How to Get Started as a Notary Signing Agent
So, you want to become a Notary Signing Agent. Do you have what it takes? You probably do.
Fortunately there aren't many barriers to entry into the notary signing agent profession. It doesn't require many
years of formal education or a degree. And it doesn't require huge sums of venture capital. Many people already
have much of the equipment needed to get started: a cell phone, computer, fax machine, and a laser printer. And of
course ... a car.
The first thing you will need to do is become commissioned as a notary public in your state, if you aren't
already. The requirements vary from state to state. To learn more, visit the National Notary Association website, and
click on the tab: 'Become a Notary'. Find your state on the map and click on it. The NNA also offers a Notary
Supply Package to help you get started as a notary. It contains a notary seal, a journal, Errors and Omissions
insurance policy, and a few other items.
Opinions vary as to which organizations to join, where to order your notary supplies, how to train, etc. What I will
share with you is how I got started as a notary signing agent.
One of the first organizations I recommend joining is the National Notary Association. It is the oldest and most
recognized notary organizations in the country. If you ever consider becoming certified (Certified Notary Signing
Agent), its certification is the most widely recognized. There are some other benefits to belonging to the National
Notary Association, such as training, supplies, a hotline, and more. You may also want to become a member of the
NNA Notary Signing Agents Section.
Once you have received your commission and are a notary public, you can focus on the specific training for
becoming a notary signing agent. There are various ways to train. There are live classes and seminars. There are
also online courses. Or you can learn from a training manual and study at your own pace. That is how I learned. I
did a lot of research before deciding on the manual that I would use. There was one that was highly recommended:
The Signing Registry Training Guide, written by Kathy Poston. I recommend it because it's more than a training
manual on loan documents. It's a guide to the entire signing agent business. It's practically all that you will need.
You will no doubt have very many questions. I did. And you will need to start advertising so that companies can
find you. If you join the NNA Notary Signing Agent Section, you will automatically be listed on their website:
SigningAgent.com. You will want to advertise in other places as well. I also recommend that you become a member
of Notary Rotary and get listed on 123notary.com. For more information about Notary Rotary, see the paragraph
in Part 2: How to get the most out of Notary Rotary.
'The Right Stuff'
For suggestions on what equipment you will need, see: Notary signing agent equipment
Also: Refilling Toner Cartridges (This link will take you to a blog post on the ActiveRain site.)
Gaining Experience
Once you have received training, you will need to start gaining experience as a notary signing agent. See: Gaining
experience closing loans as a notary signing agent
There are various paths to becoming a notary signing agent, and signing agents come from many different
backgrounds. What works for one person may not work for another. If becoming a notary signing agent is something
you are interested in, hopefully you will find what works best for you, and that you will have much success. Good
luck.
How to Get Started as a Notary Signing Agent - Part 2
- How to get the most out of Notary Rotary
- Find a mentor
- Setting your fees
- Taking Risks
- Working 24/7
- Ask questions
Notary Rotary: How to get the most from it
It wasn't the National Notary Association or The Signing Registry that taught me the most about getting started as a
notary signing agent. It was actually Notary Rotary. I am very thankful that I discovered that site.
If you can get past the chat board aspect of this site, this is actually one of the best resources for notary
signing agents, if you use it properly. This is where I learned about the best equipment to buy, how to refill toner
cartridges, which companies to sign up with and which ones to avoid, and a lot more. This is from people in the field
-- people with many years of experience as notary signing agents.
There is a tab in the index of the main page, 'Find a Notary'. This is where you can locate signing agents who are
in your area. This, in a sense, is your reality check. This tells you how many people there are competing with you for
business in your area, and how far away they are. There is a lot more that it will tell you.
Speaking of how far away things are, click on the tab 'The Library' and go to the 'Coverage Analysis Tool (CAT).
This is a great tool for estimating the fees you should charge. There is a lot of other information that this tool will
give you. You have to be logged in to access this tool.
Go to the tab 'Signing Central' and click on 'Signing Service Listing'. This gives you a list of signing services
to sign up with. And it gives a rating for them. Don't let the ratings be your only guide. Some of the companies that
are not rated are good companies to work for. They just haven't been rated. If you are a 'Premier' member you will
be able to get more information on the companies.
Notary supplies: I ordered a journal from Notary Rotary. It's the one that is highly recommended by many signing
agents. It arrived 3 days after I ordered it. If you're looking for good supplies at a good price, consider this source.
I saved the best for last. The hidden gem. The orange 'Search' button. You'll find this in the 'Notary Talk' section.
This is where you go to get answers to questions about anything related to the signing agent profession. If it has
been asked, you will find an answer to it. Use a lot of different keywords. For example, if you're trying to find out how
to print e-docs, you'll want to try a few different combinations, such as 'edocs', and 'e-docs' since everyone has
various ways of saying the same thing. This is also where you can research companies. Which ones are slow
payers, for example. A word of caution though. Everyone has different experiences. Unless you see a predominance
of negative posts about a company, don't let the comments be your only guide. One person's negative experience
from a company could turn out to be a positive one for you.
