Let them know that the dates are different and ask if new documents need to be provided.
Not all title companies are the same. Some of them may allow you to go ahead and sign, while others do not allow changes. If you are given permission to change the date, please remember that you should strike through the incorrect date only once, and always initial the change.
Unfortunately, in this business, you will eventually come across a signing company that has less than a great reputation. This will mostly become clear to you only when you have done a signing for one of these companies. This is part of the business, and you will quickly learn which company will not pay you, or take a very long time to pay. As soon as you recognize this, do not do any more signings with them. Like any other industry, sometimes you may run across a less than reputable company.
If you want to do a bit of research on a company offering you a signing, but you have never heard of them, there is a great Facebook group you can join. It is called Deadbeat Signing Services. If you want to know about a certain company, use the search feature in the group to see if someone else already asked about that particular company. If that does not work, you can post your question in the group.
Other resources that are great are Notary Rotary and Notary Cafe. Use these sites to ask questions or research any company you are interested in.
If you do experience a situation where you have completed a signing and have not been paid, there are things you can do to, hopefully, solve the problem. You will want to first start with emailing and asking when you can expect payment. Keep it polite, as you are most likely to receive a response like this. If the emails are not working, you should begin calling the company. If no one answers, leave a message and keep a record of your attempts to solve the issue.
If, after all the previous attempts to collect payment, it has still not been resolved, there is still one action you can take. You will want to contact the title company (or whoever hired the company that you are working for). If the title company is alerted that the middle man they hired does not pay, they will most likely not use that company again. This could cause the hiring company to lose clients, and a lot of money in the process.
The bottom line is that there may be a company that hired you and then gone out of business. In this case, you will have to write off the loss. However, if the company that has not paid you is still in business, they will need to take care of the situation to remain a reputable company.
Sometimes, you will run into signers who are less than happy to be there, for whatever reason. Your best move, in this situation, is to keep calm and work through whatever is going on. For example, I arrived to a singing in which the wife didn’t understand why we were signing at their house instead of at an office. She truly did not trust the reason that we were doing the signing like this. I provided her with both my driver’s license and business card, so that she could feel comfortable that this was legitimate.
Her husband did not have a problem with the signing, but she still didn’t understand why we were not in an office. I then encouraged her to call the company that I was working for. She called them and then asked them to verify my whole name, as well as my Notary commission number, and she looked at my business card to make sure the commission numbers matched. After she was satisfied, we continued the signing.
Another time, I had to go back to a signing that needed corrections on the paperwork. In this case, the mistake was not mine or the signers’ faults. However, the husband in this signing was super upset and made it clear throughout the signing that he was very upset that the closing date had been pushed back due to mistakes. All I could do was stay calm and apologize over and over again. In times like this, you may be tempted to explain to the signer that it was not your fault. However, it is best to just go with it (even if it means swallowing your pride), and finish the signing so that you can be done with it and move on.
In most cases, direct bookings will make you more money. This can be through title companies, nursing homes and many other places. When you use a signing service, they are the middle man and they will take most of the fee. Because of this, it is always more beneficial to you to work directly for the hiring party.
It can definitely benefit you to advertise yourself and your business. There are so many avenues you can take to make your business more successful. You will want to refer to the list of things you can do as a notary, as well as the places that you can advertise yourself at.
More often than not, while conducting a signing, you will deal with distractions. These could be children, pets, background noise, other people in the house, or even the signer talking too much. It is very important that you know how to respond to these distractions.
You should remember that you are in control of the signing. If the distraction becomes too much, and it is hindering the signing, you have every right to ask the signer to deal with the problem.
I had a signing where the couple who were signing had 4 children continually roller blading by the table and being very loud. For me, this was not a super big deal, as I also have 4 children. I would have never put up with my children being this disruptive, but it does happen. This is a tough call because you definitely do not want to give the appearance that you do not like their children. In this case, the best you can do is to try to keep the signing going.
