Author: jakesha.vaughn

B.C. (before COVID) the notary process was simple: in person, sign and stamp, go over some legalities. Simply put, the point of needing a document notarized was to physically see the person and their government issued ID card to verify their identity before moving forward. But in the age of COVID and social distancing, this process has become a little out dated. So as things like school and meetings moved online, so did notary services.

Remote Online Notarization (R.O.N.)

Remote Online Notarization is exactly what it sounds like, a digital meeting to notarize documents. There are multiple platforms to preform RON’s on, most RON-approved service providers will guide you step by step to meet your state requirements to perform online notarization. But, there are a few steps you as the notary need to take to make sure your remote services are successful.

#1 Fast and Reliable Internet Connection

Remote Online Notary laws require the Notary to be able to see, hear, and communicate with the client clearly during the entire notary session. This means that your connection cannot lag or be too pixelated. For the RON to be valid your connection must provide you with clear video and sound, fast internet connection is necessary for you to succeed here.

#2 Digital Notary Seal

Your digital notary seal must be X.509 compliant, if you go through a RON service they will provide you with a list of complaint third party services for you to choose from. The digital certificate provides evidence to the receiving parties that the notarized document has not been altered or changed since it was signed, which is a requirement for a lawful online notarization.

#3 Audio/Visual Communication Technology

RON compliant services should preform all of the tasks legally required by your state. At minimum, your service should provide:

-a recording of the audio-visual communication session, and an archive to hold that session in so that you can return to review it at any time.

-high quality audio-visual resolution, to enable the remote online notary and the principal to see and communicate with each other simultaneously through live, real-time transmission

-security measures to prevent unauthorized access to your live sessions and archives

#4 Credential Analysis and Identity Proofing Tools

RON laws require signers to go through a three step identification process to successfully identify the signer:

-Identity proofing of the signer

-Credential analysis

-Remote presentation of the signer’s identity

#5 E-Notary Journal

RON compliant services will provide you with a secure electronic journal to record your remote notarial acts. This works similarly to your physical notary journal, but of course is electronic and online service specific.

#6 Back-up and Storage

All e-journal entries and audio-visual recordings must be archived according to your state notary laws. Depending on your state, you are usually required to retain your archives for 5-10 years. Your remote online service provider will provide you with backup support for your online notarial acts.

Last year was far from normal, this was apparent in all aspects of life, and very apparent in most businesses. The pandemic challenged us in ways no one could have prepared for. Businesses closed, school went online, and people had hard times making ends meet.

In early 202 notaries faced a number of difficulties including a surge in demand from customers seeking notarizations of legal documents for updating wills, closing real estate deals, granting power-of-attorney, or other formal transactions. As everything switched to online, many notaries had to learn to utilize RON (remote online notarization). There are many things we learned in 2020 that we will use moving forward to make 2021 our best year.

#1 Review what worked and what didn’t

Ask yourself,

“Did I achieve my goals?”

“What can I do to improve areas where I was not as successful?”

“Should I seek help to achieve my goals?”

#2 Examine your expenses

Review your finances from last year, what services brought in profit and what services did not? You may discover discrepancies in your budget that you didn’t notice before, it would be a good idea to begin uses financial tracking software for your business to keep better track of where you’re wasting the most money. Services that are not bringing in the most money do not need to be eliminated, this is a good time for you to change up your model and make the services work better for you!

#3 Maintain relationships with customers

Repeat customers are the bread and butter of a business. As a notary your clients will absolutely need you more than once, so make your presence well known. Send thank you cards, keep in touch, it is critical to let them know that you are grateful for their business and look forward to providing them notary services in the future!

#4 Set aside time to grow professionally

2020 was proof that the notary industry evolves quickly, remote online notarization is more popular than ever as a result of the need for social distancing and safe notary services. Quick changes in notary laws and regulations can make it difficult for notaries to succeed, changes in technology can make it even more difficult. These factors are why it is important for you to set aside time to get comfortable in the changes in the industry. Take classes, attend workshops (online or in person), join a notary network, hire a mentor, or learn new skills to make sure your business is still viable.

#5 Check your notary stamp

It’s good practice to check the condition of your notary stamp once a year! If your stamp is wearing down, you should order a new one so that you never have to decline service because your stamp is surprisingly out of commission. Some states even allow you to order a back up stamp! Also consider keeping a back up supply of ink pads or bottle refills, and an extra notary record book if yours is almost full!

#6 Look into working with a mentor

Many seasoned notaries and notary networks offer a mentorship program. Years of successful notarizing comes with a plethora of tips and tricks of the trade. If you are struggling keeping your business afloat, or getting new notary jobs, getting a mentor could be a great resource for you. Most notary mentor programs are remote, the Signature Mobile Services mentor program is over text and FaceTime and we answer all of your questions in real time! To find out more about the Signature Mobile Services mentor program click here.

Make 2021 your greatest year as a notary, make 2021 your highest grossing year as a notary! Follow these steps, if you need more help contact us! Together we will work together to help you succeed in your notary career!

Mobile Notary Services covers a wide variety of services including Mobile Notary Public and Mobile Notary Signing Agents. Notary Public’s are your basic sign and stamp notaries, anyone can become a Notary Public through the state and start signing. Notary Signing Agents can do everything a Mobile Notary Public can do and then some, they go through extra training and background checks to be able to sign on your important documents!

