What to look for when choosing your Notary Signing Agent training

Updated 11-13-23. Training is essential to a successful career as a Notary signing agent, and continuing education is vital to keeping your skills sharp amid a constantly evolving mortgage finance industry. So if you're looking to become a Notary Signing Agent, make sure you get the best possible training by ensuring your program includes:

1. Up-to-date industry information
2. Comprehensive coverage of both Signing Agent duties and Notary essentials
3. Acceptability to companies that work with Signing Agents

1. Up-to-date industry information

The industry is constantly changing, so when selecting a training course you will want to make sure it is up to date and covers any important recent developments.

2. Comprehensive coverage of both Signing Agent duties and Notary essentials

Signing Agents don't simply notarize documents — they are also tasked with bringing documents to the borrower, making sure all necessary signatures are completed and notarized at the signing, and then ensuring the completed loan documents are delivered in a timely fashion. But also, the Signing Agent is relied upon to perform notarizations properly. A good Signing Agent training course should cover topics such as:

• The type of documents included in a loan signing packet and how to handle them
• Examples of how to field questions, and where to refer signers for questions the signing agent cannot answer
• What lenders, title companies and signing services look for in Signing Agents
• Why your professionalism is important to everyone in the lending process
• Notary fundamentals and best practices

3. Acceptability to companies that work with Signing Agents

Do companies look for Signing Agents who have undergone this training course? A good way to find this out is to ask the companies who may hire you what type of training they prefer or will accept. You can also find out more about what training signing services, lenders and title companies prefer on Signing Agent discussion groups or on Facebook.

David Thun is the Assistant Managing Editor at the National Notary Association.