It seems to me that in my last several closings, I’ve been asked to do more than the usual. I know somedays are harder than others so I try to roll with the punches. Today, I had an appointment with a lady, signing a very unique business loan at the Title office. I got the docs the night before and it ended up being 16 attachments with over 150 pages total. Most of the documents were Commercial Lender docs-- which had extremely vague signature lines. I had never seen anything like it and was a bit overwhelmed. I knew I was going to need more time than I had. At no time did anyone reach out to give me or give a heads up on how extravagant this signing would be. I spent over an hour half in the signing with the lender agent and the borrower. I was asked to scan all docs at the office and then go through again and make corrections, which I did happily. As I got ready to leave, the lender called and made new requests. I couldn’t help but become a bit frustrated and unfortunately it probably showed even though I eagerly complied with all requests. I had a guy waiting for me at another appt, who was trying to catch a plane. Once I gave my signer a set of all of the signed copies on legal size paper, I was again getting ready to leave. The signer then started asking me for copies of one of the documents in letter size. At that point I told her that she could get whatever else she needed from title (even though I knew she had everything). She grimaced and the lender agent kept asking me questions, as if he was shocked that I wasn’t an actual escrow agent and why wasn’t an escrow officer in the closing? I tried to be polite and professional and explain that I was a traveling notary and I didn’t actually work in the office. By the time I left-- I felt like I was getting the brunt of blame for such a poorly planned closing. Even though I executed everything that was asked of me.
Ya’ll sometimes I just feel like I’m on an island. I “work” for myself, I don’t have coworkers, Title and the signing services would just as soon sell me down the river in a heartbeat if there was any kind of issue. I feel like I have no support in this job. I reread notary laws and signing agent material and try to keep updated on changes but there is always something that makes me feel unprepared. There are many parts of this job that I really enjoy but it would be so great to have more support. Anyway, if you’ve gotten this far and haven’t fallen asleep, I just needed to vent, thanks for reading.
PS. Can someone please explain the purpose of lender agents in a closing besides holding it up with frivolous banter, criticism and bad jokes?
I’ve been doing this for 25 years and yet, when faced with something I’m not familiar with (or EVERY Trust signings where it seems every co. has ‘their way’ that it should be signed), I always ask. Better to ask, get direction, do it right than screw it up. As to all the extra people, they’re just there to get their commission but want to make it seem like ‘support and interest in the buyer’.
Thanks @Arichter sounds like you’ve been in the business a long time and have probably seen a lot. Your knowledge is invaluable. I definitely wanted to get everything signed the right way, I was just more concerned that there wasn’t any communication from title or the lender beforehand.
I feel like this alot lately getting packages that turn out to be 135 pages lots of notarizations and the fee is 85.00 I do helocs no printing for 85.00 sometimes i think this business makes no sense .
Thank you for your post. I’m sorry you experienced that. I’ve had experience where I had the agent with the clients on 3 signing occasions. One came in taking pictures of clients and threw me off track. One wanted docs scanned right away so it can be funded so I gave it to the secretary cause I was not going to do that. The other one at the client’s house wanted to see every document I was showing the client and when I told her I was being distracted she stopped wanting to look at every document. What I learned from those experiences is that I need to be in control of the situation, not them. I know what I’m going to do and not going to do as a NSA. I am an independent contractor running a business, I’m not their secretary or errand girl. So after those situations with lender agents in the room I know how to deal with them. They are there to just look good and to support the client and getting in our way and making sure everything is done so they can get their commission check at the end of the month. Be blessed.
One thing that works… as the ‘extra’ people are only there to collect their check…AND YOU DON’T HAVE IT, you can cut down on their chatter by telling them you must get signed docs back to ‘them’ ASAP so it will fund promptly. You instantly become their best friend and they shut up and let you do your job.
150 pages is like normal for me, are Califormia Residential Mortgages that complex? On average I print 250-300 pgs per each assignment and often more…purpose of lender agent, used to be anyways, to make it easier and quicker for notary to do what notary has to do, notarize, while the agent used to monitor the signing and answer questions since they would be called anyways if questions came up. But it was many years ago, when I was a loan officer so maybe things have changed, well obviously they have changed…there was better boundaries before without notary getting short end all the time.
You have to think on your feet and think for yourself.
Also, next time a loan officer or real estate broker sits in on one of your signings, consider it a blessing. If the borrower has a question… any question at all… give him/her a BIG smile, turn to the “professional”, and say, “Well, why don’t we ask your (loan officer, escrow officer, real estate broker, etc).” Then sit back and watch them stammer and stutter and scramble for an answer to a question you, of course, already know.
Give yourself a few minutes of silent hilarity, then lean forward and rescue the ignorant PITA.
I guarantee, that “professional” will keep their mouth shut for the remainder of the signing.
