Agree…TOTALLY. Keep saying it and maybe it’ll sink in.
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If a title company or signing agency calls you for work, ask what their budget is. It might surprise you to find its higher than what you might have asked for.
In Houston TX (and probably most major cities), title companies routinely pay $150+ for refinances, purchases, sellers. They don’t like calling notary after notary- they just want a “yes”. So, when they ask your fee, ask their budget.
Then, when they tell you what their budget is, ask if they can bump that up another $25. Even if it’s more than what your fee might have been. Most of them will, but if they can’t, and their fee is acceptable- take it!
Doing this gives you an idea of what the market is like in your city- it might bear more than you think.
This only works when they CALL you, not when they send out mass texts or emails- it has to be direct.
Good luck!
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I like this strategy! It’s funny because I just did that yesterday and it worked. I’ll start doing this reguraly going forward. Thank you for the tip!
It’s sinking in now. 
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I agree with this totally! Since I came into the business 4 months ago, this was the first issue I commented on. It was easy to see that there is no standard pay scale and there should be. It’s easy to see that not every TC, SS, or NSA are built the same way. As a result, the outcome for the customers vary greatly. However, at the same time, I heard of a federal law that prohibits ‘price fixing’, which was cited by the NNA as their reasoning for NOT speaking out on this issue. So as an industry, it may be up to the TCs, to set the standard for what they’re paying the SSs, which in turn should set the standard for NSAs, but with the proliferation of SSs these days they’re racing to the bottom to get TCs as their clients. While it helps us new (or newer) NSAs because they handle the marketing for the NSA, it hurts the overall business because they are offering low fees (in relation to what they should be offering given all the expenses their NSAs will incur) to the TC, then can only offer the NSA low fees.
In the end, new (or newer) NSAs have two choices: 1.) Take low ball fees to get the experience; or 2.) Only take reasonable (or perceived to be reasonable) fees for the betterment of the industry as a whole. I picked #1 and I apologize for my part in causing injury to our industry fee standard. Going forward, I’ve listened and have decided that I am going to require higher fees than what I proposed earlier in this thread. Again, I apologize for my part in causing injury to our industry fee standard and to myself for the hundreds of dollars that I left on the table.
Yeah totally. Some of the SS are out of state and might not realize the notary may need to pay for parking because this is a downtown location with no free parking or tolls or ferry fee because the location is on an island lol. I’ve honestly had no problem communicating with the SS and requesting higher fees than the original offer. I think quick initial communication is key. Many times they do accept counter offers or will add on an extra 20 to cover ferry transportation. There’s a locally based SS that might have found me on signing order or notary resume, they are pretty good with counter offers or offering more generally if it’s last minute or there’s special requests.
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Hello,
I get $90 just to be a witness on signings, its my asking price and I don’t shy away from it. I would defiantly stop allowing these company’s to make bank off of you. At the end of the day you will have mileage, gas and your time to think about so stay at $125-$175 on your signings that includes seller packages. Good luck in your journey!
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Thank you. Just increased my prices with some of my clientele. I’m going on vacation and will let them all know my new pricing structure upon my return.
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Don’t count on it. There will always be newbies willing to work for next to nothing because they’re told that they have to gain experience before they can command higher fees. Years later, they’re STILL working for the same low rates and still trying to get higher fees!
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Pretty sure that’s exactlly what I’ve been saying for years now…once you put yourself in the bargain bin, you have a hard time getting out. And that’s particularly true lately because of so many newbs following that thinking that are piling into the bargain bin on top of you. If it isn’t profitable, don’t do it…and they’d have to increase offers.
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Thank you so much for sharing that! Having this bit of advice will help me out tremendously!
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Now you have that many signings you go to SS that has higher fees require experience and your fees will be higher and you will get more business. Raising your fees with the low balls will just get you looked over.
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Hi clarkbj86! Welcome and thank you. You’re right, I’m on it as we speak.
