So i’m a newbie, I became a notary in June and started with signings this month. My first offer was super last minute. It was a refinance for $150 for 8:00 a.m. but they emailed it at 8:30 a.m.? Needless to say, when i clicked on it, it was gone. That was from Vantage Point Title. But that’s not what I need advice on, I just wanted to share lol. So today, I received a refinance from The Closing Exchange. It was for $75 and it was 45 minutes away from my home with scan backs. I counter offered it because I have been doing a lot of research and from what I gather, that’s a lowball? I wanted to be sure. They never responded to the counter so I assume they went with someone else. I only asked for $25 more due to travel. I know i’m new and they expect for us to take what they offer. Do you think i’m starting off bad by countering already? How exactly does this affect companies using you in the future if you lack the experience and ask for higher fees? Let me know your thoughts!
Your counter was still too low, given the travel time. Understand, ALL platforms are weird in some way…just take your best shot and don’t worry about it. You’ll either get the order or you won’t–just keep moving. Eventually, all their favorites will be busy and you’ll get your chance.
There seems to be waaay more newbs than any time before in the 25 years I’ve been doing this. I think it’s a ‘newbie myth’ that if you accept really cheap, you’ll get your foot in the door & then be able to get a profitable fee. No, you won’t–that $150 went to an experienced agent cuz they really can & DO pay decent fees. When they get desperate–they pay. You just need tokeep countering with a profitable fee and you’ll ‘get lucky’ some day. FWIW: With 25 years experience, I still get the lowball offers, BUT they accept my much higher counter.
Thank you for this advice and I appreciate your feedback! I am patient now, although my first week I was very anxious about getting signings. However, I do want to start off right so I can wait for the better offers. I have another business that will keep me occupied in the meantime.
Hi mcclendonleria,
Welcome to Notary Cafe! You’re probably right that someone else got that order, but your counter was fine, and as @Arichter mentioned, probably still low. I counter with +/-$150 for anything up to 45 from me, and more if it’s farther. I’ve had such counters accepted by certain platforms, but not from The Closing Exchange.
However, I do a lot of signings for The Closing Exchange, and I really like working with them. I will often counter in the $95-$100 range for very close signings, when they start at $65 or $70 - and get them.
A time or two I’ve countered at somewhere between $100 and $125 - and forgotten about it - and gotten a call approving my counter.
Signing services and title companies don’t mind counter offers - they expect them. You just may get them, or not. As I said, I do a lot of signings for The Closing Exchange (somewhere between a couple per week and several per week, since I signed up with them, around the beginning of the year), and I’d guess about 80% (8 out of 10) of my counter offers to them are rejected.
The key is to be signed up with enough title companies and signing services that you can counter as you feel comfortable with, and still get enough signings where they need to be.
My signings this week, as a random example range between $100 and $275 - and they’re all worth my time to do. I don’t mind doing a $100 signing for a short drive, and a signing that will take anywhere between 5 minutes (single deed) and 30 minutes (single signer for a refi) - but everyone has to make their own choice on their rates. I will sometimes even do a $90 for a close, short signing - or two - to keep my weekly numbers where I want them, because it’s worth it to me to do that, when I’m not otherwise occupied.
However, that’s all a personal / business decision for each of us - which is one of the great things about being a notary signing agent: we each decide how much we’ll get paid for each assignment, every time - and we each can decide what we want to do, in order to meet our income goals.
All the best!
Thank you for your feedback! Very helpful as well. I am getting most of my signing offers from The Closing Exchange thus far but every time I click on them, someone else gets to them first. I asked the company about it, they said it could be because I stay in an area with a lot of vendors. They are sending the work, I just haven’t snagged a hit yet. Still hopeful! I don’t have the luxury of signing up for NotaryGo since their system has been down for a while. So I’m waiting for someone to take a chance on me from other signing services.
You’re very welcome! And I think I remember that from the beginning, too. Basically, you just have to keep trying. I remember the first order I got with The Closing Exchange - I was actually surprised! (Because I’d responded to a lot, where I didn’t get them, before that).
