REALTOR® Community Involvement Spotlight: Jennifer Richardson

Louisiana Realtors • July 26, 2021

For over 30 years Jennifer Richardson has been serving the Baton Rouge, Louisiana area as REALTOR®. What began as a career to support her family as a single mother has blossomed and evolved into real estate investment and rental property ownership. However, Richardson’s service in the Baton Rouge area goes far beyond her knowledge and expertise in handling real estate transactions for her clients. In January of 2021, she began the litter cleanup initiative known as Keep Tiger Town Beautiful.

 

With litter along the roadways and greenspaces across Baton Rouge being such an issue, Jennifer decided to something about it by posting on NextDoor and Facebook. With the troops rallied their initial cleanup meeting resulted in 41 contractor bags filled with trash after only three hours of cleaning. The before and after pics taken to show their progress went viral. 


“We had people from every walk of life, and we just loved each other. We couldn’t believe what ordinary people were able to accomplish, especially during COVID,” remarked Richardson. With her goal of making people aware of Baton Rouge’s litter problem, Keep Tiger Town Beautiful continues to meet every Saturday in addition to “pop-up” meetings when necessary after a new litter explosion.


With homemade baked goods and live music, the task of picking up trash becomes a lot more enjoyable than it sounds. “I never dreamed in a million years that I would be picking up litter and loving it.” The group averages between 15 and 25 volunteers each week. “The people who come out are the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Who else would wake up on a Saturday morning when they could lounge around and pick up other people’s litter? All with a smile on their face,” says Richardson. “I know everybody’s name in my group. They are like my family.”

Keep Tiger Town Beautiful has also gotten the attention of local government. After seeing the results that Jennifer’s group was generating, the city-parish had two cleanups, and even Mayor Broome joined in. “I didn’t want to wait on a study or survey or a group of people to analyze something. All it takes is a garbage bag, a trash grabber, and some muscle.” The major issue with litter is that every time someone throws trash on the ground it ends up in storm drains, clogging them and making flooding events even worse. 

 

Did you know that there are 30 acres of garbage behind the Burden Center? “I cried when I looked at it in person. I couldn’t believe that the most beautiful property in our city has the most nightmarish situation going on,” says Jennifer. What sets Keep Tiger Town Beautiful apart is that they meet every week. Right now, their biggest challenge is getting the word out. You can learn more from their Facebook group where they post photos every week.

 

Here are few litter statistics that may also get your attention.

  • You eat a credit card’s worth of plastic every week.
  • It takes Styrofoam 500 years to decompose.
  • The U.S. used to send 60% of its trash to China, where it has since ended up in our oceans.

 

Based on her dedication to keeping the Capital City’s community clean in addition to the stellar performance she offers her clients, Jennifer was nominated not once, but twice to be featured in our REALTOR® Spotlight Series by her peers and colleagues. Based on her time and financial commitment Jennifer has shown her community how giving she is. “She is a great human being that gives to the needs of others without question. She goes above and beyond and does what others won’t,” says Alissa Jenkins. Helen Field continues, “She definitely dedicates plenty of her time to cleaning up our city. She also purchases the supplies for all volunteers! She’s successfully reached out to local news stations to recruit volunteers and also shed light on the litter problem. She has truly made a difference in our community.”

 

Jennifer bought her first home when she was 19 years old. “Being a REALTOR® is about making a change in your community. We aren’t only there to promote real estate, but to make a difference.” Jennifer has taken her responsibility as REALTOR® to the next level. She has moved beyond the lines of business that help her clients buy and sell homes, to making a significant and lasting impact on her community as a whole. 


NOMINATE A REALTOR®

2026 Legislative Session Scoop - Week 7 Recap

By Louisiana REALTORS® • April 24, 2026
Week seven of the 2026 Regular Session was one of the most active weeks yet for legislation affecting the real estate industry. Louisiana REALTORS® remained heavily engaged as lawmakers advanced bills dealing with property disclosures, appraiser liability, rent regulation, insurance, blight, redevelopment and other issues that directly affect real estate professionals, property owners and consumers across the state. One of the most important bills this week was HB 1166 by Rep. Kim Carver , which would require disclosures for vacant residential property. The bill was reported from House Commerce with amendments on a 14-0 vote and then amended on the House floor, ordered engrossed, and passed to third reading. Louisiana REALTORS® testified on the bill in committee and worked closely with the author to better posture the legislation. Amendments advanced by our team were accepted by the author, helping improve the bill while preserving a practical disclosure framework that increases transparency without creating unnecessary confusion in the transaction process. Another closely watched issue this week was consumer-fee disclosure legislation. HB 617 by Rep. Mandie Landry moved this week, advancing from House Commerce and then the House floor, while HB 580 , another hidden-fee disclosure bill touching real estate transactions, remains pending. Louisiana REALTORS® is opposed to these measures in their current form to the extent they apply to real estate professionals because they are not well-tailored to the realities of real estate transactions, where many costs are negotiated, variable or controlled by third parties. Louisiana REALTORS® testified in opposition to the bills we oppose and is actively working with the author to better posture the legislation and remove real estate professionals from its scope altogether. On HB 472 by Rep. Alonzo Knox , the rent stabilization bill, the author is expected to try to bring the measure back before the committee next week with amendments. Even so, Louisiana REALTORS® remain opposed to the bill on principle. Price gouging is already illegal under existing law, and government-imposed rent regulation is not the right answer to housing affordability challenges. Louisiana REALTORS® testified in opposition to the bill and continues to oppose the measure because policies like this risk discouraging investment, reducing housing supply, and creating further market distortions rather than solving the underlying problem. HB 468 by Rep. Troy Hebert , which regulates the wholesale of residential real property, remains pending in the Senate Commerce Committee and continues to be an important bill for the industry. Likewise, HB 1027 by Rep. Troy Hebert , dealing with appraiser liability, had a strong week, passing the House 90-0 and moving to the Senate. Both measures are significant because they promote greater clarity, consumer protection and confidence in the real estate marketplace. Blight and redevelopment issues also remained active. HB 284 by Rep. John Wyble , which would allow certain local governments to expropriate blighted property through a declaration-of-taking process, remains subject to call and continues to raise serious concerns about private property rights. By contrast, HB 214 and HB 217 by Rep. Chance Henry , which create tax incentives for the rehabilitation of blighted property, represent a more constructive redevelopment approach by encouraging reinvestment rather than expanding government taking authority. Insurance legislation also remained a major focus this week, with multiple bills heard that could affect homeownership costs, market stability and post-storm recovery. Measures dealing with Louisiana Citizens assessments, pre-suit insurance claim review, the Fortified Homes Program and insurance market transparency all carry real implications for affordability and transaction viability. In Louisiana, insurance remains one of the most important issues affecting the real estate market, and Louisiana REALTORS® continues to closely track that legislation. Taken together, week seven showed that Louisiana REALTORS® remains actively engaged where it matters most: supporting practical transaction standards, protecting private property rights, testifying for and against legislation when necessary, pushing back on unworkable regulation and rent-control-style policies, and advancing policies that strengthen housing opportunity and market stability across Louisiana. Please view the weekly bill tracking report provided by our lobbying team over at Harris, DeVille and Associates.

