· AFX Research
How Long Does an SBA Title Search Take, and What Slows One Down?
Real turnaround numbers for SBA title reports, what makes a search take longer, and five things you can do before ordering to keep your loan funding on schedule.
When a business is waiting on disaster funds or an expansion loan, the title search is one of the few underwriting steps you can actually speed up. Here’s what turnaround really looks like, and what moves the needle.
Typical turnaround numbers
At AFX Research, across our nationwide order volume:
- 85% of chain of title reports are delivered in 5 business days or less
- 90% of environmental lien reports are completed in as little as 3 business days
- 75% of owner search reports come back in less than one day
Most standard SBA orders land in the 3-5 business day window. The spread between “less than a day” and “five days” comes down to a handful of factors, most of which you can see coming.
What makes a search take longer
The county, more than anything. Some county recorders are fully digitized with same-day online indexes; others still require an abstractor to physically pull books. A rural county with paper records can add days that no title company can compress.
Complexity of the chain. A property that changed hands twice in thirty years is quick. A property with a dozen transfers, foreclosures, boundary adjustments, or estate transfers takes longer to verify, because every link in the chain has to be confirmed, not just found.
Recency of activity. A deed of trust recorded last week may not be indexed yet. If your search depends on verifying a document that was just recorded, there can be a gap between recording and the record being searchable.
Scope. A 30-year historical search for a disaster assistance loan covers more ground than a current-owner search. Broader scope, more records to examine.
Five things to do before you order
- Record the deed of trust first. The SBA requires verification that the security instrument is on record. If it hasn’t been recorded, the report can’t confirm it, and the order stalls. This is the #1 preventable delay.
- Include the APN. The Assessor’s Parcel Number takes the ambiguity out of property identification. Two properties on the same road with similar addresses stop being a problem.
- Match the borrower name to the vesting. Check your most recent deed. If title is held in a trust or LLC and the loan is in a personal name (or vice versa), flag it in the order notes so the researcher knows what they’re looking at.
- Know your scope. Ownership and encumbrance report? Tax and judgment search? Full 30-year chain? Your SBA funding letter specifies what’s required, and ordering the right search the first time beats upgrading mid-stream.
- Watch the six-month clock on collateral releases. For a release of collateral, the SBA generally wants a report less than six months old at submission. Don’t order so early that it expires while the request sits in a queue.
Can a search be expedited?
Yes, if the county’s records allow it. When timing is critical, contact us before you order and tell us your deadline. We’ll tell you honestly whether the county in question can support a rush, and expedited options are available for most digitized jurisdictions.
The bottom line
Plan for 3-5 business days, expect faster in well-digitized counties, and spend ten minutes on the checklist above. It’s the difference between a report that sails through SBA review and one that bounces for a fixable omission.
When you’re ready, start your order online. Property address, APN, county, state, and scope are all it takes.