The short answer
Traditional broker route: 6–12 weeks. AI platform route: 2–4 weeks (with most of the remaining time in valuation and legal stages that can't be compressed further).
Traditional broker timeline
- Week 1–2: Initial broker meetings, engagement letter, document gathering. The broker reviews your deal, asks questions, and requests additional information.
- Week 3–6: Broker writes the credit paper. This is the biggest bottleneck — the broker manually analyses your documents, writes the deal up, creates a financial model, and formats everything into their template.
- Week 6–7: Broker sends the credit paper to lenders in their network (typically 3–10 lenders). Waits for initial responses.
- Week 7–8: Lender indicative terms received. Negotiate terms. Select preferred lender.
- Week 8–10: Formal application, valuation instructed, lender's solicitor instructed.
- Week 10–12: Valuation completed, legal due diligence, facility agreement negotiated and signed.
- Week 12+: Drawdown conditions satisfied, first drawdown released.
AI platform timeline (Assesr)
- Day 1: Upload documents. AI generates credit paper in 60 seconds. Deal matched to 50+ lenders automatically.
- Day 1–2: Lender responses received (average 4.2 hours). Review indicative terms from multiple lenders.
- Day 2–3: Select preferred lender. Formal application submitted.
- Week 1–2: Valuation instructed and completed.
- Week 2–3: Legal due diligence and facility agreement.
- Week 3–4: Drawdown conditions satisfied, first drawdown released.
The AI platform compresses the packaging and lender sourcing stages from 6–7 weeks to 1–2 days. The remaining 2–3 weeks are valuation and legal stages that are limited by third-party timelines rather than platform speed.
What causes delays
- Missing documents: Every time the lender asks for something you haven't provided, it adds days. AI platforms flag missing information upfront.
- GDV queries: If the lender questions your valuation assumptions, you need to provide additional comparable evidence. Conservative initial assumptions reduce this risk.
- Planning conditions: Unresolved pre-commencement conditions can hold up the entire process. Discharge these before applying for finance.
- Title issues: Restrictive covenants, unregistered land, or access rights can cause significant legal delays. Get a title report early.
How to move fastest
Prepare all documents before you start, use an AI platform to eliminate the credit paper bottleneck, instruct solicitors and valuers early, and respond to queries the same day. With Assesr, the lender packaging stage that traditionally takes 6 weeks is done in 60 seconds — so the total timeline is driven by how quickly you move through valuation and legal.