Background noise is also a problem in many cases. I can’t tell you how many people have a TV on loud when we begin the signing. Most times, the signer doesn’t realize how loud it is. In this case, you should feel comfortable asking them to turn the volume down. Be polite when asking and let them know that you are requesting this so that the signing goes smoothly and that no one makes mistakes. I have never had a problem asking that they turn it down. Most people are happy to do it and apologize that they didn’t think to do it before.
The number one distraction that I have encountered over and over again, is that the signer wants to talk too much. I am quite the talker myself, but I have found that if all parties engage in talking during the signing, this is when mistakes happen.
The client does not know that a seemingly innocent conversation could end up with mistakes on their paperwork. In these scenarios, I would suggest that you, without being rude, simply let them know that you don’t want any mistakes, so you need to concentrate on the signing. If you move the blame away from the signer and onto you, while laughing or making the situation a light-hearted one, then people tend to agree. After all, they don’t want mistakes to occur either.
No matter what you do, there will always be distractions of some kind. The key is to handle them professionally, while also staying in charge of the signing.
No matter how good you are, you, or the signer, will inevitably make a mistake. It happens to everyone. There are certain things you can do to fix this during the signing. If you have printed a full set of docs for the signers, on the correct size paper, and you make a mistake, the easiest way to fix an error is to switch out the document from your docs to the signer’s copy. However, that is not always possible.
When you must correct an error on the doc you will be sending back, most companies will allow you to simply strike through the mistake. If you do this, always make sure you and the signer both initial the change. However, not all title companies or lenders allow this.
If the document you need to make a correction on is notarized, you will always need to first ask your contact at the company who hired you, if you are able to strike through and initial. If they will not accept this, you will need to execute a new document.
If mistakes are discovered after you have sent the docs, it is your responsibility to go back and make corrections. You must do this at your own expense, as it was your job to ensure there were no mistakes when you sent the docs back. Again, always bring a new document if the correction involves notarization.
Some companies will ask you to backdate the correction to the day of the signing, however, this is bad practice. Look very closely at your state’s handbook regarding this. It is almost always required that you must date the doc they day you are signing, and not the date you are signing again.
Lastly, always remember the golden rule: never assume or guess. If you are not 100% certain, always ask.
It may seem strange, but the smallest of details matter in this business. Etiquette is very important in all areas.
Parking
Some people do not like it if you park in their driveway. If you can avoid it, please do so. I always make it a priority to ask the signers, ahead of time, where they would like me to park. If parking is not available on the street near the place you are signing, you may then have to park in the driveway. If this is the case, just make sure you are not blocking anyone in. If you have no choice but to park behind someone in the driveway, just make sure to mention it as you walk into the house. If it’s a problem and someone may need to leave, it’s better for you to bring this up and say you are aware of it. Let them know that it is no problem to move your car if someone needs to get out. The signers will appreciate your awareness of this, instead of them having to ask you to move your car.
Shoes
This seems like a strange topic, but the type of shoes you wear actually matters. Before you enter someone’s home, you will want to ask them if they prefer you to remove your shoes. If they do, it helps greatly if you are wearing shoes that easily come off and go back on. It’s extremely awkward if you take the time to either untie or tie your shoes. Get shoes that are very easy to slip off and on.
Appearance
Many companies have a dress code that you must follow. This is basic and logical information. Always make sure you look professional, no matter where the singing is, or who the signer is. Make sure to avoid jeans, open-toed shoes, t-shirts and thing like that. You do not have to dress full professional (full suits, etc.), but plan on at least dressing in the style of business casual.
When doing a signing, you will need good knowledge of the documents you are presenting. As you hand each document to the signer, you will want to give a brief explanation as to what they are signing.
You will see examples of what to say when you go through the videos of how to fill out each document, in another section of the training.
Always remember, NEVER give advice or your opinion on the documents. You are not allowed to do this, as you cannot offer legal advice. If they have questions, you can show them where to find that information, but you should never answer their specific question. Even if you know the answer, you do not tell them. If they can’t get their answer from the document you have provided to them, you must direct them to contact their lender, real estate agent, or whoever can answer their question.
