Update from the Appraisal Foundation
9:00-9:50 a.m.
Join Kelly Davids, President of The Appraisal Foundation (TAF), for an update on the Foundation's ongoing work to support public trust in the valuation profession. This session will highlight key initiatives of TAF, the Appraisal Standards Board (ASB), and the Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB), including recent and upcoming developments affecting appraisal standards, appraiser qualification criteria, and the future of the profession. Attendees will also receive an update on significant developments in Washington, D.C., including Congressional activity, federal regulatory initiatives, and other policy matters that may impact appraisers and the valuation industry.
Presenter: Kelly Davids, President, The Appraisal Foundation
Economic Outlook 2026: What Real Estate Appraisers Need to Know
10:00-10:50 a.m.
Interest rates are high. Inflation is creeping up. Real estate values are variable. Joel Kan, Deputy Chief Economist for the Mortgage Bankers Association, will bring clarity to the nation’s and New England economy, informing appraisers about the possible road ahead.
Presenter: Joel Kan, Deputy Chief Economist, Mortgage Bankers Association
Appraisal Policy in Motion: Federal, State, and Standards Changes Affecting Your Practice
11:00-11:50 a.m.
Real estate appraisal policy is changing rapidly, and those changes will directly shape how appraisers qualify, work, manage risk, and serve clients. This session provides an up-to-date overview of the major federal, state, and professional-standards developments affecting the profession.
Attendees will learn about implementation of the newly enacted 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act; federal initiatives involving reconsiderations of value, FHA eligibility, workforce development, appraisal waivers, hybrid and desktop products, property-data collection, AVMs, and artificial intelligence. The session will also cover VA fee-panel policy, FHA’s review of Minimum Property Requirements, and HUD fair-housing enforcement.
The program will also examine proposed AQB changes to education, experience, examinations, PAREA, and alternative pathways, along with key state developments involving licensing, fair-housing education, liability, AMC regulation, evaluations, and new appraiser duties.
Presenter: Scott Dibiasio, Director, Government Affairs, Appraisal Institute
The Impact of Digital Transformation on the Real Estate Appraisal Profession
12:00-12:50 p.m.
This 50-minute, fast-paced, session will examine the impact of digital transformation on the real estate appraisal profession. The presentation will address the increasing use of digital data, automated processes, technology platforms, and emerging tools in valuation-related activities, as well as what the GSEs are doing to approach technology innovation and modernization. It will also consider how these developments may affect appraisal workflows, professional judgment, client expectations, and the appraiser’s responsibilities within the valuation process.
Residential Program Agenda
October 21, 2026
8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Housing Market Outlook: Perspectives from Lenders and Real Estate Professionals
9:00 a.m. – 9:50 a.m.
Course Description
Hear directly from lenders and real estate professionals as they share their expectations for the 2027 housing market. This timely discussion will explore anticipated trends in interest rates, home prices, inventory, buyer and seller activity, lending conditions, and other factors likely to shape residential real estate in the year ahead. Attendees will gain perspective on what market participants are seeing, what they expect to change, and what those developments may mean for real estate appraisal professionals.
Learning Objectives
- Identify key housing-market factors expected to influence residential real estate in 2027, including interest rates, home prices, inventory, buyer and seller activity, and lending conditions.
- Compare perspectives from lending and real estate professionals regarding current market conditions and anticipated changes.
- Explain how evolving housing-market conditions and value trends may affect residential appraisal practice.
Panelists
Deborah Sousa, Executive Director, MMBA - Moderator
Darryl Caffee, VP, Webster Five Cents Savings Bank
Sarah Valentini, CEO, radius financial group
REALTOR - TBD
Appraisal Assignments Involving the IRS
10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Course Description
Appraisal assignments connected to the Internal Revenue Service can raise questions that do not arise in a typical appraisal engagement. This presentation will examine practical issues appraisers should understand when the IRS is an intended user, when an appraisal may ultimately be reviewed by the IRS, or when an assignment is completed for an attorney or other client for an IRS-related purpose. The session addresses professional, procedural, and practical considerations associated with appraisal work involving the IRS.
Learning Objectives
- Distinguish common circumstances in which an appraisal may be prepared for, submitted to, or reviewed by the IRS.
- Identify considerations involved in selecting the appropriate definition of Fair Market Value for estate-related assignments.
- Recognize appraiser qualification requirements and appraisal-preparation considerations associated with IRS-related work.
- Describe practical steps for responding when an appraisal comes under IRS scrutiny and identify potential sources of IRS-related appraisal assignments.
Presenter
William J. Pastuszek, Jr., MRA, MAI, AI-GRS
Artificial Intelligence for Real Estate Appraisers: Practical Tools You Can Use Tomorrow
10:40 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Course Description
What if AI could give you a second set of eyes on an appraisal, organize your inspection notes while you talk, help research a difficult property, analyze market data, and improve report commentary without replacing the appraiser’s judgment?
This demonstration-focused session will show how AI can fit into everyday appraisal work, from inspection through final review: Inspect → Research → Analyze → Write → Review
Using real-world appraisal workflows, we will demonstrate practical applications including voice-to-text, property research, market analysis, report writing, and quality control.
The focus is not on turning appraisers into AI experts. It is on showing where AI can genuinely help, where it can go wrong, and what the appraiser still needs to verify, analyze, and decide.
Attendees will leave with a handful of practical tools and workflows they can understand and potentially begin using the very next day.
Learning Objectives
- Compare leading AI platforms and distinguish practical differences between free and paid options.
- Identify privacy, confidentiality, verification, workfile, disclosure, and professional-responsibility considerations when using AI in appraisal practice.
- Explain how prompt construction and reusable prompt libraries can improve the consistency and usefulness of AI-assisted work.
- Identify appropriate appraisal-related uses of AI while recognizing tasks that require the appraiser's own inspection, verification, comparable selection, valuation judgment, and conclusions.
- Describe emerging AI capabilities and integrations relevant to appraisal practice, including voice AI, image recognition, automated quality control, UAD 3.6, and appraisal-software integration.
Presenters:
Vlad Antohi
Jonathan Asker, RA, SRA
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