Also, I’m not sure where you are based, but if you are in a state that allows RON (Remote Online Notarization), The Closing Exchange has a good RON program. They offer training, and once you pass their test, and do a mock signing, you will be on their list for RON closings, too. They don’t pay too much, but, they go really fast, and doing RON closings with them has helped me get very comfortable with Nexsys, which is very useful for working with other signing services and title companies that use Nexsys (Clear Sign) - and a lot do.
That’s very interesting, I’ll have to look into that! I’ve been seeing information about RON a lot lately and it has me wondering if I should add this to my credentials. Yes! It seems like I get the notifications 4 minutes late each time, and by then someone has gotten to it first. Its frustrating but I don’t have a choice but to keep at it.
Do they accept your counter in the text or on the call? I’ve never seen a counter accepted on the text. Unless a few days a super local counter and they are super desperate
You need to value your time as well. Just because you want the experience don’t take that first offer. It can be stressful with your first signings as it is let alone being worried about making time and being on time. Try to go for closer areas. And one thing I learned is that if you count her and they don’t accept that’s too bad. It is sad that people go for such low levels of $75 whether they’re new or not. Maybe the first two but after that I would think that they’re just using people. Especially signing services that do not respond or support their notaries who are new to do a little bit of hand holding.
Both. Depends on co.
My challenge with real cheap offers is that they tend to have the most issues where the borrowed might have questions or the CD is different from the one that they have… I think a notary might end up working much harder for the lower offers. Many also require full scan backs, especially if you are new. Then have to ship rush. If they’re far away traffic and gas.
My first assignment from closing exchange was 150. I do like their platform, it makes it so much easier to use but I do not get many alerts from them for my area. They pay on time.
That’s interesting, irina. I get offers frequently from The Closing Exchange, BUT work with them very rarely as they ALWAYS start way too low (& usually also waaay too far–1, 2, 3 or more hours away). That’s also true of all the platforms which is 1 of the major reasons I so dislike them all. The other reason is the multipIe small increases they continue to offer after you’ve countered–often even when you replied ‘not available’. Very annoying.
I haven’t accepted anything lately from them, all have been too far to drive. Few weeks ago one highway had some closures due to wild fires so I can’t imagine the notaries accepting anything too east from Seattle to drive couple hours and find evacuation going on. Winter time the pass has delays and closure due to snow storms not looking forward to that.
Hello…Im going on my 3rd year and all good. I haven’t encountered assignments with Title companies yet, but Im not worried about it. Im still good with General work. I always “Counter Offer” because I know how much I’m worth. If one customer doesnt accept, I look at it as…There’s a “buffet” of companies out there. Next…Regardless. Good luck to all my fellow notaries. Real Estate is still multiplying. We got this, regardless competition. PS: I would help another notary if need. We’re all in the same field. Have a nice Aloha day!
Curious, what was the $275 signing? Distance, number of signers, etc?
It was a full purchase closing with two buyers and two sellers, check distributions, etc. It was about an hour and fifteen minutes each way. After I got all the details from the title company manager, I said, "That’s at least an hour and fifteen minutes each way. Can we do $275 on this one?”
Her response was, “Sure!! We can do that!!”
Which left me feeling like I could have probably asked for a bit more.
I’ve learned that in my area, when a signing is that far away it also tends to be fairly remote. And for full purchase closings, they usually want someone at least a bit experienced. And so, the total pool of available signing agents is a bit smaller, and, therefore, higher fees tend not to be a problem.
The problem for me is (and it’s a good problem to have, as they say), is that I’m getting a lot of much closer signings for $100 to $150. A $275 signing with prep, drive time, dropping, etc. is at least 3 hours out of my day, so the result is not nearly as profitable as it might sound, at first.
In my case, it’s both. Usually if they accept the counter by text, they then call to confirm that I’m still available and at that rate. I’ve also had a few where the counter and acceptance (or rejection) have been completely by text or email.
I love this ! Yea what was their original offer?
There wasn’t one. I know that title companies in my area pay between $200-$250 on signing that are around an hour’s drive, and this was about an hour and fifteen minutes each way, and was a full purchase closing, with four total signers (two buyers, two sellers), and I just did some quick mental math, and asked if we could do $275.
I have a somewhat similar one today (about an hour’s drive for a Seller’s Package, around 30 pages, with scanbacks (easy, with that small number of pages), for $225, with a different title company.
I like those prices. What state are you in?