Posted by happdoll on 5/11/05 2:36pm
Msg #37159

considering the profession

Hello,
I am here in Virginia. Experience a career change and wondering if a mobile notary could provide me with an income substantial enough to quit my other 3 jobs.
what has been your experience starting up and how long till you make $3000./month? Is this too personal?

happdoll

Reply by SamIam_CA on 5/11/05 2:44pm
Msg #37161

Please read the message dated 04/22 - post #33325. After you read that you will have a much better idea if this career is for you - regardless of the money.

Reply by happdoll/va on 5/11/05 3:03pm
Msg #37166

Read the post. Very informative giving some idea how to avoid some of the potential headaches. Would still like to hear other stories of start up experiences: what training...,$, how long till it took you to feel confident, etc..

Reply by Anonymous on 5/11/05 4:00pm
Msg #37173

Don't expect to hear back from anyone about that. This is not a touchy-feely nurturing kind of board. They'd rather discourage you from entering the field because they feel the notary/loan signing business is saturated and you'd be potentially cutting into their turf.

TURF WARS!!!!

It takes a good month to month and a half to get your first signing. You'll need to sign up with as many signing services as you can find and it will feel like it takes forever to get that first call.

The key to repeat business is not how much you charge or don't charge. Sure, some will call you back if you're super cheap, but they won't show you any type of loyalty in the long run. Customer service is the key to repeat business. The signing services and title companies appreciate someone who is available to them when they need them and who will report back after the closing and follow up via phone or email that the docs were sent back and even received.

I've impressed the pants off the people I deal with by verifying with UPS/FedEx that the closing docs were received by the SS or TC and sending an email to the person I dealt with saying: I have confirmed the closing docs were received by your office and signed for by Joe Smith. It was a pleasure to assist you and I look forward to helping you in the future.

It takes them by surprise and every SS or TC I've done this with has called me again.

So many people on here complain about the SS and low fees and act like the SS is the enemy. If the truth be know (or admitted) we're each other's parasites and we live off each other. If you're fair and respectful with others, others will treat you the same. Sure, there are bad apples out there, but for the most part there's more good than bad. We just hear about the bad much more often.

Without any experience in the real estate arena, I wouldn't advise anyone to quit their day job and jump into this business feet first. How long will it take you to make $3,000/month? No one can answer that. How much will it cost you to make $3,000/month? Read the postings on here and get an idea as to how much it will cost to get started and maintain a business which "CAN" require you to spend a great deal of time in your car.

The real estate market is changing. Interest rates are going up and housing in certain parts of the country are not affordable. You need to evaluate where your living and what is happening in your area. You need to do a "Find A Notary" search on several different websites and get a feel for how many "active" notaries there are in your neck of the woods.

Many notaries don't rely solely on loan signings for their primary income. You'll note several are non-denominational ministers, some do property inspections, and other types of things to make a living.

If you're really serious about getting started, I suggest that you read the postings from Jan 1, 2005 to date and see who is saying what on here. Then, get email addresses for people you think may be helpful and start contacting them via email. It's more difficult to say "no" and be unhelpful on a one-to-one basis. Here, online, on the message board it's like people can stone you at one time and chase you away.

Find out (by reading past messages) who is helpful and then approach them individually.

Best of luck!

Reply by ERNA_CA on 5/11/05 4:08pm
Msg #37174

Re: considering the profession, Very well saied Anon.n/m

Reply by happdoll on 5/11/05 4:15pm
Msg #37175

Re: considering the profession, Very well saied Anon.n/m

thanks for your honesty and straight forwardness. It is very helpful.

Reply by Anonymous on 5/11/05 4:19pm
Msg #37177

Re: considering the profession, Very well saied Anon.n/m

Hey... I'm from New Jersey... Only know how to be straight forward and honesty and abrupt.

Read the recent postings... Search for start up costs and get a feel for what's going on. Then start some one on one communications and you'll get a much better feel for this whole craziness.

Don't let anyone sell you some pie in the sky thing and don't let anyone discourage you. You can do it if this is what you really want to do.

I'm helping my best friend's husband get into the business. I do believe in it.

Best of luck... I mean that sincerely.

Reply by happdoll on 5/11/05 4:25pm
Msg #37178

Re: considering the profession, Very well saied Anon.n/m

I grew up in New Jersey.....exit 148 lol!! short, and to the point is perfect for what I need. No plans on quitting my day job (which is actually my night job---newspaper delivery)---yet. I am looking for something to replace the 365 days a year no one to substitute for me hours.

Reply by Anonymous on 5/11/05 4:27pm
Msg #37179

Email?

What's your email address?

Reply by happdoll on 5/11/05 4:29pm
Msg #37180

Re: Email?

[e-mail address]

Reply by Anonymous on 5/11/05 4:33pm
Msg #37181

Re: Email?

I'll email you this evening and answer any questions you may have. Hopefully, others will see your email address and contact you as well.

Reply by MsRobbo on 5/11/05 4:54pm
Msg #37184

On becoming a signing agent...

All of the feedback that you are getting is great. I am from PA and when I first started it took a while to get it going. Don't quit your jobs yet! Start applying to SS and Title Co. and work part time until you get established. Then maybe you can eliminate some of your other jobs. I would like to email you, if that is OK, and give you my email address. If you have any questions, I would be willing to help you. Best of luck!

Reply by CarolynCO on 5/11/05 7:28pm
Msg #37209

Re: Email?

You're posting anonymously to hide your identity, but you are asking someone to post their e-mail address publicly ...

Reply by CaliNotary on 5/11/05 7:02pm
Msg #37199

I agree with just about everything you said except for one thing:

"Find out (by reading past messages) who is helpful and then approach them individually."

If somebody reads past messages, they're very unlikely to ask the types of questions that are going to get people to "stone them and chase them away". They'll find that their most basic questions have already been asked and answered dozens of times already, therefore won't have the need to ask them. It's usually pretty easy to tell who is looking for the silver platter and who has already done their homework.

And anyone who is hypersensitive enough to be chased off of a board like this probably isn't cut out for the signing agent business to begin with. If they can't help but take things personally on this board, how are they gonna react when a borrower is screaming at them about somethng that they have no control over?