A REALTOR® with Keller Williams Realty New Orleans, helping first-time buyers and young professionals find their footing in Bayou St. John, Pontchartrain Park, St. Claude, and across the city.
About Jaina
Before real estate, I spent my whole working life in hospitality — personal assistant, operations at a real estate firm, administrative work for a corporate company. People-focused, task-heavy roles. That training is the whole job: read the person, handle the details, keep everyone calm.
I grew up in and around real estate. One of three daughters of a leading New Orleans contractor, I fell in love with the process early — the building, the aesthetics, the lighting, the way a space either works or doesn't. I pay close attention to detail and I can see potential in a room most people walk right past.
New Orleans is home. The real southern charm and hospitality are in everything I am. A good Saturday here looks like sleeping in until ten, a late breakfast at Bear Cat with a friend or two, then a slow walk through the French Quarter or along the river with an iced matcha in hand. I bring that same pace and attention to the people I work with.
I love being a guide to finding what someone thought they couldn't have.
What I focus on
My niche is first-time homebuyers across the greater New Orleans area — people who know what they want and need a guide who listens closely and over-delivers on the details.
For young professionals, I point toward walkable areas near Central City — Bayou St. John, City Park, the CBD and downtown for anyone who wants city living. Uptown and Audubon are an all-time favorite. We match the neighborhood to your commute, your budget, and the life you actually want.
The first purchase is the one with the most questions. I walk you through cost, financing, and the home-buying process in plain language, then we go see homes — so you learn what you love by standing inside it, not guessing from a listing photo.
Outgrown your first place? We sequence the next move carefully — what to keep, what to sell, and how to land the upgrade without carrying two mortgages or rushing a decision you'll live with for years.
Right-sizing is its own skill. I help you trade square footage for ease — less house, lower carrying costs, and a location that keeps you close to the people and the parts of the city you love most.
How I work
Goal number one is to get acquainted. Here's how we start.
We make an appointment to actually sit down and get to know each other — usually about an hour. No rushing.
We go over your needs and the home-buying process in detail, then talk through the three questions that drive everything: where, what, and how much.
I schedule a range of showings based on our conversation — on purpose. Variety tells us more than a narrow list ever could.
That first set is where I learn the most. Your reactions to real homes sharpen what we look for next.
Have questions before we start? Call me at 504.756.9707.
Why work with me
I like to give my clients more — more clarity, more resources, more of the context that makes a confident decision possible. When you understand exactly what you're signing and why, the whole process gets lighter.
My critical thinking is usually the reason for the positive reviews and the referrals. I think outside the box to get a deal done and closed — finding the path others miss when a transaction gets complicated.
I believe in a win-win for all parties, not just my client. Deals that work for everyone close cleaner and hold up over time. That's how I protect your purchase long after the keys change hands.
What I believe
Resale over new construction in New Orleans. I don't believe homes are built to last anymore — find some good old bones, and make them yours.
Considering the condition, the prices on a lot of new builds seem way too high. This city is full of houses with real structure underneath them. My job is to read the condition correctly so you pay for what's actually there.
I won't put my integrity or my reputation on the line. Outrageously overpriced listings just sit, and I won't pretend otherwise. If a house doesn't feel right, or a fit isn't there energetically, it's a no for me — and I'll tell you plainly.
I will not be bullied or undermined, and I won't let you be either. Straight answers, every time, even when the straight answer is "let's walk away from this one." That's the standard I hold, deal after deal.
In their words
"Jaina is super thorough and detail-oriented. She literally didn't miss a beat."
"A pleasure to work with. Made the home-buying process fun and light. If there was anything we did not understand, she would explain. A lot of patience. What is deemed to be stressful, she made fun. We purchased our first home, 3 years later we still love it."
"If you want a mind reader, Jaina is your girl. She remembers what you need and want, and keeps you on track to find it."
Where I work
Local knowledge is the difference between a house and the right house. Here's how I read three areas I love.
"Beautiful, and centrically located — perfect for a walk."
Bayou St. John is one of the most centrally located neighborhoods in the city, wrapped around the slow water that gives it its name. You're a few minutes from City Park, the museum, and the festival grounds, with the bayou itself acting as a front-yard park where neighbors walk dogs, paddle kayaks, and gather on the grass at sunset. Architecturally it's a mix — Creole cottages, raised center-hall homes, and the occasional grand Spanish-Colonial Revival, many of them more than a century old.
It suits young professionals who want walkability without giving up character, and buyers who'd rather restore good bones than buy new. Prices span a wide band depending on condition and exact block, so reading the house correctly matters more here than almost anywhere. The payoff is a location that keeps you close to Esplanade Ridge, Mid-City restaurants, and a quick run downtown. If you want green space, water views, and a real neighborhood feel inside the city, this is where I'd start looking with you.
See homes near Bayou St. John →
"Family-friendly, and not too far out from downtown New Orleans."
Pontchartrain Park is a historic Gentilly neighborhood with deep roots and a strong sense of community — a place built around its namesake park and golf course, with mid-century brick homes on calm, tree-lined streets. It's family-friendly in the truest sense: generations of households who know each other, quiet blocks made for kids on bikes, and the green expanse of the park at the center of it all. And it's not far out at all — an easy drive to downtown New Orleans when you need it.
For buyers, the appeal is space and value. Lots tend to be generous, the single-story ranch and brick homes offer real square footage for the money, and the pace is calmer than the busier core neighborhoods. It draws first-time buyers who want a yard, move-up families who need more room, and downsizers returning to a familiar part of town. If your priority is a settled, community-minded neighborhood with room to grow and a short trip to the center of the city, Pontchartrain Park rewards a closer look.
See homes near Pontchartrain Park →
"Actively growing, with plenty of potential — the arts and culture of New Orleans on full display."
St. Claude is one of the most actively growing corridors in the city, and it wears the arts and culture of New Orleans on its sleeve. Galleries, music venues, murals, and new restaurants have moved in alongside long-time residents, giving the area a creative, evolving energy. The housing stock is classic downriver New Orleans — shotguns, doubles, and Creole cottages — much of it full of potential for buyers willing to see past the current condition to what a home could become.
This is a neighborhood for creatives, first-time buyers, and anyone who wants to be early to a part of town still finding its full stride. Because it's changing block by block, the spread in price and condition is wide, which is exactly where a careful walk-through pays off — knowing which renovations are cosmetic and which are structural changes the math entirely. If you want character, upside, and a front-row seat to New Orleans culture, St. Claude is worth exploring together.
See homes near St. Claude →Good questions
Still have a question? Call me at 504.756.9707 or send a note.
Let's talk
Tell me where you are in the process — just looking, ready to buy, or somewhere in between. I'll be in touch within 24 hours.