NVC News – Atlanta Wins Best Places to Work
National Valuation Consultants wins Best Places to Work honor
By Allison Shirreffs – Contributing Writer
Atlanta Business Chronicle – September 2, 2022
National Valuation Consultants Inc. is ranked No. 2 on Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 2022 Best Places to Work list in the Small Company (10-49 employees) category.
When the pandemic first started, Peter Lamas, senior managing director, National Valuation Consultants Inc. (NVC) watched as his contacts in commercial real estate tried to figure out the long-term effects on the industry. Given that NVC is the largest privately held commercial real estate appraisal firm in the U.S., providing a wide range of appraisal, valuation management, consultation and real estate advisory services, the implications were huge.
Though the commercial office sector remains sluggish, industrial and multifamily real estate took off in the second quarter of 2021. According to Colliers, the Q2 2022 vacancy rate was 3.4% for industrial real estate in metro Atlanta. Nationwide, J.P. Morgan’s 2022 midyear commercial real estate outlook pegged multifamily vacancies at 4.7% as of Q1 2022. Strong markets mean more work for NVC, and the company is currently operating at 125% capacity. Recent increases in the Federal Reserve interest rate cooled things a bit, but Lamas, who’s been in the industry for 30 years (10 of those in Atlanta with NVC), said he’s never seen the market this hot.
“People are just tired. That’s why we’re hiring more people—so we can try to spread the work around a little bit,” he said. Even with the extra workload, NVC’s work ethic hasn’t changed and its aim to deliver superior customer service remains intact. “We’re going to put in long hours sometimes, but there is a benefit to that,” said Lamas. “You’re doing something that’s productive and valuable to your clients and you’re enjoying the people you work with.”
To keep up with demand and not overburden its 13 Atlanta-based employees, NVC is recruiting students from local college and university real estate programs. In an effort to increase awareness around appraisal as a career choice, NVC employees who recently graduated from real estate programs such as the University of Georgia, Georgia State University and Auburn, are encouraged to return to their alma maters and speak with students currently enrolled in these programs.
Potential candidates interview with everyone in the office, even if it’s just a 15-minute conversation. “I want everyone to meet them and talk to them and get a feel for them because I don’t want to bring in someone who is going to rock the boat,” said Lamas. “Everybody really enjoys being around each other which I think is really critical.”
Employees appreciate the effort. “I recommend my job to all of my friends,” wrote an NVC employee in this year’s Best Places to Work survey. “The environment is always positive in the office and everyone I work with is always there to help me when needed.” NVC has made the list of Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Best Places to Work before.
Founded in 1991, NVC strives, according to its website, to deliver a product that “consistently and significantly exceeds the industry standard,” adding that, “each of our employees contributes directly to NVC’s success.” NVC’s leadership endeavors to create a culture where employees have a voice “and the ability to directly affect their work environment and compensation,” notes the company’s website, “providing the highest level of client service and fostering integrity with employees, clients and vendors.”
