Move-up buyers
Ready for more room or a better block? I'll help you time the sale and the purchase so they line up.
Karen Conaway · REALTOR®
Your New Orleans real estate agent, specializing in Bayou St. John.
Working for decades in the service industry taught me how to read people and make lasting connections. Now I put that to work for buyers and sellers who want a straight answer.
11
Years in real estate
50–100
Transactions closed
$19M+
In closed sales volume
½ & ½
Repeat clients & first-time buyers
About Karen
From behind the bar to across the closing table.
Before real estate, I spent 19 years bartending and managing at d.b.a. on Frenchmen Street — and before that, early days pouring at Café Brasil and helping open the Shim Sham Club on Toulouse in the late '90s. I've seen incredible music, made lifelong friends with locals, tourists, and musicians, and lived New Orleans nightlife to its fullest.
I went into real estate full time after the pandemic because I like meeting people and giving them a good experience. My superpower is making connections — I'm comfortable talking with anyone, and I care deeply about the people I work with. Keller Williams Realty New Orleans gave me the platform to do it right. Trust, value, results: that's what I aim for with every client.
I'm a New Orleans local and I can't imagine living anywhere else — I'll advocate for the beauty, the culture, and the people of this city. I live in Bayou St. John, my favorite neighborhood, where a good Saturday means a walk under the Ursulines oak canopy, a chocolate croissant on Esplanade, an afternoon in the free sculpture garden at City Park, and live music under the stars at Broadside that night.
Want to talk? Reach out anytime →
What I do
Built for sellers — and the people moving with them.
Selling your home
When I take a listing, I work it like it's my own home. Open houses, your listing across my social channels, and a sphere of connections built over 20 years in this city. I also ask how often you actually want people walking through — your home, your call. And every listing comes to my office meetings, so the full Brokerage is working for you. Most of my clients are buying and selling in the $500K range across New Orleans.
Downsizers
Less house, more life. I handle the logistics — and the emotions — of letting a long-time home go.
Young professionals
First place of your own? I move at your pace, answer every question, and never rush the call.
Relocation clients
Moving to New Orleans? I'll be your guide to the neighborhoods, the quirks, and the paperwork.
How I work
The first 24 hours, step by step.
No pressure, no script. Here's exactly what happens when we start working together.
1
We meet in person
I keep it casual. I want to get to know you a little, and see whether your energy and mine are a good fit.
2
We talk agency
I explain what agency means and why a Buyer Representation Agreement is required before we tour any property.
3
We map the when & why
I get a sense of your timeline, your reasons, and any past experience you've had buying or selling.
Where I work
Four New Orleans neighborhoods I know block by block.
Tap any neighborhood to read what it's really like to live and buy there — from architecture to price ranges to the everyday details that listings never tell you.
Bayou St. John is where I live, and it's my favorite corner of New Orleans. The neighborhood wraps around the slow water of the bayou itself, with some of the oldest and most beautiful homes in the city sitting right on the bank — Creole plantation houses, Spanish Colonial cottages, and grand center-hall homes shaded by live oaks. You get nature, architecture, restaurants, and entertainment all in one walkable place.
Most days you'll see neighbors paddling kayaks, people walking dogs along the water, and joggers on the Lafitte Greenway that cuts right through. Esplanade Avenue forms one edge — oak-lined and dotted with coffee shops and corner restaurants — and City Park sits at the top of the neighborhood. It's a short ride to the French Quarter and Mid-City, but it feels like its own quiet world.
Homes here cover a wide range. You'll find renovated doubles and cottages from the $400Ks into the $600Ks, while the larger historic homes along the bayou can run well past a million. Buyers who land here tend to want character, walkability, and a real sense of community.
If you're thinking about buying or selling in Bayou St. John, I can tell you which blocks tend to flood and which don't, which homes have good bones, and what insurance is likely to run. I live this neighborhood every day — let's walk it together.
Bywater is one of the most creative neighborhoods in New Orleans — hip, colorful, and full of life. Think brightly painted shotgun and Creole cottages, music spilling out of small venues, some of the best food in the city, and Crescent Park along the riverfront with skyline and bridge views. It's a place that rewards walking and wandering.
The architecture is classic New Orleans: 19th-century shotguns, doubles, and cottages, many lovingly restored and painted in colors you won't find anywhere else. Artists, musicians, chefs, and young professionals have made this neighborhood their own, and you feel that energy on every block.
Prices vary widely with size and condition. Renovated cottages and doubles often land in the $400Ks to high $600Ks, with larger or income-producing properties reaching higher. Many buyers here are drawn to the idea of a double — live on one side, rent the other — or a project they can put their own stamp on.
If you're buying or selling in Bywater, I'll be straight with you about which renovations were done well, what permits should be in place, and how flood and insurance factor in. See more on the KW New Orleans Bywater page, then let's talk about whether it's the right fit for you.