Consumer Guide Update: Navigating Interest Rates Shifts

By Louisiana REALTORS® • April 23, 2026
NAR is pleased to share the latest consumer guide helping buyers navigate shifting interest rates. The one-page guide covers how lenders set rates, the impact of small shifts on monthly payments and strategies to get the lowest rate possible. As a reminder, all guides in this series are available for download—in both English and Spanish—on facts.realtor . Please allow up to two weeks for the Spanish version of the latest resource to be translated and uploaded. For ease of reference, below is a list of the most recent guides: NEW: Navigating Interest Rate Shifts Financing a Renovation When You Buy Staging Your House for a Sale Spotting Deepfake Scams in Real Estate Are You Ready to Invest in Real Estate? Thank you for your continued engagement with the “Consumer Guide” series and for sharing the resources with prospective clients to ensure they have the information they need to find success in their home buying or selling journey. Remember that these guides are for informational purposes only and are not meant to enact or change any existing NAR policy. Be on the lookout for the next consumer guide, which looks at how solar installations may impact home sales transactions.

2026 Legislative Session Scoop - Week 6 Recap

By Louisiana REALTORS® • April 17, 2026
Louisiana REALTORS® spent week six of the Legislative Session actively engaged on several bills at the Capitol impacting core industry priorities, including private property rights, affordability, redevelopment and transaction-related regulations. Most of the meaningful activity remained in the House, where lawmakers continued advancing measures with direct implications for the real estate market. HB 284 by Rep. John Wyble , which would authorize certain local governments to expropriate blighted property by declaration-of-taking, failed on final passage in the House Tuesday by a 48-47 vote, and remains subject to reconsideration. Meanwhile, HB 472 by Rep. Alonzo Knox , which would authorize rent stabilization at the local level, was voluntarily deferred in committee following testimony from Louisiana REALTORS® and our partners at the Louisiana Apartment Association effectively ending its path this session. This marks a significant win, as rent control policies do not address housing supply challenges and instead risk further market distortion. In House Commerce, several key bills moved forward. HB 1027 by Rep. Troy Hebert , which clarifies that appraisers are not liable for a seller’s failure to meet smoke and carbon monoxide detector requirements, passed committee unanimously and is now slated for a House floor vote. This common-sense measure protects appraisers and helps preserve efficiency in the transaction process. HB 673 by Rep. Tammy Phelps , which would have imposed new security camera mandates on certain blighted properties, was also voluntarily deferred following industry opposition. Additionally, HB 426 by Rep. Phelps , which addresses criminal blighting and expands enforcement liability, remains under consideration. Louisiana REALTORS® is monitoring this bill closely to ensure efforts to address blight do not unintentionally discourage investment or redevelopment. We continue to track broader market integrity and redevelopment efforts. HB 468 by Rep. Hebert , addressing residential wholesaling, has now moved to the Senate after unanimous House passage. HB 217 by Rep. Chance Henry , which provides tax incentives for the rehabilitation of blighted property, also remains active in the Senate and represents a constructive approach to redevelopment. Looking ahead, the House Commerce Committee will consider HB 1166 by Rep. Kim Carver next week, which addresses disclosure requirements for vacant residential property. Louisiana REALTORS® supports clear, consistent consumer disclosures and have been working closely with the author and the Louisiana Real Estate Commission to ensure the bill is structured to promote transparency while maintaining practical standards and avoiding unintended liability for real estate professionals. Overall, the House carried the bulk of real estate activity this week, while the Senate saw limited movement on major REALTOR® priorities. As the session continues, Louisiana REALTORS® remains focused on protecting private property rights, opposing harmful market interventions, supporting responsible redevelopment and advancing policies that strengthen real estate transactions for both consumers and our members. Please view the weekly bill tracking report provided by our lobbying team over at Harris, DeVille and Associates.
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