Your reviews and rating as a notary can greatly affect how much work you receive, so maintaining a good record will benefit your career. While you need to worry about your word-of-mouth reputation and any reviews placed about online, you should also pay close attention to the rating you receive from title and signing companies.

As part of the mortgage industry, you'll receive a grade for your work. The hierarchy of these grades starts with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau grading lenders –> lenders grading title companies –> title companies grading signing companies. It ends, of course, with Notary Signing Agents (NSA) receiving a grade from both signing and title companies, as mentioned above.

How can you receive a good grade? It's not difficult, if you adhere to the following advice.

Arrive on time

It sounds simple but in our time-crunched society being on time has become scarce. Simply showing up to your appointments a few minutes early instead of a few minutes late can positively affect your grade.

Dress for the job

Don't show up in blue jeans for notary work. While dressing down may seem harmless enough, it creates an unprofessional image that could damage your reputation. Wearing appropriate business attire will make you seem more professional and more of an authority.

Do your job

Don't take short cuts when it comes to notarization. If you need two forms of ID, collect two. If someone needs three copies of a fax, make sure to send three. Simply following directions can help you keep your grade up.

Correct mistakes

It's going to happen, even to the most meticulous of people. While we recommend double-checking your work to mitigate this, when it happens quickly fix the error. Mistakes will be more easily forgiven if you make correcting them a priority.

Respond quickly

If someone leaves you a message about a work opportunity, respond even if it's just to say no. Quickly replying to all messages can help maintain and build your reputation as a reliable Notary Public.

How do you maintain a solid reputation as a notary?