Why I haven’t received Signing yet

Beginner's Questions
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Hi there- I really wish you’d have come here before you invested so much time and money…I’ve been posting since December, that if you are doing this as primary income: FIND A “REAL JOB”. Unfortunately, you missed the notary train by 2 1/2 years…the business is gone once again…this is how the real estate industry rolls.

While I won’t bore anyone (yet again) with my background I wanted to share my very recent experience:

I was very successful for about 2.5 years, and had more signings than I could possibly do and very little effort made to get them because it was sooooo busy!! But rates went up and title companies reopened to the public. This means refi’s are gone, and resale is being handled by the escrow officer once again (they get paid to do them and all of them are notary publics). I conto ue to do them on the side after getting a “real job” and was still bringing in over $1k a month. I have left that job and start a new one on July 18. While waiting for my background check, on boarding process, etc. I decided to do signings full time again…but it’s just not there anymore.

Even as a seasoned NSA with years of experience as an escrow officer (which meant a ton of contacts) I’m only getting about 8-10 a week and most are HELOCs at $75 each. This is not a good time for you as a newbie and I’m very sorry you got roped in. Please, do not think of this as a new career right now. Get another job and do this on the side…PLEASE.

If you want to know more, search for me on these threads…I’ve explained in detail several times all of the reasons why this business is GONE and will remain so for several years.

I do not mean to be negative or discouraging, I’m being real and hope so much you’ll heed my advice/warning…I really do!!

Best to you-

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@Sunpeaches11 :sweat_drops::sparkles:

Through and though . . . this is direct Veracity. Also, ensure that your quarterly Federal & State income taxes are included in your expenditure estimates.

Through and though . . . this is direct Veracity.

Through and though . . . this is direct Veracity.

Through and though . . . this is direct Veracity.

Through and though . . . this is direct Veracity.

Through and though . . . this is direct Veracity.

Through and though . . . this is direct Veracity.

Through and though . . . this is direct Veracity.

This wisdom given upon asking is shared in an effort to assist you & guide you in the best direction for your future success. There are a few who will disingenuously encourage; however, one must always consider that there may be perverse incentives at-work or some unforeseen ulterior motives; i.e., they may be owners of SSs, etc. with a concern about their own wellbeing . . . not the wellbeing of others.

:swan:

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16

Or those few who encourage you are just trying not to be Negative Nellies

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You are not negative or discouraging at all , you just stating the real situation on this season in this kind of business, maybe Sunpeaches11 needs to read other posts from other Notaries still making from $1200.00 to the infinite doing signings difficult to believe, so she can feel at least at ease, but the real thing is the market is down and everyone is struggling to survive depending on LSA work, we’ll see…
Positive memes does not encourage anybody, we are not that naive…

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EXACTLY!! You nailed it…:blush:.

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(CA) Thought I’d drop by with a few thoughts. . .

50 years ago, Paul Simon of Simon & Garfunkel (remember them?) penned this lyric in a song called El Condor Pasa: “I’d rather be a hammer than a nail, oh yes I would, I surely would.” I think of this line often as I read the sad lament of so many notaries who can’t seem to find the endless and lucrative work they heard about, lo, these past two years. Seems too many notaries feel like a “nail”. Sad, really.
Wanna NOT feel like a nail? Here are some things to think about (right out of my own workshop on business improvement):

Answer (on your own pad of paper)
What is it that you do that you’re the absolute best at?
Consider that:
You offer a product / service you didn’t invent. . .
You use a formula you didn’t invent. . .
You use a delivery method you didn’t invent. . .
Have you truly branded your concept?
Have you identified and/or isolated a market segment?
What do you do that creates a unique user experience?
Why would an investor put serious money into your business?
Do you fully understand your business’s raison d’etre? (look it up)
Do you want to go to the health club, the hospital or the morgue?

That should at least get you started.

Sadly, the title of this forum discussion is “Why haven’t I Received a Signing Yet?” Did the author of that title really pose that question expecting an answer? Whaa, whaa, whaa. That’s a question from a “nail.”

My advice for those who have the courage to admit that they are not having much success as a notary is this: Concisely post your query fronted by what you have done that hasn’t worked; what you’re thinking of doing next; and, what you want the outcome to look like. Be specific. Be thoughtful and creative. After all, that’s what you’re expecting in return from the wise sages who are kind enough to respond to you. In other words, make your time on this site worthwhile, not only for yourself, but to others as well who will learn from your mistakes, misfires, etc. Makes it a richer experience for the responders as well.

Y’know, I opened this rant with some clever, yet salient, Paul Simon lyrics. I’ll close with an anonymous quote I’ve used for years: “You can’t make chicken salad out of chicken s**t no matter how much mayonnaise you put in it.”

If that quote resonates with you, you’re starting to get it; if not, just keep asking why you’re not getting any signings.

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21

Concur :100: percent! Thank You @Bobby-CA

Also, you’re NOT presenting “gloom & doom” (as some have expressed in other posts on other threads). You’re calling it just like you see it from an objective, realistic observer standpoint. The situation that WE ALL face presently in our wonderful USA is overwhelming, precarious, and fraught with trepidation . . .

