The marketing story this week is a process one. Appraisers told HousingWire that as more listings go private, hidden interiors and off-market sales limit how well they can verify comps and will stretch turnaround times, and the UAD 3.6 and new URAR mandate takes effect November 2. Telling a buyer and their agent about a possible delay before it happens is a better touch than explaining one after it does, and agents are a referral source, so this is relationship marketing as much as operations.
Rates give you a calm backdrop for that conversation. Bankrate's 30-year fixed reads 7.36%, under its 30-day average of 7.43% and 69 bps above its 90-day low of 6.67%, and Freddie Mac's weekly PMMS read 7.32% Thursday, 0.08 lower on the week and 0.29 higher than a month ago. On a $400K loan that is about $2,759 a month in principal and interest. The Fed meets October 27–28, so the borrowers to focus on this weekend are the ones already under contract: they need both a lock decision and a clear closing timeline before the statement lands at 2:00pm ET on the 28th.
The tactical move is a one-page closing timeline you send to every buyer and their agent at contract, with the appraisal step written as a range of business days rather than a single date, and a line explaining that off-market comps can add time. Pair it with a short social post aimed at agents explaining how the new appraisal standards and private listings can affect timing, which positions you as the lender who tells them before it matters.
rewrite the appraisal line on your standard closing timeline as a range, add one sentence on why comps can take longer, and send the updated version to the agents on your three active files.