Best UAD 3.6 Appraisal Software: What to Look For
"Best" depends on your firm, but the real evaluation criteria don't change much from one appraiser to the next. Here's the checklist that actually separates GSE-verified, production-ready UAD 3.6 software from a vendor that's still catching up — and where valurAIz stands on each one.
Six things that actually matter when you're evaluating options.
Actually GSE verified — not just "compliant"
Anyone can claim UAD 3.6 compliance. Verification means Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac tested the vendor and listed them on the Integrated Vendor List. valurAIz is on that list, both as a UAD 3.6 Appraisal Software Provider and for the UAD 3.6 Compliance Rules API — apprAIz was among the first five vendors to reach GSE approval for the standard.
Built for the new URAR, not retrofitted onto the old one
UAD 3.6 isn't a cosmetic update — it's a structured-data model, with thousands of new validation rules behind the redesigned form. Software bolted onto a legacy 2.6 engine tends to show it in exactly the fields that matter. valurAIz was built natively for the redesigned URAR from the start.
Mobile-first field capture, not just a desktop tool with an app icon
UAD 3.6 asks for far more granular data per room and feature than the old standard. Capturing that accurately after the fact, back at a desk, is where most of the extra time in a first UAD 3.6 report goes. valurAIz runs the full workflow — inspection, data, LiDAR-generated ANSI floor plans — on an iPhone or iPad, on site.
Doesn't force you to drop everything that isn't 3.6 yet
Not every client or file is on the new standard on day one. Software that only speaks UAD 3.6 strands you on older assignments. valurAIz supports legacy forms like the 1004 alongside UAD 3.6, URAR, Restricted Appraisal Updates, Completion Reports, and GPAR, so a firm can migrate at its own pace instead of all at once.
Real MLS and public record coverage, not a handful of markets
Structured-data fields are only as good as what populates them. Thin data coverage means more manual entry, which is exactly the overhead UAD 3.6 software is supposed to remove. valurAIz's MLS and public record integrations cover roughly 98% of the United States.
A real team behind the transition, not just a license key
UAD 3.6 is the biggest workflow change the industry has seen in years, and the first few reports on any new platform are genuinely slower while habits reset. apprAIz offers a free UAD 3.6 walkthrough — a live session with the team on your first order — plus live customer support, not just documentation.
Don't take a vendor's word for GSE verification.
Fannie Mae publishes the actual list of verified vendors. Search it directly for any software you're considering — including apprAIz — before you sign anything.
Fannie Mae Integrated Vendor List →Common questions when comparing UAD 3.6 software.
What does "UAD 3.6 compliant" actually mean?
It means the software's data output matches the GSEs' UAD 3.6 specification closely enough to pass automated validation on submission. It does not by itself mean the vendor has been tested and approved by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — that's a separate status, GSE verification, confirmed by appearing on the Fannie Mae Integrated Vendor List.
Is apprAIz GSE verified for UAD 3.6?
Yes. valurAIz is listed on the Fannie Mae Integrated Vendor List as a UAD 3.6 Appraisal Software Provider and for the UAD 3.6 Compliance Rules API. apprAIz was among the first five vendors to achieve GSE approval for UAD 3.6.
Do I have to switch everything to UAD 3.6 at once?
No — and software that assumes you will is a real switching cost. valurAIz supports legacy forms like the 1004 alongside the new UAD 3.6 URAR, so a firm can move its practice to 3.6 at its own pace rather than all on one date.
Why does my first UAD 3.6 report take so much longer than usual?
Early UAD 3.6 reports commonly run up to 3x longer than a traditional 1004 — not because appraisers got slower, but because the standard asks for far more structured data per room and feature than the old narrative fields did. Most of that extra time goes into fixing, after the inspection, whatever wasn't captured correctly the first time. Capturing data digitally and in a structured way during the inspection itself — rather than relying on notes and memory — is what actually closes that gap.
Try valurAIz on your next UAD 3.6 order.
Available now on the App Store, or book a live walkthrough with the team first.