So funny and true. I whisper to the husband, “Do you remeber your Anniversary? If not, I can let Mrs.____ fill this one in first”
I call their copy of the documents a cure for insomnia, if they can sleep pull out the amortization schedule and start reading.
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I love that! It really is surprising how many people can’t remember the date or year they got married.
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It is definitely possible to be professional and ease the tension for signers. After all, this is a huge and stressful moment for them. Here’s a couple of my favorites:
CLOSING INSTRUCTIONS: (As I’m thumbing through page after page) “Form you don’t have to sign, Form you don’ t have to sign,…”
HAZARD INSURANCE AUTHORIZATION AND REQUIREMENTS: “This is a breakdown of what your Lender is requiring your Hazard Insurance Company to cover, but since it’s pretty much what every Hazard Insurance Company covers, you’re pretty well covered.”
Always gets at least a chuckle.
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I agree with Shahab. The signers are making the largest financial decision of their lives so I acknowledge that fact before I walk in the door. My background is in insurance sales, face to face meetings that demanded professionalism. Horsing around with total strangers who are signing life-changing documents is rarely encouraged and it’s very easy to lose focus.
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Here’s a question for you, If you’re strictly business and straight up professional, what do you do when the signer jokes with you? Do you tell them “Hey Hey Hey… you are signing life changing documents, there will be no joking in my precense?” Or do you pack up and leave?
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Funny, I make that joke about the amortization schedule! “And if you ever have trouble sleeping, we recommend reviewing this document.”
What’s even funnier is I’ve had at least two people say, “Oh, I love these! Seeing the interest go down and the principal go up over time is great!”
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I totally agree, Jeff. I smile a lot and make a few jokes. You do have to ‘read’ the room, but I’ve had no complaints with my style. A few years ago, when my husband and I refinanced our home, our signing agent was as cold as ice and it was very uncomfortable. I would never hire her as a general notary.
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Re-read my answer, Jeff. I acknowledge the importance of the loan before I walk in the door. That self-talk reminds me to be a professional. Once I get comfortable I take charge of the signing and make it fun and error-free. I figure each meeting gets me another future client.
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Cool. I think 90% of us do the same thing
When the signing is done, I often say “Your enlistment papers are now complete. . .Welcome to the Marine Corps”. As I depart, I often say, “If you liked my work, my name is (real name given). If you didn’t like my work, my name is Gary.” People seem to like it. I’m very careful with my humor, though.
If I really hit it off with the signers, especially after a tough signing, I’ll sometimes give them their document package and warn them that I’m coming back next Tuesday to administer the pop quiz, so they’d better read it all very carefully and memorize what they can because I’m not going to ask the easy questions. They always groan-laugh and I leave on a high note.
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That’s Hilarious!!! 
Nope nope and nope. Borrowers don’t need to have another stuffy person to sign with. I have been at this for 30 years. MUCH better to be personable and enjoyable for them to be around. Too much stuffiness in the world already See my finger nail that I use to help break the ice and it is functional too.
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WOW FANTASTIC!!! 
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Thanks just too much. What a good one.
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You are all over it, Christine. I love it!
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If I ever needed to do a refi, definitely would have preferred to sign with you:). It would be a fun experience! Your nail is awesome! Thank you for your reply.
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That’s what I tell them, too! LOL!
I recently had to have root canal. UGH! So now I tell my signers at the end of the closing, “Well, that wasn’t as bad as root canal, now was it?” They always laugh.