BLACKLISTED... It is a word every Notary Loan Signing Agent should wish never to hear associated with their name. And, unfortunately, if you have been Blacklisted you may not even know that you've been Blacklisted. This is why so many Notaries, especially during a Refinance Boom, fail to ever realize that BLACKLISTING is very real and it can happen on so many levels to a Notary. This Notary Stars Blog is to open your eyes to the level of Blacklisting that can happen to any notary and the most common reasons we are seeing it happen across the country.
Levels of Blacklisting:
Individual Signing Agency Blacklist- Notaries who are Blacklisted by an individual Signing Agency may not suffer too much unless they are one of your big clients. However, if the Signing Agency is on a program like Signing Order or Snapdocs it may be shown to other highering companies that you've been Blacklisted which it is not a great thing. Also, many Signing Agency owners share information with each other (such as preferred Notary list) which could do further damage.
Entire Platform Blacklist- It may not seem possible that Signing Order or Snapdocs could remove a notary from their platform but it is indeed possible and you want to be careful to not get Blacklisted by too many companies (or do any of the items we will list below).
Title Agency Blacklist- Working direct with Title is an amazing aspect of the Notary Loan Signing Agent industry. It pays more and a lot of times faster as there is no middle man. However, whether you are working with a Title Agency through a Signing Platform or direct you can get Blacklisted from ever working with that Title Agency again. If you messed up big time with a Fidelity file this would strip you from working Fidelity files with any of their Signing Agencies or Platforms. The same goes for First American.
Lender Blacklist- Getting Blacklisted by a Lender is probably the worst possible scenario for a Notary. You would generally have to do something terrible or malicious. Many lenders have the same Underwriters and believe us (Notary work is on the radar). If you were Blacklisted by a large company like Chase, Wells Fargo, or Bank of America you may never work again.
Reason We've Seen Notaries Being Blacklisted For:
Not Reading Notary Instructions Carefully- Notary instructions vary from company to company. It is important for all notaries to read instructions sent to them with their orders to ensure they give the hiring party what they need to service their file. It is sometimes apparent when Notaries do not read instructions and if it becomes apparent you can easily get Blacklisted.
Excessive Errors- When you represent yourself as a Notary Loan Signing Agent it means you know what you are doing when it comes to closing a loan package. It does not mean you are still learning. There are many training courses available (including Notary2Pro and Notary Stars) to help ensure you know what you are doing. Missing a signature is one thing but missing several is really bad and can ruin your career.
No Call/ No Shows- Just as with any job there are major repercussions for not showing up to a work. If you have a confirmed appointment you need to be there or have a very good excuse. Because most closings are time-sensitive not showing up could delay a closing. Most Signing Agencies we know will not hire notaries who have Negative Feedback as a No Call, No Show. Trust is lost immediately!
Excessive Fees- We've actually seen a lot of Notaries who tried to jack-up fees at the beginning of the COVID-19 lock-down who were Blacklisted right away. If you are not able to service a file for a reasonable price you should just not be available. We've seen notaries attempting to charge up to $350-$500 for a closing that's less than a mile from their house. These notaries get Blacklisted and eventually only are used in dire need.
Pigeon Holding- When you take an order for a fee you have to see it through. Changing your price to ship documents will land you without work. This kind of feedback on your record will remain forever.
Over-booking- Notaries need to know how to schedule themselves properly. Over-booking and being late for assignments will eventually lead to Blacklisting. No one likes a late notary (even if they are nice about it).
Rude, Condesening, Know-It-All Attitude- Notaries who do have a background in Title, Escrow, Lending, or even being a Realtor need to watch how they speak to the hiring parties. You are only working as a Notary Loan Signing Agent. You can't tell your assigning or hiring party how to conduct their transaction. You must bend to their needs instead.
Cursing or Swearing- If you curse or swear at a Signing Agency you will be removed from Signing Agency platforms without question. Many companies record their calls these days and if it's forwarded to the platform you will lose your listing and they could even choose to escalate the issue to the Title Agencies and Lenders they work with.
Not Returning Documents On-Time- Once a signing package is signed it's important to treat it like a hot potato. You have to get it returned ASAP. Notaries HAVE to know about disbursement dates (funding dates). If you don't know then you will look terrible at your job at some point. This will come from good training like at Notary2Pro or here at Notary Stars. We see notaries being Blacklisted regularly for not understanding disbursement dates and holding packages until it's too late.
Drinking On the Job- It should go without saying but it happens. Notaries go to lunch with a friend, start eating dinner and the phone rings, or you weren't expecting any calls and you just start having a glass of wine.... ALL BIG NO-NO'S! Make it a rule that if you have a sip of Alcohol that you wait 8 hours before driving or conducting business. If a customer smells alcohol on you (even if you don't have a problem at the signing), you can probably kiss your relationship with the Title Agency, Signing Agency, or Lender good-bye.
Comments