Anne Comarda
Vice-President and an Associate Broker
Engel & Voelkers New Orleans
2021 President
New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors (NOMAR)
After working as a realtor since the mid-1990s, Anne Comarda started her own real estate company with her sister, Joyce Delery, in 2011. The company grew and in 2016 added a partner, Marty Brantley, and the three became the franchise owners of Engel & Voelkers, an international luxury real estate company serving Orleans and Jefferson parishes. Engel & Voelkers has two offices, one on Magazine Street and one on Martin Behrman Avenue. Comarda also serves as this year’s president of the New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors (NOMAR), the voice of real estate for the region.
What are you most excited about for the coming year?
This year we are introducing a larger MLS (multiple listing service), which encompasses the NOMAR area as well as the Baton Rouge Association, Central Louisiana’s Association, and the Bayou Board of Realtors. The new company, called ROAM, will bring a greater value with more expansive access to information and more tools to enhance the capabilities of our members at no increase to member cost.
What is the biggest challenge facing your industry today?
The biggest issue I see in the coming year in real estate in the New Orleans area is inventory. It is a delicate balance between the number of buyers and the available houses. The low interest rates have put more buyers into the market and those looking to move who already have homes are cautious about listing their homes for fear that they won’t find a house to suit their needs. I also see the continued growth of smaller boutique brokerages. Agents want to have more control of their business and get larger percentages of commissions, but they don’t want to give up the atmosphere of camaraderie and the security of having a broker who has their back.
More recently, Ida brought somewhat different challenges from Katrina as there was more wind damage than flooding. Inspections and accurate disclosures are essential. Renovations, especially roof age, will now be dated from “Ida.
