Nearly every appraiser plans to produce UAD 3.6 reports, but by spring 2026 very few had done one. The new format takes longer, fees may rise, and some appraisers say they will retire over it. For lenders and agents, that means slower turn times this fall. Questions about how the change affects a specific order go to Ask Gerry, or call (425) 967-3498.

How ready were appraisers?

Not very, as of March. Working RE's 2026 survey of about 1,800 appraisers, which closed March 15, found 3 percent had completed a UAD 3.6 report, 58 percent had not taken the seven hour course, and 22 percent did not know enough about the format to name a concern.

Corporate Settlement Solutions surveyed 900 appraisers and published March 16 with a softer picture: 30 percent ready, 39 percent in progress, 24 percent getting started, 7 percent not started. Of those, 84 percent did or planned to do UAD 3.6 reports and 4 percent said they would not. The numbers are seven months old, and the pattern in them has held: most intend to switch, many planned to switch late.

Why does each report take longer?

More of the report is data, and more of the data is gathered at the property. One respondent to McKissock's fee survey estimated "at least 2 hours more to complete a report." A reader commenting on Working RE's coverage complained of endless drop down clicks and at least double the time onsite. Some of that is the learning curve. Some is permanent: a paragraph of narrative becomes dozens of fields, and room level condition ratings mean more notes at the inspection.

Will fees go up?

Some, though probably less than the surveys suggest. Working RE found 64 percent planned to raise fees for UAD 3.6 work and Corporate Settlement Solutions found 52 percent expected an increase. McKissock was more cautious: 41 percent expected increases, 28 percent flat fees, 31 percent unsure. AMCs set many residential fees and answer to lenders that resist cost increases. Appraisers do have more room to ask now; the Appraisal Institute reported in May that appraisal volume is growing faster than the number of appraisers doing GSE work.

Will appraisers retire over it?

Fewer than say so. Working RE found nearly a third plan to leave within three years and roughly half within five, then pointed out that 33 percent planned to retire within five years in its 2016 survey and most were still appraising a decade later. Trainer Hal Humphreys told Working RE that 15 to 50 percent of a UAD 3.6 class raise their hands when asked about retiring, and by the end of the class "usually nobody does."

Some will go, and each departure costs more than it used to. About 57 percent of Working RE's respondents are over 60, and the magazine cites a roughly 70 percent drop in first time license test takers since 2009.

Is the training good enough?

Not according to everyone who took it. One commenter on Working RE wrote, "I took a class. It was a joke." A rural appraiser added that appraisers "will still have to rely on MLS Realtor data that is marginal at best." That criticism is fair: better fields do not create better data in a thin market.

What gets an appraiser through it?

Starting early and doing volume. Gerry Allard has trained dozens of appraisers over three decades, and the Humphreys numbers fit what any new report format does to people: the first reaction is worse than the tenth report. An appraiser starting in October for a November 2 mandate is learning on live orders. A second read before delivery is worth more now too, because structured data exposes an inconsistent entry that a paragraph used to hide.

The transition will also run longer than one date. Under Fannie Mae Lender Letter LL-2026-08, lenders granted a policy exception can keep delivering UAD 2.6 reports through May 19, 2027, so some appraisers will work in both formats this winter.

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