Meet Cate
Cate Kassab is the Founder, Owner, and Broker-in-Charge of My Upstate Home LLC, a boutique real estate brokerage serving the Upstate of South Carolina. With more than 15 years of experience, she is recognized as an industry leader in true transparency, ethical brokerage structure, and individualized client service.
Before entering real estate, Cate began her professional career as a Special Education teacher, where she learned that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to helping people succeed. That philosophy became the foundation of her work in real estate. After years within traditional brokerage models, she identified structural practices that often limit clarity, flexibility, and informed decision-making for both consumers and agents. In response, she founded My Upstate Home to create a more transparent, adaptable, and people-centered brokerage environment.
Under Cate’s leadership, My Upstate Home operates without corporate or affiliate overhead, allowing compensation and services to be discussed openly and structured to fit the needs of each transaction. This approach supports clarity, choice, and thoughtful collaboration, while encouraging high-quality service tailored to individual goals.
Cate’s perspective is also shaped by deep roots in the Upstate. Her family’s connection to the region spans multiple generations, dating back to the early settlement period of the Carolinas. This lineage gives her a long-view understanding of the land, the evolution of its communities, and the responsibility that accompanies growth—informing her belief that real estate is not merely transactional, but a form of stewardship.
Her guiding philosophy is reflected in her company motto:
“Where Humanity Comes First. Transparency Is Best Practice. Kindness Is Corporate.”
Cate is the host of The Upstate Insider podcast, where she leads long-form conversations on real estate, housing access, transparency, and ethical leadership. Through the podcast and her broader media presence, she educates consumers and professionals on how real estate transactions are structured, empowering them to make informed and confident decisions.
Cate holds a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Clemson University and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership, Management, and Policy from Seton Hall University. Her professional path—from educator to REALTOR® to Broker-in-Charge—culminated in the founding of My Upstate Home LLC, a brokerage built on transparency, flexibility, and consumer-first principles. She authored the TREE framework—Truth in Real Estate for Everyone—to advance transparency and accountability across real estate transactions.
Her leadership has earned national recognition, including inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who, which honors individuals based on professional achievement, leadership, and impact. Beyond transactions, Cate remains committed to consumer education, ethical business practices, and thoughtful industry dialogue, with a long-term vision of expanding transparent, service-driven real estate practices throughout the Upstate and beyond.
Testimonials
This property had been listed by another agent for a year. Little action. No Offers. Not shown many times. Cate did a wonderful job with the listing to make the property attractive. She also had the place set up for showing. She did not simply leave it as when I lived there. Her followup, information, and concern were first class. I am very pleased with Cate and the work she accomplished getting my place sold !!
Cate started working with us while we were still out of state and gave us unprecedented information on Greenville housing, as she’s been a lifelong resident and her family goes back 200+ years. She is business savy, quick with comps, extremely efficient and most importantly- listens to your needs. She will truly work to find the best home for your family as if no commission is involved. I’d recommend her to anyone and everyone moving to the Upstate and feel fortunate to have found her. We closed on the home we wanted within 30 days with zero issues.
We were recommended other realtors by colleagues and business partners, and the three we met were no match to Cate. If you work with her, you’ll know instantly why she’s the best too.
I recently had the pleasure of working with Cate Kassab to sell my townhome, and I can confidently say that the experience was nothing short of outstanding. From our first meeting to the closing, Cate demonstrated the utmost professionalism, expertise, and dedication. Cate possesses an in-depth knowledge of the real estate market, especially in our local area. Her insightful advice on pricing and marketing my townhome was invaluable, and it ultimately led to a smooth and successful sale. Communication was a standout quality in Cate’s approach. She kept me well-informed at every step of the selling process, providing regular updates and guidance. I felt like a priority, and her commitment to ensuring my needs were met throughout.
Cate did a fantastic job selling my house. She is very professional, knowledgeable and patient.
She listens to your concerns and addresses. I would highly recommend Cate to anyone coming to Greenville for the first time and to those who have lived in the area.
We just closed on a home we love thanks to Cate!
She is the utmost in professionalism and knowledge. Cate was with us every step of the way and had our backs throughout the entire home buying process and even saved us a great deal from the asking price! Always responsive and completely knowledgeable about the area, she has a true vision for real estate. If you are looking for an agent who feels like a friend and one you can trust, ask for Cate! Thank you Cate!
Cate Kassab has incredible knowledge and energy to apply to your interests in real estate; whether buying or selling, Cate will give clients clear, educated advice and rationale for decisions that need to be made with a real estate listing or transaction. We waffled for months about listing our property because we knew it was a special place but Cate never lost patience and was very understanding about it being a difficult decision to list. Cate cares!
You could not ask for a better Realtor!! Cate is very knowledgeable, she knows the area well and is wonderful to deal with. She was a true BLESSING, she made our purchase a smooth, stress free process. Thanks to her, we now own our dream home!!
I don’t have enough “beautiful words” to describe Cate. She went above and beyond all during the whole buying process. She was involved from bell to bell and we were always singing from the same hymnal. Kate was very responsive and even though there were a few obstacles that got thrown in unexpectedly along the way to closing, she got the deal done professionally and on time.
Nothing but praise from these lips.
I can’t say enough great things about Mrs. Cate!!
She was with us for the purchase and selling of our home. She went above and beyond our expectations during both transactions. Moving from out of town and then moving back out of town, she made both transactions as smoothly as possible. The time, energy and patience she put into our process is more than we could have imagined. She became family!! Her care and passion for her clients show with everything she does. She truely works around the clock… year round!!! I recommend her to anyone and everyone! We loved working with her and wish we could have her for every purchase we ever do!
Side note: she almost went searching through a warehouse for documents (that were very time sensitive) that got sent to the wrong location for closing!!!
Amazing, professional knowledgeable and fun!
Kept the whole experience moving forward while enjoying the process!! Would highly recommend Cate to anyone looking to buy or sell property!
She will keep you informed and help you through every step of the process. Great job Cate!!
