Appraisers, waiting is not a strategy. We do not have until Nov. 1 to get comfortable with the new appraisal forms—Uniform Data Appraisal Set (UAD) 3.6—and neither do our lenders. That is exactly why some nudging needs to happen now, and we are the ones best positioned to do it.
Related: Appraisals Will Look Very Different in the Near Future—Are You Ready?
The government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) have set Nov. 2 as the mandatory compliance date for UAD 3.6. (Note: That is not the order date, the effective date or the date the appraiser hits send.) By the time a completed report moves from appraiser to lender to GSE portal, the true deadline for ordering is several weeks earlier. Lenders who place their first UAD 3.6 order on Nov. 1 have already missed the window.
Many of us on the production side have been working through the UAD 3.6 transition, learning the new URAR format, adjusting our workflow and getting comfortable with the technology. Appraisers who have completed UAD 3.6 assignments have found the learning curve begins to flatten after about 10 reports, though that number naturally varies depending on individual tech comfort and workflow. The first few feel unfamiliar. By the tenth, most appraisers say they are finding their footing.
But here is the problem: Our lender clients have not yet had that experience. Many secondary market lenders have not ordered a single UAD 3.6 appraisal. They are waiting, watching and hoping the transition will sort itself out. Some are intimidated by the unfamiliar. Some are simply uncertain about where to start. That hesitation is understandable, but it’s also a setup for exactly the scenario none of us wants.
Picture the final weeks of October, when lenders across the country suddenly realize the real deadline is bearing down. Phones ring. Orders flood in. Appraisers who have been completing UAD 3.6 reports steadily are suddenly overwhelmed, and appraisers who have not yet completed any are scrambling to learn on the fly with no margin for error. The pipeline backs up. Closings slip. Everyone is stuck in the same traffic jam.
The good news is that this scenario is entirely avoidable, and appraisers are in a unique position to help prevent it.
If you have a lender relationship, reach out. Have the conversation. Encourage your lender clients to place an order now, while the pressure is low and there is time to work through any hiccups. Let lenders know that you are ready. Walk them through what to expect on their end. If they order one and it goes smoothly, encourage them to order another. Repetition builds comfort, for both the appraiser and the lender. That is how a new workflow becomes routine.
For those of you in sales who are reading this: When appraisals are delayed, closings are delayed. You have a stake in this too. If you have lender relationships, a quiet word encouraging them to get started on UAD 3.6 sooner rather than later is a gift to everyone at the closing table.
The appraisers and lenders who start now will arrive at Nov. 2 with a dozen completed assignments behind them and a process that runs smoothly. Those who wait may find themselves staring at a four-lane highway that has narrowed to one, with no way around it.
The road is open. There is no traffic yet. Let’s encourage our lender partners to get moving.
The author is 2026 vice chair of the National Association of REALTORS®’ Real Property Valuation Forum.