Mobile Notary Public

Notary Public’s are agents of the state that verify your identity when signing on important documents. They must have a Notary Commission License from the state they are working in to preform these signings, and a state delegated notary stamp must be placed on your documents.

Mobile Notaries travel to you, whether that be on location, at your job, or at the nearest Starbucks. They may charge the state’s maximum price for services, or add on a convenience fee for travel. Mobile Notaries may offer services in any U.S. state where they hold a commission license!

Notary Signing Agent

Notary Signing Agents can do everything a Notary Public can do, but they require more training. Notary Signing Agents must hold  a Notary Commission License in any state they want to practice in, a Title Insurance License, a Closing Agent License, and they must get a background check before holding the Signing Agent title. Notary Signing Agents notarize loan documents, often needing to preform additional duties such as printing and delivering loan documents, obtaining all necessary signatures, and mailing completed loan document packages to the lender.

Notary Signing Agents are usually mobile and will travel to you to assist in the signing process.

Choosing “the best” notary out of the 4.5 million signing agents in the nation can seem like an impossible task. There are a lot of factors that play into finding the best notary public for your needs. Whether the service is estate planning, deed, power of attorney, loan signing, or any other document that requires notarization, you want to choose the most qualified candidate for the job.

#1 Mobility

Long gone are the days where you have to drive to the bank for the notary. Mobile Notaries will come to you, save you time and money, and you’ll never have to wait in a line again. Mobile Notaries go far beyond just signing and stamping, we come to you and insure that every step to the signing process is done correctly and legally. Mobile Notaries will meet you on location, at your job, or at the nearest Starbucks.

#2 Qualifications & Specialization

Check the notary’s qualifications to ensure they are a good fit for your needs. Notaries should display their qualifications and any specialty fields publicly on their website or business cards. If you require notarial services for legal documents, you’ll probably want to choose someone with an educational and/or professional background in law. If you’re signing loan documents for real estate, you’ll want to choose someone with a background in real estate or someone suggested by your loan officer. Doing so reduces the risk of error while encouraging a smooth service for both parties involved.

#3 Fees

Each state has its own cap on how much a notary can legally charge for his or her services. These limits are listed per state on the Secretary of State’s website. It is important to note that this is merely the maximum charge and not the relative price for services!

Mobile Notaries are legally allowed to charge a “convenience fee” for their services and this is not represented in the limit set by the state.

#4 Association Membership

Most Notary Networks require their notary public’s to meet certain criteria, including working hours, education, and training. Being part of any notary association means your notary is well trained and constantly kept up to date. You can rest assured knowing that a notary is highly accredited if he or she is an active member of a notary association.

#5 Communication

Is your notary easy to reach via phone or email? If not, you might want to find another notary public. Communication is an important part of the notary signing process, if you need to reach any person who assisted on your documents you want them to be just a phone call away. The right notary will acknowledge the importance of communication and understand that they need to make themselves available to clients.

4 Reasons Real Estate Partners work with Signing Service Companies

Working with Real Estate Agents plays a huge part in Notary work. Notary Signing Agents are necessary to close on home loans, so having a relationship with these agents helps notaries get more signing jobs. These relationships are hard to form on your own though, most real estate partners prefer to work with signing service companies over freelance notaries, for many reasons.

A Single Point of Contact

Despite technology and digital capabilities, when physical documents are involved, the best solution lies in dealing with a reputable and adaptable network of professionals who understand your requirements.

Convenience for Your Clients

An alternative to meeting for a closing at a title company office, a signing service company offers all the convenience of on-site meetings in order to facilitate far-flung transactions.

Conformance with Local Laws and Regulations

Because legal requirements, licensing laws and filing needs differ from state to state, the mobile notary offers local knowledge and expertise necessary to keep title companies in compliance no matter where the parties to a transaction live or work.

Growing Volume of Transactions

With the most recent statistics pointing to an annualized record pace of real estate transactions approaching more than 5.5 million, according to the National Association of Realtors, the ability to make closings more efficient and effective is a great advantage for a busy title company.

How Mobile Notaries Can Save You Money

Hiring a notary is something everyone will need to do at least once in their lives. Long gone are the days where you have to travel to your county’s nearest notary, 30 minutes away, to wait in line at a bank. Mobile Notaries are the future, notaries who will come to your location and aid you in the signing process. Here at Signature Mobile Notary we understand that time is money, and that is why we take time out of our day to come and make your signing process easier.

Cuts Travel Needs

Gas, tolls, and the wear on your vehicle can get expensive. A mobile notary can meet you at your location, or any location, saving you the trip and the expense. No waiting in traffic, no waiting in line, our mobile notaries go above and beyond to make sure everything goes smoothly in your signing process.

Cut Opportunity Costs

When you are spending time waiting for a notary’s office to open or traveling to meet one, you can miss out on other chances to increase your profits. By having a mobile notary at your disposal, you are able to spend less time waiting and more time working with other clients. Our Mobile Notaries know that time is money, we pride ourselves in being prompt and make sure we are always prepared for a seamless signing process.

24/7 Availability for Hard to Reach Clients

If someone whose needs will include notarization contacts you in the evening or on the weekend, you can say yes to the business. Telling them that you have to wait for a notary to open could mean losing the client and their fee. On top of our mobile notary services, we also offer remote online notary services 24/7 for extra convenience. This process uses audio visual technology to insure identity for the electronic notary signature.