Award Nominations
Amy P. Fennell • January 19, 2018
REALTOR® of the Year
The REALTOR® of the Year award was first established in 1958 to recognize a REALTOR® who has contributed most to the advancement of his profession and the community at large during the current year. The following standards are used in choosing the REALTOR® of the year.
1. REALTOR® Spirit (25%) - High principles, faithfulness to laws and regulations of the Code of Ethics and local Board, and furtherance of principles of good real estate practice among brokers, salespersons and the general public.2. Civic Activity (15%) - Local, state and national level participation in civic and service clubs, charitable activities, political commissions, fraternal or religious groups, etc.3. Business Accomplishments (15%) - Recognized good business conduct, service to clients, imaginative and creative advertising programs, rehabilitation work, land utilization, etc.4. Local Board Activity (20%) - Board offices and committee work, special assignments, seminar activity and education work, membership and offices held in local Chapters of the Institutes, Societies and Councils, etc.5. State Association Activity (20%) - Offices held and committee work, attendance and participation at state conventions, directors’ meetings, educational conferences, etc.6. National Association Activity (5%) - National offices and committee work, membership and work in the Institutes, Societies and Councils, attendance at national conventions, etc.
In addition to being recognized by Louisiana REALTORS®, recipients of this award go on and are recognized at the National Association of REALTORS® Annual Conference & Expo. Recent honorees include:
Louisiana’s 2026 Regular Session opened this week with several developments that matter directly to REALTORS ®, property managers and housing providers, alongside some broader political shifts worth watching. HB 292: Security Deposit Return Timelines Rep. Delisha Boyd’s HB 292, which addresses procedures for returning residential security deposits, was deferred to next week. This provides additional time for stakeholders to engage with members on practical impacts for lease administration, move out inspections and documentation standards. We’ll continue working to ensure any changes to deposit law are clear, workable and do not expose housing providers to unreasonable liability. Land Use and Development: St. James Parish Decision The Louisiana Supreme Court’s recent St. James Parish decision significantly tightens the standards for overturning local land use decisions, reinforcing that zoning and permitting authority rests with parish and municipal governments as long as their decisions are not arbitrary or capricious. For real estate and development, that means more predictability if projects are aligned with adopted plans and ordinances, but also higher stakes in local elections, planning processes and parish-level negotiations. Governor’s State of the State In his State of the State address, Governor Jeff Landry reiterated his push to phase out the state income tax, expand the LA GATOR and MJ Foster scholarship and workforce programs, and replace vehicle inspection stickers with a QR code system. These programs frame a debate around long-term competitiveness, workforce readiness and household cost of living which are all key drivers of housing demand and migration patterns. Business & Market Trends The business community is focusing the session on insurance, workforce and energy. Commercial and property insurance costs remain a top concern for employers and property owners, and we are monitoring civil justice and insurance reform proposals that could affect market stability and availability. At the same time, Louisiana is seeing more than $100 billion in announced industrial and data center projects, which could reshape local markets, labor conditions and housing needs in multiple regions of the state. Please view the weekly bill tracking report at the link below provided by our lobbying team over at Harris, DeVille and Associates.
Learn how Louisiana real estate regulations, disclosure laws, and licensing standards help protect homebuyers and create safer, more transparent transactions.
Nominations are open now through April 24, 2026, for the Louisiana REALTORS® 2025 REALTOR® of the Year & the 2025 Lawrence R. DeMarcay, Jr. Distinguished Service Award. Both awards are aimed to showcase an individual who has volunteered their time in service to the real estate industry. Recipients of the awards will be recognized during the Spring Legislative Conference. (Registration coming soon!) Please see the below links with the selection criteria and consider submitting a nomination today. Contact Donna Teekel at (225) 224-0704 or dteekel@larealtors.org with any questions.
