Lacey Merrick Conway
CEO
Latter & Blum, a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®
New Orleans, Louisiana
www.latter-blum.com
Region served: Greater New Orleans/Gulf South
Years in real estate: 17
Number of offices: 35
Number of agents: 3,000
What does it mean to lead a legacy heritage brokerage?
Latter & Blum was founded in 1916 and is the epitome of a legacy heritage brokerage. We have weathered many storms (literally and figuratively) and lived through many market cycles. There is stability and reliability in how we do business, and I am proud of that. Leading a legacy brokerage means honoring our past while building upon it.
How do new technologies like Latter & Blum Select help spread consumer confidence among buyers and sellers?
There are so many exciting and innovative ways to buy and sell real estate, and we are embracing the ones that have been vetted and proven. I think buyers and sellers look at a platform like Latter & Blum Select and feel reassured that brokerages are committed to making sure all solutions are available.
As one of the nation’s top-producing brokerage firms, what is your best piece of advice for aspiring real estate professionals?
It can be intimidating when jumping into the real estate world, and many aspiring professionals feel overwhelmed by what they need to know. My advice would be that saying, “I don’t know, but I will find out,” is acceptable. This is a business that so much is learned by doing. You will learn more with each deal, and your reputation for honesty and integrity is paramount. My follow-up to this advice is to make sure you find out.
How do you keep your social media platforms creative and engaging?
We keep a good balance of content on our social media platforms, and are always on the lookout for any emerging trends. We also enjoy engaging with our audience, hosting live Q&A sessions and providing informative yet engaging content related to what’s happening in our markets.
What are some of the current trends you see in your market right now?
We are still experiencing an active, healthy market. Both the $400k – $700k range and $700k-plus price range categories have seen year-over-year increases in sales volume and units. As our region enters hurricane season, we do anticipate a bit of a slowdown. Other influences on our market are the massive cost increases in flood and homeowners insurance.
As the future unfolds, what are you focusing on?
Brokerage efficiency in the form of physical locations, office space layouts and fine-tuning our value proposition. We are also focusing on agent confidence in articulating their value proposition.
For more information, visit www.leadingre.com.
Joey Macari is a contributing editor to RISMedia.
