CCARToday - Contra Costa Association of REALTORS

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Preparing for UAD 3.6: Appraisal Seminar & Lunch – Oct. 20

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A change to residential appraisal reporting is approaching. Beginning November 2, 2026, new appraisal reports submitted for loans involving Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac must use UAD 3.6, a format that calls for more detailed property information. Some lenders are already ordering reports in the new format, so you may encounter it before the deadline.

Join CCAR on Tue, Oct. 20, from 12:00 – 3:00pm at St. Stephen Church for a special seminar and Lunch with Market Analyst and Appraiser Anthony Young. Learn what the new reports will look like, how the changes may impact you, and what you can do now to better prepare your clients and transactions.

Register here >>

Changes to Appraisal Report

One flexible report replaces the familiar fixed forms. The report adapts to the property type and its features, so it may look different from appraisals clients have seen before.

More detailed property information is recorded. Appraisers document features such as individual levels, rooms, improvements, amenities and site characteristics in greater detail.

Photos and supporting information have more defined reporting requirements. The redesigned report specifies which images are required, required with certain circumstances, or optional

Impact on REALTORS®

Explain the new appearance without treating it as a sign of a problem.

Provide clear facts about improvements, including what was done and when. “Updated kitchen” is less useful than a dated description of work.

Help clients know what to expect at the appointment and respond promptly if an appraiser requests factual information about a property or past sale.

Impact on Homeowners

Buyers and sellers may receive a less familiar-looking report, but the appraiser’s responsibility to determine value remains the same.

Sellers should be ready to share records of renovations and allow for a potentially longer property visit. More detail does not automatically mean a higher appraisal value.

A visit may involve more documentation than they expect; the homeowner should ask the lender/appraiser about any access or preparation needs for their specific assignment.

For more practical guidance, read NAR’s article: “Appraisal Ready: What Agents and Brokers Can Do Now for UAD 3.6.”

From Listing Presentation to Post-Closing: Let the Code Be Your Guide

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For listing agents, the transaction begins long before the sign goes in the yard.

There is the first conversation with the seller, the listing presentation, the agreement, marketing decisions, negotiations, inspections, closing—and the responsibilities that continue after the transaction is complete.

NAR’s “The Code of Ethics is Good Business” resource organizes the relevant Standards of Practice around each of these stages, making the Code easier to apply to the work listing agents are actually doing every day.

Start Before You Have a Listing

The listing-agent checklist begins with Pre-Listing.

That’s an important reminder: ethical practice doesn’t begin when you have a signed listing agreement. The professional relationship and the decisions surrounding it can raise ethical considerations from the very beginning.

The checklist then moves into Listing Presentation/Agreement, where the agent continues building the relationship and taking the listing.

Then Comes the Public-Facing Work

Marketing your listing brings another set of ethical considerations into focus.

This is where accuracy, professionalism, representation and other responsibilities intersect with the day-to-day work of promoting a property.

From there, the checklist follows the transaction into Contract Negotiation, Financing/Inspections, Pre-Closing/Closing/Possession, and Post-Closing.

It’s a much more intuitive way to use the Code.

Instead of thinking: “Which Article is this?”

you can begin with: “Where am I in the transaction?”

Then find the relevant section.

Make it Part of Your Process

Here’s a simple challenge:

Pick one upcoming transaction and use the NAR checklist as a companion to your transaction file.

At each major milestone, pause and review the applicable section.

You’re not trying to turn every transaction into a compliance exercise. You’re building the habit of connecting ethical principles with everyday professional decisions.

And that’s really the value of this resource.

The Code of Ethics isn’t just a document to study every few years. It’s a professional standard that can help guide how we communicate, represent clients, market properties, negotiate, cooperate and complete transactions.

NAR’s chronological approach makes that connection easier to see—and easier to use.

Keep the resource handy. Your next transaction may give you a reason to use it.

Explore NAR’s “The Code of Ethics is Good Business” resource here.

PT 2   |   First Conversation to Closing: An Ethical Roadmap for Buyer Agents

PT 1   |   When You’re in a Transaction, Which Parts of the Code of Ethics Apply?

NAR CODE OF ETHICS

NAR Ethics Complaints, Arbitration Requests & Related Information

C.A.R. ETHICS & ARBITRATION MANUAL

MLS RULES & REGULATIONS

CCAR BYLAWS

CODE OF ETHICS DEMYSTIFIED

ETHICS COMPLAINT
INSTRUCTIONS & INFO
FILE AN
ETHICS COMPLAINT
ARBITRATION REQUEST
INSTRUCTIONS & INFO
FILE AN
ARBITRATION REQUEST

Gail Hargis
Professional Standards
925.295.9220
[email protected]

First Conversation to Closing: An Ethical Roadmap for Buyer Agents

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A buyer's real estate journey can move quickly.

One conversation leads to a buyer agreement. Then come showings, questions, offers, negotiations, inspections, financing and, eventually, closing.

At every stage, different professional responsibilities come into focus.

That’s why NAR’s “The Code of Ethics is Good Business” resource is worth adding to your everyday toolkit. Rather than organizing the Code solely by its 17 Articles, NAR has arranged the relevant Standards of Practice according to the stages of a typical transaction.

