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The Sales Comparison Grid Is Changing: What Appraisers Need to Know About the New URAR and UAD 3.6

Cindi Harris, Senior Valuation Consultant, Walitt Solutions

The sales comparison grid has always been the heart of the appraisal report. It is where analysis becomes visible, where comparable sales are interpreted, and where users of the report often spend the most time reviewing the assignment.

Under UAD 3.6 and the redesigned Uniform Residential Appraisal Report (URAR), the sales comparison approach reporting grid is undergoing significant reporting changes. The changes are not simply cosmetic as the new grid reflects a broader shift toward structured data, dynamic reporting, standardized terminology, and improved readability. While some appraisers have expressed concern about the number of potential fields and rows, much of the online discussion has overstated what will appear in a typical assignment.

The reality is more nuanced and practical as many of the rows in the grid are optional and based on the appraiser’s expertise and deemed relevancy.

The Grid Is No Longer “One Size Fits All”

One of the biggest conceptual changes in UAD 3.6 is that the sales comparison grid is no longer a static, fixed form, rather it is dynamic and data driven. For decades, appraisers have worked within standardized forms where essentially the same grid structure appeared regardless of the assignment or property.

Under the redesigned URAR, that “one size fits all” approach is being replaced with conditional reporting logic.

The sales comparison grid now expands, collapses, and organizes itself based on the actual characteristics of the assignment or property.

Instead of every potential row appearing in every report, the new URAR uses conditional logic to determine what displays based on factors such as:

  • Property characteristics
  • Assignment type
  • Property complexity
  • Appraiser relevance determinations
  • Prior data selections elsewhere in the report
  • Whether certain features, influences, amenities, or analyses are truly applicable to the analysis

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac describe the redesigned URAR as a “dynamic report” where sections and fields appear “as required” or “as needed.” That same philosophy applies directly to the sales comparison grid.

Importantly, the UAD 3.6 reference materials specifically distinguish between rows that always display versus rows that display if relevant. This distinction matters because it changes how appraisers should think about the grid itself.

The redesigned sales comparison approach is not intended to force every appraiser to complete an enormous grid filled with unnecessary rows and fields. Instead, it is designed to create flexibility so the report can better match the assignment conditions and the actual property being analyzed. In some assignments, portions of the potential grid structure will never appear at all.

This has become one of the most misunderstood aspects of UAD 3.6. Many appraisers have seen screenshots online showing lengthy grids and assumed every report would require every possible row and data point. That is not how the system is designed to function. In fact, GSE training materials developed around the new URAR specifically address this misconception in Appendix F-1 found on the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac websites.

The broader goal is not simply to add more fields. The goal is to allow the report to become more property-specific, more flexible, and more reflective of the actual analysis required for a particular assignment.

In practice, this means:

  • Simpler properties may produce relatively streamlined grids
  • Complex properties may display additional relevant analytical detail
  • Appraisers gain more flexibility to present meaningful differences between properties
  • Users of the report may see analysis organized more logically instead of buried in addenda or compressed into more generic adjustment lines

The shift is significant because the industry is moving away from thinking about the appraisal report as a static paper form and toward thinking about it as a dynamic data-driven reporting system.

More Structured Data, Less Free-Form Addendum Writing

The legacy forms often relied heavily on narrative addenda to explain features, conditions, site influences, repairs, updates, or property complexities.

UAD 3.6 moves much of that information into structured tables and standardized fields.

The new updated dataset is intended to create consistent enumerated fields and reduce subjectivity through discrete data and keep related data together for readability. For the sales comparison approach, that means more selectable characteristics, more conditional rows, more organized clustering of related data and less reliance on generic commentary.

The result is a grid that is intended to communicate analysis more clearly to users of the report while also improving readability of appraisal data.

Adjustment Reporting Is More Flexible

Another major change is the introduction of multiple adjustment styles within the grid.

Under UAD 3.6, adjustments may appear as:

  1. No adjustment allowed (gray fields)
  2. Roll-up adjustments
  3. Traditional individual line-item adjustments

This is a departure from the line-item structure appraisers have historically used.

What Is a Roll-Up Adjustment?

A roll-up adjustment allows related characteristics to share a combined adjustment rather than forcing every individual characteristic into a separate adjusted line.

This creates flexibility for appraisers when market participants react to features collectively rather than independently. The new format better accommodates how appraisers analyze market behavior in many assignments.

What This Means

The sales comparison grid under UAD 3.6 is not simply a “bigger grid.” It represents a fundamental shift toward structured appraisal data, dynamic reporting, improved readability, more property-specific reporting, and better integration across the report.

For appraisers, this likely will require a learning curve along with workflow adjustments and learning new software and techniques, greater importance of accurate field data collection and more intentional decisions about relevance and reporting.

This also brings the opportunity for producing a clearer analysis, a reduction in commentary, a better presentation of data and improved consistency across assignments and overall process.

Be Prepared

The redesigned sales comparison grid reflects a broader evolution in residential appraisal reporting. Rather than forcing every assignment into the same static format, UAD 3.6 moves toward a more flexible and property-specific reporting structure that adapts to the actual analysis being performed. While the transition will require appraisers to adjust workflows, learn new systems, and rethink portions of the reporting process, the changes also create opportunities for clearer communication, improved data consistency, and more meaningful presentation of appraisal analysis. As the industry moves closer to implementation, understanding how the grid is intended to function rather than relying on screenshots or online speculation will be critical for appraisers preparing for the transition.

 

If you represent a group, organization, or company looking to arrange UAD URAR training for you and your colleagues, reach out HERE to schedule a short phone call to discuss options for your group. 

 

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