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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
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
- 8:00aCheck 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