Chris Vail, 29 / Real Estate Appraiser, Vail Appraisal, LLC
Chris Vail became a certified general appraiser at 25, and recently completed his MAI designation from Appraisal Institute, the highest ranking one can earn in the field. He owns and operates an appraisal business with five full-time appraisers, catering to both residential and commercial market segments in SWVA, and started a real estate investment firm with properties in Virginia and North Carolina. He is a regular speaker for Virginia Tech’s “Careers in Real Estate” program and often presents at local real estate brokerage meetings and seminars. Vail was recently appointed to a four-year term on the Board of Zoning Appeals from Roanoke City. He and his wife recently welcomed their first child, ensuring Vail’s commitment to contributing for an even better community for her to grow up in. “I aim to improve Roanoke in every project I take on, whether it be through improving one property at a time to provide safe and comfortable housing or in serving the community on boards or commissions which I feel that I can have a positive impact on.”
- Earned B.S. in Health and Human Performance, Roanoke College, 2014
- Certified General Appraiser VA License No. 4001 016876
- Candidate for MAI designation from Appraisal Institute (October 2020)
- Former member of the Architectural Review Board for the City of Roanoke, 2016-2019
- Board of Zoning Appeals from Roanoke City Council, 2021-present
- Former member of Economic Development Committee for the Roanoke Valley Association of Realtors, 2018
- Former Public Relations Chair for the Virginia Commonwealth Chapter of the Appraisal Institute, 2018
From the Nomination: “Certified General Appraiser at age 25; Candidate for MAI designation from Appraisal Institute (etc. October 2020) – this is the highest ranking one can earn in the field. Owns and operates an appraisal business with five full time appraisers who cater to both the residential and commercial market segments in all of SW Virginia. …Continual drive and dedication to being the most credible and thorough real estate professional in the Roanoke Valley. Commitment to the betterment of Roanoke in the means of real estate, land use, and growth.”
What do you love about Roanoke?
Vail: “Having been raised here, it has been a wonderful experience to see the continual growth and development of Roanoke and to see the transition over the last five to 10 years to what is sort of the ‘new Roanoke’ in terms of lifestyle experiences and economic drivers. I feel lucky to live in an area with such amenities between outdoor recreation, upper-tier restaurants and breweries, job opportunities and the community feel that is easily experienced. Throughout my short career I have had guidance and mentoring from much more experienced real estate professionals and it has always been offered open-heartedly. The way the business community in Roanoke collectively works together to better the area and better the careers of young professionals … is hard to beat.”
How does your passion impact our community?
Vail: “I aim to improve Roanoke in every project I take on. Whether it be through improving one property at a time to provide safe and comfortable housing or in serving the community on boards or commissions which I feel that I can have a positive impact on. My wife Laken and I, welcomed our first child to the world this year and so I look at projects and decisions from a more long ranging perspective now of how can I make positive impacts on the community to give my daughter an even better community to grow up in then the one I was lucky enough to experience.”
