When you’re buying or selling property in Northeast Louisiana, chances are good that a member of the Northeast Louisiana Association of REALTORS® is helping make it happen.
. This isn’t just another trade group collecting dues. NELA REALTORS represents over 700 real estate professionals across 13 parishes, making it one of the most significant regional associations in the state and a powerhouse for anyone working in real estate from Monroe to the Mississippi Delta.
Rooted in History, Built for Today
Founded in 1948, the Northeast Louisiana Association of REALTORS® has been around longer than most local businesses in the region. That makes it one of Louisiana’s oldest REALTOR® boards, with deep roots in communities stretching from the rolling hills of north-central Louisiana to the farmlands along the Mississippi River.
The association’s footprint covers more parishes than any other REALTOR® group in Louisiana. We’re talking about everywhere from Ouachita Parish (home base in Monroe and West Monroe) out to smaller markets like Lincoln Parish near Ruston, plus Franklin, Morehouse, Concordia, and eight other parishes. That’s a lot of ground to cover, and it means members here deal with everything from college town rentals to agricultural land deals to suburban family homes.
What Membership Actually Gets You
Joining NELA REALTORS isn’t just about slapping a REALTOR® designation on your business card. The association provides fundamental tools that agents use every single day. Here’s what members tap into:
The MLS System: NELA operates a Paragon MLS platform that lets brokers share listings across the entire 13-parish region. This is the backbone of how real estate gets done here. When an agent in Monroe lists a property, every member can see it and bring buyers. The coverage is extensive enough that you don’t need to join multiple boards to serve clients throughout Northeast Louisiana.
Transaction Tools: Members get access to Dotloop, which handles contracts and e-signatures. No more printing, scanning, and emailing documents back and forth. Everything stays organized in one digital space, which matters when you’re juggling multiple deals.
Security Features: The association partners with SUPRA for electronic lockbox systems. This means controlled property access through a smartphone app rather than hiding keys under doormats or coordinating schedules for every single showing. Members also get Forewarn, a safety app that verifies prospective clients before you meet them at an empty house. Given the realities of meeting strangers at properties, this isn’t a luxury: it’s necessary.
The association also integrates REALTORS® Property Resource (RPR) into the MLS. RPR pulls property data, market analytics, and valuation reports to help agents provide clients with actual numbers rather than guesswork. ShowingTime handles appointment scheduling, so you’re not playing phone tag trying to coordinate showings.
Education That Keeps Licenses Active
Louisiana requires continuing education to keep your real estate license current, and NELA REALTORS makes it convenient to get those credits without driving to Baton Rouge or New Orleans. The association regularly hosts CE courses throughout the year, covering everything from the state-mandated annual training to specialized topics.
Recent offerings have included Professional Standards training (ethics and arbitration), Redhibition law (Louisiana’s unique property defect rules), and REALTOR® safety workshops. They bring in experienced instructors, sometimes from the state association or national trainers, which gives local agents access to quality education without the travel hassle.
Classes range from 4-hour sessions to full-day seminars. Topics shift based on what’s changing in the industry, like new contract forms, legal updates, technology tools, whatever agents need to stay current. The Education/Membership Director handles coordination, and members can register through the association’s online portal.
Reading the Local Market
The Northeast Louisiana housing market has had quite a ride over the past five years. Back in 2020, when mortgage rates dropped to historic lows (some loans hitting 2.375%), the region saw a significant surge in sales.
In June 2020 alone, NELA members sold 319 listings compared to 263 the previous June: a 21% jump. President Grace Burke called it a boom, noting she’d never seen rates that low in her 48-year career.
Fast forward to 2025, and things look different. As interest rates climbed back up (hovering around 7% for 30-year mortgages), the market cooled into a more balanced state.
According to recent Zillow data, Monroe’s median home price is around $207,000, while listing prices average closer to $239,000. Properties are moving at a median of 17 days to pending, which is still fairly quick but not the instant bidding wars of the pandemic era.
What’s interesting is that about 18% of sales close above list price, while 54% sell below asking price. This split tells you that move-in-ready homes in good locations still attract competition, but sellers of properties needing work often negotiate down. Northern Louisiana avoided the extreme price spikes that hit other markets, so prices here have remained relatively stable. Home values in Monroe proper averaged $146,900 in late 2025, actually down about 3% year-over-year.