It’s been my experience through 20 years of being a CSA once they know your fee they won’t want to raise it. That’s why I never work for less than $xxx and they will take it.
Congratulations on the experience but good luck on getting higher fees.
For newbies out there read the Closing Disclosure to see how much the signing companies are being paid, how much they are paying you etc.
Remember all they do is send out cattle call texts.
Is that really worth the bigger piece of the pie?
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Well said! You forgot to mention legal size paper and precious toner and fax backs are a real PITA for what they pay. FedEx charges 58c a page for a scan why can’t we?
CONGRATULATIONS 
Keep it going!
Thank you. I will do my best.
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Gee whiz! Pricing too low, too high, just right??? Everyone seems to have a fix on what fee to charge and why. I’m a newbie (commissioned in CA in December) and I have over 40 years banking experience. I studied the notary world pretty carefully before jumping in and quickly realized I knew a lot less than I thought I did. Frankly, Snapdocs helped a lot because they [try] to explain how jobs are assigned and why I don’t get many, no matter how fast I respond (usually in 1 nano-second 
). I’ve learned a lot just poking around their website and I recommend you do the same. But, they don’t say much about pricing. We’re on our own; there is NO magic formula, folks. It’s what the market will bear + or - what you can get based upon your relationship with the signing houses. That’s what I’ve learned.
I want an inside peek at how some who say on this site that they do over 5 refi signings a day and make $200 each. Baloney. You’ve GOT to have help if you’re gonna do that many and make that much. You know what I’m talking about: print time, drive time, completing the journal, scanning, etc. burns precious time. How DO they do it? And, this presumes that the notary is actually getting (and negotiating) higher paying jobs all week long, every week, up to 25 signings or more. I’m skeptical. Maybe some brave super notary will clue us all in on why it’s not baloney.
But, back to pricing, my experience has been that I get next to nuthin’ in assignments if I don’t accept the $75-85 jobs, so I take ‘em. I’m much better today than I was four months ago in managing my expenses and I figure I’m clearing $50 give or take on those jobs. I stay very local (20 miles max, one-way) and I’ve learned to get in and get out of the borrowers’ house and not waste time. Things have slowed down and I’m only averaging 5 or 6 refi signings a week. That ain’t enough, kids. So, I’ve got only a few choices: continue accepting cheapo jobs, try asking/fighting for more money on refi’s, or, move my practice into the exciting world of GNW. I’m gonna do all three (what a surprise!) but I’m really focusing on GNW.
I’ve worked really hard to prepare for GNW and I think I’m going to be successful but we’ll see. I’ll report back to y’all as time goes by and results come in.
Lastly, I will say to those who are suffering with 1 or 2 refi’s a week and are becoming disillusioned, hang in there. As I have learned, things do get better. I’m getting more jobs as I do more jobs. I make certain my work is flawless (too many early go-backs when I started out). I focus on my own personal efficiency and, as I’ve said, I’ve gotten much better/faster and have employed some slick tricks to complete my journal (still in keeping with the rules and laws). I’m more confident and I’m having more fun. Refi’s seem to be picking up lately and I’m gonna do as many as I can at any price and any volume and see what happens. I feel like I’m on the verge of a breakthrough. What a business!
In the meantime, see you all at the cattle calls.
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What companies do you consider the big three?
You name your price by knowing your services. Any professional services, ie. doctors, dentist, lawyers, etc… don’t start low because they are new. They know the cost of doing business what it takes to stay in business. I started in 2004, Fees were $100 to $150 no edocs, no scan backs. Title will overnight the docs to your door. Flash forward 25 years later, and they are offering $60 plus printing 300 pages plus scanbacks. Nope not me. Wrong number. Know your worth. They don’t care how long you been in business. If you do your work well, they will pay your price and will keep calling you back over and over again and will promote you to all their network. I don’t touch my car keys below $125.
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