LaTanya LaBranch
Broker/Owner, LaBranch & Associates Realty and Design
2019 President, New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors (NOMAR)
An accomplished agent in both Atlanta and New Orleans, LaTanya LaBranch has held several leadership roles in the industry since 2008 and founded LaBranch & Associates in 2011.
What are you most excited about in the coming year? Becoming the first African-American female president of NOMAR — the largest real estate board in the state of Louisiana. This organization was chartered by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) in 1915. I’ll become the 105th president this year, breaking the glass ceiling and making it possible for my peers to know that it is possible! Our mission and vision is to be the trusted advocate and resource for the real estate community and a model of excellence among REALTOR® associations. We are an association that’s dedicated to our members. We have some exciting projects that we are working on to offer even greater member value!
What is the biggest challenge facing your industry today? Unlike most other states, Louisiana does not have a statewide MLS. Instead, each local area manages their own MLS. NOMAR owns Gulf South Real Estate Information Network (GSREIN), which is the largest MLS operation in the state. Right now, we’re dealing with the fact that there is an active move toward developing one statewide system and there has been a lot of opposition — a lot of people who don’t want to see this change.
Our challenge at NOMAR is how can we create a statewide service instead of having brokers going out on their own. We’ve been trying to do this amicably since last year and things seem to just be getting hotter and hotter. Our goal is to make sure that our realtors have the necessary tools available to effectively run their business and provide elite service to their clients. To me it’s all about the clients’ experience!
