REALTOR® · Keller Williams Realty New Orleans
First-time buyers, investors, and owners across Mid-City, the Irish Channel, Garden District, Bayou St. John, and Audubon. I'll walk you through every step — as many times as you need.
About Jesse
I came to New Orleans to study at Loyola University New Orleans, where I graduated with honors in philosophy. I've always loved design and the idea of creating spaces where people feel safe, seen, and like the best version of themselves — I just didn't know that could be a career. My aunt has been building, renovating, buying, and selling real estate here since 1999, and for years I swore I'd never join her. When I finally took the leap, I realized everything I cared about lived inside this work. I went from refusing to do it to refusing to do anything else.
New Orleans is the place I feel most like myself — where you can wear a costume on a random Thursday and nobody looks at you funny.
I grew up outside Philadelphia and fell for this city young, visiting my aunt. I begged my parents to move us here; they didn't, so I made it home the first chance I got. A perfect Saturday is a morning walk through Mid-City counting street cats, a coffee and a punch on my card at Sacred Grinds, an afternoon thrifting down Magazine Street, and the Canal streetcar downtown after dark.
Today I'm a licensed REALTOR® and property manager on Urban Vision Properties, a boutique team at Keller Williams Realty New Orleans that I work alongside my aunt and broker MJ Sauer, a 20-year industry veteran. Together we manage a portfolio of more than 50 units — furnished mid-term rentals (my specialty), long-term leases, and a select few short-term rentals. I bought my first home at 23, rented out half of it, and have been a buyer, a landlord, and an owner ever since — which means I've sat exactly where you're sitting.
What I do
I over-educate. I'll walk you through every step as many times as you need to feel good about your decision — no question is a stupid question, and I'll never let you buy something you'll regret. I'm here to be your friend and your fiduciary, and to hold your hand through the biggest purchase you'll make.
I lead a boutique operation through Urban Vision Properties, managing 50+ units — furnished mid-term rentals (my specialty), long-term leases, and a select few short-term rentals. I treat every property like my own, price it honestly, and tell owners what to fix before it costs them.
Because I manage 50+ rentals, I know which properties actually rent and what they rent for. That edge means we run the real numbers before you buy — whether you're building a portfolio or house-hacking your first double like I did.
I chose New Orleans on purpose, so I know what it takes to land somewhere new and make it feel like yours. I'll help you find the neighborhood that fits the life you're building here.
Historic homes, high stakes, and a marketing plan that reaches the right audience through digital, social, and strategic content. Same honesty, more zeros.
Working with buyers
No mystery, no pressure. Here's exactly how we go from "hello" to keys in hand.
A quick call to learn who you are and what you're really after. Buyer, seller, or owner needing management — we figure out the right path.
Right after, I connect you with a lender so we know your real budget before we fall for anything. This is where most surprises turn out to be good ones.
We sit down — in person at the office when we can — and I ask a lot of questions. It feels like a lot, but it's how I track down the home that actually fits.
The goal is four to six homes, not forty. By now I know what you want, so we don't burn weekends on places that were never right.
When you find the one, we talk through the terms, I write it up, and we send it. Then I call you the moment I hear back — good news or bad.
Inspections, earnest money, appraisal, the loan — 30 to 45 days where I walk you through every line and every question. We close, and you get the keys.
Have questions about any step? Call me at 504-264-2642.
Working with owners
Through Urban Vision Properties, I run a boutique management portfolio of 50+ units. Here's how I take a property from "I'm thinking about renting it" to leased, maintained, and off your plate.
We talk through your property, your goals, and whether leasing it is the right move right now.
I come see the property myself and give you an honest read on its condition and what it can realistically earn.
We review the management agreement, then I share specific recommendations for improvements before we list or place a tenant.
If we're leasing, I prep the listing — pricing, presentation, and photos — and we go live.
I market the property to the right renters and handle every showing for you.
Thorough tenant screening, a pre-move-in inspection, and a smooth move-in day.
Don't want to be bothered unless there's a major repair that needs your sign-off? Great — that's exactly how I'll run it.
Own a property you're thinking about renting? Let's talk through it.
Why work with me
Even when it costs me. I won't agree to an inflated list price just to win a listing, and I won't let you buy a home that's wrong for you. If something won't work, you'll hear it from me first.
In my mid-term rental management, that's the difference between a unit that sits and one that leases in days — often for more than the owner expected. Honest pricing, real guidance, a plan for what to fix.
One of my early buyers had a $150K budget and a city loan with real hurdles. Three offers later, she landed the one — and walked into closing without bringing a penny to the table. That home was her retirement plan. That's the work I'm here for.
What I believe
Tenant satisfaction matters just as much as owner satisfaction — in property management and in hosting.
It's not the popular take, but it's the one that keeps properties full and owners profitable. A happy tenant renews, refers, and treats a home like it's theirs. Take care of the people in the property, and the numbers take care of themselves.
In their words
★★★★★"Jesse was our real estate agent and helped us purchase a property — a crucial step for our new small family. She made the entire process so easy, handled all of our questions, and even welcomed our entire family to closing, including our small baby. Our first closing as a family. If we have the chance to work with her and her team again, we'd do it in a heartbeat."
Nicole L. · First-time buyer
★★★★★"I had an amazing experience working with Jesse. She was super patient and understanding with my search for a new home. In the end she helped me find the perfect place and I am so thankful. Couldn't ask for a better realtor!"
Jacqui F.
