What happens after I submit my property?

Once you start adding your property, most of the work happens on our side. Here's what's going on behind the scenes, how long each part usually takes, and what you'll hear from us along the way.

Setup has three steps that need you, and the app calls them by the same names everywhere: Owner details (who holds title, exactly as written on your deed), Setup fee (authorized now, $0 today) and Signing (a video call with an online notary). Everything else, from the title research to the county recording, is our job.

Your property page shows a slim status bar near the top. Most of the time it stays quiet: "We’re working on the title and your documents in the background." followed by what comes next for you, for example "Next for you: the setup fee. It shows here as soon as it can be authorized: $0 today, collected later." or simply "Nothing for you to do right now." The row of dots counts your own steps only, as "Your part · 1 of 3", so our research and recording never inflate the number. Click "See details" to open the full checklist. Your three steps appear under their names, and the rest describe what we're doing, for example "Preparing your property", "Writing a description based on property features", "Drafting deed and tax documents" and "Legal documents are being reviewed" (which becomes "Deed and tax documents are ready"). The exact list varies by property and county.

When a step needs you, the bar says so plainly: "Next for you: owner details. Who holds title, as written on your deed." with an "Add owner details" button, later "Next for you: the setup fee." with "Authorize setup fee", and "Next for you: signing." with "Sign now". Each button opens that step's own window directly. If a step runs into a problem on our side, the bar shows "Something needs attention:" with the step. If it is only slow, it shows "Taking longer than usual:" with the step and "We’re on it, nothing you need to do." Nothing is ever silently stuck.

You can safely close the page at any point. Everything keeps moving on our side, and we email you whenever a step needs you.

Right after you claim your property, the page asks once what you want to do with it: "Sell it", "Borrow against it" or "Just hold it". Choose to sell and the listing window opens. Choose to borrow and the checklist opens at your first step. You can also close the question, and it is not asked again.

If you list your property (or choose to hold it) and nobody has made an offer yet, the status bar parks instead of asking for anything: "Setup can wait. When a buyer makes an offer, you finish setup to accept it: owner details, the setup fee, then signing." Buyers can see your price and send offers in the meantime. When an offer arrives, the offers list reads "To accept an offer, finish setup: owner details, the setup fee, then signing." with a "Finish setup to accept" button that takes you to your next step.

You can also start early. "Get ready early" on the parked bar explains why you might: a faster sale, because the title research is done before a buyer shows up; borrowing while the property is listed, where lending is available for it; and mail scanning for the property once its token is issued. It reminds you that the setup fee is $0 today and that signing comes last, then offers "Get ready (10 min)" or "Not now".

Some steps are fast and automated: writing the property description takes under a minute, and the pictures take a few minutes. Others involve real people. Verifying your property's ownership history can take up to about a day, especially in counties with sparse online records, where our team does the research by hand. Every deed is reviewed by a person before you sign, which usually takes a few hours. In the rare case that review finds a problem we can't resolve, the process is canceled rather than left hanging, so reach out through the chat if that happens.

Signing, notarization, and county recording usually happen at closing, when your property sells. In the checklist those steps carry an "at closing" tag, which means they're waiting on purpose, not stuck. You can also complete them earlier: when your documents are ready, the status bar reads "Your paperwork is ready. Sign now to let buyers buy right away and to enable borrowing, or wait for a buyer." Signing early means a buyer can purchase right away, without waiting for paperwork at closing.

Signing itself is a short online notary session, about 10 minutes. Then we submit the deed to your county for recording. In the few counties that only record paper deeds, you sign in person and record the deed at the county yourself; see Signing and notarization. Processing time varies by location. It typically takes a few days, though some counties complete within hours, and remote counties without online records can take longer.

After recording, your property is fully set up in your Fabrica account. Fabrica pays the network processing costs for this, not you.

If you get stuck at any step, message us through the chat bubble in the corner.

Learn more: How adding a property works · The property lifecycle