We are thrilled to announce that Valligent’s Chief Operating Officer, George Paquette, has been selected as a winner of the 2026 HousingWire Insiders award.
This prestigious award program recognizes the operational all-stars of the housing industry; the vital, behind-the-scenes leaders who drive innovation, foster efficiency, and push the mortgage and real estate sectors forward. We want to extend our sincere gratitude to HousingWire for this incredible honor and for consistently shining a spotlight on the operational leaders who elevate our profession.
Driving Unprecedented Growth and Innovation
Over the past 12 months, George has fundamentally transformed Valligent’s operations. Drawing on over two decades of housing finance expertise, he refined our comprehensive suite of virtual property valuation solutions. He spearheaded the launch of the industry’s first on-demand virtual inspections and virtual 1004D products.
His ability to execute complex strategic changes without sacrificing quality is the hallmark of his operational brilliance. By strategically scaling our vendor panel and implementing new review tools to accelerate the quality-control process, George ensured absolute valuation accuracy and reliability during a period of massive expansion.
The financial impact of this leadership is undeniable. Under his guidance, Valligent achieved a staggering revenue growth from 2024 to 2025, and he sustained that exact incredible momentum through the first quarter of 2026.
A Legacy of Excellence and Empathy
Beyond the metrics, George is a remarkable leader who pairs massive operational scale with boutique-level, personalized care. While he holds elite credentials like the Senior Residential Appraiser (SRA) designation and has previously served as Chief Appraiser and Principal of Valuations, his true excellence lies in his people-first approach.
He genuinely cares about the success and well-being of every client, vendor, and employee. This empathy drives his commitment to mentoring the next generation of appraisers and maintaining open industry dialogue through his weekly Appraisal Roundtable.
He never slows his momentum when advocating for the appraisal profession. Whether he is sharing his expertise on industry conference stages, contributing thought-leadership articles to leading publications, or drawing on his past chairmanships of the Collateral Risk Network and the Real Estate Valuation Advocacy Association (REVAA), George consistently elevates the industry and leads by example.
George is the ultimate operational insider, turning ambitious valuation concepts into highly profitable realities that secure our organization’s competitive future.
Read the official 2026 HousingWire Insiders announcement here.