You will quickly discover that many times, you will get documents just before the signing. Even if you have had the signing scheduled for days, this still is often the case. This presents a few problems. The first problem is that it takes away your ability to go through the docs beforehand and prepare them, which will almost always cause the signing to take longer than it should. In the end, if this happens, just make sure you go slower than you normally would during the signing. The most important thing is that you send back flawless documents.
Another problem is that you may not make it to the signing on time, as you will still be printing the documents and can’t leave on time. In this case, always make sure you notify both the signer and the company who hired you are working for, that you will be late. Just ensure that you do not badmouth the lender or title company when speaking to the signer. You can let them know that you received the docs and are still preparing them, so that they can be certain everything goes smoothly. It is not in good practice to let them know that the title company or lender were late to get the documents to you.
You can take some steps to try to avoid this. If the signing is early in the morning, make sure to let your contact know that you will need to have the docs the night before to properly prepare them, and to ensure no mistakes are made. The latest you should receive the docs should be at least 2-3 hours before the signing. However, if you do not let your contact know that you need or require this, you can expect to be at the mercy of the title company. I do not recommend doing that. I have never had any push back or problems that resulted from me asking for the ETA of the docs.
Once you become really experienced with each type of signing, it becomes much easier to receive the docs at the last minute. However, no matter how well I know the docs, I still always ask that I receive them early enough that I can review and prepare them. This is essential in helping to ensure there are no mistakes.
Remember, as mentioned earlier, by the time you leave the signing table, you should have looked at the entire package 3 times.
There is nothing wrong with you setting your own policy as far as when docs arrived. Some people have a policy that if they do not receive the docs by a certain time, they will then ask for the signing to be assigned to someone else. I have never taken that route, as I feel confident that almost every time I ask, they usually get them to me on time. Also, there are simply some signings I will not give up, even if it means a bit of inconvenience for me. You will decide this for yourself, and everyone does it differently.
In this business, you will inevitably be offered signings that are clearly underpriced. Just because you are new to this, does not mean you shouldn’t be paid what you are worth.
There will always be lowball offers, simply because there are always people who will take them. That does not mean you should. Always stick to what you know you are worth. No company has ever penalized me because I have not accepted their lowball offers. Even when I continually counter them with a higher fee, they still continue to contact me. Many times, they will accept my higher fee and assign me to the signing.
Don’t ever feel pressured to take these signings, and don’t hesitate to attempt to negotiate the fee. Remember that, without you, the signing company will not make money either.
In this business, you will have some very unique experiences. Sometimes they will be frustrating, and other times they will be funny. Other times, they may be scary.
I have had several signings where there was no good plan as to where to conduct the signing. The strangest was when I went into a home to do a reverse mortgage signing. There were 2 signers and there was no real place to sign in the house. The house was completely cluttered with newspapers and all kinds of other things. The only place to sit was 2 chairs in front of a long, narrow table. Obviously, the singers were seated there and didn’t seem to notice that I would be standing the entire time. The table was completely covered with papers and other things on it. There was no way the documents would fit in the tiny space that was open. I very politely let them know I would need to move some of the things on the table, so we had enough space to sign. The signers still seemed quite unaware of what was going on. I just did the best I could as I passed each page to be signed.
Another signing I did was a refinance for a very elderly woman. When I arrived, I was lead to a back bedroom. Once there, I saw the woman laying in the bed in her night clothes. I found out when looking at her ID, that she was 98 years old. She was taking out equity in her home in order to help her child with a down payment for their new home. Refinance signings are extremely long. At some point, as she was signing over and over again, she made a comment. She first said, “I’m signing my life away”. A second later she said, “That’s not much longer though”, and laughed. We all got a good chuckle at this. These are the moments that make signings that take extra time, worth it.
As an example that may be a bit scary or uncomfortable, I will tell you about a signing I did a few years ago. I took a signing in a town 20 ways away from my home. I had never been to that city before. When I pulled up to the curb and got out of my care, I noticed that this signing location was not going to be what I was used to. The yard had a gate I had to open to get toe house. However, the gate was blocked by debris in the yard. I finally managed to open the gate enough to squeeze through. I was wearing heels and the yard was very wet, so my heels went straight into the ground. On top of that, I noticed there was a lot of garbage and thrown out furniture in the yard.
