Posted by F2F/FL on 1/20/11 1:36pm
Msg #369361

Question and help please

If you approach a TC directly to get your business (foot) in their door, what verbege do you use to sell yourself to get work locally in your own area? Is it appropriate to ask if they use a SA and who that might be so you can at least sign up with them? Any help will do, thanks

Reply by Marian_in_CA on 1/20/11 1:45pm
Msg #369363

Research.

What I do is go to the county clerk's office and look up recently filed deeds... you start to learn which local notaries are working... and sometimes, you can figure out who they're working for. It takes good old fashioned research and education.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 1/20/11 2:11pm
Msg #369366

Most local title companies around here have their own

in-house notaries - so they really have no use for IC's...I've not approached them for that reason. I know that the owner of a one local title company is a notary himself....also, when we bought our house here we closed at the title company who had their own notary there too..

Reply by F2F/FL on 1/20/11 2:31pm
Msg #369382

Re: Most local title companies around here have their own

Thanks for the help. So your saying that an in-house notary can do the signing as long as their not benefiting from the signing. I know I sound confused but I just need some questions answered.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 1/20/11 2:33pm
Msg #369384

The in-house notary is probably a salaried employee

who got his/her notary commission and uses it for closings - they don't get paid separately for the loan signing

Reply by F2F/FL on 1/20/11 2:37pm
Msg #369386

Re: The in-house notary is probably a salaried employee

Thanks again Linda, as always I look forward to what you have to say.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 1/20/11 2:39pm
Msg #369387

LOL..you're probably the only one!!!...:)

Y'all hush now...

Reply by Bravo on 1/20/11 3:12pm
Msg #369394

Re: The in-house notary is probably a salaried employee

Its not necessarily true that the in-house notary does not get paid for notarizing in-house transactions. It depends on the employee/employee contract terms regarding this. There are many escrow officers and assistants whose monthly paycheck includes fees for their notarizations.
Also, generally if a person allows their company to pay for their commission, then they only do notarizations for their company unless further negotiations have been put in place to allow them to use it in another capacity.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 1/20/11 3:21pm
Msg #369397

I said they don't get paid separately for the loan signing

Meaning not like we do as independent contractors...

And...there MAY be laws in place prohibiting an employer from using the an employee as an independent contractor - there were in CT -

Anyway - that's all beside the point that the local TC's have their own in-house notaries so, at least in my area..I don't think they use outside notaries.

Reply by Moneyman/TX on 1/20/11 3:10pm
Msg #369392

Might have better luck on a national level rather than local

Robert, I would think that you, and all of us, would have better luck marketing to TC outside of our immediate area. These are the ones that would be in need of remote closers (NSA). Good OP, Robert.

Linda is correct about the local TC offices and the need for our services on a regular basis.

Maybe we could start a thread where each poster can research their local area for TC contact information and post it on an ongoing basis. Not all TC are listed in SC and the thread could end up being a good "go to" thread similar to the one that all newbie's are sent to. What does everyone think about that idea?

Reply by Moneyman/TX on 1/20/11 4:01pm
Msg #369417

Just thought of another idea

What about setting up a date to hold a Go Live session to swap contacts of local TC if no one wants to start a thread?

Reply by DBFL on 1/20/11 4:28pm
Msg #369425

Re: Just thought of another idea

I like both the thread idea and the go live idea. I am willing to research TC’s in my area and post the info. May take a little time, but I need to try and get in with more TC and work with less SS, so this will be a good start for me. It will also give me a start on networking for work in the local area since I have not focused on this area of business growth at all.

Reply by F2F/FL on 1/20/11 5:19pm
Msg #369438

Re: So maybe we can come up with

Some answers to my original question too. What verbage would you use if you contact your local TC directly? And if they use a SS may you ask who they are so that you can sign up with them if they are happy doing business that way?
If they ask what I charge I tell them, but I never offer. I let them know that I am available at most times, just give me a call. I am mobile with the ability to print in my car, and they seem to be pretty interested then. So now it's just a waiting game for me. I hope it works.

Reply by Moneyman/TX on 1/21/11 2:32pm
Msg #369571

Re: Just thought of another idea

On the thread idea I was thinking of it being one that would build over time so people could add TC info as they got it. In some cases it might be just one listing and others might add several at one time. That way there would not be a rush of contacts to the newly added TC.

Since we are coming up on EOM maybe we could shoot for a date in the first week or two of Feb for the go live chat. That would also give some time for us to get the contact info on some of our local TC.

Reply by LKT/CA on 1/20/11 11:10pm
Msg #369496

One thing about In-House Notaries......they want their Friday nights, weekends and holidays off!! Also, many only work In-House and are not remote closers, especially for evening signings and have no interest in notarizing outside of their work schedule. Tonight, I notarized signatures for a Wells Fargo mail-away refi, just 4 signatures plus travel....when the gentleman called he mentioned that both he and his wife worked and NEEDED a mobile Notary to come to his home.

You could market yourself as being available to travel, meet with borrowers in the evening, on weekends and holidays - something the In-House Notary has no interest in doing. I would not ask about SSs or other SAs.....just focus on your experience, availability and flexibility.

Reply by docs2go/ca on 1/22/11 12:27am
Msg #369616

I agree: most In-House Notaries and even "outside" Notaries used by TC's want their Friday nights and weekends off. Also, Signings that occur before a Holiday usually provide us with more opportunities. Some time ago, one Notary Instructor advised Notaries to work with only 1 or 2 TC's. His point was that you need to be available when they call, and if you spread yourself too thin and are not available, they will stop calling you. Accordingly, in order to build my business with 1 TC, I do not book with anyone else for Fridays and Weekends: this seems to be working in my favor. Some TC's require new Notaries to complete a process before they will put you on their "Approved List." I am definitely "up" for the idea of brainstorming together, sharing my own experience and perhaps coming up with some innovative ways to market ourselves and keep ourselves in the forefront of a TC when they are ready to make that Notarial contact for a Signing.

Reply by Moneyman/TX on 1/22/11 10:30am
Msg #369630

Unless that "1 or 2" TC can guarantee you work I would disagree with limiting yourself to just one or two. If they can keep you busy, then maybe. Otherwise, market to as many as you can. If one calls you on short notice every week, they will learn that they need to be more respectful of your time as well and call earlier to book you. Not every one of the TC that you market to will have closings every single Friday that they can use you for. It would be great if they did. JMO