The Lower Garden District is a true neighborhood — filled with food, fun, and entertainment, and very walkable. It sits just upriver from downtown, with Magazine Street's shops and restaurants running through it and the St. Charles Avenue streetcar a short walk away.
The architecture is some of the prettiest in the city: Greek Revival and Italianate townhouses, raised center-hall homes, and rows of restored doubles on streets named for the Muses. Coliseum Square anchors the neighborhood with its old oaks and open green. You can leave the car at home and handle most of a weekend on foot.
Prices range broadly. Condos and renovated doubles often sit in the $300Ks to $600Ks, while larger historic single-family homes can run well above a million depending on block and condition. It draws young professionals, downsizers, and anyone who wants walkability with a real sense of history.
It's also one of the easier neighborhoods to reach downtown from — close to the CBD, the riverfront, and the Warehouse District's museums and galleries. Read the KW New Orleans Lower Garden District page, and I'll help you read the trade-offs block by block.
City Park is one of the real treasures of New Orleans — 1,300 acres of live oaks, lagoons, and open space, with the New Orleans Museum of Art and its free sculpture garden right at the edge. Living near the park means restaurants, NOMA, the Besthoff Sculpture Garden, and miles of walking and biking paths essentially at your doorstep.
The homes ringing the park range from raised-basement bungalows and center-hall cottages to larger renovated homes. Many sit on quiet, oak-shaded streets a short walk from the water and the green. It's a part of the city where the trees do a lot of the talking.
Prices vary by pocket and condition. You'll find renovated homes from the $400Ks into the $700Ks, with larger or fully redone properties reaching higher. Buyers drawn here usually want space, trees, and easy access to the park without giving up a real neighborhood feel.
If you're looking near City Park, I can help you weigh elevation and flood history, school zones, and how close to the green you really want to be. I spend my own weekends here — let's go take a look.
What I believe
The insurance rates here are still out of control, and not every agent is up to the task right now.
You deserve someone who tells you the truth — about a roof, an insurance quote, a flood history, or a number that doesn't add up — even when it isn't what you want to hear. That's the whole point of hiring a professional who lives here.
Why work with me
Patient with people. Fearless with deals.
One of my first-time buyers told me she picked me because I was patient — I answered her questions, didn't rush her, and put her needs first. That's the whole job, and it's how I work with everyone. Trust, value, results.
I also don't shy away from a challenge. When a repeat client brought me a 17,000-square-foot building in the CBD — ground-floor restaurant space above the last studio Cosimo Matassa ran, where The Meters recorded — I jumped at it, even though I'd never listed at that scale. I partnered with Jeffrey Doussan, principal owner of KW New Orleans, folded in the adjacent property, and we got it done.
That building became Junebug, named one of the top 50 cocktail bars in North America in 2026. I've also helped bring Applied Arts Coffee to the city and relocate Dauphine Street Books in the French Quarter. Connecting people and places, and leaving something lasting behind — that's what I'm proud of.
Backed by Keller Williams Realty New Orleans
I'm part of New Orleans' only multi-generational, family-owned real estate brokerage — 136 agents, $250M+ in annual transactions, 28 years building this market.
★★★★★
Karen went above and beyond helping us purchase a condominium in New Orleans. She even met with the service for us since we couldn't be in town, and she arranged an amazing buy — she truly worked as an advocate for us.
Questions I hear a lot
Straight answers, no runaround.
Every situation is different. I like to find out your individual needs and motivations so we can make the best decision for you. Let's get together and discuss your next steps. In general, real estate is a tried-and-true investment for building generational wealth.
Zillow is a general guide to a property's value, using general data. It may not know you just remodeled the kitchen or added a room — both of which add value to your home. Data is only one part of the equation; a REALTOR® gives you up-to-date market insight alongside the numbers.
I get this question a lot, and there's no single answer. Are you looking to buy, sell, or invest? Commercial or residential? I follow that question with a few of my own, and from there I can give you a real answer based on your needs. I have access to real-time data, and I'll share it with you.
For sellers, my commission is agreed up front and put in writing before we list — no surprises. For buyers, we'll sign a Buyer Representation Agreement that spells out how I'm paid before we tour a single home. I'd rather over-explain the money than have you wonder. Ask me anything and I'll give you a straight answer.
I work a listing like it's my own home. That means open houses, your property across my social channels, and 20 years of New Orleans connections — locals, musicians, and business owners. I also ask how often you actually want people walking through, because it's your home and your call. And every listing goes to my office meetings, so the whole Brokerage is working for you.
Let's talk
Ready to make your move?
Tell me a little about what you're thinking — buying, selling, or just weighing your options. I'll be in touch within 24 hours.