Emerging from the throes of the pandemic, notary signing agents have seen the landscape for their services shift substantially. During the pandemic, demand for notary signing agents exploded and the opportunities for notaries often exceeded the number of notaries available. While notary demand within real estate has softened as the housing market adapts to higher mortgage rates, notaries, title and settlement providers and the buyers and sellers they jointly serve are seeking a more streamlined way to connect and conduct business.
Launched by digital title and settlement leader Endpoint, Jot™ is a new platform helping to streamline the real estate transaction closing process by connecting experienced notary signing agents with home buyers and sellers. Jot combines proprietary technology with the human touch of a dedicated management team to provide notaries with what they need when they need it, creating a better overall experience for home buyers, sellers and notaries themselves.
Jaclyn Fox, vice president at Endpoint, spearheaded the development of Jot and she shared her thoughts on Jot’s unique role in the marketplace and her vision for an ‘Uber’ for notary signing agents serving the title and settlement industry.
How does Jot enhance the role that notaries play in the real estate transaction closing process?
"The notary signing agent, from my perspective, is one of the most important players in the real estate transaction closing process. Without them, transactions cannot be closed securely.
When we started to think about how to enhance the notary experience, we wanted to develop a product that connects the dots between escrow, title, and notaries. What better way to do that than creating a platform that welcomes any qualified notary who is looking for a more modern experience that supports their participation in the gig economy.
Notaries on the platform not only have access to real-time alerts of opportunities in their area – allowing them to manage their own schedules and maintain a steady income – but also learning and development opportunities. This includes webinars and presentations on innovative ideas and trends, as well as a growing community with other notaries in the region.
Through our relationship with the National Notary Association®, we’ve built an integration that streamlines the notary onboarding process, creating a paperless experience.
“When we started to think about how to enhance the notary experience, we wanted to develop a product that connects the dots between escrow, title, and notaries. What better way to do that than creating a platform that welcomes any qualified notary who is looking for a more modern experience that supports their participation in the gig economy.”
Tell us about the user experience for both notaries and escrow officers on the platform.
"Notaries that sign up with Jot and complete our application process, receive real-time alerts from the Jot platform of signing opportunities in their area. Like an ‘Uber’ or ‘Lyft’ driver’s notification of a nearby rider, Jot allows notaries to manage their own schedule and take on new orders – all while helping accelerate the closing process.
We designed Jot as a mobile-first platform, and we’re continually sourcing user feedback to enhance the solution and develop new features. Jot is integrated with Endpoint’s digital title and settlement platform as the primary signing partner, but can also easily integrate with other platforms as we grow.
Jot tracks performance ratings as a key metric, challenging notaries using the platform to deliver superior customer service in order to maintain strong visibility for new opportunities. The platform also automates payments, so notaries receive weekly payments without the hassle of submitting an invoice.
What is on the roadmap for Jot and Endpoint?
Jot is currently piloting with two divisions of First American Title Insurance Company, and we’re keen to deepen Jot’s relevance and usage across all of First American.
We’re starting to think about how we add remote online notarization (RON) to the platform as RON continues to gain traction across the notary signing agent landscape. Our team continuously enhances the platform and user experience for scheduling capabilities and we rely on customer feedback to deliver the best possible product in the market.
