Lauren Crain’s career as a realtor exemplifies the go-getter’s knack for turning local ties into opportunities. A top producer for three years and counting, she looks forward to further expanding her network in a world where historic homes and rapid change coincide.
Born in Metairie, Lauren grew up learning an appreciation for old-world Louisiana architecture from watching her father, a woodworker, restore centuries-old plantation houses by hand. Just as attentive, Lauren today takes time to understand each home’s unique quirks and pass that knowledge on to prospective buyers.
Lauren understands Greater New Orleans properties like only a local can. She graduated from Mount Carmel Academy in 2003. In 2007, she received her bachelor’s in small business management and entrepreneurship from LSU. Following some years in franchise operations and event planning, both in the region, she earned her real estate license in 2017. “Local is a different view of the community,” she says. “You have a different view of neighborhoods: how they’ve changed, how things work.”
To help families fulfill the dream of a new place, Lauren leverages her area connections to uncover little-known opportunities. For example, if a client works in a certain occupation, they may qualify for regional grants or other assistance. Continuing to deepen her hometown roots empowers Lauren to discover these hidden gems. “I like helping families find exactly where they can be comfortable, in a way that makes both emotional sense and financial sense,” she says.
Prioritizing her network has fueled Lauren’s achievements for more than half a decade, even in the face of economic fluctuations. “Working through booms and slowdowns, through COVID and other uncertainty, develops a great perspective,” she points out. “With experience, you see how things turn around, what’s important and what’s not important.” After all, local homes — and Lauren’s local connections — have been here far longer than any particular headline.
Having grown her business year after year, Lauren still focuses on strengthening her network to keep ahead of the times. She singles out marketing and communications as innovative fields where she would like to meet more people. Working for Athena, a boutique brokerage, gives her greater flexibility to pursue such goals. That matters because ultimately knowing the people of New Orleans has made her career a success.
