My style and situation is different from most. I also don't work for every company out there - through mutual agreement. They don't like my style or I don't like their style.
I go out and the borrowers decide not to sign within first 15 minutes, LO on phone negotiates a new deal and I get the signing - generally no charge. I print Edocs and the borrower cancels before I am out the door - no charge. My fee for a full signing is often Higher than my competition, this is how I make up for my lost time. I don't nit pick cost of paper, toner and miles-per-gallon. My time, on the other hand, is very valuable to me.
I don't get all the work in my area. I don't go out 24/7 or even 5/5. I don't answer my cell phone at the signing table unless its from the company that gave me the assignment, which makes me a real PIA for many SS services. That's OK with me. Leave a detailed message (town, date & time), I will call back as soon as I am out the door. I accept only the assignments that I want to take, cancellations are rare, and checks come within a reasonable time and don't bounce.
Anonymous, I am not going to post my fees on a public board, but I'll tell you that depending on who I am competing against for the assignment tey are high, mid-range or low. I believe my $40 paper package signing, which included bringing a witness, competitor is no longer working in this industry. Competitor w/in 5 miles of my home that was doing Edocs for $75 full-time decided to get a full-time 9-5 job with benefits and vacation pay. I rarely do Edocs for $75. It has to be close to home for me to lower my Edoc fee; i.e., volume and no-aggrevation factor discount (tell me the lender and loan product [schedulers DO know that] and I usually know from experience how many pages and how long at the signing table). Sometimes my estimates are wrong, but over time the right % rate pays off. Do I lose work to my competition? All the time, but my Excedrine for migrane expenses have been cut in half. Surviving in the real estate industry is like gambling. You win some. You lose some.
Actual scenario for you: Scheduler calls me: $50 for signing and $25 for Edocs. My all inclusive fee $125. Scheduler replies, "We can't pay $75 for Edocs. Why is your fee for Edocs so high?" Answer, "That's my fee for an Edoc signing in that town, on that date, at that time. I don't break out Edocs, borrowers' copy set, faxes, mileage, and telephone calls separately." I get the assigment. Confirmation states "$100 signing. $25 Edocs." I get my $. Downside: This can result in the scheduler putting me in their database as a $100 minimum for any signing, which will drop me to the bottom of the calling list. |
