When I ask the Chad question to Notaries, I reword it sometimes to give some diversity the question (If wanted diversity why am I using a name like “Chad?”) The main point of the question is that I give instructions, divert the conversation with some other commentary about the situation, and then put the Notary in a situation where they will have to regurgitate the instructions.

Instructions:
Chad says, “If there is a problem, call me and only me. If I don’t answer, send me an email.” (Sometimes I say text or leave a message.)

You get to the signing. Jesse is the signer. You arrive at 11am. Jesse signs half the documents, but refuses to sign the flood disclosure until he can talk to someone. You call Chad. Chad does not answer. What do you do now?

Wrong Answers

1. You complete the signing and inform the borrower about their three day right to rescind. Of course, not all signings are refinances on personal properties, so there might not be a right to rescind. Commentary: This is not a bad way to proceed, but it is not following directions. Chad will fire you.

2. You call Title because that is what you normally do and it makes sense. Commentary: Yes, that makes sense and ordinarily you should call all contacts that you can call. However, your instructions were to call Chad and only Chad. Chad will fire you if you divert from exact instructions.

3. You leave the signing. Commentary: Bad idea. You need to give Chad a little time to get back to you. How much time is reasonable can vary. I would allow sixty minutes total for an appointment as a general rule. I would allow twenty minutes for a call back as a general rule. Give Chad a chance to call you back, and send him that email and leave a text too.

Correct Answer
Chad asked you to send him an email, so send him an email and do not call anyone else because he is the one paying you and told you not to. Doing what you are told will gain you many repeat clients. Disobeying them the minute they ask you to do something that you do not normally do, or something that doesn’t make sense to you, can get you fired. Just because an instruction doesn’t make sense to you doesn’t mean it does not make sense to the person giving it to you. If you don’t like an instruction, take that up with your boss at the moment the instruction is given, and not at the moment you wish to disobey the instruction. However, if Chad tells you to do something illegal as a Notary, you cannot and should not obey him. A Notary obeys the law first and then their client. If there is a conflict of interest between client and law, side with the law. If there is a conflict between client and best practices, side with best practices as a safety precaution for the Notary.

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You might also like:

Following directions is more important than you think.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19608

Marcy overlooks the instructions in the 30 point course.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=14379

The green pen question revisited.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20146

On our certification quiz, we ask a few questions about loan documents. For more detailed information, query our courses, but these are going to be quick pointers that we often quiz about.

The Deed of Trust / Mortgage
The Deed of Trust is the security instrument. It also goes over prepayment penalties and late fees. It goes over the address of the Lender and the Borrower as well as a lot of other information which we do not quiz on.

The Note
The Note contains the general terms or general business terms of the loan. It is the best place to look for information about prepayment penalties, when the first payment is due, loan amount, and other general terms of the loan.

The Right to Cancel
As a Signing Agent, you must know how to date a Right to Rescind or Right to Cancel. For a home owner borrower, they are given three days not including Sundays and Federal holidays. Please do not say three business days as the days are calendar days not business days, but not including Sunday, Federal Holidays, or the date of the signing. The borrower can cancel up to midnight on the third day to rescind and can cancel in writing.

The CD
This document has a lot of quick information on certain information about the loan, fees and payoffs. Although it mentions that you will or will not have a prepayment penalty, it does not go over the terms of the prepayment penalty.

First Payment Letter
This document goes over information regarding the first payment due.

Owner’s Affidavit
This document goes over maintenance issues regarding the subject property as well as occupancy status and other information about the property.

Occupancy Affidavit
The Occupancy Affidavit states that the borrower will move into the subject property within sixty days and will stay there as a primary residence for a year, or possibly two years or six months in some cases depending on how the document was drafted. I have only seen this document state a one year occupancy requirement in my experience.

Compliance Agreement
The Compliance Agreement makes the borrower agree to furnish additional information to the lender if requested after the signing. It also makes the borrower agree to cooperate if the Lender needs changes to clerical errors signed off on by the borrower.

Correction Agreement LPOA
This document has the borrower give consent to let the Lender / Title make changes to clerical and typographical errors to the documents on their own after the signing

1003 Residential Loan Application
The 1003 document typically has lots of information about the borrower including how many years of school they had, and other personal information. It is typical for this document to have clerical errors, however, those errors do not affect the final status of the loan.

APR
The APR is typically higher than the rate as it includes some of the fees and closing costs and is compounded.

The information in this section have to do with frequently asked questions. This information in this section is brief, and does not constitute a thorough knowledge of loan documents, but this is typically what we ask about in our over the phone quiz, so please learn this material well.

