You have the commission. You have the training. You have the printer, the seal, and the E&O insurance. Now the only thing standing between you and income is the thing most new notaries fear most: finding clients.
Here is the truth nobody tells you at the start: getting clients is a skill, not a lottery. The notaries with full calendars are not luckier than you — they are more systematic. This guide gives you nine proven ways to get notary signing clients, in the order I’d work them if I were starting over today.
1. Sign Up With Signing Services
Signing services are companies that connect title companies and lenders with notaries. They take a cut of the fee, but they provide something priceless when you are new: volume.
Register with as many reputable signing services as you can find. Complete every profile fully — photo, credentials, coverage area, E&O proof, background check. An incomplete profile gets skipped. Then accept assignments promptly and perform flawlessly, because signing services track your reliability score, and high scores get you the first call.
2. Go Direct: Title Companies and Escrow Officers
Direct clients pay the full fee — no middleman cut. The trade-off is that you have to earn their trust yourself.
Identify the title companies, escrow offices, and real estate attorneys in your area. Introduce yourself in person with a professional one-pager: who you are, your coverage area, your credentials, and your contact info. Then follow up — most direct relationships start after the third or fourth touch, not the first.
From Vanessa’s desk: I built my business on direct relationships. One title officer who trusts you is worth fifty signing-service signups, because direct clients pay more, treat you better, and send repeat work.
3. Get Listed in Notary Directories
When someone needs a notary, they search. Make sure you are findable where they look:
- National notary directories (the big ones every signing company checks)
- Your state’s notary association directory
- Local business directories
Keep every listing complete and current. A directory profile with no photo and a disconnected phone number is worse than no profile at all.
4. Build Your Google Presence
A huge share of general notary work starts with “notary near me” on Google. Claim and complete your Google Business Profile: correct hours, service area, services offered, and photos. Ask every happy client for a review — reviews are the single biggest driver of local search ranking.
Your website matters here too. Even a simple one-page site with your services, coverage area, and contact info gives Google something to index and clients something to trust.
5. Market to Your Existing Network
Your first ten clients are probably people you already know — or one introduction away. Tell everyone: realtors, mortgage brokers, attorneys, insurance agents, bank managers, HR departments, senior-living communities, hospitals, and car dealerships all need notaries regularly.
Make it easy for them to refer you: a short email explaining what you do, your coverage area, and your phone number. Then stay in touch quarterly. Referral relationships compound.
6. Specialize to Stand Out
Generalists compete on price; specialists compete on expertise. Consider specializing in:
- Remote online notarization (RON) — see our guide on how to become a remote online notary
- Loan signings — our income breakdown on how much notary signing agents make shows why this lane pays
- After-hours and emergency notarizations
- Specific communities: hospitals, jails, senior facilities, military bases
- I-9 employment verification services
A specialty gives your marketing a headline and your pricing a floor.
7. Show Up Where Clients Gather
Real estate investor meetups, chamber of commerce events, title company open houses, mortgage broker trainings — go where the people who hire notaries spend time. Bring business cards, ask questions, and follow up the next day. One genuine relationship beats a hundred cold emails.
8. Follow Up Like a Professional
Most notaries market once and stop. The money is in the follow-up. Build a simple system:
- Every new contact goes into a list
- Touch each contact every 30–90 days: a quick email, a holiday card, a check-in call
- After every signing, thank the hiring party and ask for feedback
- Track what works and double down on it
Consistency beats intensity. Thirty minutes of follow-up a week will outperform a frantic marketing blitz every time.
9. Deliver an Experience Worth Referring
The cheapest client acquisition is a referral, and referrals come from remarkable service:
- Arrive early, dress professionally, communicate clearly
- Confirm appointments the day before and send a text when en route
- Handle documents flawlessly — zero errors, every time
- Follow up after the appointment with a thank-you
Every signing is an audition for the next ten. Treat it that way.
From Vanessa’s Desk
I have been a notary since 2014, and I can trace almost every major client relationship back to one of these nine methods — usually the unglamorous ones, like showing up to a meetup or sending the fourth follow-up email. Marketing feels awkward until it works. Then it feels like the best part of the business, because it is: every new client is proof that your reputation is growing.
Turn Clients Into a Career
Clients are the engine; training is the fuel. The Ultimate Notary Training bundle gives you the skills that make clients come back, and my ebook, How to Make $1K a Week as a Notary, lays out the business model — find it in the Notary2Notary shop. Ready for the full library plus live support? The Golden Ticket bundle includes every course and our Sunday coaching calls.
Welcome to the Notary Family. Your calendar is about to get busy — let’s make sure you’re ready for it.
FAQ
How do I get my first notary signing client?
Start with signing services for volume while you build direct relationships with local title companies. Tell your existing network what you do, get listed in directories, and follow up consistently — most new notaries land their first clients within weeks of systematic outreach.
Do signing services charge notaries to join?
Most reputable signing services are free to join; they earn by taking a portion of the signing fee. Be cautious of any service demanding large upfront fees just to list you.
How long does it take to build a steady client base?
Most agents see real momentum in three to six months of consistent marketing. Direct title relationships take longer to build but pay more per signing once established.
Should I quit my job to become a full-time notary?
Build the business part-time first. When your notary income consistently covers your expenses for several months, you will know it is time. Our income guide on how much notary signing agents make can help you set targets.