Hi there,
Before asking I did search the forums first :). Also, I have been marketing myself locally like crazy, made flyers have been door knocking, setup a Google page and landing page. This question is more specific to signing services/platforms.
I have years of experience in real estate and am familiar with real estate transactions however am newly commissioned. (3 months ago). I got everything done that I need state cert, RON, eCert, more than enough EO coverage etc.
The problem I’m running into is not enough time/experience. I’ve completed 6 loan closings as of now and don’t have the 1 year requirement for many signing services. When reaching out to signing services, I’ve been transparent of the fact that I’m new but have made sure to mention I am very flexible nights, weekends, last minute/emergencies and am mostly focused on volume and building a biz so can be flexible with price depending on the opportunity.
So any advice from all of yall veterans how a motivated, driven new signing agent can get in with a few signing services?
I would start with signingorder.com and snapdocs.com, if you haven’t already as there are services who will work with you having minimal experience. Once you have gained some experience, Bancserv, and Jot among some others that other notaries on this board will mention are great to work with. Make sure that you know your cost and what you need to be profitable before you accept just any offer to gain experience. Experience comes with a cost, and you want to make sure it doesn’t cost you your profitability and your business. I have a minimum amount that each signing needs to average for it to insure my profitability. Toner and paper are not cheap, so know your cost. Some areas notaries are able to have a flat rate no matter the signing, but in my area I have to adjust depending on what type of closing it will be. So know your area, and know how many other signing agents you’re competing against. It has been said “if you’re willing to do a job nobody else wants to do, you will always have a job.” If you can find a niche in your area nobody else wants to do and do it well, you will always have work. If you’re in a remote area or are willing to travel farther than other agents that can become an asset to your business. Good luck in getting your business going.
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Welcome to Notary Cafe, Max!
It appears you’re doing most everything right. Congrats on that! The only thing I would recommend is to NOT accept any low-ball offers. That just puts you in the “bargain basement” which may be very difficult to escape.
This is YOUR business. YOU set your fees. Develop a business plan whereby you generate YOUR (profitable) fees. It’s fine to negotiate. However, never lose sight that this is a business and not a charitable organization. You conduct yourself as a business and you’ll be respected as such. Reach out to your local SCORE (Small Business Administration) for great mentorship.
You don’t say where you’re located. This business is cyclical and area matters.
You state you have years of experience in real estate. I would suggest you explore and reach out to any former connections you may have developed – escrow officers, lenders, etc.
Give yourself time. If you have another job, stick with it for a while. I started this biz January 2006 while I still had a 9 to 5. I gave myself 5 years to develop my notary business. I retired from that past job March 2011 and very thankful I did it that way.
Be kind to yourself. Be patient. Developing a business does not happen overnight. Keep marketing and when you’re tired of that … MARKET some more. 
Good luck to you and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
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Thank you both! I signed up for SigningOrder.com and SnapDocs (Snap docs has been a pain to get verified but it finally went through this morning).
I realized Friday I had the wrong EO policy - the first one I purchased didn’t cover loan signings so I JUST corrected that. I have a feeling that is the reason why I have no gotten any opportunities on signing order despite accepting 30+ jobs.
I checked my account and am fully verfieid now both in person and RON and have a high ranking - I am not paying for it. On every platform i’ve applied for (15+) I made sure to spend the time to fully fill out my entire profile including headshot bio contact info etc.
Out of curiosity, services like SnapDocs I assume they will text or email me when a new signing is available? Is there anything on SnapDocs and SigningOrder I can do to increase my chances of getting orders?
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Hi Max, best of luck with the new career. You might be arriving just in time for the next refinancing boom. But let’s talk about today’s reality. For example, I, like many of us who do this, have a solid income stream. Investments, pension, partner/spouse, so the pay isn’t the issue, but us long-timers remember when we got $250 for what’s offered for $70. So we have opinions. My real business, I pay caregivers $200 a day to act as companions for old people like myself. This job includes California workers’ comp, 50/50 split for group health insurance, CalSaver, gas reimbursement, and flexible hours. I/we also require some experience because of business liability issues. You’re young, sir, do you really think $70 a day is an opportunity?
Agree with all of the above, and to add - make sure you’ve developed a business plan so, if this is going to be your sole income, you establish fees sufficient enough to sustain your business AND your personal expenses. You want to work at a profit, not a loss - and a recent thread here had a newer notary admitting that, due to circumstances, she ended up working at a significant loss due to the fee paid.
Remember, when contacted, it’s not “how much do you pay” - it’s “My fee for that is $xxx”.
Best of luck and welcome!
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Yes, that’s called dealing from a position of strength.
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Thanks again! I was hoping for some more signings however they will come if I keep pushing!
I’m considering doing Proof on demand but they pay is pitiful. $5 for regular notary work than eventually $35 for loan closings.