★★★★★"Jesse was awesome and I've no doubt I wouldn't have secured my new place at the price I did without her help!"
Michael E.
Where I work
These are the parts of New Orleans I live in, walk through, and send clients to. Tap any one to dig in.
Mid-City is home for me, and I love it here. There's a real sense of community — I know all my neighbors, and my corner bar knows my order. It's one of the most walkable parts of the city, with easy access to green space at City Park and along the Lafitte Greenway, where you'll find people biking, walking dogs, and heading to the farmers market.
The housing stock leans toward classic Mid-City doubles, raised-basement homes, and craftsman bungalows — a lot of them gorgeously renovated, many still full of potential. It's generally more affordable than Uptown or the Garden District, which makes it a favorite for first-time buyers and house-hackers who want to live in one half and rent the other.
What really sets it apart is the central location: from here you've got easy access to nearly every neighborhood in New Orleans, plus the Canal streetcar straight downtown. If you want community, walkability, and value in one place, this is the one I point people to first.
The Garden District is the New Orleans people picture: stunning historic mansions, oak-canopied streets, and wrought-iron everything. It's one of the best-preserved collections of 19th-century homes in the country, and walking it never gets old. Architecturally you'll see Greek Revival, Italianate, and Victorian homes side by side, many on generous lots behind cast-iron fences.
You're steps from the St. Charles streetcar and a short walk to the shops, coffee, and restaurants on Prytania and Magazine Street. It's quiet and stately, but never sleepy — there's always someone out walking under the oaks.
This is a neighborhood for buyers who want history, prestige, and walkability, and who appreciate that maintaining a historic home is its own kind of project. I'll help you understand what you're taking on — the charm and the upkeep both — so you buy with your eyes open.
The Irish Channel is all about color, character, and energy. Tucked between Magazine Street and the river, just below the Garden District, it's lined with brightly painted shotgun houses and Creole cottages — some lovingly restored, some mid-renovation, all full of history. The streets have a lived-in vibrancy you can feel.
It's genuinely walkable, with local businesses, breweries, coffee shops, and nightlife all within a few blocks. You get a lot of the Garden District's location and charm with a younger, more eclectic personality — and often a more attainable price point.
It suits buyers who want personality over polish and a neighborhood that's alive day and night. Many of these homes work beautifully as owner-occupied doubles or rentals, which makes it a smart pick for first-timers and investors alike.
Bayou St. John is where I spent my first New Orleans summer, and it holds a special place for me. The greenery is the whole draw — the bayou at sunrise and sunset, people paddling and picnicking on the banks, City Park minutes away. Homes here range from grand center-hall cottages along the water to charming raised cottages on the side streets.
You can walk to a remarkable cluster of local spots: Cafe Degas, Swirl Wine Bar, 1000 Figs, Canseco's, Pals, and more. It's a quick stroll down Esplanade to the French Quarter and Marigny, and it sits right by Jazz Fest and a calendar's worth of festivals and markets.
It draws buyers who want nature, walkable food and drink, and a front-row seat to the city's festival culture — without giving up a calm, leafy place to come home to.
Audubon is Uptown living at its most classic — anchored by Audubon Park, with Loyola University New Orleans and Tulane right there. The homes are stately and well-kept, from grand Uptown center-halls to handsome raised cottages, on streets shaded by old oaks.
The St. Charles streetcar runs right through, connecting you to local shops, restaurants, hospitals, other neighborhoods, and the French Quarter. There's a steady, friendly rhythm to it — you'll always see people out walking to class, exercising in the park, and saying hi to each other.
It's a fit for buyers who want green space, an active walkable lifestyle, and proximity to the universities and medical corridor — whether you're putting down roots or investing near campus.
Not sure which fits? Tell me what you're looking for and I'll point you in the right direction.
Common questions
Probably more than you think — but you won't know until you talk to a lender. There are loan programs built for buyers with student loans, lower credit, or self-employment income, plus down-payment assistance and city grants that can mean a low or even no down payment. I bought my first home at 23 by buying a double: I lived in one side and rented the other, and my tenant covered most of my mortgage. Being young isn't a reason it can't happen — it's a reason to start now.
My honest take: don't wait to buy real estate — buy real estate and wait. As Barbara Corcoran puts it, the right time to buy is when you can afford the down payment, not when you've found the 'perfect' market or the perfect rate. Rates change, and you can always refinance later. What you can't get back is the equity you'd have been building the whole time you waited.
It's softer than it was a few years ago — rents have cooled, and rising insurance and taxes have tightened margins. But residential real estate is a long game, and a slower market isn't a reason to sit out; it's a reason to buy carefully. Because I manage 50+ rentals myself, I know what actually leases and for how much. We'll run the real numbers on any property before you commit, so it fits your portfolio and your long-term goals.
You order a termite inspection during due diligence — most loans require one anyway, and there are trusted New Orleans companies I'm happy to recommend. Termite damage is common here; some would say it's a fact of life in our older homes. The good news is that it can be treated, and future damage can be prevented. The key is having the right team in your corner and knowing the signs, so you can call in a professional before a small problem becomes a big one.
The goal is four to six, not forty. By the time we're touring, I've already learned what you want from our consultation, so every home we see actually fits your budget, your goals, and your life — no burning weekends on places that were never right. When you find the one, we talk through the terms together and I write up the offer that same day.
Let's talk
Tell me a little about what you're after — buying, selling, or managing a property — and I'll be in touch within 24 hours. No pressure, no jargon.