The mortgage industry in 2026 is operating in a fundamentally different environment. UAD 3.6 is moving toward mandatory adoption on November 2, 2026. GSE buyback exposure has never been higher on lender radars. Regulatory scrutiny around the valuation of accuracy, bias, and independence is at a historic peak. And the volume of data that must be validated in each appraisal report has grown significantly. In this environment, spot-check QC is not a risk management strategy. It is a liability.