How should a title company choose notary signing agents? Five things matter more than price.

The worst notary I ever saw an agency use wasn't a bad hire. It was a late one.

A title agency I worked with had a notary assigned to a signing. The documents didn't go out until the last minute, and by then the notary couldn't make it work. The notary canceled. Now the agency was scrambling, and the best notaries get booked first. By the time you're calling around, you're choosing from whoever is left.

The notary they found missed critical signatures. By the time the package was fixed, the borrower had lost their rate lock. Follow the chain: a late package, a cancellation, a rushed pick, missed signatures, a lost rate. Not one person in that chain set out to do a bad job.

Why do agencies end up choosing notaries at the worst moment?

Because most agencies pick notaries in a rush. A signing is tomorrow, the regular notary is booked, and someone is texting down a list hoping for a yes. In that moment, the only question that matters is "Are you free?" Every other question gets skipped.

So flip the timing. Build your team when things are calm. Meet new notaries on a slow week. Give them a smaller signing first. Learn how they work before you need them on a hard one.

What five things matter more than a notary's fee?

Price is the easiest thing to compare, so it's the first thing most people compare. But a cheap signing that fails is the most expensive signing you'll ever pay for. Redraws, missed funding dates, a lost rate lock, an unhappy lender. None of that shows up on the invoice. These five things matter more:

1. Reliability. When they say yes, it's done. They show up on time and don't cancel unless something truly can't be helped. When they do have to back out, they tell you early enough to recover.
2. Communication. They confirm the order fast, confirm with the signer, and let you know when the signing is done. When something looks off, you hear it from them first.
3. Accuracy. They review the package before they leave the house and check every signature, initial, and date before they leave the table. Their scan-backs come back clean.
4. Presence. They're the last face your borrower sees before closing. A calm, professional notary makes your whole company look good. A rushed one can undo weeks of your team's work in half an hour.
5. Coverage. They actually go where you need them. "I cover the whole state" and knowing every back road in two counties are not the same thing.

What should you check before a notary's first signing?

Here's the onboarding checklist from the book:

• Current commission and expiration date
• Errors and omissions insurance
• Background check, if your office requires one
• Coverage area, by county
• The best way to send orders and get a fast answer
• Payment terms: how to invoice, when they'll be paid, and who to call if it's late
• Your dead-deal policy, in writing
• A simple first signing, followed by a quick check-in

Many agencies also follow ALTA's Best Practices, which address vetting signing professionals, including how they protect consumers' personal information. Check what your underwriter and lenders require too.

How do you test a new notary?

Ask, then watch. You can learn a lot from a short conversation. Ask how they review a package. Ask what they do when a signer won't sign a page. Ask how many signings they usually take in a day.

But the real test is the first few signings. How fast did they confirm? Did they update you without being asked? Did the package come back complete? Small habits on easy days predict big results on hard ones.

And listen to the people at the table. Attorneys, loan officers, and borrowers will tell you who's good if you let them. When someone says "I want that notary again," write it down.

What can your office do to get the best work from your notaries?

Remember the domino effect. Even a great notary can't fix a package that arrives an hour before the signing. If the documents come in late, they're reviewing in the car. A good notary will sometimes say no to a rushed job. That isn't them letting you down. It's them protecting your signing from a mistake neither of you can afford.

Sending complete documents early is the cheapest way to get the quality you're paying for, and it keeps your best notaries saying yes to you.

This is Chapter 1 of the title agent side of Closed Together. Flip the book over and the notary side shows what a notary does to earn your call.

This article shares general practices and personal experience from real signings. It isn't legal advice. Notary laws, fees, and requirements vary by state, and lenders and title agencies set their own instructions, so check the current rules where you work.