Mobile loan signings
Notary Signing Agent
A side business you can start in a month for under a thousand dollars.
Typical pay
$15k part-time to $60k full-time
How you get in
Notary commission plus signing agent certification
Outlook
Cyclical; tracks mortgage refinance and purchase volume
No federal jobs data covers this role yet.
Notary signing agents witness and notarize real estate loan document packages. It is one of the lowest-cost businesses to start, and income tracks the mortgage market closely.
A day in the life
8:00a – 5:00p · 9 hours
- 8:00aCheck assignments from signing services and title companies
- 9:30aPrint a 150-page loan package in two copies
- 11:00aDrive to the borrower and conduct the signing
- 1:00pScan-back the executed documents
- 3:00pSecond signing across town
- 5:00pShip the originals and invoice
How to get in
Commission and certify
Duration
3-8 weeks
Cost
$500-$1,200 including supplies
Credential
State notary commission plus NNA signing agent certification
- Get commissioned as a notary public in your state
- Complete signing agent training and pass the background screening
- Buy a dual-tray laser printer, scanner, seal and errors-and-omissions insurance
- Register with signing services and title companies to receive assignments
Direct title company relationships
Duration
6-18 months
Cost
$0 beyond the initial setup
Credential
Same, plus a reliability record
- Take signing service work first to build volume and reviews
- Deliver flawlessly — accuracy and scan-back speed are the entire reputation
- Approach local title companies and escrow officers directly
- Direct work pays substantially more than signing service assignments
Expand into general mobile notary
Duration
Ongoing
Cost
$0-$500
Credential
Notary commission; RON authorization where available
- Add general notary work — estate documents, powers of attorney, apostilles
- Get remote online notarization authorized if your state permits it
- Diversifies you away from mortgage rate cycles
- Hospital and facility signings pay well and are less competitive
What people love
- · Start for a few hundred dollars
- · Set your own schedule and coverage area
- · Each signing pays $75-$200 for one to two hours
- · Easy to run alongside another job
What wears people down
- · Volume collapses when mortgage rates rise
- · Printer, toner, paper and mileage come out of your fee
- · Evening and weekend signings are the norm
- · A single document error can cost you the client