Meet Cate Kassab | Owner of My Upstate Home LLC

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cate Kassab and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cate, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?

I always knew I would own my own business. I just never knew when the right time would be. I didn’t know what I would want to name it or how large I wanted it to grow. After sixteen years as an independent contractor affiliated with various brokerages, I noticed that the mass majority of my business came from past client referrals, repeat business, my marketing and from mentoring and educating others.

I went to a state women’s conference and was very inspired by the statistics presented in March of 2024. According to the South Carolina Realtors Association, only 25% of women realtors have ownership in their own firm. I was shocked further by the following facts. While a whopping 65% of realtors are women, the SCR has had only 9 women presidents since its inception in 1948. The NAR has had only 8 women presidents since its inception in 1908. Only 36.7% of commercial realtors are women. 61% of broker associates are women! If that information does not wake you up as a professional woman in the real estate industry, I don’t think anything will. That data proves that the real estate industry is primarily run by women, just not owned by women. That means women do the most but own the least. I am not sure how this even is a fact in 2024. Perhaps women like me became complacent and never asked for what they are worth and deserve. Perhaps they did ask and got rejected. How dare they ask for what they are worth? Perhaps some women just accepted that owning a company was just for the men, the 35%.

Before anyone gets bent out of shape, I want to make it clear that I am not on a man eating mission. There are amazing men in this industry who are blazing a trail trying to provide equal opportunities to women. I simply want to see equality realized in this industry and a level playing field. I decided that I wasn’t going to wait around anymore hoping to see someone else progress the industry. I decided to BE the change I wanted to see in the industry. I studied all of the office policies of affiliates I had worked with in the last nearly twenty years. Some were extremely unsettling, especially after the NAR lawsuit.

I started writing business plans and office policies that I only wished I had seen sixteen years ago in other affiliate real estate companies. As I write the policies, I place myself in the shoes of myself sixteen years ago. I answer all of the questions I needed answered back then to be inspired and supported to succeed. I want others to have the opportunities, fairness, safety and success that wasn’t available to me when I was starting out in the business. I want the journeys of the people who work with me to be filled with inspiration, joy, appreciation and satisfaction. I can’t wait to publish the plans and policies I continue to cultivate and watch the flood gates open for women in my region and across the nation. Our time is now and it is beyond exciting! I do see myself potentially helping the state evaluate these office policies most never even read for the progression of the industry into the future. I also see myself helping business owners rewrite their business plans and office policies to succeed in the ever changing industry. As I said, the time is now. There is no more waiting. Change has arrived at the front door of the real estate industry and it is amazing.

Personally, as an Upstate, SC native, I know the Upstate like the back of my hand. All of the small and charming cities and counties all have their own personalities and vibes. Growing up, it was common to go to each different city of the Upstate for a Sunday drive, the best ice cream shop in Greer, the best hiking in Travelers Rest, the best moonshine still made locally and inspired by The Dark Corner, the best football in Clemson, the best nightlife in Greenville, the best family owned boutiques in Seneca, the best boating in Anderson and Oconee Counties on Lake Hartwell and Lake Keowee. The list goes on and on and on. Ask me anything. I have an interesting story to tell about all parts of the Upstate.

I noticed over the years I would have competitors (who moved here from other cities, states and even countries) ask me about the different pockets of the Upstate. You can’t find everything on the internet, even today, and I love educating others about this beautiful region of South Carolina that we call the Upstate. The most fun I had educating clients was when I had a client couple from Paris hire me to help them purchase a condo in downtown Greenville. Working with them was an absolute pleasure. I really do love what I do.

I decided the best thing for me was to continue doing what I love while owning my own company and leaving the doors of opportunity wide open. Sharing my history, my roots, my experience, my life, my knowledge of the region… My Upstate Home LLC was born. The name came to me after months of thought. It came down to simply identifying myself and what I love. Being a native, I am the Upstate, this is my home, I treasure it and want to share it with others. I market to all who are seeking to make this region home; My Upstate is Your Upstate. My motto is Where Humanity Comes First, Transparency is Best Practice and Kindness is Corporate. Yes, I put humanity first in my company. Somehow, humanity was left behind due to egos and greed in many industries. The American dream of homeownership was at deaths door. No more. “I can make a difference in the world right now and I intend to do it.” That was a quote from myself from my first publication back in 1993 as a stargazing creative writing and thinking child. I can’t wait to share how these changes will be made, what they are, and how The American Dream can and will be realized once again.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

I communicate constantly with clients. I make myself available to them 24/7. It’s probably not the healthiest way to work. However, I treat all of my clients how I want to be treated. If I picked up the phone or sent a text to my realtor, I would want a response as soon as possible. That’s why my clients get constant communication. In sixteen years I have never had a closing coordinator or anyone help me with the extensive process from contract to close. I finally hired one on Thursday April 26, 2024. That was a big step for me. None of the brokerages I was ever affiliated with offered those services. I got used to doing everything on my own. But, having no one to depend on but yourself for nearly two decades really makes you an amazing agent. So, I have no regrets over working myself all those years. I am a writer, mostly for ideas in improving the industry, fun and educational purposes as well. I was once interviewed in The Washington Post for my market insight.