Unfortunately, once you get your commission, you will start to receive a lot of solicitations to sign up to be on someone’s website. They call themselves signing companies, but they are not. The best rule of thumb is to NEVER pay to be listed somewhere.
Most (if not all) of these companies do not have any business at all. In fact, their only way of making money is by Notaries signing up with them. They have no business. It’s like an MLM business. They say they are selling a product, and get you signed up to also sell the product. However, the only money you will make is from signing up other people.
Don’t be fooled or tempted by the tactics they use, which entices you by saying you get the full fee and that they have business straight from the title company. This is not true at all. I have never heard of anyone getting work from these websites.
A real, legitimate signing service needs you, in order for them to make money. They will not ask you to pay to be on their platform. They receive business from title companies (and others) and if they don’t have notaries to assign to the signing, they don’t get their fee.
There are some legitimate websites that you can sign up with for free. However, they do offer a paid option to upgrade and be ‘preferred’ as they say. They also say you will be placed as a top signing agent on their site. A few examples of these sites are 123 Notary, Notary Cafe, and Notary Rotary. However, I have never found that paying for an upgrade is worth it.
I managed to start my business and be very profitable without paying to be on any site, or upgrading.
However, in the end, the choice is yours.
Print Fee
There will be times that you have printed the documents and then the signing gets cancelled, by no fault of your own. In this case, you will need to know what the policy of each company you work for regarding this. Most companies will pay a print fee in this scenario, but not all will. Some tell you to not print the documents before a certain amount of time before the signing. If you do print before the recommended time, you will not be entitled to a print fee. Fees for printing within the recommended timeframe is usually $20-$25.
Trip Fee
If you travel to the location of a signing and it doesn’t take place, you will be owed a trip fee. This can happen for a number of reasons. You could arrive a the signing, just to have the signers not show up, or they are not home.
The fee for this will depend on the company that hired you, so make sure you know what that is before you go to the appointment
Fee (Signing Started And Not Completed)
Just because you begin a signing, does not mean it will conclude successfully. This can happen because, while you are signing, you or the signers discover an error on the documents that cannot be correctly easily (i.e. wrong spelling of a name), or the signers back out of the signing. When this occurs, you are owed the full fee, so do not be afraid to insist on that.
Cancellation Fee
Signings will sometimes get cancelled. If you have not already traveled to the signing, and you have not printed the documents too early, you will not receive any part of the fee.
The most important take away from this is that all companies have their own policies for each of the mentioned scenarios (including how much time prior to the signing you are allowed to print the documents and get paid a print fee). It is your responsibility to know these polices.
Running Late
There are times that you may be running late, by no fault of your own. In these scenarios, you will want to always let both the hiring company and the signers know. It’s ok to be running late, as it happens to everyone eventually. The most important thing is to be honest about it up front. Depending on how late you are, you will first want to let the signers know, as they are the ones who are waiting for you. If you will be up to an hour late, and you can still make the overnight drop off time, you do not need to let the signing company know. As long as you can confirm that the signing has been completed in a reasonable amount of time (some companies have their own policy as to the amount of time is allowed before you update that the signing has been completed), you will be fine.
If you do need to let the signing service know, just be honest and up front. Apologize, tell them know the reason, and let them know whether or not you will be able to make the drop off time. They will always be ok with it if they can ensure that the signers are still happy, and that the docs will be dropped on time.
Needing To Cancel
At some point, you will need to cancel a signing. Sometimes, you need to cancel the day before, and other times, you will need to cancel at the last minute. Be very careful about this. Most people understand that emergencies do happen. The people working for the company that hired you are, in the end, simply humans, just like you. If you need to cancel the day before, do not be afraid to let them know. Simply explain to them what the reason is and let them know as soon as you know that the cancellation is necessary. They will be very happy that you let them know when they have plenty of time to find another Notary to do the jog.
