Appraisal reporting is changing. The operation around it needs to be ready, too.
For our latest Calyx Sunlight Series, we sat down with Matt Woodhouse, Managing Director of Valuation at ServiceLink[PK1] , to discuss what UAD 3.6 means for lenders, brokers and the people working behind every appraisal.
The conversation went beyond implementation dates.
We talked about why appraisal reporting is moving toward more structured data, where lenders could experience friction during the transition and what that information could eventually make possible.
Matt’s closing advice brought it back to the immediate priority:
Protect your pipeline.
Watch the conversation
Watch: UAD 3.6: A New Format. A Bigger Shift.
Start with the full conversation, then use the recap below to share the practical takeaways with your team.
The shift is from fixed forms to more usable information
UAD 3.6 builds on an effort to make appraisal information more consistent and easier to use.
Earlier standardization helped give the industry common definitions and reporting conventions. The next step moves beyond familiar fixed forms toward a dynamic report built around the property being appraised.
The property’s characteristics help determine what information the appraiser needs to provide.
That changes more than the report’s appearance. It changes how information is collected, where reviewers find it and how systems can use it.
The appraisal still represents an opinion of value. More structured information gives the appraiser a more consistent way to support that opinion.
Some of the benefit may come after the report arrives
Matt described a learning curve as appraisers and reviewers adjust to the new process.
ServiceLink has seen some delivery improvements, he said, but a larger opportunity is reducing questions and revisions after the appraisal reaches the lender.
Information that previously required a follow-up may already be included in the new report. That only helps if reviewers know where to find it.
Underwriters, processors and quality-control teams should become familiar with the report alongside their appraisal partners. Otherwise, an operation[PK2] could keep requesting information the appraiser has already provided.
A different report needs a different review process.
The temporary exception gives some lenders more time with tradeoffs
The November 2, 2026 mandate remains in place. Sellers unable to comply must request a temporary exception from each applicable GSE.
Approved exceptions permit new UAD 2.6 submissions through May 19, 2027. Beginning March 1, those submissions have reduced collateral-tool functionality and are ineligible for collateral representations and warranties relief for value.
New submissions must use UAD 3.6 beginning May 20. Legacy resubmissions remain available through June 27, before UAD 2.6 retires June 28. Lenders selling through other institutions should coordinate with their investors.
Source: Joint GSE temporary policy exception announcement
Matt’s practical point was to keep preparing.
Work backward from your pipeline, including loans that may take longer to close. Confirm what your investors and appraisal partners will support before a submission becomes urgent.
Questions from the audience
How can borrowers or mortgage brokers benefit from the new appraisal?
Asked by Saeed Yazdianpour
Matt pointed to the potential for fewer follow-up questions, less rework and a smoother process as adoption matures.
More complete property information could also support additional valuation options over time. Those are potential benefits, rather than a promise that every appraisal will immediately become faster or less expensive.
Is the cost of an appraisal going up?
Asked by Saeed Yazdianpour
Matt said pricing depends on the market, assignment and available appraiser capacity. Additional fee requests can occur as appraisers work through the learning curve.
He also discussed ServiceLink’s fee-cap program as one way it manages that uncertainty for customers. Lenders should confirm the program’s terms directly with ServiceLink.
The longer-term opportunity is reducing the total cost of the valuation process, including revisions and repeated review.
Will UAD 3.6 result in a more conservative appraisal valuation?
Asked by Jim Clemente
Matt framed the goal as a more accurate, better-supported valuation.
More detailed information can help explain the appraiser’s conclusions. That does not mean UAD 3.6 is intended to push values lower or make every appraisal more conservative.
How should a mortgage broker prepare if they order and pay for the appraisal, then wait for the report?
Asked by Saeed Yazdianpour
Start with the provider and investor relationships you can influence.
If you select the appraisal provider, ask about its UAD 3.6 experience and readiness. If you work from an investor’s approved list, ask which providers are prepared and how transition issues will be handled.
Brokers should also become familiar with the new report so they can help set borrower expectations and recognize questions that need attention.
How does UAD 3.6 affect an institution that holds mostly nonconforming loans and does not sell them?
Asked by Sarai Rodríguez Ocasio
Matt explained that the GSE transition does not automatically mean every portfolio appraisal must use the new format.
However, appraisers may increasingly standardize their reporting around UAD 3.6. An institution’s own requirements and any future plans to sell loans also matter.
Confirm the approach with your appraisal partners and internal policy teams rather than assuming the change will have no effect.
What we’d be checking operationally
Ask your appraisal provider specific questions.
How many UAD 3.6 assignments have they completed? How are they training appraisers? What happens when a report needs a revision or a technical submission fails?
Walk through a sample report together.
Bring appraisal, underwriting, operations, QC and technology teams into the same conversation. Identify where familiar information now appears and which internal instructions need updating.
Look at the handoffs.
Matt noted that repeated fee-approval requests can add time. Clear approval procedures may help, provided they fit your organization’s disclosure requirements and controls.
Test the full process.
Ordering is only the beginning. Confirm that your systems can receive, display, review and transmit the report as needed.
ServiceLink discussed training and report-comparison materials, appraisal-review services and scheduling tools during the session. Ask which resources fit your operation.
There’s a bigger signal underneath this
More consistently defined property information could eventually help lenders improve quality control, analyze collateral risk and identify where human review is most useful.
Matt did not describe a future without appraisal expertise.
The opportunity is to use technology and data to reduce repetitive work while directing professional judgment toward the properties and questions that need it.
That is why this conversation matters beyond the appraisal department. Changes in valuation can affect borrower expectations, underwriting, closing timelines and investor delivery.
Want to go deeper
Watch the full conversation for more on ServiceLink’s preparation, operational tradeoffs and the questions lenders should ask their partners.
WATCH THE FULL SUNLIGHT SERIES RECORDING
Resources from the discussion
For more information about ServiceLink’s tech-enabled valuation solutions, visit ServiceLink.com.
Get in touch with a member of ServiceLink’s team here, and learn more about how to order with ServiceLink via Calyx Path here.
Fannie Mae’s UAD resource center — Find implementation and readiness materials.
Freddie Mac’s UAD resource center — Explore training, reporting guidance and transition resources.
Joint GSE temporary policy exception announcement — Review exception requirements, dates and operational limitations.
The biggest takeaway
Protecting your pipeline starts with understanding how the change moves through your operation.
Know what your provider can deliver. Know what your investors require. Give your team time to work with the new report before a closing depends on it.
UAD 3.6 changes the information in the appraisal. Readiness depends on the people and processes around it.
