It’s wonderful when the real estate agents and lender representatives
are QUIET during signings. God bless those kinds. I can actually hear myself think and
focus on my documents, to get them right That makes me feel happy.
I CANT stand when those people are constantly talking during the signing.
Don’t they know that if I or the signer can’t concentrate on the paperwork
that it could cause errors?!?!?! The worst part is that the conversation goes to
subjects that have NOTHING to do with the closing whatsoever. They feel like if there is
silence in the room something will zap them, or maybe the signers won’t sign. That is not true. Yapping will not help the signer sign, and if they don’t want to sign, they should not. If there is silence in the room then the notary can focus on the documents, the signing gets done faster, and the paper work is correct. Why don’t you take the signers out to dinner AFTERWARDS? You can yap for hours, while I go home and have a bubble bath.
I feel your pain, but dealing with this IS part of the game.
@jennjoneis Yes, sometimes this scenario does present itself. Yes, can be frustrating.
Here is the process I’ve developed to manage the situation.
When I’ve encountered “chatty Cathy” attendees, I’ll stop working & quietly wait giving it just a bit of time for their conversation to conclude. This places attention & emphasis upon the priority at-hand of document execution.
If the non-signing attendee then strikes up conversation once more, I’ll let them know I have a quick question for them that I’ll need to ask outside the room (said as I’m walking toward the door).
Once outside with the door closed, I’ll quietly ask in a whisper tone if they could wait for a few minutes outside the room so we can conclude the document execution while focusing on the contents. Usually, they’ll quickly realize the “distraction” and honor the request.
One realtor did “puff up” about the request & I simply said that I was “concerned about potential errors & wanted their paperwork to be executed with perfection.” Her facial expression immediately changed & she was quite accommodating.
I will try your method. I’m usually the youngest person in the room so they might scoff, but I will assert myself as the professional who needs a quiet environment.
It is definately part of the game. I remember the first time I had other parties in the room and thinking “What are these people doing here? I only have enough patience for the signers” LOL
Forgot to mention that my request (in the room & outside of the room) is expressed with humility & professionalism.
I set the rules UPFRONT. We explain that we are also BROKERS, but are here as the signing agents.
We need the clients to be able to concentrate on the paperwork. We all know that if the paperwork is not
done correctly the sale will not close. ( and nobody gets paid ) The agents have already waited 1 or 2 months to close, so they usually …Shut UP.
YES! that is fantastic. I think that will work for me as well thanks
@jennjoneis You have real estate agents and lender reps at your signings? Not here in California. Usually the lender submits your assignments, with instructions and information stating “if you have any problems…” I go in, stay within 20 min to 1hr (depending on the documents) and I am out of there fast.
This doesn’t happen very often, but sometimes it does.
The last lender rep in a signing was a new guy who wanted to impress the signers.
but they don’t have to be there. California sounds nice 
I actually love my signers. A few called me back for other personal signings. In the 4 years I have been doing this, I have not had 1 bad signer. I love my job.
I’m refering to the agents and representatives, you may have never encountered these non-signers in your signings, they don’t come to all signings
I try to establish a business purpose upon my arrival and control the table and room
If those others are there yapping away …i have always asked politely for them to continue their conversation in another room .
I let them know I’m responsible for a error free signing…and I take my assignments seriously.
Direct and to the point.
Sometime humor works but I make the point of them distracting us is a problem .
It barely ever happens …but some people are just rude
Good luck
I work in a “table funding” State, where everything occurs on the same day at the same place.
The Attorney(s) choose the title company and the title company has “in house” Closing Agents.
The person who generates and creates the transactions are the Realtors, who refer their Clients to the Attorney, who in turn chooses the Title Companies, and their Closing Agents.
Title Companies, and their Closing Agents, are all basically the same, so if I am unhappy with one title company, or their Closing Agent(s), I’ll simply choose another.
IF there is a talkative Realtor, I would expect the Closer to work through it as it is not a common situation.
IF a Closing Agent told my Realtor, even in a nice way, that she is talking too much etc., I’d tell the title company that if they want my business in the future, they would have to give me a different Closing Agent.
Why? If the Closing Agent offends my Agent, my Agent tells me that if I want his/her referrals in the future, I’ll have to work with a different title company, and different Closing Agent.
I’ve been attending real estate closings for decades and unless someone is yelling, I can do a Closing with other people talking.
In my State, Title companies and their Closing Agents know that they should not even take the risk of offending a Realtor.
This is a service industry and most Closing Agents know it and just deal with it.
Thanks for your perspective. I am referring to anything that would cause the signer to make mistakes on the documents also known as distractions. The goal is not to “offend a realtor”.
For example, if a signer is talking about something with someone and puts the wrong date
on the document because they were distracted that causes problems and delays. I had a signer sign their SISTERS NAME because they were talking to someone about their sister. If the signer is trying to write today’s date but someone at the table is saying another date loudly, it can cause distraction. I have never had a problem, but I will come onto this platform and share my experiences. We all want everything to close on time and in a correct fashion. For some signers closings take concentration. Whatever the signer needs,I hope everyone in the room would be aware of.
who’s spying on others conversations 
Everyone has a comfort zone and how they desire to handle signings, especially involving any third party attendees. Because we serve the public, we have to be knowledgeable on how to work well with different personalities and environments. In my experience, I found there’s no such things is a perfect signing table and mistakes will occur. It’s our duty to catch any mistakes and make the required corrections before leaving the signing table. Keep in mind, we are hired to perform a service for the hiring company and their customers. I have found by explaining how things will flow during the signing process, my role, and time frames, things normally go very smoothly. If there’s a realtor, attorney, or third party attending the loan signing process in person or by phone. I get a clear understanding of their role in the process, what are the expectations, so we all are on the same page. I always maintain control of the signing table and workflow… If the third party needs to talk with their signers, I will pause the signing until they complete their discussion. If the signers and third party continue to carry on conversations during the entire process, I focus on my tasks and keep the signers attention by handing each document to be signed. I found the use of nonverbal ques, usually work well and keeps everyone engaged. By staying laser focus watching each signature and being flexible not to create any undue tension.
In my opinion, you can’t control other people, so I advise always to double check your documents before you leave. That way you eliminate any sort of errors.
That’s an excellent way of handling it
I had someone sign their name for most of the documents, then on the mortgage they signed with initials only. Thank God I caught it just before they were gone.