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You might also like:

Index of information about documents
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20258

30 Point Course – a free loan signing course
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=14233

Documents you need to understand for Elite Certification
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20169

Return to Notary Marketing 102 Contents

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Notary Education

Many Notaries want to get started in the loan signing industry. What they forget is that to become a successful loan signing agent, you first have to know how to be a good Notary Public. Being a good Notary is not rocket science, but there are a few things that could trip you up. Many states have insufficient requirements for Notaries. Some of the lacking requirements could present Notaries and their clients with legal dangers.

Being a good Notary means being knowledgeable and safe. Being knowledgeable means knowing your state notary laws inside out. But, being safe means limiting your exposure to liability. We cannot teach you your state notary laws here, but the handbooks for most states are online and easy to access by searching on Google.

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Notary Knowledge References:

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(1) Your state’s official notary handbook. Search for it on Google.

(2) The NNA has a Notary Essentials Course which many people like.

(3) 123notary has a much shorter brush up course called Notary Public 101 which is about best practices and does NOT cover state specific laws.

Please be advised that Notary safety is as important as making money because you want to stay out of court and not get in trouble. Safety precautions include:

(1) Keep an official journal of Notarial acts whether your state requires it or not. That is your only evidence in court of what you notarized and more important — what you did NOT notarize if impostered (yes, it happens.)

(2) Keep thumbprints in your journal to assist the FBI in catching identity thieves. You will probably never run into one in your career but many notaries do. The FBI might name you as a suspect if you do not provide an adequate paper trail, as a bad paper trail looks like a cover up.

(3) Be wary of elder notarizations. If someone is in a hospital, not fully with it, or on morphine, they are more likely to be cheated in a transaction which means that you will be likely to end up in court or investigated.

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Signing Agent Knowledge

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Once you are a commissioned notary as well as being a competent notary, it is time to study your signing agent knowledge. You will need to know most of the attributes of common loan documents, signing and initialing procedures, how to fix errors in notary forms, and how to date a Right to Rescind correctly. At 123notary, we only recognize our own certification as well as Notary2Pros. However, there are many places you can receive signing agent training. We recommend:

(1) 123notary’s loan signing combo course. This course goes over loan signing from A to Z as well as marketing help and how to run your operation and keep good records.

(2) Notary2Pro offers more personalized care and their graduates have a better knowledge of loan signing than other sources.

(3) NNA offers signing agent certification at many different levels. Theirs is the most recognized of the various courses, but the test results of people with the NNA basic signing agent certification when taking 123notary quizzes is not as high as the other contenders.

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Please also read:

Loan Signing Courses For All Budgets
http://www.123notary.com/loan_signing_courses.html

Notary Public 101 — Notary Procedure from A to Z
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19493

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Return to Notary Marketing 102 Contents

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If you are a Signing Agent, you need to get certified. But, by whom, and when and why? Let me explain. There are tens of thousands of signing agents out there. Most of them don’t have a clue what they are doing. In order to stand out among the crowd as a competent signer, you need to distinguish yourself. So, how do the various certifications measure up?

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123notary Certification
We have had certification products since around 2002. Our standards for certification keep evolving and our courses keep getting updated to the standards of the day. As of 2017, 123notary cleaned up its certification by retesting everybody who had our certification. We reduced the number of certified members from 1600 to about 550, and now our certified members reflect a higher standard. We now require an 80% score on purely Notary knowledge. We also require 80% on loan document knowledge and an undefined score on handling unusual Notary situations and scenarios. No other certification has the depth of requirements as the 2018 123notary certification requirements.

Additionally, 123notary is now offering mentoring to those who want to be 123notary certified. We realize that mastering the art of being a great Notary and Signing Agent is hard, and a little help from Jeremy and Carmen goes a long way in helping Notaries pass hard tests.

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NNA Certification
NNA’s certification is the most famous and widely recognized. The test is open book and not timed. Notaries benefit from studying from NNA materials. However, since they are not put on the spot under time pressure to answer questions, they typically cannot perform under time duress. We recommend NNA certification as it is widely recognized, although we suggest you get other certifications as well.

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Notary2Pro Certification
Notary2Pro graduates previously represented the highest level of knowledge of any agency’s certification. Now that 123notary is offering mentoring, it is unclear how Notary2Pro graduates’ knowledge differential will compare to us in 2018. We will have to find out.

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NotaryClasses.com
I have heard good things about NotaryClasses.com but do not have specific commentary.

