Meet Trish Martinez: A Trust Trailblazer in Online Closings

Trish Martinez has worked in the title business since 2003. She worked in Escrow for ten years and later transitioned to the Shared Services Department, where she now manages a team of seven people who work behind-the-scenes for all of the Escrow Teams. They help with remote online notarization (RON) if the escrow officer has a conflict, isn’t tech-savvy or needs other help with notarizations. The Shared Services team also does many other things: ordering resale certificates, curative title work, opening orders/contracts, approving wires, issuing title policies, and post-closing issues.

How did you get started with remote online notarization (RON) at Texas National Title?

We started with RON because of COVID. We had a lot of overseas clients trying to sell property, but the embassies were closed and there was no way to conduct business during the shutdowns. Stateside, it was hard to find mobile notaries. Buyers and sellers were doing signings in parking lots to accommodate social distancing. Our company President was already looking into RON technology and testing different platforms. To accommodate lockdown, we decided that this was the best option. We felt confident and secure with RON, given the extra security features. This is the one good thing that came out of COVID.

We also started using RON because of the fraud issue in Texas. Fraudsters honed in and started to find ways to take advantage of a hot market. They were listing properties that they didn’t own, under market value, and not making face-to-face contact with the listing agent. RON has extra security features that help address the fraud problem.

What are the advantages to using RON?

RON offers increased security over in-person notarizations. It’s convenient and safer for the signers, who don’t have to have a stranger (mobile notary) walk into their home. They like that they don’t have to clean up or prepare for company. They can be comfortable, and don’t have to let people into their space. From the point of view of COVID, it prevents the spread of the virus. It’s a win-win for everyone, safety-wise.

What are the advantages of using Proof specifically as a RON partner?

There are a lot of advantages to using Proof!

1. 1.Proof catches bad actors. We have tested the system with known fraudsters to see if they can get through, and Proof always catches them. They never get through. We are very comfortable with the security provided by Proof - extra security questions and the ID validation process. Proof is more secure than a mailout signing or a notary going to someone’s house. It’s harder to commit fraud if you go through RON. In fact, if someone wants to circumvent using RON, that has to be approved by a manager. There are a lot of steps on our back end to make sure it’s secure.
2. 2.Setting up orders is very easy, because Proof integrates with our system. We work closely with the integration and templating team at Proof and it all works very seamlessly. When a giant cluster of documents comes through, they are already templated and tagged, which makes setting up the order quick and easy.
3. 3.Proof allows us to make changes easily to the document during closing. Other systems don’t do this. Proof is very flexible, which is fantastic. There are new features we love, like allowing multiple signers at a time.
4. 4.After closing, documents come right back to our system. There is no need to close out, download, upload and email - it’s already right there.
5. 5.The convenience for clients is huge. They don’t have to drive to our office - for a nominal fee, they can sign in their living room. We have clients with demanding jobs, like doctors and teachers, who can’t get away from work for more than an hour. It is great to be able to accommodate them. We’ve signed people on a safari, in a national park, all over the world, in the hospital. You can reach anyone, anywhere. The convenience is off the charts.

How does your in-house notary team like using Proof? What are the main selling points for Proof within Texas National Title?

RON and Proof are the future of our industry. The global way of doing business is online, and this is going to be the way it is done. More and more lenders are accepting RON. Electronic documents and signing are now the industry standard. RON is convenient and saves time, and it’s also green! No need to make copies or send documents overnight. And it’s more secure.