History has CLEARLY demonstrated what happens when trust is lost in society. Being directly honest reinforces the trust placed in each of us.

As I concurred earlier today on a different thread posted by @notarybyangela16 : "it’s fair and ethical to be real with them. And this is what most of us are doing: BEING REAL."

Again, it’s certainly not “gloom & doom.”

If someone is basing future financial decisions upon the data, input, insights, & wisdom that we impart, it needs to be moral, forthright, expressed with candor, and last (but not least) NOT sugar-coated, dishonest, or misleading.

As a 3-time cancer survivor/thriver, my plan has always been (and continues to be):
Plan for the Worst, and Hope for the Best!

======

Being a Realist enables you to effectively combat all that confronts you.

:swan:

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Unfortunately, the unforeseen ‘TIMING’ as it relates to ‘SIGNING AGENTS’ and the current economic status of our country (and global) has hit our volume drastically. This industry is saturated by our counterparts nationally, additionally the increased rates and overall high cost housing market has impacted the real property market tremendously. Title companies and settlement services are scaling back their workforce. I’ve seen this back in 2008 and we recovered, and we will again. In the meantime, ‘DIVERSIFY’. Find other avenues to remain independent or prepare yourself to re-enter the labor force. I’m a 20+ year veteran and do this full time. So I’ve had to shift gears and put alternate plans in place. We will see another shift but it won’t happen until the current trend ‘PEAKS OUT’ then we will be necessary again. Hold on tight this is going to be a bumpy ride…BUILD YOUR GNW BASE.

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Business is very slow with the higher interest rates

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I feel for all those people who fell for the “Six Figure Guy” and his promises of lotsa bucks with little effort.

On the upside, there are a LOT of employers out there right now begging for people, and with the increase in minimum wage - here in the Puget Sound area, it is $15 an hour, with many entry level jobs starting at $16 - finding a new job shouldn’t be difficult.

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I don’t know if you’re in an attorney state like NC, Alabama, NY, or Georgia like me but I just called all the signing services I could which totaled about 100. I introduced myself and informed them I’m available. It took about 3 weeks since some of them don’t use the major platforms. I slowly started getting offers for signings. It’s rare signing services will ask how many signings have you done, I only had 2 ask me. I still get 3 to 4 offers daily and I began calling the signing services in February.

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Curious - when did Alabama go attorney-only??

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You haven’t received any because it is a saturated profession and a dead market right now. Unfortunately, we aren’t told this when we purchase programs. I don’t have any advice since I also am dead and moving on to build another business that is more reliable.

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Excellent first-hand insights and wise decisions regarding financial future.

:swan:

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Well I have a couple of sugestions for you. I’ve been getting alot of GNW work from my tax preparer and also the fedex drop off for loan pkgs. They have their own Notary but she only works one day a week and have to set a prior appointment to get one. It’s helped me fill in the dead times. Leave some cards with them and maybe it will work for you like it’s working for me.

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I disagree with the statement that ‘you missed the notary train by 2 1/2 years’. Longevity in this business is what makes for steady income and a sustainable career. The notaries who pop in trying to make a quick buck, will fizzle out. That’s just makes more business for the rest of us who have been doing this a couple of decades. I saw this same thing happen during the market crash and then again during the pandemic. It just is not a surprise to us ‘Career Notaries’.

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I agree with @notarybyangela16 … what she’s saying is now is not the time to jump in the deep end. You said it yourself @CompUstyle … Longevity in the business and career notaries. … They get it. If you’re already established that’s one thing…but to try a startup now?? Difficult, near impossible,… Better off to get a surefire job with guaranteed weekly pay and benefits. Now is not the time for this profession…and may never be again - at least not as we know/knew it.

JMO

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32

Well said. I feel the wise thing to do before entering any market is to conduct research to make sure you will see a return on your investment! I’ve read numerous messages or videos indicating that you don’t need a college degree to be a signing agent, but if you lack common sense then you won’t be in business for long! It is vital to calculate gas, supplies and your time before accepting a notary assignment. There are numerous variables that have contributed to a decline in the notary business. The first one is the interest rate and less people are refinancing. You have too many notaries within your zip code for which are willing to work below market value. You could either decrease your fees and let them have the work. As a result you give up the potential to do the signing, because your not willing to work for pennies. Some organizations wait beyond 30 days to pay notaries and your chasing them down for compensation, but they had all these rules that you had to do in order to receive your money! In my final analysis, this field is good as a side hustle and not a main source of income! I enjoy doing this work if I’m being paid on time!

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Hi Sharon, you’ve received some excellent advice from your colleagues in Notary Cafe and I want to make another suggestion about expanding your service offering since you are in Florida, a state that permits notaries to perform weddings.

Who Can Perform Marriage Ceremonies | Hillsborough County Clerk

Performing Marriage Ceremonies (in Florida)

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Great information, very detailed and well thought out!

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