The Pre-Approval Question Every Agent Should Now Ask: Which Score Model?
Arthur's Letter Looked Complete
Arthur is a fictional buyer, and his story illustrates a situation that comes up often. He has a pre-approval letter. His agent has read it. The letter has a name, a loan amount range, and a date. It looks finished.
Then his agent realizes nobody asked one thing: which credit score model was used?
Arthur had assumed every lender pulls the same score. His agent had assumed it too. For a long time, that was a comfortable assumption. It is now one worth checking.
What Changed
The Federal Housing Finance Agency publishes a policy page called Credit Scores. It was updated on 2026-09-09, and it explains where things stand for lenders who sell loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which the page calls the Enterprises.
Here is the key language, word for word: "On September 9, 2026, the Enterprises expanded the availability of VantageScore 4.0 to all approved lenders, removing the requirement for prior written approval. All Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac approved lenders may now use VantageScore 4.0 when originating and selling eligible loans to the Enterprises."
In plain terms, a lender no longer needs to ask permission first. If the lender is approved by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, VantageScore 4.0 is available when originating and selling eligible loans to them.
Classic FICO Has Not Gone Away
This is not a switch that flipped everyone from one model to another. The same FHFA page says lenders may continue to use Classic FICO credit scores, and it points to the Enterprises' Selling Guides for the requirements that apply to using VantageScore 4.0.
So the market now has two models that lenders can use. Both are allowed. Which one sits behind a given pre-approval depends on the lender and how they handle the file.
That is the part that matters for agents. Two lenders can both be fully compliant and still be reviewing the same buyer through different scoring models. A pre-approval letter on its own may not tell you which model was used.
One note on scope: the FHFA policy covers loans sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Other loan programs have their own guidelines, so do not assume this one page covers everything.
Why Agents and Referral Partners Should Care
An agent's job includes reading the strength of an offer. A pre-approval letter is part of that picture. If the score model behind the letter is unknown, there is a gap in what you can read from it.
There is also a buyer side. When a buyer talks to more than one lender, as many do, they may get letters built on different models without realizing it. Questions about why things look different from one letter to the next are easier to answer when you already know which model each lender used.
None of this requires you to become a credit scoring expert. It requires one question.
The One Thing to Do Today
Add this to your pre-approval checklist: "Which credit score model was used?"
Ask it of every lender, on every letter. Write the answer in the file notes next to the letter. If the lender does not know or does not say, that is useful information too.
In Arthur's story, that is exactly what happens. His agent asks his lender directly and records the answer. From then on, the agent reads Arthur's letter as information, not just a green light, and sounds like the expert in the room when the buyer has questions.
How I Can Help
I am Jason Sharon, a licensed mortgage broker with Home Loans Inc, and I find the path. If you are an agent or referral partner with a buyer who has questions about their pre-approval, or you want to talk through how score models fit into your checklist, call me at 843-LOW-RATE. I am glad to walk through it with you.
Home Loans Inc - Jason Sharon, Mortgage Broker. Company NMLS #1728740, Jason Sharon NMLS #1281448. Equal Housing Opportunity.