Sorry - deleted my post as I realized what you were referring to… and yes, that’s pitiful.
SIGNINGORDER DOT COM
SIGNATURE CLOSERS
SIGN WITH JOT
NOTARYS TO GO
MORTGAGE CONNECT LP
TOWNSGATE CLOSING SERVICES
BANCSERV DOT NET
TITLE 365 - requires 2 years of experience
That’s most of them. Many of the title companies where you can register as a notary re-direct you to the signingorder portal so if you’re on that website you’re registered with them.
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Hey, Max!
You mentioned you’ve spent years in real estate but didn’t specify in what capacity. No matter. What’s important is that you made a profit in that line of work. (Did you?) I’m worried for you that you’d even consider “proof on demand” (whatever that is) for $5 a throw. It is not possible to realize a profit on that number, so forget stuff like that. Your profitability model will reveal what your margin is on a given job and you should decided if that number meets your needs/expectations/desire. If not, move on to the next one.
If you study the “gold mine” of informative posts on this site, you’ll quickly learn that, as a generalization, any notarization of a loan package has a break-even point of around $80, more or less, depending on variables like time of day, weather conditions, driving distance, page count, number of notarizations (and state-specific certification document preps), gas prices and so forth. Once you’ve figured in what pertains to your expense model, you can begin to calc your profitability (NOT revenue) model. There’s so much you can learn from other notaries’ posts on this forum regarding $$. It’s overwhelming, in fact. But worth your time.
I’ve cultivated over 150 reliable signing services that regularly send me orders but it’s taken a lot of time, research, weeding out and a few mis-steps to get there. Begin now to to this and in about a year’s time, you’ll have a nice set of SS that will fill out your day with assignments. In my case, I turn down more jobs than I take, mostly because of distance or low fee offers. I don’t waste my time on junk deals under $75 unless they are simple, very close to my office or with signing services that treat me well. I’ll do $50 jobs as a “loss leader” with my favorites when things are really slow. Keeps me busy and in touch with my best providers. Then, when I need a favor or some grace, I usually get it.
I close with this: as has been said repeatedly in this thread and on this forum, AVOID low-ball offers. All boats rise on a high tide so hang in there with the pros on this site and take jobs that pay well. We’ll all benefit in the end when we skip the low-ballers and respect our own value. Via con dios.
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Thank you thank you! Really this is incredibly helpful. This community is incredible by far the best resource I’ve found as a new notary.
Bobby, I’m fortunate that in my state of FL I can do RON signings which I am certified for as well. I did make money in real estate flipping houses but the market has turned and my partner and I have both exited. Short version of the long story I’m building a business outside of real estate all together. I also have built a few businesses before so I know how it goes at the beginning you are absolutely correct in a year i’ll be swimming in signings hopefully.
The frustration is getting to that one year mark. I know I’m going to be giving up price in the beginning in exchange for experience it’s getting a little bit of momentum now that I’m just a bit frustrated by.
Last, yes the money is important I’m not a charity, however; part of the motivation with this is an industry I know well but also to keep my mind sharp and busy.
On a side note - I’ve signed up with Signature Closers, NotaryResume (job board), SnapDocs, Mavsign and a few others. I’ve been meticulous in filling everythign out, profile wise including a recent professional headshot, contact info, rates, etc.
Any tips or tricks for any of these platforms to help me get any bites? Maybe it’s just the season, I fear only being commissioned 3 months is hurting me a bit. Even tho I have been able to get a few signings. I am OK within reason for some of the lower end jobs for now to gain experience and get a foot in the door.
October was really big. November was very slow. December is starting off slow. It could be an iffy time to enter the industry as a notary. Rates are up, consumers are being cautious. Good luck.
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Do you get an email or text form the signing services when a new signing is available?
I enroll for text notifications and email notifications. So I get both.
What area in Florida are you in? Have you searched and seen how many fellow notaries are in your area on Snapdocs?
For me in Oregon, I made 6K in Oct & Nov which was much better than Sept which was terrible, less than 3K. (I also do field work so a little bit of that is from that, less than $800 I would imagine.)
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If you want me to peek at your bio on Signing order or snapdocs you can email them to me. I became commissioned in Feb of this year and have done incredible well IMO with SS’s.
Hi Max, I agree with Peggy Sue’s signing service list.
Something to consider if you are looking for more business: Do you only serve Palm Beach county in Florida? Or do you service other counties as well?
Also, in your SigningAgent .com profile I see your website link takes users to a page where they can book appointments with you in 30-min increments. How well is this Calendly scheduling app working out for you? Do you use this for your general notary public work or are you also expecting signing services and title companies to schedule you this way as well? Do people come to you or do you travel to them? Are you having issues with people being able to find your location? Or with people who are assuming you are traveling to them to do the notarization?
Wish you the best.