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Other
There are other Notary classes out there. People go into business and out of business. There are companies with long track records who are in the industry who sometimes start or stop offering a course. It is generally good to study from a variety of sources for best results. The more points of views you get, the better you will be.

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What do I recommend?
If you advertise with us I recommend first getting 123notary certified, and then NNA and Notary2Pro certified — in that order. We cannot give you a certification icon if you pass the NNA test and our icon will really help you attract business.
We accept Notary2Pro’s certification to temporarily certify you on 123notary. However, we retest everyone roughly once per year, so you will still have to pass our test in the long run. It does not hurt to get additional certifications, but I think that the three I recommend are good.

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Do 123notary Certified members make more money?
According to recent research, those who are 123notary certified get:

1. More clicks to their listing.
2. More recognition from title companies
3. Roughly $8 more per average signing than those who are not certified by us.
4. Discounts on upgrades on 123notary.
5. Definitive proof of your knowledge
6. A feeling of pride

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Additional Reading

Read about 123notary’s Certification
http://www.123notary.com/loan_signing_courses.html

Compilation of certification posts
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16264

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Return to Notary Marketing 102 Contents

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It is critical for your success as a Signing Agent to get reviews on your profile. Any Notary who is any good has reviews. By not having a single review you are telling the world that you are not a good person to hire. Additionally, if you only have old reviews, you are telling the world that you are tired and washed out. The secret is to make it a habit to always ask for reviews from anyone who likes your work. Here are my basic principles for getting reviews.

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12 tips for getting reviews on your notary listing

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1. Gee, I love your work!
The minute anyone says, “Gee, I love your work”, ask them for a review and send them a LINK to your review page so that they don’t have to search for it.

2. Read our comprehensive guide to reviews!
Read 123notary’s comprehensive guide to getting reviews before you inhale your next breath.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16290

3. Five or six reviews doubles your incoming calls.
You don’t need a million reviews on 123notary, just five or six reviews in the last three years is enough.

4. Reviews from Title companies count more.
In general reviews are good. But reviews from Title companies carry more credibility.

5. Reviews from Jeremy mean a lot.
Since I am an impartial source of information about how good Notaries are, if you pass my Notary quiz with a high score, I will write a good review.

6. Reviews that are well written or emotionally charged mean more.
“My dog was dying and Jeff the Notary came running and saved the day. Fluffy would have died if it were not for Jeff (sob). I am crying tears of relief. I recommend Jeff to anyone, and so does Fluffy.”

7. Try to get a new review every quarter.
That is all you need. The more the merrier, but once per quarter puts you in the top 1% of Notaries on our site in terms of reviews, although Ken Edelstein in NYC will still have outdone you because he is special and has more than 400 reviews which are all legit.

8. The 8% rule.
On average only 8% of people you ask for a review will actually write it, so don’t be disappointed if you asketh more than you receiveth. Ask lots of people who like you for reviews and take what you get. But, each review is like platinum. On the other hand, if you are a really bad Notary, you might need to ask thirty people to get one review.

9. Offer amazing service
Being a considerate and competent Notary who arrives on time, dresses well, answers questions in a helpful and educated sounding way, and gets the job done on time will help you get reviews. People write reviews for people who gave them the best service they’ve ever had and the worst — not for the most average service.

10. Try to space your reviews out.
If you get five reviews within minutes of each other, I won’t publish them and it looks fake.

11. Old reviews carry very little weight.
If all your reviews are old, you look washed out and like a hasbeen. Reviews are only potent for attracting business if they were written in the last two or three years. The newer the better.

12. Your city page will benefit from your review.
Having reviews not only strengthens your listing, but strengthens your search results for your entire city on Google for 123notary.

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Links:

123notary’s comprehensive guide to getting reviews (mentioned above)
This guide includes many supplemental and highly relevant and helpful links.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16290

You lose $333 every time you don’t ask for a review.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18893

5-6 reviews doubles your business!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=8484

The link is the missing link to getting reviews on 123notary.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18890

Don’t ask for a review at the wrong time.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15800

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Return to Notary Marketing 102 Contents

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If you advertise on online directories, you are well aware of how important and effective it is to have online profiles advertising your Notary services. However, there is a difference between an effective advertisement and one that merely collects dust. I am going to gear this section towards those advertising with us on 123notary.com. However, many of the principles I am going to teach could apply to any online advertising on any medium. Basically, there are a variety of reasons why an advertisement might attract large amounts of business, and reasons why it might not. Here they are.

