The new appraisal format is mandatory for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans starting November 2
Starting November 2, 2026, every new appraisal report submitted to the Uniform Collateral Data Portal (UCDP) for a loan sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac must use UAD 3.6, the redesigned Uniform Appraisal Dataset. It replaces the legacy appraisal forms with a single, dynamic Uniform Residential Appraisal Report (URAR), and it is the first full redesign of appraisal reporting in over a decade.
For mortgage brokers, the practical message is simple. How a home is valued does not change. How the appraisal is ordered, delivered and revised does. And because of a new temporary exception, the date your wholesale lender switches may not be November 2.
A temporary exception changes the timeline
On September 30, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced a one-time policy exception for lenders that cannot finish their UAD 3.6 implementation in time. Sellers that request and receive it may keep submitting new UAD 2.6 reports through May 19, 2027, and resubmit earlier UAD 2.6 reports through June 27, 2027. The November 2 mandate has not changed, and the GSEs say the exception will not be extended.
The exception has a cost. Beginning March 1, 2027, UAD 2.6 reports submitted under an exception receive a collateral risk score of 999 from Fannie Mae’s Collateral Underwriter (99 from Freddie Mac’s Loan Collateral Advisor), and the loans lose collateral representation and warranty relief for value. UAD 3.6 becomes mandatory for everyone on May 20, 2027, and UAD 2.6 retires on June 28, 2027.
Only lenders that sell loans directly to the GSEs request the exception. Brokers do not. But an aggregator that buys loans from third-party originators must either make sure every originator delivers UAD 3.6 appraisals or request the exception itself. In practice, your lenders may be on different schedules.
What actually changes on your files
- Orders drive the report. The URAR is built from the order, so complete property and assignment details up front prevent delays. The engagement letter now tells the appraiser which format and level of inspection to use, because a form number no longer signals either one.
- Delivery looks different. UCDP receives a ZIP package: an XML data file, a human-readable PDF and a folder of property images.
- Revisions stay in their lane. UCDP does not accept mixed formats under the same document file ID. A report first submitted in UAD 2.6 stays in UAD 2.6 when it is revised, even after November 2.
- The submission date is the date that counts. The mandate follows when a report is first submitted to UCDP, not the loan application or appraisal effective date. Loans already in your pipeline need a plan.
- Appraisers may ask for more. Expect more time on site and more requests for information from you, the agent or the borrower.
“UAD 3.6 does not change how a home is valued, but it does change how ready an originator has to be. The brokers who ask their lenders the right questions this week, and who give their agents a clear explanation, will protect their closings and their referral relationships.”
Michael Farrell, President, National Association of Mortgage Brokers
Five things to do this week
- Ask each wholesale lender, in writing, which appraisal format they accept and whether they requested the exception.
- Confirm your AMC and appraisal partners are ready for UAD 3.6.
- Update order intake to capture complete property details, the format and the inspection level.
- Track UCDP submission dates on every loan in the pipeline.
- Brief your processing team and your agents before the first UAD 3.6 report lands on a live file.
Bring your agents and borrowers along
Agents who understand UAD 3.6 stop blaming the lender when an appraisal takes longer or asks for more detail. NAMB built a one-page agent handout with the key dates, a side-by-side of the old and new report, and what to expect during the transition. Send it with a short note and you become the person they call with questions.
Borrowers need an even simpler message: the appraisal paperwork is changing, but how their home is valued is not. If the appraiser asks for details about the property, quick answers keep the file on schedule.
A note on FHA, VA and USDA
The dates above apply to conventional loans sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. FHA has announced its move to UAD 3.6 and set up an implementation resource center in its Electronic Appraisal Delivery portal. VA and USDA have not published adoption dates. Confirm current status before you quote a date to an agent.
Get the full picture
NAMB’s guide, Are you prepared for UAD 3.6?, brings it together in one place: the rollout timeline, a readiness checklist, answers to common questions and the downloadable agent handout. It is free to use and share with your real estate partners.
The deadline is close, but the work is manageable. Start with one written question to each lender, and the rest of the checklist falls into place.
This article was provided by the National Association of Mortgage Brokers
