Meet Our Team Captain | Desiree McSwain
- Elisa Cool Murphy
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
A captain doesn’t need to be the loudest, the funniest, or the flashiest. When the weather turns, they’re the one whose hand stays steady on the wheel.
You don’t always expect the captain to look like this. But Desiree McSwain doesn’t fit anyone’s template — she rewrites them.
There’s a steadiness to her, the kind that shows up long before the storm does. Hand on the wheel. Eyes ahead. She reads the water — every small shift in current, every change in light — and somehow keeps the whole crew moving forward with quiet confidence.
Developers notice it. Homeowners feel it. The ones used to calling the shots find themselves saying, “Yes, ma’am — what’s next?”
Because she’s right, and they know it.
There’s a bit of Hemingway in her — stoic, unflinching, calm under pressure — but also a dash of Ms. Frizzle, curious, animated, never afraid to push the big red button and see what happens. Together, it’s magic: the captain who knows the science of a storm and still laughs in the rain.
A Commander With Heart
Her father once suggested she might belong in real estate; she’s been proving him right ever since.
After moving to New Orleans as an au pair, Desiree earned her teaching license and spent years in classrooms on the West Bank.
That’s where her signature calm began — the ability to keep twenty sets of eyes on her and an entire day on track. It’s also where she learned the value of clarity, patience, and telling the truth even when it’s uncomfortable.
Her clients call it refreshing. We call it leadership.
The Captain of Client Experience
Today, Desiree is the reason the current stays steady beneath us. As Head of Client Experience, she oversees the systems, contracts, and client touchpoints that keep Cool Murphy Real Estate running with precision and grace.
She’s the one who’ll bring out a leaf blower before an open house — not for the yard, but for a quick indoor dusting. That’s Desiree: elegant, efficient, and just mischievous enough to make the practical look effortless.
Her humor keeps things human. Her follow-through keeps them flawless.
Leading by Example
When Desiree represents a listing, it shows. Her command of both residential and commercial real estate makes her indispensable in conversations that cross those lines — leasing downtown office spaces one day, walking through a Treme double or a St. Charles condo the next.
At The Alexandre, our 18-unit CSTR building in the CBD, she’s the anchor of the project. From pricing to presentation to promotion, she navigates developer meetings, investor calls, and inspection surprises with the same composure she’s known for.
When she delivers updates on the project — even her tongue-in-cheek SNL-style “news reports” — you can see that mix of confidence and charisma that makes clients trust her and colleagues rely on her.
This year she set a goal to run her first marathon and crossed that finish line the same way she does everything else — quietly, determinedly, without ever breaking stride.
The Green Project
Desiree’s influence extends beyond real estate. As Board President of The Green Project, she leads one of the city’s most beloved sustainability nonprofits — keeping building materials out of landfills and putting them back into local hands.
This year, she chaired Salvations, The Green Project’s annual gala — transforming a warehouse into a celebration of circular creativity, complete with art installations built entirely from reclaimed materials. It was a wild success, and so unmistakably her: organized, stylish, community-driven, and fun.
To Desiree, stewardship isn’t just environmental — it’s personal.
It’s how she treats her clients, her team, and her city.
Moments That Stay With You
This fall, I had the privilege of traveling with her to Orlando for Ryan Serhant’s Annual Summit. Afterward we rode every ride at Hogsmeade in Universal Studios. Desiree screamed at every turn, then laughed and said, “Again?”
That’s her in a sentence — brave enough to feel it all, humble enough to enjoy it, and relentless enough to go again.
Why Work with Desiree
She’s fierce when she needs to be, gentle when it matters, and consistent always. She doesn’t posture, and she doesn’t waste words.
Clients respect her because she tells the truth. Developers listen because she earns it. And our team depends on her because she never wavers — not when the winds shift, not when the water rises.
That’s the thing about a real captain: you don’t notice her steering until you realize you’ve already arrived.
Work With Desiree
If you’re ready for guidance that’s both strategic and human — or curious about what makes The Alexandre and our other listings so distinctive — reach out to Desiree McSwain, our Team Captain and Head of Client Experience.
She’ll steer you through every step, steady at the helm.
This was a great post and Desiree is a GEM!