Editors Note: On Sept. 30, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced an effective delay to the Nov. 2 mandate to require appraisals in the Uniform Appraisal Dataset 3.6 reporting. Lenders who are not ready to make the transition by Nov. 2 may apply for a policy exception, allowing them to submit legacy appraisals until May 19, 2027. Read more in NAR's Washington Report.
The transition to the new appraisal report known as the Uniform Appraisal Dataset 3.6 is bringing significant changes to residential appraisals. But there is another part of the transition that deserves recognition: the tremendous amount of preparation being done by the nation's appraisers.
For nearly two years, appraisers have been learning the new dataset, attending training, testing software, adapting their workflows and gaining experience with the new reporting format.
They have done so while facing challenges largely outside their control, including limited UAD 3.6 appraisal orders and continuing development and integration issues among appraisal software providers.
That preparation deserves recognition.
Appraisers Have Been Preparing for Years
UAD 3.6 is not a change appraisers are encountering for the first time.
The government-sponsored enterprises (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) made industry training available in November 2024, allowed selected lenders to submit UAD 3.6 reports in September 2025, and allowed all lenders to begin submissions moved to broad production on Jan. 26 of this year. The Nov. 2 date (now extended) is the mandate for new appraisal submissions, not the beginning of the industry's preparation.
The GSEs have also made available an appraiser-specific UAD 3.6 training course and recommend that appraisers work with their software providers on functionality, training and testing.
The preparation is translating into experience.
Valuation and title consulting firm CSS reported in its 2026 UAD 3.6 Appraiser Survey, conducted in August 2026, that 49.7% of the 863 appraiser respondents were "ready to go," with software and workflows in place, while another 25.3% said they were "in progress." That means 75% were either ready or actively preparing.
Additionally, 85.4% said they currently complete or plan to complete UAD 3.6 reports, and nearly three in 10 of those respondents had already completed at least one UAD 3.6 report.
That is a profession doing the work.
“During COVID, appraisers were praised for how quickly they adapted. I talk with appraisers nationwide, and I'm seeing that same ability again as they prepare for UAD 3.6,” says Michelle Czekalski Bradley, vice chair of NAR’s Real Property Valuation Forum.
Preparation Despite Real-World Challenges
The transition has not been easy.
Appraisers have had to learn a new reporting structure at the same time software providers are developing, testing and refining the technology needed to produce the reports. The GSEs have also continued to update documentation and guidance as implementation progresses.
Related: Fannie Mae's UAD announcements and updates
And because lenders have been permitted, but not required, to order appraisals in the new UAD 3.6 format during the nationwide transition phase referred to as “broad production,” many appraisers have had limited opportunities to gain hands-on production experience.
Appraisers can prepare for the new system, but they cannot control how many assignments are ordered by lenders in the new UAD 3.6 format. This trend suggests that some lenders may not be prepared for the transition.
Tom Berge Jr., NAR’s Real Property Valuation Committee chair says, “I speak with appraisers regularly and know they've spent nearly two years preparing for UAD 3.6. The pace of the transition will depend in part on when orders in the new format arrive and whether vendor tools are ready.”
NAR has also heard directly from the appraiser members who are reporting: When they receive UAD 3.6 assignments, they are putting their preparation into practice.
The message should be reassuring:
Appraisers have been preparing. They are learning. They are testing. They are producing.
Even with a smooth transition, agents and consumers can expect changes. With new software, there could be new costs for the appraisers that may be reflected in their fees. Likewise, the new format has many more data points for appraisers to gather, so appraisals done in UAD 3.6 may take longer—maybe by a day or two—at the beginning. These are not deal breakers; they are the new normal and reflect the fixed costs of doing business.
Appraisers Who Are REALTORS® Are Helping Prepare the Industry
Across the country, NAR's appraiser members have been helping their fellow members with what UAD 3.6 means for listings, transactions, comparable sales and the appraisal process. Candy Cooke, NAR’s Real Property Valuation Committee vice chair, has made education her mission. She says, “Appraisers have taken the initiative to conduct training sessions for our agents and brokers, helping them navigate the upcoming changes and facilitate a seamless transition.”
They have presented at state and local REALTOR® associations, participated in webinars, written articles and helped agents understand how better property and transaction information can contribute to the appraisal process.
NAR's webinar Appraisal Ready: What Agents Need to Know About Appraisal Reporting provides practical guidance on documenting property improvements, preserving transaction information and communicating with appraisers.
Resources for REALTORS® and Appraisers
In addition to the webinar above, NAR has developed a growing collection of resources to help members navigate the transition.
- Appraisal Ready: What Agents and Brokers Can Do Now for UAD 3.6 spells out how agents can prepare clients as the Nov. 2 implementation deadline approaches.
- Nudge Your Lenders to the Starting Line Before Nov. 2 encourages REALTORS® to talk with their lender partners now rather than waiting until the mandate date.
- NAR's Appraisals Will Look Very Different in the Near Future—Are You Ready? provides additional background on the coming changes.
- Members can also turn to NAR's Supporting Your Value webinar series, which has featured experts from Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA and appraisal software providers discussing the new reporting environment.
For appraisers seeking technical information, Freddie Mac's UAD 3.6 resource center offers training, job aids, sample scenarios and other implementation resources. Fannie Mae also maintains a dedicated UAD 3.6 and Forms Redesign resource center.
A Thank You to Our Appraiser Members
Major technology changes rarely happen without some friction. UAD 3.6 is no exception.
But it is worth recognizing what appraisers have accomplished.
They have invested in education. They have learned a new dataset. They have tested new software. They have gained production experience. They have worked through software problems and changing guidance. And many have taken the additional step of educating their fellow NAR members in their communities.
They have done much of this while receiving limited opportunities to use the new system in actual assignments.
The Nov. 2 mandate is an important milestone, but it is not the beginning of this effort. For many appraisers, the work began years ago. Read the CSS UAD 3.6 Appraiser Survey, showing that 75% of surveyed appraisers said they were either ready or actively preparing, while 85.4% said they currently complete or plan to complete UAD 3.6 reports.
To NAR's appraiser members: Thank you for doing the work, staying engaged and helping the rest of the real estate industry prepare.
And to all NAR members: The transition to UAD 3.6 is a shared industry effort. Take advantage of the resources available through NAR, start the conversation with your lender partners and continue learning from the appraisers in your own communities.