Hardesty Appraisals is officially joining VM Appraisals.
The combination brings together two teams that share a belief in what the appraisal industry can become: a place where good appraisers are supported, technology serves the people doing the work, and growth does not come at the expense of quality.
Jarrett Hardesty will step into the role of Chief Business Officer, where he will focus on growing VM Appraisals, developing new markets and relationships, and helping ValueMate Studio continue to evolve around the needs of the appraisers who use it every day. Jeremy Hargis will serve as Head of Operations.
Two years in the making
This decision did not happen overnight. Over the past two years, Jarrett has gotten to know the people behind VM Appraisals and ValueMate, watched ValueMate Studio develop, and seen firsthand the vision for what the company can become.
The timing matters. UAD 3.6 is reshaping how residential appraisals are completed, reviewed, and delivered. For appraisal firms and individual appraisers alike, the transition creates both a substantial challenge and a rare opportunity to build better ways of working.
“UAD 3.6 is the biggest shift I’ve seen in the appraisal industry during my career. The opportunity to get in front of that change and help build something truly special with a great company was simply too good to pass up.” — Jarrett Hardesty, Chief Business Officer
Jarrett brings the perspective of someone who has built an appraisal business, led a team, served clients, and worked through the same day-to-day realities as the professionals ValueMate Studio is designed to support.
Two sides of one opportunity
The work ahead has two clear goals.
First, we want to build an appraisal company where good, hardworking appraisers know they matter. That means giving them the support, technology, and opportunities they need to build lasting careers – not treating them like another name on a panel or a number on a spreadsheet.
Second, we want to build software that truly works for the appraiser. Appraisers should not have to accept antiquated systems that only do half the job, create more work, or reflect little understanding of the person using them. ValueMate Studio is being built around real appraisal workflows, informed directly by the people completing assignments every day.
Those goals reinforce one another. VM Appraisals gives us a live operating environment where our teams can see what appraisers and clients need. ValueMate Studio gives those teams modern tools built around the realities of UAD 3.6. What we learn on each side makes the other stronger.
Ready to grow
Bringing teams together, expanding into new markets, developing technology, and scaling an appraisal operation will be a significant undertaking. That is exactly what makes this next chapter so exciting.
We are proud of what the Hardesty Appraisals team has built and grateful to every employee, appraiser, client, and industry partner who helped them reach this point. We are equally excited about what these teams can now build together.
VM Appraisals is open for business and ready to grow. If your company needs dependable appraisal coverage – or if you are a hardworking appraiser looking for the right opportunity – we would like to hear from you.
Now we have the opportunity to take everything both teams have learned and build something even bigger.
Let’s get to work.