Hello fellow notaries!
I have a message from a homeowner stating she needs docs for the sale of her primary residence signed.
I have not had a call directly from a homeowner yet for this service.
Is this common? Do I just charge like I would any other mobile service? No. of stamps and mileage is how I normally charge if I am billing.
Any advice would be appreciated!
Thank you so much, Jennifer Vail 
My bread and butter. Question: How did they find you? Leads like that require actual advertising, not signing up with a bunch of middlemen who, if you are lucky, only take half the NOTARY fee for the lead. Treat it like general NOTARY work; you’re not there for any other reason. No phone calls, printing, two copies, explaining the documents while they sign them all, reviewing the docs, scanning, packaging, driving it over to FedEx to get a shipping receipt, and waiting a month to get paid.
Love 'em. Not common, but not rare either. Agree with Joe, mostly. But I usually add a couple of bucks because something always seems to go a bit goofy.
Thanks guys! I don’t know how they found me. I guess just a notary search as if they were looking for GNW.
Maybe we can meet in a public place. I’m so cautious.
I get these all the time here in Philly.
I offer a full service option that includes receiving the documents in digital form.
Then I verify signers’ ID and check to make sure the documents have proper name on the deed.
I interface with Title if there any questions or concerns or errors which is not uncommon. I’ll print the documents and prep them for when I see the signers.
I’ll scan them back to Title after execution, which is standard operating procedure.
Here in Philadelphia title companies. Don’t trust Notaries to do the job correctly.
After receiving Title approval, I’ll ship the documents with the included FedEx or UPS label. Of course I provide a copy of the shipping receipt to all involved.
I offer to include an invoice in the package that can be added to the settlement sheet so that my client doesn’t have to pay me right away.
Just did one this afternoon.
Here in Pennsylvania I charge a flat fee for that full service. That fee is much higher than a regular convenience fee plus number of notarizations.
My clients love this kind of service.
It’s also an opportunity to reach out to the listing realtor to offer this kind of service to all of their clients who don’t want to go into the office to sign.
Every realtor should have a great Mobile Notary and their back pocket.
Sound advice! When you get one of those, you have a perfect opportunity to solidify your relationship with your new client. Hey, I’m more than just a Notary, I do this every day. Let me handle the whole procedure. Be glad you did.
I just had one of these two days ago. The signers found me by doing a Google search, and I was the closest notary. I get these occasionally. I always inform signers that I have a flat fee of $50, just for the time it will take to walk through the loan package with them to assure all pertinent information is completed before notarization; and to show them within the documents where they will find answers to any questions specific to the loan. Then I tell them the per notary seal fee on top of that. This particular seller’s package was out of California and the sellers had duplexed the copies. I Informed them that it wouldn’t be acceptable to the title company in that format. They called the company just to make sure and sure enough Title told them that each page had to be separate. We were on speaker phone and I had the opportunity to speak directly with title about processing the package, which had been sent to the signers with no instructions and without signing tabs. In addition, title wanted to send a shipping label for them to return the originals. In the end, title emailed the entire package to me (sans the preliminary report and a few other pages meant for the buyers) for a reprint, and I printed and assembled everything. I added the print fee to the cost. I earned a reasonable fee for a job that took about 30 minutes. I gave them the shipping label and package and told them how to proceed with shipping. They were grateful and happy with the process.
If during the week & office hours, we would usually meet at our Co-Working Space. We purchased some “Day Passes” a couple of years ago. We love that they don’t expire. They probably found you by your Google Business Page, or one of your other platform listings.
Hi Jennifer, I would find out if the homeowner is expecting me to go through the entire loan package, presenting each and every loan document, witnessing their signatures/dates, performing notarizations, and doing the quality control check at the end, the whole shebang. And am I supposed to send that loan package somewhere or do the homeowners keep it and take it back to their title company themselves, or what?
If the homeowners only want me to come notarize certain documents that need to be notarized, and will have them separated from their other loan documents, then I can only charge my travel fee plus $15/notarization (I am in Washington). If they want to know what the fee is, I tell them to count the number of documents that require notarization and multiply by $15. Then I determine my travel fee, based on the travel distance from my door to their door.
You might explain the benefit of having you present their whole loan package - each loan document - to be a witness to their signatures on the entire loan package and to make sure nothing is missed. Some people have gone through the home sale transactions so often that they already know what they are doing. Let them tell you what they need. If they don’t know, instruct them ask their loan officer or title company.
I do these in my area. I’m found on Google, usually, but i had someone i did a FM loan mod for that had called me back 3 other times for purchase docs for his business or other properties. I charge $125 to $225 per these signings, send an invoice and it’s paid by the time i arrive to sign. I love direct work like this, especially when it’s a repeat client.
I even offer to scan drop off docs for them. Sometimes, printed is needed and I’ll get edocs.
I hah alot more toward the start of the covid decline. I think some companies got tired of politicking on fees and left it up to the signer to get a notary of their own.
I also get calls from out of town RE agents and title companies.
My RE closings come through my Tax Business. One area of specialization I practice is Taxation that involves Real Estate investors. These clients are buying/selling various properties through out the year and need a reliable closer they trust.
This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.