This is such an overlooked tool on the site that a lot of the old timers get annoyed when someone asks a question
that has been answered many times before in the past. So if you ask a question, be sure that you have done your
own research first and have exhausted all other means of finding an answer. Usually questions that deal with a
personal experience, for example a signing experience you had, won't be met with a lot of criticism. But if you ask,
'How do I get started as a notary signing agent?', expect the roof to fall down. This question has been asked a
gazillion times.
There's another thing to consider when using the search button. You will often get a lot of responses that are
worthless, or off topic. You'll have to sift through the chaff in order to get to the wheat.
So the next time you're on Notary Rotary, and you have a question about something, be sure to first click on the
orange 'Search' tab. You can't miss it.
Find a notary signing agent mentor
There are so many issues to deal with when you are getting started as a notary signing agent. You are the
receptionist, customer service, the accounting department, shipping and receiving, marketing, research and
development, ... and more.
No matter how well trained you are, a lot of times it's good to hear from someone who has 'been there, done that'.
Notary boards can be helpful. But sometimes the people on them can be very cruel and intimidating. So try to find
another signing agent who won't mind answering your questions. And believe me, you will have many.
If you're a member of The Signing Registry, you can take advantage of their mentoring program. Emailing other
signing agents is another way.
You may be tempted to ask another signing agent to take you with them on an assignment. Just my opinion, but this
isn't such a good idea. And a lot companies prohibit it.
It won't be long before you have gotten to a point where you feel you can do without a mentor. However it still helps
to have a 'kindred spirit' that you can talk to every now and then.
Setting your notary signing agent fees
Your fees shouldn't be written in stone. Be flexible. You want to make a profit, and you want your fees to be
competitive. If you set your fees too high, you might never get called. If you set them too low, you'll soon be out of
business.
Check line 1106 of the HUD settlement statement. There is usually a fee to the notary. It will show you what the
company is making.
Many times I get assignments that are new to me. For example, the time I was asked to do a deposition. In cases like
that, it's a good idea to ask the company what they usually pay for that type of service. The person will usually give
you a range of fees.
This is not only a good strategy to use for new types of assignments, but it's a good practice for many other types of
closings. Find out what the job entails. Will there be fax backs? Will you have to do any copying? How far away is it?
Always ask what type of loan it is. You don't want to quote your normal fee for a refi, only to find out that it's a 1st
and 2nd. And don't expect to make as much if it's a HELOC.
Of course, there are also companies who pay a set fee. There's no point in negotiating with them because they
usually won't budge. If you won't accept their fee, they'll find someone in your area who will. So don't shoot yourself
in the foot. If you're in this to put food on the table and keep a roof over your head, it's better to take an assignment
that pays something, than to go a day without a paycheck.
There are a lot of other things to consider. A lot of it will come from working with many different companies, and in
many different types of situations.
Taking Risks
Las Vegas gamblers have nothing on notary signing agents when it comes to taking risks. That's what this business
is all about.
One of the biggest risks is accepting an assignment from a company and not getting paid. It's recommended that
you research a company in advance. But you won't always be able to do that. If someone calls and asks if you're
available to do a closing, you have to make a commitment -- either yes or no. If you hesitate, they'll hang up on you
and move to the next person.
When you hear about a company, one way to research it is by checking out some of the notary boards and reading
past topics. On Notary Rotary (notaryrotary.com) for example, there's an orange search tab. Click on it and input the
name of a company. Chances are, someone has written something about it.
Ultimately it's up to you to decide if you'll work with a company or not. Everyone's experiences are different. One
person might have had a bad experience because they didn't read the instructions. And just because someone had
a positive experience doesn't mean you'll have one.
You can't go by names either. Some of the more professional sounding names of companies can turn out to be the
ones you want to avoid.
For the most part you have to deal with situations one step at a time. And don't kill your career by shutting off
companies either. People make mistakes. A company might make an error, but it may be the only error they'll ever
make.
As you gain more and more experience you'll learn how to feel your way through a call to see if it's the type of
assignment you want to accept. You'll know which questions to ask, what's an acceptable fee for an assignment, etc.
In the meantime, be willing to take risks. No one gets it right every time.
Working 24/7
If you intend to make being a notary signing agent your full time job, you will need to be very flexible. That means
you'll have to be available 24/7.
Not all of the closings are scheduled in the evening. And even for those that are, you will have to devote a lot of
additional time to them, such as printing out the documents, doing fax backs (if required), sending the package
back, and other responsibilities.
Being available 24/7 obviously doesn't mean that you have to stay awake for 24 hours. And it doesn't necessarily
mean that you will be working 7 days a week. What it does mean is that it's hard to plan things, or to have much of a
social life.
But that's just one of the trade offs. You still have a lot of flexibility with your time. After all, you're 24/7.
Ask questions
Notary message boards are a good place to learn about this business. You can read about other peoples
experiences, how they deal with certain problems, equipment they use, etc.
But when you get an assignment, and you're not sure what to do, it's best to ask the company that hired you. They
have the best answer to your question. If you post your question on a notary board, you might get a lot of opinions.
But that's exactly what they are -- opinions.
So don't be afraid to ask the company -- either the signing service or the title company. Even something that might
seem trivial, such as what color ink to use, can mean the difference between doing the job right and doing it wrong.
It can also mean the difference between getting repeat business and never getting called from that company again.
So ask questions.
Good luck.