For buyer agents, the roadmap begins before the showing.

Start with the Relationship 

The first stage is Pre-Counseling. This is where an agent begins establishing the professional relationship and communicating with a prospective buyer.

From there, the resource moves into Counseling/Buyer Agreement, followed by Showings.

That progression mirrors the actual work of a buyer agent—and makes it easier to ask an important question at each step:

“What ethical responsibilities should I be thinking about right now?”

Then the Stakes Increase

Once a buyer is ready to make an offer, the transaction moves into Purchase Agreement/Negotiation.

This is one of those moments when having the relevant provisions organized in one place can be particularly helpful. Rather than trying to remember which Article or Standard might apply, the resource puts the applicable standards together according to the transaction stage.

From there, the checklist continues through Financing/Inspections, Closing/Possession, and finally Post-Closing.

In other words, the resource follows the client—not the numbering system of the Code.

A Simple Habit to Try

Consider making the checklist part of your transaction routine.

Before moving into a new stage of a transaction, take a few minutes to review that section of the NAR resource.

It doesn’t replace your broker’s guidance, your state or local requirements, or professional legal advice when appropriate. But it can serve as a valuable ethical checkpoint throughout the transaction.

The goal isn’t to memorize every Standard of Practice.

The goal is to develop the habit of asking:

What does professional, ethical REALTOR® conduct look like at this point in the transaction?

NAR has made that question easier to answer.

Explore NAR’s “The Code of Ethics is Good Business” resource here.

PT 1   |   When You’re in a Transaction, Which Parts of the Code of Ethics Apply?

NAR CODE OF ETHICS

NAR Ethics Complaints, Arbitration Requests & Related Information

C.A.R. ETHICS & ARBITRATION MANUAL

MLS RULES & REGULATIONS

CCAR BYLAWS

CODE OF ETHICS DEMYSTIFIED

ETHICS COMPLAINT
INSTRUCTIONS & INFO
FILE AN
ETHICS COMPLAINT
ARBITRATION REQUEST
INSTRUCTIONS & INFO
FILE AN
ARBITRATION REQUEST

Gail Hargis
Professional Standards
925.295.9220
[email protected]

When You’re in a Transaction, Which Parts of the Code of Ethics Apply?

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The Code of Ethics has 17 Articles—but when you’re in the middle of a transaction, you don’t need to search through all 17 to find what’s relevant.

NAR’s “The Code of Ethics is Good Business” resource organizes the related Standards of Practice according to how a real estate transaction actually unfolds. So, instead of searching by Article number, you can find what you need based on where you are in the transaction, making the Code much more practical.

Your Transaction Roadmap:

Listing Agents
  • Pre-listing
  • Listing presentation and agreement
  • Marketing
  • Contract negotiation
  • Financing and inspections
  • Pre-closing, closing and possession
  • Post-closing
Buyer Agents
  • Pre-counseling
  • Counseling and the buyer agreement
  • Showings
  • Purchase agreement and negotiation
  • Financing and inspections
  • Closing and possession
  • Post-closing

Why it Matters

Your ethical responsibilities can change depending on which side and where you are in the transaction.

Preparing for a listing presentation? What specific ethical considerations apply?

Marketing a property? What ethical duties need to be kept in mind?

Negotiating an offer or working through inspections? What ethical responsibilities come into play?

The resource provides separate checklists for listing and buyer agents, making it easier to connect the Code of Ethics to your role and the stage of the transaction.

Put it to Work

Don’t wait until an ethics issue comes up. Build the resource into your workflow.

It takes the Code from something you’re required to follow and turns it into a practical tool you can actively use in your business.

Explore NAR’s “The Code of Ethics is Good Business” resource here.

NAR CODE OF ETHICS

NAR Ethics Complaints, Arbitration Requests & Related Information

C.A.R. ETHICS & ARBITRATION MANUAL

MLS RULES & REGULATIONS

CCAR BYLAWS

CODE OF ETHICS DEMYSTIFIED

ETHICS COMPLAINT
INSTRUCTIONS & INFO
FILE AN
ETHICS COMPLAINT
ARBITRATION REQUEST
INSTRUCTIONS & INFO
FILE AN
ARBITRATION REQUEST

Gail Hargis
Professional Standards
925.295.9220
[email protected]

RED ALERT: Act Today to Protect Homebuyers

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C.A.R. and CCAR are opposing AB 1406 (Ward), a bill that would double the statutory cap on liquidated damages when a buyer purchases a newly constructed, owner-occupied condominium from a developer. Specifically, AB 1406 increases the cap from 3% to 6% of the purchase price.

C.A.R. and CCAR oppose this measure because it weakens long-standing consumer protections that safeguard buyers’ hard-earned savings. By raising the cap, the bill puts buyers at risk of losing life-changing sums of money to help finance condominium projects—an outcome that unfairly shifts risk away from developers and onto consumers.

AB 1406 is expected to be voted on soon by the full Assembly.
Here’s how you can help! 

Please contact your Assemblymember HERE TODAY and urge them to OPPOSE AB 1406.