When the federal government lowers mortgage interest rates, the loan signing industry and homeowners notice. But will the recent reduction in interest rates help Notary Signing Agents find more business?
I think so, especially if the drop is significant enough for homeowners to notice a real difference in their monthly mortgage payments. Small cuts create curiosity; meaningful cuts drive homeowners to make loan signing appointments
How do lower interest rates provide more work for Notary Signing Agents?
Refinances are the first to stir. When the math for interest rates improves, people revisit rate-and-term refinancings, consider cash-outs for renovations or debt consolidation, and open HELOCs to keep their payments flexible.
Purchases can also increase as affordability improves: more buyers enter the market, sellers list their properties, and contracts transition from “accepted” to “cleared to close.”
That means more purchase packages, seller-side signings, and occasional cash-buyer notarizations — which all turns into more work available for Signing Agents through title, escrow, and signing companies, especially during end-of-month crunches.
So, what can you do to turn lower interest rates into more bookings for Signing Agent services?
Take advantage of lower interest rates by sharing your updated contact information with title, escrow, and signing companies.
- Call local companies and offer your services to help with their “overflow coverage” for lock-deadline rushes. Make a list of companies you’ve reached out to in the past 12–24 months—even if they didn’t have work available for you previously — and send a short, personal check-in to each of them: “Rates are easing; I’m available for refi, HELOC, and purchase overflow.”
- When reaching out to signing companies, be sure to update your contact profile, upload your most current credentials, and have a one-page “rate-drop availability” sheet ready to share with businesses you want to work with. Include your updated service area, available hours, and direct contact information. It’s especially important to let them know if you’re available during peak periods, such as evenings and the end of the month.
- Be sure to share information about yourself that sets you apart from potential competitors, such as bilingual fluency, experience with specialized transactions such as commercial loans, a proven record of error-free signings, or experience working with senior and/or first-time homebuyers. These details help you get noticed by schedulers with assignments that are a good fit for you.
- If the companies you’re reaching out to are local, you can make a good impression by stopping by with a gift of cookies or candy a few times a year, or send them a holiday greeting card or email.
- Watch the surge windows — late afternoons, Fridays, and the end of each month — for offers of late-breaking assignments. If you show yourself able to handle challenging tasks quickly and perform them smoothly, lenders and signing services will take notice and prioritize offering you future loan signings.
Keep your online business information up to date to prepare for increased demand.
- Be sure your online business information is current and accurate. If you have a Google Business Profile, make sure all information is complete and verified, and keep it active with weekly posts.
- If you participate in Facebook groups, be helpful, not salesy when answering questions and responding to comments, and always follow group rules regarding self-promotion.
- If you market yourself on neighborhood apps like Nextdoor, claim your page, add a coverage map, and use Local Deals or brief “available today” posts.
- Track each channel with unique links or a dedicated phone line so you know what brings customers in.
Build a referral network with other Notaries to prepare for schedule conflicts.
Even the best Signing Agents can’t take on every assignment. There are always schedule conflicts or unforeseen issues that may prevent you from performing a loan signing.
In these cases, Signing Agents can help each other by making networking agreements to cover each other and provide referrals when it’s impossible to make a signing appointment.
- Keep a roster of your trustworthy colleagues in neighboring ZIP codes with complementary or overlapping availability (e.g., they cover mornings while you cover evenings, or you both cover peak hours for loan assignments to absorb overflow).
- Make sure to set up clear expectations with other Signing Agents you work with — professional communication, punctuality, and no poaching each other’s clients — and agree on a simple referral policy.
- When you’re double-booked or out of radius, refer the lender or signing service to one of your trusted contacts with a warm introduction. Title, escrow, and signing companies love seamless, drama-free solutions to scheduling problems, and your referral partners will return the favor.
Availability and preparedness as a Notary Signing Agent are crucial to your success.
- Make yourself available to accept assignments during early mornings, evenings, and weekend hours whenever possible. Keep a mobile scanner so you have the ability to print loan documents on the go for rapid response and clean, fast turnarounds on signing assignments.
- Communicate proactively with lenders, title companies, signing services and signers. Promptly send appointment confirmations and let parties know your estimated time of arrival for assignments. Reply promptly to messages and questions.
- At the end of any assignment, before you leave the table, double-check IDs, dates, signatures, notarizations, and funding-critical pages to ensure they are error-free. Good communication and professional habits will demonstrate that you are a team player and a problem solver, showing title, lenders, and borrowers that you are reliable.
- If your state allows remote or electronic notarizations, obtain the necessary credentials and equipment to perform them. Be sure to practice and familiarize yourself with the electronic tools you will need so you are ready to accept centralized or last-minute remote or electronic assignments.
Lower interest rates are a tailwind, so be sure that your sails are trimmed and you’re ready to set sail for more assignments. If you’re visible, collaborative, and proactive in showing new prospects and old contacts that you are fast, trustworthy and professional, you’ll turn that tailwind into steady, repeat work.
Marcy Tiberio is the NNA 2025 Notary of the Year and owner of Professional Notary Services, Inc., in Rochester, New York. She can be reached at marcy@professionalnotaryservices.biz.