You can’t count on signings from signing companies as your main source of business. It takes a lot of hard work and hustle but you MUST market to title companies and builders to become their main notary, use this “slow” time to market. Use sources like Vista Print to make flyers and marketing postcards, send emails to escrow officers and their assistants and builders offices etc and stop by their officer and deliver them by hand. Even if a company has said they aren’t interested don’t give up, politely touch base with them every now and again. Trust me, one day they will be in a pinch and they will need you!! And when you do get a deal for them do an EXCEPTIONAL job and show them what a benefit it is to have you! Don’t get discouraged, it make take months for you to get a successful lead, but it is worth it!
Since you will be dealing directly with the title company you will get paid more (usually what the signing company would have gotten paid), you will get paid faster (usually within 14 days), if you are doing their in house signings you won’t have to customer’s houses (and we all know that conditions in some folks houses can be pretty nasty), you won’t have to print anything, you will usually work “regular” 9-5 hours and there will be some one right there in the office if there are questions or issues! I have one builder with 5 subdivisions in my area and a title company that uses me to do all of their signings. I have more signings that I can handle and I occasionally have to subcontract to other notaries. I make 25%+ more than I used to while doing fewer signings, the work is easier and I get paid faster!
Just to let you know, I used to be a mortgage loan officer and processor and I’ve been doing notary signings for over 8 years, so I am very knowledgeable and I have a lot of experience.