Half of Appraisers Say They’re UAD 3.6 Ready. Only 3 in 10 Have Actually Done One.

October 10, 2026

Picture 100 appraisers standing in a room.

Ask them one question: “Are you ready for UAD 3.6?”

About 50 say, “I’m ready.” About 25 say, “I’m working on it.” About 15 say, “I’m just getting started.” And about 10 say, “I haven’t started.”

That is real progress. In a Consolidated Settlements Solutions (CSS) survey back in March, fewer than 3 in 10 appraisers said they were ready. Now, in CSS’s August 18 survey of 863 residential appraisers, here is where the 786 who answered the readiness question landed:

UAD 3.6 status	% of appraisers
Ready to go (software and workflows in place)	49.7%
In progress	25.3%
Just getting started	15.0%
Have not started	9.9%

So about half say they are ready. Good news. But I want you to hold onto that number loosely, because the next one matters more.

The Number I Would Put on a Realtor Slide

Now ask those appraisers a better question: “Have you actually finished one?”

Among the 737 survey respondents who currently perform, or plan to perform, UAD 3.6 appraisals:

71% have completed zero UAD 3.6 reports
24% have completed 1 to 5
2.8% have completed 6 to 10
2.2% have completed more than 10

That means 214 appraisers, or about 29%, have completed at least one. Only about 5% have completed more than five.

Here is why that gap matters. “My software is installed and I’ve taken the training” is buying the sheet music. “I’ve inspected a property, completed the new URAR, worked through the new fields, cleared the errors and revisions, and delivered it” is playing the concert. Those are two very different things. Right now, most of the room has the sheet music.

The Learning Curve Is Showing Up in the Data

This is where the survey gets really interesting. Appraisers are telling us what to expect:

78.3% expect UAD 3.6 to increase turnaround time. Even among the 214 who have already completed at least one, 75.7% still expect longer turn times.
66.7% expect higher appraisal fees. Among those who have actually completed a UAD 3.6 report, that jumps to 82.2%.

Read that last one again. In CSS’s March survey, 63% expected longer turn times and 52% expected higher fees. Now the people with hands-on experience are the most convinced the new report takes more work. More experience is not shrinking the expectation. It is confirming it.

That is not panic. That is people who have done the work telling us what it felt like.

This Is Not Just an Appraiser Story

An appraisal does not travel alone. It moves through the lender’s loan system, the AMC, the appraiser’s software, UCDP, and quality control. Working RE has reported that lenders, AMCs and software companies have still been finding bugs and integration problems as real UAD 3.6 assignments move through production.

Freddie Mac Chief Appraiser Scott Reuter has also pointed out a classic chicken-and-egg problem. Appraisers cannot gain real UAD 3.6 experience until lenders actually order UAD 3.6 assignments. And lenders cannot smooth out the pipeline until appraisers are sending them real reports.

That connects directly to the latest news from the GSEs. Fannie Mae’s UAD page now says the GSEs are offering a policy exception for sellers who need more time to complete implementation. According to HousingWire’s reporting, approved sellers who request the exception can keep delivering UAD 2.6 appraisals on new submissions after the November 2, 2026 mandate, with UAD 3.6 becoming mandatory for all new submissions on May 20, 2027. Lenders must request it from each GSE, and your lender will know which path it is on.

Translation: the remaining readiness gap is not limited to individual appraisers. It involves the entire lender, AMC, software and UCDP pipeline.

What I Would Tell Realtors

Please do not tell your clients, “Appraisers aren’t ready.” It is too broad, and the newer data does not support it.

Here is what I would say instead:

The technology and training rollout is well underway. The real issue is experience. Most appraisers still haven’t had enough live UAD 3.6 assignments to get through the learning curve yet. And the appraisers who have used it are telling us to expect longer turn times and potentially higher fees, at least during the transition.

Then make it practical:

Ask the lender early. Before you set contract dates, ask your partner lender how they are handling UAD 3.6 and what turn times they are seeing.
Build in a cushion. A little extra room in the appraisal timeline costs nothing. A missed deadline can cost a lot.
Set expectations up front. Buyers and sellers handle news well when they hear it first. They handle surprises badly.

What I Would Tell Lenders

Your referral partners are watching how you handle this. A few thoughts:

Test on live files, not just in the sandbox. The bugs show up in production. Better to find them on your terms.
Know your investor path. Confirm with your investors or aggregators how the exception applies to you, and make sure your AMC and loan system plans line up with it.
Talk to your Realtors before they have to ask. A short, honest update on expected timelines builds more trust than any marketing piece ever will.

The Bigger Idea

Forms change. Software changes. Mandates and deadlines change. People do not.

Buyers still want to know their deal is safe. Sellers still want to know the closing date is real. Our job is to see the speed bump before they hit it, and then tell them. Knowledge is power, and trust is still the greatest competitive advantage.

Your challenge this week: ask your lender or loan officer one question. “What is our UAD 3.6 plan, and how will it change my timeline?” The answer will tell you a lot.

And if you want a straight answer on how this affects a file you are working on, just call Kate.

Frequently Asked Questions About UAD 3.6

1. What is UAD 3.6?

It is the updated Uniform Appraisal Dataset used by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, paired with the redesigned URAR appraisal report. It brings new fields and more structured data to the residential appraisal.

2. When does it take effect?

The GSE mandate date is November 2, 2026. Sellers that need more time can request a temporary policy exception, so the real-world date varies by lender. Ask yours which path it is on.

3. Are appraisers ready?

About half say they are ready with software and workflows in place (49.7% in CSS’s August survey). Another 25.3% are in progress. The bigger story is experience, not readiness.

4. What is the difference between “ready” and “experienced”?

Ready means the software is installed and the training is done. Experienced means the appraiser has completed real reports and worked through the errors, revisions and delivery. Only about 29% of appraisers who plan to do UAD 3.6 work have completed even one.

5. Will appraisals take longer?

Most appraisers expect so. 78.3% anticipate longer turnaround times, and 75.7% of those who have already completed a UAD 3.6 report still expect that. These are expectations, not guarantees, and times may improve as appraisers gain experience.

6. Will appraisal fees go up?

66.7% of surveyed appraisers expect higher fees, rising to 82.2% among those who have completed a UAD 3.6 report. Actual fees depend on the appraiser, the AMC and the local market, so ask your lender what to expect.

7. Why does the chicken-and-egg problem matter?

Freddie Mac Chief Appraiser Scott Reuter pointed out that appraisers cannot gain real UAD 3.6 experience until lenders order UAD 3.6 assignments. Experience comes from live files, so the pipeline has to start moving for the learning curve to flatten.

8. What is the GSE policy exception?

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are allowing sellers that need more time to complete implementation to request a temporary exception. Approved sellers must request it from each GSE, and lenders that do not sell directly to the GSEs should align with their investors or aggregators.

9. How should Realtors adjust their contracts and timelines?

Talk with the lender before setting dates, allow a little extra time for the appraisal, and tell buyers and sellers early that the appraisal may take longer or cost more during the transition. I am not an attorney, so check contract language with your broker.

10. Is this a reason to worry about my deal?

No, but it is a reason to plan. Deals close every day through changes like this. The agents and lenders who communicate early and build in a cushion are the ones whose clients stay calm.

Sources: CSS (Consolidated Settlements Solutions) August 18 survey of 863 residential appraisers and its March UAD 3.6 readiness survey; Working RE; Fannie Mae UAD 3.6 Policy Exception; HousingWire; remarks by Freddie Mac Chief Appraiser Scott Reuter.

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