AI disruption, UAD 3.6 rules bring upgrades to appraisal tech

Artificial intelligence and changes in reporting rules are disrupting traditional appraisal operations in 2026, and tech providers are moving in with new solutions.

These changes come as housing affordability grabs the spotlight during the current Trump administration, with the president himself even chiming in this year on how the appraisal industry should find ways to create homebuying opportunities. In a March executive order, Trump explicitly noted the need for modernized appraisal regulations with clear timelines and alternative valuation models.           

The Uniform Appraisal Dataset 3.6, which governs how reports are delivered to the government-sponsored enterprises, is already in use with full adoption becoming mandatory this fall. In response, appraisal management companies and technology platforms are updating their tools to ease the process for lenders. 

At the same time, AI advancements are leading to new opportunities to expedite appraisal approvals and bring with them expectations of enhanced quality. 

Here are a few recent appraisal developments that can move the home finance industry closer to those goals.  

Clear Capital to merge with Restb.ai

Real estate and valuation technology provider Clear Capital Solutions announced the acquisition of computer-vision software provider Restb.ai. The move adds AI-enabled image recognition and data enrichment to Clear Capital's suite of tools, including Cubicasa, the digital floor plan and virtual tour operator previously acquired in 2021.  

Clear Capital and CubiCasa intend to retain Restb.ai branding, while integrating its computer-vision capabilities across their platforms. 

"By embedding AI-driven property intelligence into our valuations and mobile floor plan technology, we're increasing accuracy of decision-making for housing finance," said Clear Capital CEO Duane Andrews. "Together, we are empowering our customers with a sophisticated, modern framework that brings confidence to every real estate decision."

The new acquisition comes after Clear Capital received a strategic investment from private equity firm GTCR last year, providing support for expansion of its real estate data and valuation offerings. 

ProxyPics becomes first verified UPDR provider

On-demand property data collection firm ProxyPics announced it had received authorization to provide a new standardized reporting framework developed jointly by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. 

Designed in response to challenges brought by varied vendor formats, the Uniform Property Data Report is a template aimed at creating consistency in the way appraisal information is delivered and underwritten to support automated validation and review. Adoption of UPDR should drive expansion of modern valuations, including hybrid appraisals and waiver programs, ProxyPics said. 

ProxyPics uses artificial intelligence and computer vision models to analyze property images and extract data, before automatically populating fields within the UPDR.

"By becoming the first verified provider, ProxyPics is not only adopting this new standard — we are enabling lenders to operationalize it at scale with AI-driven automation and real-time quality control," company founder Luke Tomaszewski said. 

"This is a major step forward for property data standardization." 

Veros upgrades technology to comply with UAD 3.6

Risk management and valuations services provider Veros Real Estate Solutions rolled out an updated platform aimed at identifying errors upfront and ensuring appraisal files are complete and compliant. 

In addition to verifying compliance and compatibility, the VeroScore tool also offers direct, side-by-side comparison with public records and multiple listing services data. VeroSCORE will evaluate comparable properties and can display up to 15 images from an appraised property alongside the same number provided by an MLS for similar units. 

"We reengineered VeroSCORE to deliver immediate visibility into collateral risk with full UAD 3.6 compatibility. By automating the bulk of the quality control process, our clients can eliminate manual bottlenecks, reduce review times, and lower their costs to produce a loan," Veros CEO Darius Bozorgi said. 

Class Valuation launches underwriting engine

Appraisal management company Class Valuation recently unveiled a new underwriting engine and assurance program to help eliminate the need for low-risk reviews. 

The Class Valuation Underwriting Engine, or CVUE, combines AI analysis and human review to deliver guaranteed appraisals requiring no further internal checks. The CVUE program also comes with repurchase risk defense and financial protections to the user on eligible appraisals, resulting in significant cost savings and shortened turn times of two to three days, Class Valuation said.   

The AMC piloted the program and validated results with more than 20 lenders, including three in the top 10. 

"After piloting the program, we've proven that lenders don't need to review every appraisal to protect against buyback exposure. Class Valuation assumes that risk on qualifying files, giving lenders certainty of execution," said CEO John Fraas.