New Rule Targets AI-Powered Mortgage Lending: Ensuring Fair and Accurate Home Valuations

Mortgage Lenders Face Checks on Automated Valuation Models

(Bloomberg) -- Home mortgage lenders will have to meet a new set of standards designed to ensure that their tech-fueled appraisals don't build in flaws that might produce faulty estimates or discriminate against borrowers. The Federal Reserve and five other federal agencies announced the new demands in a final rule on Wednesday, saying they're intended to "help ensure the credibility and integrity" of models used in home valuations for certain mortgages. The regulation will introduce quality-control standards for automated-valuation models used by mortgage originators and secondary-market issuers, the agencies said in a statement. The rule is very similar to the June 2023 proposal and was mandated as part of the Dodd-Frank Act that followed the 2008 global financial crisis. Regulators under the Biden administration have stepped up efforts to address potential abuses as artificial intelligence and other technologies become more prevalent in lending. In January, three top US regulators warned banks that they can't escape responsibility if their outsourced artificial-intelligence tools violate consumer-protection and fair-lending laws. Automated valuation models can rely on machine learning or artificial intelligence. Lenders are increasingly using automated valuation models to gauge what a property is worth, according to the agencies' statement Wednesday. Although this can help cut costs and turnaround times, lenders need to make sure that the valuations are accurate and don't result in discrimination, the regulators said. Consumer groups and regulators have complained for decades that figures used by many home lenders to make decisions are biased against credit-worthy minorities because of flaws embedded in commercial databases. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the National Credit Union Administration also announced Wednesday's rule. (Updates to include background beginning in third paragraph.)

AI in Mortgage Lending: New Rule Ensures Accurate, Fair Home Valuations

Home mortgage lenders will have to meet new standards to ensure their tech-driven appraisals are free from flaws that might cause faulty estimates or discrimination. The Federal Reserve, along with five other federal agencies, introduced the new demands in a final rule on Wednesday. The regulation aims to maintain the credibility and integrity of automated-valuation models (AVMs) used in home valuations for certain mortgages. These quality-control standards, mandated by the Dodd-Frank Act, were proposed in June 2023 and are now being enforced to prevent potential abuses as AI and other technologies become more prevalent in lending. The rule stipulates that mortgage originators and secondary-market issuers must adhere to quality-control standards for AVMs. Regulators under the Biden administration have intensified efforts to address potential misuse of AI in lending. In January, three top US regulators warned banks about their responsibility for consumer-protection and fair-lending laws if their AI tools violate them. AVMs, which can leverage machine learning or AI, are increasingly being used by lenders to estimate property values, helping to reduce costs and turnaround times. Market Overview: The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.