I agree with Scott, I tend to be one of those "annoying" searchers, if I haven't heard of you and I'm not sure about you I immediately require an upfront fee. Most of the time there is no issue with it, as the companies seem to understand but I've made it a practice over time that it helps me establish if they are a "legitimate" company or just one that has run through all the searchers and now they have my name. I've noticed that if they *do* want the work and they *are* legit, they WILL send out that payment upfront, if they decline doing that then they are hiding something (in my opinion)
I don't see anything wrong with doing it, in fact I like the practice. The companies expect us to do work in good faith that they will pay us, why can't we request payment as a show of good faith that they won't stiff us? I'm tired of being the low man on the totem pole and being stiffed because some company feels that they are above following rules? I have the view that if it weren't for *my* search you would not be going to closing, especially if you are a company that is less than ethical. You run the list of independents, running up charges and not paying and then you think that you can do it again with me? No way, you want me to act in good faith and do the search then in good faith send me a payment and I will send the work to you. I have no trouble doing a search and leaving it sit in the office waiting for the check, figure if you need it bad enough you will pay; if not well then it's scanned into the system and it's one more tract that I have information on if I ever need it.
-Candi