When property owners across LA’s Westside talk about N.T.O.E., they use words like “reliable,” “trustworthy,” and “genuinely cares.” In an industry where those qualities aren’t always guaranteed, that reputation didn’t happen by accident, it was built one relationship, one project, and one kept promise at a time.
We sat down with Nazareth (Naz), founder of N.T.O.E. Construction & Restoration, to talk about the journey from starting a restoration company to becoming the go-to partner for preventative maintenance for homeowners, HOAs, and property management firms throughout Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, and West LA.
The Beginning
Q: You started with emergency restoration services. What made you decide to expand into preventative maintenance programs?
Naz: Because in our industry, everything is reactive. Nobody takes any proactive approach. And I believe there’s an open market for that, a need where we can save a lot of money for a lot of people.
For HOAs, multi-unit buildings, commercial, all of it. It’s just nobody’s doing it, and that’s why the idea came about. Not to mention, I really want to help people who are uninformed and being taken advantage of.
Building Trust and Reputation
Q: The property restoration industry can sometimes have a… let’s say “mixed” reputation. How did you establish N.T.O.E. as different from the start?
Naz: Our style of work has always been inspections and exploratory first, to come up with a comprehensive and detailed report of our findings before anything takes place.
By that point, the customer is already educated, informed, there are no hidden costs, and basically we give all the tools to the customer to make the decision on their own. So they can actually track the progress, the steps themselves, on a fully informed basis. That’s actually how our preventative inspections came about, because we were already doing that.
Relationships and Partnerships
Q: How did you build your network of vetted contractors and vendors? What’s your process for deciding who makes the cut?
Naz: Honestly, this is not something you can just come up with. This is something that takes years of experience, and actually working experience with these vendors.
I will never recommend anybody that I just met. They have to show me their track record with me before I can refer anybody. I actually pride myself on this particular point. AI, robots, the Internet, nothing comes close to personal experience.
The Work
Q: You’ve said you “thrive in the confusion that overwhelms most property owners.” Can you give us an example of when N.T.O.E. brought clarity to a chaotic situation?
Naz: Well, first of all, my personality, and that in itself transfers to my team. But the number one problem is people are misinformed. They have no idea what’s right, what’s wrong, what takes place, why I did this or why I did that.
Knowledge and education, I think that is key, is where people understand exactly what’s happening to their property. So again, our style of work has always been not to rush into things without explaining exactly what we’re about to do to the customer’s property, and subsequently bringing peace of mind to the customer.
Facing Regional Challenges
Q: The LA property market has its own unique challenges, wildfires, earthquakes, aging infrastructure. How has N.T.O.E. adapted its services to address these specific regional needs?
Naz: As I mentioned before, preventative, detailed inspections, the only way to catch problems before they become disasters is to periodically inspect and look out for things that might go wrong or are about to go wrong.
And of course, you need a specialist, a professional, that can actually foresee or catch things. This is a niche situation, as I mentioned, that nobody does right now.
Looking Forward
Q: Where do you see N.T.O.E. in 5 years? What are you most excited about building next?
Naz: Well, obviously the dream, since we created this kind of new sister company (monthly/quarterly preventative maintenance), is that it’s going to probably end up taking over the whole thing.
What I want is for people to call me for one thing. First things first, education. Next, obviously, if our team can step in and help, we do. But I want to actually become more of a hub, more of a referral network, than just doing in-house work. And train other contractors, and of course charge for it.
Reflection
Q: What do you want people to understand about N.T.O.E. that they might not know from just looking at your services?
Naz: So one of the reasons N.T.O.E. started is because I’ve been on both sides of the spectrum, as a preferred vendor for insurance companies, where we were working directly for them and for their needs, and as an independent, where the customer came first.
The reason I’m sick and tired of people being taken advantage of is the reason N.T.O.E. was created. I have been a part of a big franchise where I saw all the double standards — the bullying and harassment of the contractors, the vendors, the adjusters — all of it. And I just want to become that spearhead where the customer is protected, a step before legal action is taken and it goes to court, which we can actually help with as well.
Thank You, Naz
Naz, thank you for sharing not just the highlights, but the real story — the frustration, the double standards, the pivots, and the deep-rooted belief that customers deserve better. It’s clear that N.T.O.E. wasn’t built on a business plan. It was built on experience, years on both sides of the spectrum, and a refusal to let people keep being taken advantage of.
For our readers, we hope this conversation gave you insight into the people behind N.T.O.E. When you’re trusting someone with your property, your home, your investment, the place where your life happens, it matters who shows up. It matters that they care. It matters that their word means something.
If you’re ready to work with a team that shows up, keeps their promises, and treats your property like their own, connect with NTOE today.