I stay busy trying to make a difference in the industry every single day. This will help explain where all of this work started. At our family Easter dinner this year, my mother gave me a copy of my first publication from 1993 in a Stargazer youth magazine, I mentioned it earlier. I had completely forgotten I had even written that article. The title of the article was, ‘I Can Make a Difference.’ It was a tear-jerker to say the least. Thirty one years ago, as a thirteen year old child, I was talking about making a difference in the world. As a 44 year old professional, I was able to look back on who I was as a child in awe.

Somehow, I knew back then that I would make a significantly positive impact in the world around me. I continue to write and love to read as well. As far as the difference I am making and intent to continue making goes, I am now part of that small percentage of women who own their own company in my industry. The sky is the limit. I have very exciting plans for the future and expansion. It’s not all about just me. It’s about humanity as a whole because housing is needed by all. Housing should be accessible to all. When we make changes with humanity first, everyone wins.

I stay busy because I really want to encourage other women especially to never let anyone put them in a box, tell them what they can and can’t do or what they are worth. I want to encourage other women to stand up for themselves and never fear communicating their value and what they bring to the table. The sky is most definitely the limit and the future is beyond bright.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

If my best friend and I had a week to just hangout and have fun, we would be on Lake Keowee in Oconee County. I haven’t seen my best friend in years because of life, work, living, family, and the list goes on. We are both workaholics. But, I can certainly plan us a long overdue staycation week filled with fun!

My husband and I have a two bedroom, two bathroom with a guest loft in Backwater Landing on Lake Keowee. We love it. It’s the best getaway. So, we’ll meet there to start our staycation week.

I do have a Backwater Landing page on my website MyUpstateHome.com in the communities section if anyone is interested in purchasing a little lake cottage getaway. I have links to everything available in the Upstate on my website. But, I will keep it simple.

My best friend and I would grill out on the deck for the majority of our dinners, sit in the sun every afternoon, sip mint juleps (my grandmother’s recipe, of course) with extra mint from time to time and have a meme competition on a blanket in the front lawn. Who can show the other one a meme and act it out in a way that will make them laugh so hard they cry? Game on.

We would take the boat out to Jumping Rock and Waterfall Cove. We would swim, float and jump the thirty foot boulder into the water (you only live once), and watch the swimming deer look at us like we have completely lost our minds.

We would visit Twin Falls and Long Shoals Wayside Park and hike around the beautiful waterfalls.

We would take the boat to The Cabana on the Lake for a drink and dine at The Lighthouse restaurant.

On Thursday night we would go to Jazz on the Alley in downtown Seneca and then hit the Wine Cellar. We would also end up at The Tiki Hut at some point. On Saturday shopping back on Ram Cat Alley is just the most charming and unique experience. So, we would be there for at least a couple hours in all of the eclectic mix of shops. My favorites are M. Tannery & Sons, Green Springs, The Red Door and The Healthy Olive.

We would take a day trip to Lake Jocassee. If it happened to be around football season, we would pull the boat to Lake Hartwell and listen to the game from the boat, just outside Death Valley in Clemson.

We would take a tennis trip to South Cove Park and play at its picturesque 48 acre park, nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the clear waters of Lake Keowee. After playing tennis until we couldn’t continue, we would walk the peninsula and check out all of the campsites and say hello to everyone we see.

We would hit Hotworx in Clemson to detox and go to the gym back in Backwater. After a good workout, we would clean up and pick a book or two from the neighborhood library, go back to the Lake Cottage and rock on the screened porch until we fell asleep talking about how proud we are of our grown kids.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
With an educator background, I was always a mentor but never had a professional mentor of my own. Sometimes I look at all I have accomplished in my real estate career and I wonder how in the world I did it with no mentor. I am at the tail end of generation X, as a 1980’s baby. For us, it was sink or swim. There was no professional mentorship. If you needed a mentor, you were a wuss with no skill, creativity, drive or ambition. I did however have the best personal mentors anyone in this world could ever have. If you know the Upstate at all, you are well aware of what The Bible Belt is. I was beyond blessed to grow up in The Bible Belt with parents who kept me in the local Southern Baptist church whenever the doors were open. I was saved as an eight year old and have had Jesus Christ by my side throughout my entire journey, both personal and professional. My main shout out is dedicated to Jesus Christ. My other shout outs are dedicated to my amazing parents, Pink and Joye Frady who never once stopped encouraging me to go after all of my dreams. They always told me failure is not a destination or even an option; it’s just a stepping stone to success. So, here I am, welcomed by success. I am looking forward to what all the future holds and everything I can and will do to help an endless number of others succeed.

Website: https://myupstatehome.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catekassab

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joye-catherine-kassab-8594a295/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cateupstate

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myupstaterealestate

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRgT8IoKXy_fhEdU-UuufLA

Other: Link Tree https://linktr.ee/cateupstate

Image Credits
Terrell Martin Photography Instagram @terrellmartinphotography The professional images only Everything else taken by family