Hi I’m new to loan signing and still trying to figure out costs fees and everything that comes with doing this. I get a lot of low ball offers and turn them down all of the time. In the beginning I was taking $75 offers snd I thought wow this is going to break me if I keep that up! I’ve charged $50 for reprinting docs after I had already printed copies for me and client. They only try to pay me $25 but I don’t budge. I know eventually I’ll get the hang of it and know my worth! It would be nice to hear from someone who’s been doing it quite a long time and especially when you’re doing eight per day. I need some pointers on how to get at least five per day and I work my way up eventually. Thanks for any input and ideas and recommendations.
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Love your idea. I am new at this and I mapped that exact script in my head but for some reason I can’t put it on the table and make it work for me maybe because I don’t have the confidence just yet.
The only prep I do with my signings are; the notary cert (I sign & stamp during the signing); log the notarial docs in my journal; then like I said, during the signing I just keep on flipping the pages & pointing where for them to sign & initial. Now, if I have 150 pages, it usually take me 40 minutes, then I’m done. If no questions asked, I can do 30 min. If I have to really push it, I could probably do 7 or 8 signings a day if I want to, but, I told myself, I will sleep until 10 or 11 am, and do signing from 2 till 9pm. The only thing it takes long is when we have to wait for the docs. I print my borrower’s copy on double sided print. I go slow when it gets to NRTC because of the date (if not predated), to make sure it has correct dates. To make the story short, I’m comfortable with 4 or max of 5 a day. Also, I only do in my neighborhood, and don’t take anything less that $100 per transaction, depending on how many pages, scanback, etc… I hope this helps! Love this forum! Also, we have to try to make friends with people we dealt with (signing company). Because I have good rapport with my signing companies I work with, they will just call me and ask if I could take a signing for them, then I’ll ask “what’s the zip code, how many pages, scanback or not, what’s the fee?” Then they’ll ask me “how much would you charge?” Then I let them know… what my fee is. The majority of the time, I get what I asked, and if not… I’ll say “NEXT”…
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I hear ya! I have been doing better the last couple of months, But for instance last week I had a Signer that 1st didnt want his Spouse or himself too close to me. and wanted to sit at the Other end of the dining room table away from me and just grabbed the 150 pg pkg! Yes we had masks…I told him, I Understand But I need to be close enough to ensure You are Signing the Doc in the correct spot, etc. So he read Every page and we wrote down Questions for Title, etc…We had 2 ph# for After hrs questions, Called several times, No answer, left messages…So 4 hrs later we finally finish up Signing & I QA the Docs and Let him know I will be in contact tmw After I speak with Title…Printing, driving, signing = over 6 hrs!! Reality of some of my Signings…I’m Not Full time and most i’ve done is 3/day. Thank you sharing your Insight!!
I started doing what you do and signings go so much faster. (45-55 minutes) Then I only put red tags on my notarization document so I know that I don’t miss any.
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Thank you for your share. I would be interested in learning the tricks of the trade.
The readers are something else, too much time, especially for newbies. It would be good for readers to get their own documents ahead of time. I’m new too, and I’m always looking how to minimize time with borrowers. Good to read your post and organization skills.
Too long. Do NOT stay that long period
If they are not happy with what they have an cannot reach the title then you adjourn the closing. If the borrowers want to sign fine…if they don’t fine…
You are NOT obligated to be there any more than an hour in reality. If the borrower doesn’t not know if they want to sign then let them know you have to adjourn the closing and it will have to be rescheduled at another time. I have been doing this 29 years and was an underwriter for 16. I do between 5 and 8 a day full time in Maui Hawaii. Do not let the borrowers walk all over you like that. Tell them you have another appointment you have to get to and cannot stay any longer. One hour…with a little wiggle room if necessary, but that is all!! You will not get paid extra for that time because you chose to stay there that long. Be strong and just say no. If they want the loan fine…if they don’t then let title know you adjourned the signing because the borrowers had questions. Simple…I don’t want to hear about you or any other notary staying for crazy amounts of time!! You are a notary…that is it. If they don’t want to sign then leave. Time is money and you need to value yourself more than that. You are not part of this transaction at all…you are there to notarize docs that is it., No excuses…I get angry that some of you guys stay there that long. Remember your role is that of notary…period. Either they sign or not…if not…tell title and leave. They can reschedule later…You can always tell them you have another signing you need to get to…because hopefully you will!! ALOHA from Maui…now listen to what I have to say!! I have done at least 13,000 signings over my careers so far…
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I’m new too and feel your pain. NNA training is as you describe. I also spend an enormous amount of time on prep. I’m confident it will go faster with experience. Only in business two weeks and have completed seven signings in a rural area. I like the suggestions given. I think it’s just a matter of practice. So far, I’ve had solid “readers.” Ugh.
