A Notary Signing Agent course should teach you the fundamentals of loan signings, explain key documents, and prepare you to perform loan signings in a way that protects the borrower's privacy and security.
Some loan Signing Agent courses, such as those provided by the NNA, even cover what companies are looking for when hiring NSAs. The NNA offers an NSA certification program that includes an online Notary Signing Agent exam and a background screening.
Why do Signing Agents need training?
Training is not mandatory but strongly recommended as it can help you pass the Notary Signing Agent exam. Instead of spending hours researching topics on your own, an online training course can provide you with structured education to assist with the learning process.
On a broader level, getting a training certification assures signing services, lenders and title companies that you've been properly instructed on how to perform loan signings, how to prevent mistakes and how to answer questions about loan documents.
As a third-party service provider, NSAs can become a liability to themselves and their contracting companies should a signing go south. Companies in the mortgage finance industry need to be assured you've been professionally trained in all matters of a home loan closing and can provide consistently excellent customer service in each signing.
How long is the Notary Signing Agent training course?
A training course can typically be completed within a few hours. The length of the Notary Signing Agent exam will vary based on the company you choose to get certified with. For example, the NNA’s Notary Signing Agent certification exam consists of 30 multiple-choice questions.
Are there restrictions in my state?
While requirements for Notaries Public are established at the state government level, only a few states address Notary Signing Agent restrictions. Because lenders and other companies in the mortgage ecosystem are subject to certain federal regulations, an industry workgroup created business best practices as well as minimum standards for NSAs to meet. These guidelines are intended to protect consumers and help prove that they've done their due diligence on anyone involved in the home loan process.
Following these recommendations is not required to provide loan signing services, but it helps you meet the varying expectations of different companies that hire signing agents. The fastest and easiest way to meet industry standards is by becoming certified and getting your background screening completed.
What are the benefits of getting certified to conduct loan signings?
Getting your Notary Signing Agent certification proves you've successfully passed a background screening and an exam, and you've been professionally trained to handle mortgage loan documents. It is possible but it may be very difficult to demonstrate your qualifications to title companies and signing services without being certified.
In fact, the mortgage finance industry relies heavily on certification to quickly vet Notary Signing Agents to work with. You can think of certification as the stepping stone toward a successful NSA business, as it instantly creates trust and credibility — opening the doors for more assignments with bigger clients.
Will I automatically get jobs after becoming an NSA?
No, you won't get NSA work immediately after becoming a Notary Signing Agent. The success of your business depends on what you put into marketing yourself and the efforts you make to promote your loan signing services to contracting firms. If you're just getting started as a Notary, you may want to use a guide to building a successful Notary business and follow up with NSA-specific marketing tools like getting listed on multiple NSA online directories such as SigningAgent.com.