Ginger Wiggins
President–Elect
New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors (NOMAR)
Managing Broker
Coldwell Banker TEC, Uptown
President
ROAM MLS, LLC
Ginger Wiggins has specialized in residential real estate for more than 30 years, including 20 years spent as the managing broker in Uptown New Orleans for Coldwell Banker TEC. She said one of the most rewarding parts of her job has been training and mentoring agents. Seeing the difference she could make in another’s success, she said, led her to volunteer in leadership at the local and state level.
She is currently the 2024 president of ROAM MLS, LLC. Formed in 2021, the MLS consolidation provides enhanced services to Realtors® and consumers in the New Orleans Metropolitan Area, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Houma/Thibodaux and Alexandria/Natchitoches regions. She is also president-elect of the New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors (NOMAR) which serves more than 7,000 Realtor® members through advocacy, education and empowerment.
What are you most excited about in the coming year? In my work with NOMAR — the voice of real estate for the 10 parishes of the metropolitan New Orleans area — I am looking forward to leading the Realtor® members by providing excellent educational opportunities that take their businesses to new heights. I look forward to working with our community leaders to help find solutions to the issues facing our residents and using creative thinking and collaboration to help our residents enjoy a better quality of life. Together we can accomplish more.
What is the biggest challenge facing your industry today? Unfortunately, this year there are two major challenges facing our industry and both issues affect consumers.
First, our insurance rates and lack of carriers in the state continue to be huge obstacles to homeownership. Rental rates are becoming unaffordable as the property owners are incurring escalated insurance costs and passing them on to tenants. Here, we will continue to work with our legislators and parish leaders to find ways to lower the cost of insurance and increase affordability.
The second challenge is the recent changes to compensation practices across the industry. These changes may, unfortunately, deny many consumers critical representation when purchasing a home. If a seller is unable or unwilling to contribute toward the buyer’s broker compensation, certain buyers may be unable to purchase a home. Education and consumer advocacy on this issue is key.
