I did a home loan document signing today for a couple who made several critical comments about the notary who did the document signing for their previous mortgage.

Here are some comments they made:

1. His head was not in it. He was looking around the room instead of paying attention to the paperwork.
2. He did not seem to know anything about being a notary (he seemed very unsure of himself).
3. When they asked him questions about being a notary, he did not know how to answer them.
4. He seemed very inexperienced

This made me very happy because it reinforced why I'm worth my fee.

I'm sure many new notaries are not like this. However, if I could talk to this newbie notary, here are some helpful hints I would suggest:

1. Become familiar with the documents before going to the appointment. All it takes is a quick look at each page to help you look and feel confident because you'll have an idea where they need to sign and what is being signed.
2. Engage the borrowers in friendly conversation as they sign. This helps them feel like you are paying attention.
3. Know your industry. Be able to talk a little about the notary field. Also, it is good to know a little about the mortgage industry. This helps the clients feel more secure because it helps you appear seasoned.

I hope you're never talked about like the guy who notarized these clients' previous set of loan docs.

Dennis Beckner
Southern California Notary Public
Specializing in Home Loan Document Signings
(949) 862-7682