Getting my first assignment

Hello, I am a newbie signing agent in the Houston, TX area and have been commissioned since early December. I am having trouble landing my first assignment (or more accurately I’m not getting any signing notifications) and I am becoming a bit discouraged. Is the market over saturated? Is there even any room to get my foot in the door?

I feel like I have taken all the right steps as far as signing up with signing services daily and I am not seeing any results. So far I have signed up with over 50 signing services and directories. I have all my supplies, printer, laptop, even a rolling briefcase :sob:, but I have not been able to put any of it to use.

Is there any advice anyone can give me about landing my first signing in a metropolitan area? I’m trying my best to not get discouraged but I feel like I am at a loss right now. Thank you in advance.

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Being in a metropolitan area large as Houston means you’ve entered territorial grounds. Saturated is not the word. You basically have to wait until every single experienced notary rejects an offer for whatever reason(it happens). Than you would have to get low balled for that signing. It’s a numbers game, you do whatever it takes to get your numbers up. Or you can increase your travel range and take some rural area signings. I’m in a smaller city surrounded by rural area so I hit the ground running with no issue. I was suppose to move back home to Dallas this year but the pandemic prevented me and it was a blessing in disguise. That’s the price we pay for living the big city life is competition is a square foot away. Don’t be discouraged, find a way to get your feet wet, I highly suggest make yourself available for signings no one wants which is probably far outside the city limits. Blessings!

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Just don’t quit your day job. It is saturated. When I went to the title company that I did work for, the receptionist said to me “we get lots of calls every day from new notaries looking for business”. Keep in mind that most Signing Services and Title Companies like to work with notaries they have worked with a long time. It will be difficult and it’s going to take a while before you get that first signing because it’s like ravenous wolves going after that one piece of meat. And by the time you click that button, the signing is gone (happens to me I’m in Texas) From what I was told the SS send the notifications to the notaries they’ve done business with first (or have high ratings) then the newbies. So you’re sitting waiting on a wing and a prayer to get signings.
But hang in there what God has for you it’s for you.
Be Blessed.

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Hello Vrob.sigingagent,

I am newbie in Mason,TN and I am in the exact spot you are in except I had a full time joy and did a retire early deal. I have my supplies and I have been getting signings but they have been far away so I have not accepted one yet, I am afraid I will miss it up. I have paid for two training NNA certifications and I did the Notary2pro with Carol Ray. The signing have been coming in slow and because I can hit a button to accept a signing it is gone. I am simply letting you know you are not alone, I share your same comment about being discouraged. I am praying for patience to do this line of work. So we both must hang in there and not give up and trust God will make a way for our to start growing. I have not done one signing either. Two comments after your comment was refreshing because we can not give up… Thanks for all the positive comments we all will make it.

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Thank you all for your kind words of encouragement! Thankfully, I maintain my full time job as an Agent team member in an insurance office and my needs are met. Becoming a NSA seemed like a good way for me to earn additional income to be able to travel, pay off student loans, save for my first home etc. I will keep trying to land a signing and keep my morale high! I can do this!

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I got my commission in early October and didn’t get my first signing until mid November, then waited another month for my second. But after that they started coming in! Don’t be discouraged. This business takes patience and diligence. It will happen for you. If your E&O is under $100,000 that could be a factor.

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Thank you for letting me know, as I’m new as well. What state are you in?

I’m patiently waiting as well…My E&O is $50,000 and I’m commissioned in NYC. Will increasing it real make a big difference

Mine is at $100k. Since posting I have began receiving signing opportunities from notary go (although I have not been assigned a signing just yet).

I’m sure the E&O amount is a factor but it’s still a waiting game before getting assigned.

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I’m in Texas as well…It will get there…I was the same way when I started in February of last year not knowing a pandemic was about to hit. It still took about a month to get my first signing I just continually signed up for multiple companies so don’t stop signing up and also accepted almost every signing that came in via text and eventually they started pouring in…I think people were afraid of the pandemic as well so I started taking the place of long time notaries possibly during that time. But, keep going it’ll all work out!! :wink:

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I think having $100,000 has definitely been fruitful for me.

Does anyone do marketing to other businesses that use notaries?
-Lawyers?

  • People who do wills and living trusts?

I just did my first Quitclaim and made out decently, partially because the lawyer that was overseeing it all, is a good friend. But, she said that she’ll have at least 5 wills/trusts that she’s going to be doing in the next few months, and that she’ll definitely use me.

Could I go to lawyers (ones that are not in a huge highrise, that’s a pertnership) and offer my services?

Or are they going to be like the mortgage companies and only deal with signing services?

Just trying to think outside the box to get business going.

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Have you tapped into sending postcards to your local Title Agencies or Insurance Agencies? I know most may have notaries but having your information at these places is great even if it’s just for secondary or third position. VistaPrint is cheap to start. Does your church have a bulletin board? Does your grocery store - do that page with the tear offs with all of your information. It can’t hurt to hit these bases to get going. Yelp or Google could be essential too.

KL - West Valley Phoenix

Thank you so much! Those are great ideas. Just have to keep thinking outside the box.

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