UAD 3.6 Is Almost Here: What We’re Learning From Live Reports

Beginning November 2, 2026, all new appraisal reports submitted to the Uniform Collateral Data Portal (UCDP) for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac must use UAD 3.6. The familiar appraisal forms many of us have worked with for years including the 1004, 1073, 2055, and others are being replaced by a more flexible, data driven Uniform Residential Appraisal Report (URAR).

For appraisers, this is much more than learning where a few new fields are located.

At Appraisal Brothers LLC, we have already been completing UAD 3.6 reports on live assignments so we can understand what the transition actually looks like in day to day appraisal practice.

We have worked with UAD 3.6 across several software platforms, including TOTAL by a la mode, Aivre, and apprAIz. TOTAL remains our primary platform, but testing different systems has been useful because each approaches the new reporting requirements differently.

After working through these reports, one thing has become very clear:

Right now, UAD 3.6 takes more time to complete.

What We’re Seeing in the Field

The old forms relied heavily on familiar checkboxes, abbreviated entries, and relatively standardized form layouts.

UAD 3.6 asks for considerably more structured information.

There are more property characteristics to identify, more specific selections within dropdown menus, expanded feature classifications, and additional data points that must be addressed throughout the report.

That does not necessarily mean the finished appraisal is more difficult from a valuation standpoint. The challenge right now is the amount of information that must be entered, reviewed, and validated within a completely different reporting structure.

Software also matters.

Appraisal software vendors are continuing to refine their UAD 3.6 workflows, and we are already seeing differences in how various platforms handle data entry, property information, photos, comparable data, and report navigation.

I expect those workflows to become substantially more efficient as the software matures and appraisers become more familiar with the new format. But firms that wait until the last minute to begin learning UAD 3.6 may have a much steeper adjustment period.

What Lenders and Loan Officers Should Know

UAD 3.6 is sometimes discussed as though it is primarily an appraiser issue. It is not.

The new format changes how appraisal information is structured and delivered through UCDP. Reports are built around standardized data that can be evaluated through UAD compliance and collateral feedback rules.

For lenders, AMCs, processors, and loan officers, that makes pipeline preparation important.

As November approaches, appraisal partners will be operating with new software, new reporting requirements, and new quality control processes. Some assignments may take longer while everyone adjusts.

This is a good time for lenders and AMCs to ask their appraisal panels a simple question:

Are your appraisers already completing UAD 3.6 assignments?

There is a meaningful difference between taking a course or watching a software demonstration and actually completing the new report from start to finish on a real assignment.

What Real Estate Agents Can Do

Agents do not need to become experts in UAD 3.6.

But accurate property information is going to be even more useful.

The new dataset can require detailed information about property features, improvements, mechanical systems, condition, and other characteristics that may not always be clearly documented in an MLS listing.

A simple property feature sheet can help.

For example:

• Approximate dates of major renovations or remodeling
• Roof replacement date, if known
• HVAC replacement dates, if known
• Major kitchen or bathroom updates
• Additions or conversions
• Significant energy efficient or green features
• Supporting invoices, permits, plans, or documentation when available

This does not replace the appraiser’s independent research, observation, or verification. It simply gives the appraiser another source of information to analyze when completing the assignment.

Agents should also be aware that the months surrounding the November mandate may require a little more flexibility in appraisal turnaround expectations as lenders, AMCs, appraisers, and software providers move through the transition.

November 2 Is the Mandate Not the End of the Transition

There is one distinction worth mentioning.

November 2, 2026 is the date UAD 3.6 becomes mandatory for new appraisal reports submitted to UCDP. UAD 2.6 does not completely disappear that day.

Revisions to eligible reports that were originally submitted under UAD 2.6 before the mandate may continue through the transition period, with final UAD 2.6 retirement scheduled for May 3, 2027.

So November 2 is a major milestone, but the industry will be working through both new and legacy pipelines for several months afterward.

Our Takeaway So Far

After completing our first UAD 3.6 assignments, I do not think the biggest challenge is going to be understanding appraisal methodology.

The bigger adjustment is going to be workflow.

Appraisers have to become comfortable collecting and reporting more structured property data. Software companies have to continue refining their platforms. AMCs and lenders have to adjust their review and delivery processes. Agents may need to provide more detailed property information when it is available.

Those pieces will become easier with repetition.

For our firm, getting hands on experience before the mandate has been valuable because it gives us time to identify where the bottlenecks are now instead of discovering them in November.

The industry still has some adjusting to do, but UAD 3.6 is no longer something that is coming eventually.

It is already here.

For the appraisers, lenders, AMCs, and agents who are already working with UAD 3.6: What has been the biggest adjustment for you so far?

Victor Cornejo
Appraisal Brothers LLC