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High Placement on 123notary
High placements on 123notary not only attract a lot more quantity of business, but a lot more title & escrow business which typically pays a lot more than average work. Email us for a quote for a particular county at info@123notary.com

If you advertise with 123notary, but your listing is buried at the bottom of the list as is the case with free and economy listings, you might find that you do not attract much business simply because clients do not easily find you. Being buried is not a good business strategy for growing your business, but is a good strategy for those who want to maintain a presence while their business slows down little by little. The Notary business has those starting up, maturing, slowing down, and quitting. Your business strategy should be appropriate to your stage in the business.

For those who are starting up in business, the first step is education. Studying to be an expert Notary and expert Loan Signer should come before investing in advertising. 123notary can help you become an expert Notary, so don’t be afraid to ask how. After you have proven your knowledge to us at 123notary, then a high placed listing is the next step in my prescribed route to Notarial success.

High-placed listings are for sale in all counties on 123notary.com. We sell placements based on county, and not based on zip code. We sell fixed high spots in all counties of the United States and prices are customized based on what area, what spot, and how good your overall score is in our algorithm, which matters a lot to us. By being high on the list, clients can see you without trying because your information will be in their face which is highly effective. But, there is more…

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Creating a Great Notes Section
You also need to create a well-organized and informative notes section on your listing. Read about that in the next chapter in this course.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19788

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Getting Reviews on your Notary Profile
Getting reviews on your listing is a matter of doing great work, waiting for compliments and then asking for a review. Please read our section on getting reviews.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19760

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Additional Related Reading

What is a high placement on 123notary worth?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16720

What is the difference between a listing getting 16 clicks / month & 100+
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=13185

LINK: Notary Education; Signing Agent Classes
http://www.123notary.com/loan_signing_courses.html

LINK: Notary Public 101; A comprehensive FREE course about Notary best practices.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19493

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Return to the Notary Marketing 102 Notes Tutorial

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1. TOP — Selling Points & Experience
A good notes section should start out by mentioning some quick points about why someone would want to hire you. Here are some points that do well in the top section:

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Number of Loans Signed – Most Notaries hide behind their years of experience. But, the Title companies want to know how many loans first as years is not a definitive metric of how much actual experience you have. What if you signed ten loans per year for ten years, that is only 100 loans. If you have thirty or more years of experience, list it in a format such as: Notary since 1985.

Jail & Hospital Signings — Many people need service in unusual places, so if you are specializing in jails and hospitals, you should mention this at the top of your notes.

100 Mile Radius — In remote areas, people need service far from where you live. If you offer this service with a smile, you will attract a lot more business.

eSignings — Listing unusual services makes you look highly skilled, and will attract specific types of work.

Hours — If you are a 24/7 Notary or a night owl, let the world know this first, because a lot of people need help at night and the other Notaries probably don’t want to be bothered.

Languages — Spanish and Vietnamese are the most demanded languages. But, if you speak another language, put that up top so people will know right away. If you speak Spanish, it is better to claim to be “bilingual” as it carries positive cultural connotations.

Specific Experience — Mention specific types of financial packages or documents that you are accustomed to signing. If a client has that exact package they might be more likely to call you first.

Catchy Phrase — Sometimes a catchy phrase about yourself, your business or service can win the game. Often it is a one-liner that is artfully phrased and catches people’s attention. Don’t bore them with fluff, dazzle them with class!

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LINK: Buzzwords to avoid in your notes section
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19054

LINK: What NOT to put at the top of your notes section
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19056

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Examples:

EFFECTIVE
24/7 service; 8500 loans signed; last minute signings; Bilingual; Experienced with Modifications, eSignings, REO, Time Shares, Refinances, VA, FHA, 1sts, 2nds, and Helocs.

Commentary
The effective top of your notes section stresses time of availability, level of experience you can really put your finger on (# of loans is a better analytic than years because the reader could assume that you did very few loans per year for ten years which is not impressive.) “Last minute signings” is a great phrase because many notaries do not like to be bothered at the last minute. Unusual types of financial packages are also good to list and this section lists ten types of packages. I would stop at twelve types of packages per paragraph to avoid overload.

HORRIBLE
I have been a notary for twelve years and know my way around the business. I am responsible and know everything I need to know. NNA certified.

Commentary
The horrible top of your notes section commentary lists years which is bad because you don’t know what quantity of actual work was done per year. There is some bragging and self-promotion which I called “inexpensively bought credibility” which carries no weight because it is self-verified credibility. Then there is the NNA certification which is not a selling feature as almost all Notaries on 123notary are NNA Certified. You have to mention what makes you different and better, rather than what makes you average.

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