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BOUTTE — Buying, selling or investing in a home is one of the biggest decisions in life. The team at UpMarket Realty has the tools to ensure a positive and successful experience with a friendly face, constant communication, and assistance with analyzing all of the details of the real estate process.

UpMarket Realty recently celebrated its grand opening at 13323 Highway 90 Suite B in Boutte alongside local officials and the River Region Chamber of Commerce.

The new office space is bright and beautiful, representing a path forward for the community from the destruction of Hurricane Ida. The office is also unique in that it is connected to Southern Title, facilitating a seamless closing process for clients.

UpMarket Realty serves not only St. Charles Parish, but also the surrounding areas for St. John the Baptist, Jefferson, Orleans and St. Tammany parishes.

Co-owner Melissa Friloux and her husband, Brennen, have nearly two decades of experience buying, selling, renovating and flipping homes. Through their company Friloux Ventures Construction, they have gained technical expertise and a keen eye for identifying the qualities of a good property, from the bones to the personal design touches that make a house a home.

Co-owner Kourtne Donnaud entered the real estate world with a fresh perspective and an immense drive for helping others in the community. Her people-oriented nature and business-savvy background as owner of The Seafood Pot Restaurant in Destrehan is a winning combination when it comes to helping clients find their forever home or newest investment property.

Rounding out the UpMarket Realty team is Alison White, a lifelong Southeast Louisiana resident who understands what makes the region a great place to live and work. With a background in education, she is a licensed realtor who is passionate about guiding others through the buying and selling process.

“We are all very people-oriented. We want to be approachable and exemplify the true meaning of Southern hospitality through our work,” Melissa Friloux said. “We want to support local businesses and be a really good staple of the community.”

According to Friloux, UpMarket Realty stands apart though a high-end approach to marketing properties. The team is also very in tune with what brings value back from investments. Before ever talking about commission or putting a property on the market, Friloux will sit down with a client and walk them through what they can do to add more value to their property when getting ready to list.

UpMarket Realty seeks to keep the public educated on changes in the real estate market. There’s no need to be afraid to make the move to buy or sell, Friloux said.

“We are facing some insurance battles and some interest rate battles right now, but I think the most important thing is that it’s not time to sit around and wait to buy or sell. There’s always an opportunity to refinance if rates go down,” Friloux said. “When I got into the real estate market 16 years ago, the norm was 3 or 4% interest rates. Now the rates have gone back to a new normal. The ultra-low interest rates we saw the past couple of years were not the norm, and we got kind of spoiled with that.”

As the region continues to navigate changes to homeowners and flood insurance, Friloux said UpMarket Realty is working closely with Riverlands Insurance to obtain the most up-to-date information for clients.

“Having a real estate agent is a must,” Friloux said. “On the buyer side, you’re not really coming out of pocket for many things, but you are getting all of the knowledge and information you need to make a good investment. On the listing side, right now with the market it’s best to have a good agent to be there to walk you through all of the different changes in the market and the knowledge needed to sell a home right now.”

For more information about UpMarket Realty, visit upmarketrealtygroup.com, call 985-308-1911 or email upmarketrealty@gmail.com.