The association monitors these trends closely and shares monthly statistics with members through newsletters and meetings. NELA leaders often serve as media spokespeople when local news outlets like KNOE need market commentary, positioning members as the go-to experts on housing conditions.
Fighting for Property Rights
NELA REALTORS takes advocacy seriously. The association works with Louisiana REALTORS® and the National Association of REALTORS® to push for laws that protect property owners and the real estate industry.
A few years back, when Louisiana considered adding a real estate transfer tax that would’ve tacked extra costs onto every property sale, NELA members mobilized. Through REALTOR® Political Action Committee (RPAC) contributions and direct lobbying, they helped defeat that proposal. The same thing happened with flood insurance legislation that threatened to spike premiums for Louisiana homeowners, an issue that hits home in Northeast Louisiana, given the region’s flood risks.
The association’s Legislative Committee stays on top of local issues, too, like zoning changes, sign ordinances, and property taxes across the 13-parish area. During Louisiana’s legislative sessions, NELA participates in Calls to Action, getting members to contact lawmakers about pending bills. They also host legislative outreach luncheons where local state representatives meet informally with REALTORS to discuss housing policy and economic development.
This advocacy isn’t background noise. When your member contributions to RPAC help stop a tax that would’ve cost every home seller hundreds of dollars, that’s tangible value beyond MLS access and lockboxes.
More Than Business Meetings
NELA REALTORS runs a full calendar of events that serve both professional development and community building. Each January, the association holds an Installation Celebration where new Board of Directors officers are sworn in for the year. This formal event recognizes outgoing leadership and sets the tone for the coming year’s priorities.
Throughout the year, there are member appreciation events, REALTOR® Day celebrations, and safety workshops (September is National REALTOR® Safety Month). The association also sponsors community events unrelated to selling houses.
In 2025, NELA was the presenting sponsor for the Downtown Gallery Crawl in Monroe and West Monroe, a bimonthly art event featuring local artists, music, and food. Members volunteered at the event, engaging with the public in a setting that showcased REALTORS as community partners, not just salespeople.
When disasters strike, NELA rallies. After the 2016 Louisiana floods, the association coordinated with the Realtor Association of Acadiana to deliver relief supplies to affected members. This kind of peer support reflects the broader REALTOR® culture of taking care of your own.
Who’s Running the Show
The Northeast Louisiana Association of REALTORS® is governed by an elected Board of Directors composed of local real estate leaders. As of 2025, the board includes a President (Rachel Verucchi), President-Elect (Slagle McGuffee), Treasurer (Al Peterson), and several directors representing different areas and specialties. There are division chairs for MLS, Legislative, Commercial, Professional Development, and Professional Standards, ensuring that various industry aspects are represented.
Day-to-day operations are handled by professional staff led by an Association Executive (currently Ginger Hemphill) , who serves as the CEO). An Education/Membership Director coordinates training programs and member services. This structure mirrors the standard REALTOR® association model: member leadership sets policy, while professional management implements it.
The association operates as a nonprofit 501(c)(6) trade organization, incorporated since 1948. Revenue comes mainly from member dues, MLS fees, and education charges. Financial reports from several years ago showed annual revenues of $500,000 to $600,000 and net assets of nearly $1 million, indicating solid financial health with reserves to weather economic shifts.
Connected to Something Bigger
Being a NELA member means automatic membership in Louisiana REALTORS® and NAR, creating a three-tier affiliation. This connects local agents to state and national resources, legal guidance, standardized forms, and large-scale advocacy campaigns. NELA collaborates with other regional boards, too: After hurricanes or floods, local associations often support one another in relief efforts.
The association maintains relationships with the Monroe Chamber of Commerce and West Monroe-West Ouachita Chamber, integrating REALTOR® perspectives into broader business community discussions. When economic development or infrastructure projects come up, having a seat at those tables means housing availability gets factored into planning.
What It All Means
The Northeast Louisiana Association of REALTORS® serves as more than a membership organization. It’s the central hub for real estate activity across 13 parishes, providing the tools agents need to conduct business, the education to maintain licenses, the market data to advise clients, and the advocacy muscle to protect property rights.
With over 700 members and 75+ years of history, NELA REALTORS has established itself as a stable, well-managed association that punches above its weight in influence. Whether you’re an agent needing MLS access, a broker looking for quality CE courses, or a property owner wanting to understand local market conditions, this association is your connection point.
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