A signing agent is an impartial party to the transaction and must comply with Virginia notary laws. Although a signing agent prints and brings the documents to the closing, they can point to the documents, but they cannot provide legal advice or prepare the documents or modify them in any way.

What do Notary Signing Agents do?

The responsibilities of a Notary Signing Agent generally include printing loan documents, meeting the signer and notarizing their signature, and quickly returning the documents for processing. NSAs are also responsible for following any additional instructions from the lender, title company or signing service that hires them for loan closing work. For example, an NSA may be asked to fax back documents right away or use a specific mailing service to return the paperwork safely.

Since Notary Signing Agents have access to private financial information about borrowers and are sent into their client’s home, the mortgage finance industry requires all Signing Agents to undergo a background screening on an annual basis. This helps prevent mortgage fraud and ensures the consumer’s information is secure.