Posted by Arlene Calbo on 11/15/07 11:50am
Msg #221425

HELPPPPPPPPPPP

HOW DO I GET STARTED IN THE SIGNING AGENT CAREER CAN ANYONE HELP?
THANKS
ARLENE

Reply by Phillip/TX on 11/15/07 11:54am
Msg #221427

Wish you good luck

First I would suggest you not quit your day job, if you have one, and second I would suggest you read the threads of this site...

Then go to the signing central area of this site and read the reviews of the companies listed there.

Reply by Yoli/CA on 11/15/07 12:03pm
Msg #221429

Re: Wish you good luck

Arlene:

This is a bad time to venture into this line of work. Veeerrryyyy slow.

Heed Phillip's good advise. This forum offers a lot of insight from people with a lot of experience.

Good luck!

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 11/15/07 12:11pm
Msg #221430

Arlene
Florida is saturated with signing agents. Check out how many there are in your area alone.

I notice you have only been a FL notary since August. You need to gain experience as a notary before risking loan signing. Many companies are now needing two years experience.

Read this forum from the beginning to gain insight into the business.

Reply by SReis on 11/15/07 12:15pm
Msg #221431

Unfortunately, as all have stated it is a very bad time to start. Many SAs are looking for ways to get out or supplement because work is almost non-existent in many places. Good Luck!

Reply by Ernest__CT on 11/15/07 12:15pm
Msg #221432

Forget becoming a NSA. n/m

Reply by Michael/FL on 11/15/07 1:26pm
Msg #221456

Hang Tight

Heed the advice given already. Yes it's slow but that gives time to learn the ropes, plan marketing skills and become known.

Take your time to learn the different types of loans you could encounter, research the companies and no what you are worth! Don't give away your service for free.

As Sylvia stated, we got tons of notaries in FL but only a handful are worth the time

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 11/15/07 2:02pm
Msg #221462

Re: Hang Tight

Also, Arlene needs to put something in her profile. There are no comments there. Companies like to know something about who they are considering hiring. There are 52 notaries listed for her Ocala zip code, and most of them do have information in their profiles.

Reply by CJ on 11/15/07 2:24pm
Msg #221468

The problem is . . .

Things were VERY busy these past few years. Everone was becoming loan officers, title agents, brokers, notaries, signing services and appraisers. Notary companies were cranking out signing agent classes and making a lot of money by promising a pot of gold to everyone. That was how THEY made money. Everyone was busy and making money. Then the mortgage crises happened. Everthing came to a screeching halt. Suddenly, there was this huge loan machine and no one borrowing money anymore. They could not borrow money because their houses values went done and the subprime loans (100% financing, neg am, PPP and adjustibles) were all yanked off the market. So now everyone was was involved in loans is sitting at home twiddling their thumbs, and trying to figure out how to pay the bills. Many compaines went out of business: Loan companies, mortgage brokers, title agencies, signing services, etc. Many of the hundreds of thousands of people out of work are becoming notaries becuase they remember how busy we were. But if no one is borrowing, then there is nothing for us to sign. I used to do between 100 and 70 jobs a month. Now I am lucky to do 20. It's kind of like selling 8-track players: if the market isn't buying them, it doesn't matter how many you have to sell or how good they are. Lots of companies closed down without paying their back invoices, so we wound up working for free.

The notary classes are trying hard to stay in businsess too, so they are still running their ads that say notary work is "lucrative" with "flexible" hours, you can make $100,000 in your "spare time", and "pefect for stay home moms".

1. Lucrative if it is busy, which it is not.
2. Flexible means "whenever the borrower wants you", which can be anywhere from 5:00 am to 11:30 pm.
3. $100,000 per year? Only if you worked 24 -7. But who gets 2:00 am jobs on a consistant basis? That is a lie. It if were possible, I would have been doing it. I was plenty busy.
4. Spare time: That's like saying, "raise a two-year-old in your spare time. You are on call 24-7, even when you go out of town. there is no "spare time"
5. Work from home? I was NEVER home. I worked from my car. It was more like living in my car. I am glad my kids were grown, my daugher at home liked to do her homework and my husband is a foodie, so he didn't mind cooking every nigth after work.

But now I am home with LOTS of time on my hands.

THEREFORE, it will be very hard to find someone to "Help" you get into the business. Any business that can be had, they are not going to show you how to take it from them. They don't hate you, its just that no one can afford to share the little bit that is barely there.

I am not trying to be mean, I am telling you the truth. I used to to 1/3 of my business before the 15th, and 2/3 after the fifteeth. I was gone every day. I had no life, and my husband complained that he felt like a bachelor. I was gone days, nights, weekends and holidays.

But here it is, the middle of the day. I've done my laundry, my chores, my gardening, and now I am going to look at the library books I got yesterday. Yesterday I ran all my errands since I had nothing else to do.

Reply by Ilene C. Seidel on 11/15/07 3:00pm
Msg #221477

Re: The problem is . . .

Yup CJ, I was very busy too. My husband use to get crazy when I answered the phone during dinner (if I graced him with my presence). Now buz is a joke I have so much time on my hands I joined a hiking club just to get out of the house. It's do something else or go nuts waiting for a phone call.

Reply by cal2az on 11/15/07 10:34pm
Msg #221555

Re: The problem is . . .

It feels good known I'm not the only one in this boat. Since September, I am doing about 20% of what I used to do.

Reply by Joan Bergstrom on 11/15/07 11:47pm
Msg #221567

Re: The problem is . . .

Why don't you link to your profile?

This is like basic 101 to get hired.
Many companies read this message board because its the most important message board.

Always have your marketing hat on and you hat is not in place!

Reply by Michael/FL on 11/15/07 11:12pm
Msg #221562

Re: Hang Tight

That is true, a little description about yourself and what exactly you handle will better help you being chosen by a TC.

Another Ocala person, welcome! Hope you like the area

Reply by Karen/OK on 11/15/07 6:36pm
Msg #221512

You might read Msg #33325 on this board.

Reply by JanetK_CA on 11/16/07 12:48am
Msg #221571

My 2 cents....

First, I suggest you start by clarifying to yourself WHY you want to do this business, what you expect to get from it and how soon. (Best to get it down on paper, too.) Next, follow the other advice given here about studying this board "from the beginning" as Sylvia said, not just the last few pages or weeks or even months. Finally, do a careful analysis as to how feasible it is to expect this business, with the current market conditions, to produce your desired results in your area. This means developing a business plan. Years ago you could probably have gotten by without one, but no longer.

If you still want to have a career as a signing agent after all that, then I recommend you set about educating yourself thoroughly. Expect to invest plenty of sweat equity, as no one is particularly interested in training their competition, especially when there already isn't enough work to go around.