During the 10 years I’ve trained Notaries to become professional Signing Agents, one of the toughest challenges my students tell me that they face is their first loan document signing. From the moment a Notary Signing Agent steps into a stranger’s home, people have certain expectations regarding the NSA’s appearance, behavior, attitude and the professional assistance they can offer during the loan signing appointment.
Here are 8 tips that have helped many new Signing Agents overcome the hurdle of their first assignment. These are all simple tips, but can make a huge difference when starting your new career:
Tip 1: Before the appointment, practice how you will introduce yourself, how will you direct signers to sit at the table and how you will explain what will be happening during the signing process.
Tip 2: Dress appropriately and comfortably. This will make you feel good and boost your confidence.
Tip 3: Be sure to bring the following items with you to the appointment:
- Printed driving directions to the appointment (just in case your GPS fails).
- The loan documents and all necessary supplies such as your seal and journal, extra acknowledgement and jurat certificates and additional pens
- The phone numbers for the borrowers and anyone else you might need to contact if an issue comes up during the appointment.
Tip 4: When you arrive, park close to the location, but do not park in the signer’s driveway. Take a couple of deep breaths and get a feel for the area. When you knock or ring the doorbell, smile.
Tip 5: Prepare a “Cheat Sheet” for the borrowers that includes the name of each signer with their name spelled exactly as it must be signed, their initials and the correct date. Hand one of these sheets to each signer and instruct them to keep it in front of them while signing the loan documents. This will help avoid constant questions about how to sign or initial a name or what the date is each time it is required.
Tip 6: You may need to point out information on the documents, but make sure that the signers are looking at the information along with you when you do so. You do not want anyone to come back later and accuse you of providing them with any misinformation.
Tip 7: After the signing is finished, suggest that the signers take a break while you check the loan documents to make sure they are complete and there are no mistakes. When you leave, I recommend parking your car about a block away and checking the documents one more time. That way if something is incorrect, you can return quickly and get it taken care of without having to drive back a long distance later.
Tip 8: Most importantly, be yourself. If you try to act like someone you are not, most people become instantly distrustful. If the signers have a good feeling about you, they will trust you and your signing will go much better.
If you follow all these tips, all your appointments should go much smoother.
Carol Ray was the owner of Notary2Pro, a training service for Notaries and Signing Agents in operation since 2009.