Christopher A. Raber
Principal Appraiser & Owner
PA Certified General Appraiser
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE VALUATION EXPERTS
Independent Valuations. Local Expertise. Trusted Results
Five credentialed senior appraisers. 100+ combined years of experience. One firm focused exclusively on impartial, well-supported commercial property value opinions.
Credentials
- MAI & SRA Designations
- PA Certified General Appraiser
- 100+ Years Combined Experience
- Independent Since 2001
100
Combined years of
appraisal experience
appraisal experience
Independent. Senior-led. PA Certified.
WHAT WE APPRAISE
Commercial property types we cover
Industrial, apartments, mixed-use, commercial, and office anchor our practice. We appraise nearly every commercial property class across the Lehigh Valley and Pennsylvania.
Industrial
Warehouse, distribution, light manufacturing, and flex industrial. Our highest-volume specialty.
Apartments
Multi-family income properties, from small portfolio buildings to mid-size garden communities.
Office Buildings
Class A, B, and C office, single-tenant net lease, owner-occupied professional, and medical office.
Retail
Net-lease retail, restaurants, special-purpose, and single-tenant retail buildings.
Retail Strip Centers
Multi-tenant shopping centers, neighborhood retail, and mixed retail and service strips.
Self Storage
Climate-controlled and traditional drive-up. Accepted statewide, including portfolio work.
Full Coverage List
Every commercial property class.
Don't see your property type? Call the office. We cover almost everything commercial.
- Commercial
- Industrial
- Apartments
- Office Buildings
- Retail Properties
- Land
- Ground Lease
- Gas Stations & C-Stores
- Medical Offices
- Mixed-Use
- Mobile Home Parks
- Net Lease
- Religious Facilities
- Restaurants
- Self Storage
- Special Purpose
- Car Washes
- Automotive & Dealerships
OUR STORY
One of the longest standing, and largest "appraisal only" commercial real estate firms in the Lehigh Valley.
Independent. Always.
No brokerage, no property management, no real-estate arm. Our only product is credible and impartial value opinions.
Senior-Led Every Time
Five senior appraisers, each with 15+ years of market experience and professional certifications producing well-supported USPAP compliant appraisal reports.
Built on Local Data
Four decades of local comparable data. Plus regional and statewide coverage where it matters.
40+
Years Serving PA
Independent Since 2001
WHO WE ARE
Built on four decades of Lehigh Valley experience.
Imperial Realty Appraisal originated in the early 1980s, was formalized as Imperial Realty Appraisal, LLC in 2001 by Jim Bahnick, MAI, SRA, and was acquired by Chris Raber in 2026. Today the firm is one of the longest-standing and largest "appraisal only" commercial real estate firms in the Lehigh Valley.
Our entire team is senior. Four credentialed appraisers each bring 15+ years of commercial experience, supported by Jim Bahnick, MAI, SRA in a senior consulting role with 40+ years behind him.
We operate as appraisers only. No brokerage, no property management, no sales arm. Many clients value that for confidentiality, impartiality, or because their brokers need an independent valuation.
The majority of our work is in Lehigh and Northampton Counties, with regional and statewide coverage for self-storage and other specialty assignments.
What clients tell us we do well
- Professional staff with extensive experience
- Deeply knowledgeable of the regional market
- Impartial, well-supported value opinions
- Appraise almost every commercial property class
- Expert testimony before Assessment Boards and Court of Common Pleas
- MAI, SRA, and PA Certified General credentials on staff
- Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) compliant appraisal reports
WHY CLIENTS HIRE US
Ten reasons clients engage Imperial Realty Appraisal
From financing to eminent domain, every assignment is led by a credentialed senior appraiser and supported by thorough analysis, market data, and independent judgment.
Financing & Lending
Bank loans, refinancing, and acquisition underwriting for institutional and community lenders.
Estate Planning & Date of Death
Defensible valuations for estate planning, gifting, and date-of-death tax filings.
Property Tax Appeals
Independent value opinions to support assessment appeals, including expert testimony.
Divorce Valuations
Discreet, court-ready valuations for marital property division and equitable distribution.
Market Rent Studies
Lease renewal, rent review, and submarket rent benchmarking for owners and tenants.
Partner Buyout / Sellout
Impartial valuations to support partner buyouts, sellouts, and ownership transitions.
Buy / Sell Decisions
Pre-transaction value opinions to inform acquisition and disposition decisions.
Internal Valuation
Portfolio benchmarking and internal financial reporting valuations for owners and investors.
Appraisal Review
Technical review of third-party appraisal reports for lenders, owners, and counsel.
Eminent Domain
Just-compensation valuations for partial-takings, condemnation, and condemnation defense.
Headquarters
Allentown, PA
STATEWIDE
Self-storage and other specialty assignments accepted statewide.
WHERE WE WORK
Where we cover
Headquartered in Allentown, PA with a strong concentration in Lehigh and Northampton Counties, plus regional and statewide capacity for specialty assignments.
Counties Served
- Lehigh
- Northampton
- Bucks
- Berks
- Monroe
- Carbon
- Schuylkill
- Montgomery
OUR TEAM
Senior appraisers, every assignment.
Five credentialed appraisers serving the Lehigh Valley and statewide PA.
James E. Bahnick
Founder & Senior Consultant
MAI, SRA, PA Certified General
Lisa M. Fick
Senior Commercial Appraiser
PA Certified, Appraisal Institute
Tammi Bateman
Senior Commercial Appraiser
SRA, PA Certified General, Realtor
Fibbi Atiyeh
Senior Commercial Appraiser
PA Certified General Appraiser