If you need to cancel last minute, that’s also ok, but it should be for a very urgent reason. Doing this could easily mean you do not get more work from that company. However, in cases of extreme emergency, please let the company know the reason and be honest. In these cases, they will have no problem with it and will be able to find someone else, even if it is last minute.
Those who hire new signing agents
Where to Find the list of SS’s
Bad ones
There are many types of signings you will come across. The following are different types of signings you can do, but definitely not all that are out there.
- Purchase of property
- Sale of property
- Refinance of property
- Reverse Mortgage Application
- Reverse Mortgage
- Debt Settlement
- Timeshare
- Sell Previous Settlement Claim
- Tax Loan
- Serve A Summons
- Set Of Direct Questions
- I-9 Document
- Wills
- Power Of Attorney
- Conventions
- 1031 Exchange
- Partial Claim
All of the documents for these signings will be explained in the document section.
There are times that you will need to walk away from a signing. This is required by law. You simply cannot do a signing that is against the law in your state. It may feel uncomfortable, or you may worry that you will not receive signings from this company again if you don’t do the signing. Remember, you can and will lose your commission if you do a signing that is not allowed. On top of that, you can be sued.
As an example, I had a signing where the signer could not show me any identification that said she was the person named on the documents. She said that she had been divorced many years ago and didn’t have any ID that showed the name listed on the docs. It was frustrating because I felt she was that person, but had no choice than to walk away. No matter how much you want to complete the signing, if the person you are signing does not have the proper ID, you need to walk away.
Another example is when I was assigned to do a signing at a local hospital. It was a seller’s package, which is normally very easy and fast. However, when I arrived at the hospital room to meet the signer, I could see that this would not be easy or fast. The signer was a patient at the hospital, and quite elderly. His daughter was there also. When I started to speak to the signer, it became quite clear that he was not aware of what was going on.
I would tell him who I was and why I was there. He was listed as the seller for a property. He would ask me who I was and why I was there, even though I had already explained more than once. The daughter kept speaking up and telling her father that he wanted to sell the property, and trying to remind him that this is what he wants. Even though he was telling me that he didn’t want to sell the property and didn’t understand why I was there.
I gave him a pen and a blank piece of paper and asked him to sign his signature. He could not do it. In fact, he couldn’t even hold the pen, let alone be able to sign something. The daughter asked me if she could hold the pen for him and I told her absolutely not. I explained to her that the signer has to sign himself.
I then told the daughter that I was sorry, but I could not move forward with the signing, as her father clearly did not know what was going on. He also was physically unable to sign anything himself. She told me that he had just been given medication and that’s why he didn’t know what was happening.
I left and contacted the company that hired me. They told me that I did the right thing by walking away. Later that day, they contacted me again and asked if I would go back the next day, before the signer was given his meds. I agreed and headed back to the hospital the next day. However, the man was no better than the day before. I could not sign this man, and I knew that the situation was not going to change or get better.
It may seem like it would be bad practice to walk away and not complete the signing. However, you will actually gain a better reputation when you walk away for the right reasons. In this case, if I had allowed this signing, everyone from lender to real estate to title to the company hiring me to myself, could easily be sued. No one wants that, so the company hiring me has no problem with me walking away.
There are many ways you can get business as a Signing Agent. It is a good idea for you to go to different locations and leave your business card to let them know you are available.
The bottom line is that you can and should diversify yourself and offer your services every place you can. This way, you are able to maximize your potential and profits.
The following is a list of some of these opportunities:
- Title Companies
- Real Estate Agents/ Offices
- Jails
- Bail Bond Companies
- Hospitals
- Attorneys’ Offices
- Nursing/Retirement Homes
- Flight Schools
- Any Large Or Small Businesses
- Self-employed Persons
- Your Place Of Employment
- Gyms
- Schools
- Medical Offices
- Dental Offices
- Coffee Shops
- Restaurants
- Bars
- FedEx and UPS Stores
- Banks
- Bulletin Boards
- Libraries
- Book Stores
- Colleges
- Trade Shows
- Funeral Homes