Find the Right Notary Public for Real Estate Purchase & Sale

Real estate transactions are among the most significant and certainly one of the largest transactions that we engage in in our lives, and it’s important to choose the right notary public to represent you for the job.

Whether you are buying a home, selling a home, or refinancing your existing home, there is a lot to consider, and the people representing you are absolutely crucial to a smooth transaction.

The people that you will be working closely with during the purchase, sale, or refinance of your home are your realtor, mortgage broker, and lawyer/notary public. For the most part, we get to choose who we want to work, and that choice is very important.

I am a lawyer and notary public in downtown Vancouver, and I assist people with real estate transactions every day. When discussing the process with my clients, it is not uncommon to hear that they were frustrated with someone they worked with at some point during the process. It could have been be their realtor, mortgage broker, or previous lawyer/notary, and the process did not go quite as smoothly it could have as a result.

The reason for the frustration is typically because not enough thought and consideration was put into finding the right person to work for you, and having the right people is what makes all the difference.

Every day I have people phoning or emailing me with the one, sole question: “what are your fees for X?” and nothing else.

In my opinion, this is short sighted. There are many lawyers and notaries public in Vancouver that do exactly the same thing, so competition is big. As a result, fees between these service providers do not vary greatly. So if your primary focus is finding the cheapest fee, you are much more likely to end up working with someone who is not the right fit for you, which could lead to additional problems.

How Should You Choose Your Notary Public?

While nobody wants to pay too much for anything, there are better questions to ask when deciding who you want to represent you in your purchase, sale, or refinance.

1. Where are they located in proximity to your residence or workplace?
2. If you left a message or sent an email, how quickly do they respond to you?
3. When you call the lawyer or notary office, who do you speak with and who answers your questions? The lawyer? The notary public? Or is it their assistant or conveyancer, as this will be a strong indication of the level of involvement you can expect from the actual professional.

And most importantly, based on the interaction you’ve had with the lawyer or notary, do you think he or she is someone you are going to get along with? Don’t forget that this transaction is very significant, and liking the person who represents you can make a huge impact on your happiness throughout the process.

So remember, choosing one service provider over another simply because one is marginally cheaper might actually end up costing you more in the end.

Always give it some serious thought and choose the lawyer or notary public who is the right fit for you. Not who is cheapest.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call or email Kieran at Morris Notary.