From my previous post, a bunch of people reached out and helped me readjust my expectations and thank you for that!
I have been hustling as hard as I can to fill as many assignments as I possibly can until I can fill my own pipeline, build contacts, and a good reputation for myself. I’m focused now on more volume and less focused on pay per job (bot not taking the bottom of the barrel).
One of my main goals early on was to get approved for a national title company like First American, Rocket Sign, Old Republic etc.
I finally hit the threshold to be approved for First American through Jot. Of course besides doing a fantastic job, making no mistakes, communication, the basics - What can I do to stand out to them and increase the number of opportunities I’m able to take?
Congrats on getting on with JOT! You’ve pretty much covered it. Do a great job and communicate.
Whatever you do, do not disrespect yourself by accepting low fees. Remember: Give respect to get respect. Hiring parties do not respect you as a professional if you don’t act as one.
Speed. Just about all of my work for them comes through a text blast, and he who answers quickest, usually gets the job. Still, make sure you read the offer, to make sure the fee is appropriate for you and that there aren’t conditions like, bringing a witness, if you aren’t able to do that. I don’t want to have to give an order back because I failed to read the offer completely before accepting. When you meet the criteria sign up for Bancserv. They are owned by Fidelity National Financial. Like JOT, they offer better fees, quicker payouts, and in my area, I have done twice the work for them as I have JOT. JOT has slowed down in my area of East Tennessee. I don’t think I have seen a job offer from them in almost 6 weeks or more.
Thanks!!! The one issue I’m having with Old Republic and Bancserv is 1 year and 2 year requirements.
Both are absurd - someone who busts their behind and do 100 notaries in a few months is going to be way more qualified than someone who got their notarial cert 2 years ago and has done 5 signings. But thats just my opinion
I’m with you. Have you applied to Bancserv and been told that you can’t be added until then? I applied to Bancserv without meeting that criteria and was added right away. It maybe because of need in your area. If Bancserv or Old Republic has enough notaries in your area they may not approve you until then. Not sure, just a thought. I was told by Rocket Close that they had enough notaries in my area and the next day picked up one of their refi signings through another signing service, so go figure.
Congrats! Advise to read and re-read all the instructions, respond as quickly as possible at each step/stage, but without hurrying yourself (kind of like a golf swing ) and know your worth. Jot (First American) pays better than many of the services and worth the effort. In my area (Portland, Oregon) and just a general FYI, Bancserv posts this on their site: “Due to the high volume of applications that we receive, our online registration is currently closed and will only be open on the 1st of every quarter from 12:00pm PST to 3:00pm PST (Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct).”
I’m with you Max. I started just under 6 months ago and I’ve already done well over 100 signings. Now to get away from some of the companies that use and abuse new notaries…
I accommodate them. And try for zero error. The great thing about these escrow officers is they’d rather you called them with questions than guess or make a mistake. They want to hear from a notary before a notary guesses what they want. Don’t wait until your appointment. Review the docs and call with any questions at that time. They prefer that.
You can market to your local title offices and build relationships with those EO’s, then they can contact you for signings directly. They still go thru the JOT platform, but don’t go out in a blast.
Congratulations! Can you share how you were able to obtain through Jot? I have been using Jot for a while now and would like to try to also get approved for First American.
Maybe it’s just me, but I have to be in the proper mindset to jump on a last-minute request. The problem with last-minute is that it immediately puts the notary under a lot of pressure to get out the door to the signing, even if there are legitimate questions about the requirements or potential issues with the documents. Even worse if the documents are late. I can’t count the times I’ve taken a last-minute signing, and when I go to download the documents, they’re not even available yet. Talk about taking the wind out of your sails!
With First American last minute I ask for and get higher fees and I’m on the phone with that escrow officer the 2nd there’s anything that’s not 100% clear. And I also say “availability is reliant on documents being ready to print”. It’s a mutually respectful relationship. I wish I did 15 a week.
) and know your worth. Jot (First American) pays better than many of the services and worth the effort. In my area (Portland, Oregon) and just a general FYI, Bancserv posts this on their site: “Due to the high volume of applications that we receive, our online registration is currently closed and will only be open on the 1st of every quarter from 12:00pm PST to 3:00pm PST (Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct).”