Hello there Eigramh. You have a good idea for borrowers’ copy done on double sided print. But suppose the borrower makes a mistake, how do you swap out?
Borrowers’ eyes do start to glaze over, just like mine after a while. I really need to speed things up. It takes me 1.5 hrs, sometimes 2 hrs and now I see what I am doing wrong. From now on I will cover the right to cancel, disclosure, Deed, Note , First Payment Letter and the rest just have them sign on the requested line.
I am so glad to be part of this forum. Now I see how I can make more money. I have been doing 2 a day but I was wondering how I was going to get ahead; considering paper, toner, gas, etc.
Thank you for your Notarial wisdom ! Ha!
I learned in my Notary2Pro class to put the critical documents first, but many instructions say you have to leave the forms in the order you get them. It seems like it would take too much time to put it back in order if I pull these out. Does it really matter if the docs are returned in the same order as they are sent? I have put post it notes on the place I took them from, but this takes time too and makes it harder to keep them perfectly aligned so they won’t wrinkle as I transport them. Thanks for your guidance!
I suggest leaving in the same order except for the HUD1 closing statement. That should be first. I also put the rest of the escrow docs first. Most title companies like that way. Most transactions have the closing statement from title. If a file doesn’t have that than the CD should go first. You want to make sure they see their fees etc before you delve in. If there are errors it is usually in that form.
I used to put the note and stuff in front but realized that that is not necessary and better to just leave.
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I’ve had docs where there are several pages scattered throughout that have instructions for the notary. They sometimes contradict each other with things from ink color to order of documents. I’ve had instructions that say to keep pages in the order printed and in another page of instructions will have a different order. Unless instructions are quite clear, I put all signer ID info first after any cover sheet they have, because I do that first while doing my notary journal. Then I do letter size pages in the order printed, then legal in order printed. No one has ever complained. If instructions are clear I do as asked. I’m in a rural area without a lot of FedEx/UPS options and when a signing is too late to make a regular pickup, I have followed a truck until it stops somewhere so I can hand the driver my envelope. I think that getting docs on the truck is preferable to the order of docs. I haven’t yet but I think I’d even leave signing flags on if it the time to remove meant missing the truck, especially on a Friday afternoon which will be the last outgoing truck 'til Monday (or like this Thanksgiving week nothing FedEx went out after Wednesday, 'til Monday, tomorrow). We have no FedEx or UPS office in this town or neighboring towns which complicates things a little. I wonder if my local UPS driver thinks I’m a stalker because I know his route well enough that if I’m too late for a local pickup, I can sometimes catch up and get ahead of one of his drop box pickups in the next town. FedEx hasn’t been as predictable for me. Maybe I worry about the wrong things and have my priorities backwards, but I think a title company would rather have docs a day earlier than having all in perfect order.
Sorry Christine…Not sure if I replied to your Reply! I dont get to get on this site as much as I like to! I as We all Do…appreciate your Input , Reply & Suggestions! I know your right, I was very Disappointed with the Signing…During & After! It seems, If i have aproblem/question At the table in the Evening I rarely get anyone to help answer a question…They usually give me After Hrs POC phone ## but no Answer…No Call back so i feel compelled to Go Forward and Waste time But usually Get it 90-95%done 
I had to signings this last week the documents were 220+ pages ridiculous. One of the clients had not even seen the documents the signings took over two hours. 20+ notarizations, over 60+ signatures. How do we handle these type of signings clearly we’re not making money when this happens.
I had 3 VA loan refi’s yesterday afternoon/evening and each took 90 mins or more. it was ridiculous. I have 4 scheduled but only could complete 3 of them. The signers didn’t receive the docs prior to the closing and chose to read every document during the signing. How do you speed them up at that point? Any tips are certainly appreciated.
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If you are doing a high volume of closings you need to develop a routine which allows you to maximize your time. The more closings you take, the more valuable your time becomes.
That’s alot of signatures!
Maybe you should tell that to the SOS. I’m not a lawyer, but consider this scenario: a DOT gets examined by the court, they call you and ask you if you notarized that document, you say yes I did, they then order you to produce a copy of your journal entry or the journal itself. The opposition says that you violated CA law and demands a summary judgement because YOU broke the law, AND BRAGGED ABOUT IT, so it was done deliberately to side-step CA law. The judge will probably rule the certificate to be invalid. The signers, now decide to sue you for the loss of their property which 10 years later has increased in value by $250,000, your E&O only covers $100,000, so guess what you now have a $100,000 judgement which will not go away, and your surrety bond has been tapped and the SOS is looking into the case. YOU ARE SCREWED, no job because the SOS has cancelled your license…