Meet Kati Cattaneo | Rising Star Los Angeles Realtor

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

Hi Kati, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor behind my success is my unwavering work ethic and genuine care for my clients. I show up for my clients in every way possible as not only their real estate advisor but also their friend. I had clients who closed on a house that they planned to renovate and choosing a contractor felt foreign and overwhelming to them. I offered to be there with them when they met 3 different contractors so I could give them feedback on each one. 6 months later, the contractor they ended up choosing remembered meeting me that day and asked me to list his house. He told me he had worked with many realtors before but had never met a Realtor who was so diligent and helpful to their clients.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Kati Cattaneo is a leading luxury Real Estate Agent in Los Angeles. Recently recognized as a “Rising Star” by the Hollywood Reporter, Kati has made a name for herself among entertainment industry professionals, first time buyers & sellers, and seasoned investors. Her clients value her reliability, unwavering work ethic, indomitable positivity, genuine spirit, and perseverance to go above and beyond before, during, and even after escrow closes. Her ability to make one of the most significant transactions of a persons life feel not only effortless, but personal, has led to a business that is almost entirely referral based.

I made a decision early on in my career to trust my instincts when making business decisions. On my first big transaction, someone told me that once escrow closes, the deal is done and you need to move on and focus on finding your next deal. But when my young first time buyer client closed escrow there was so much work that needed to be done but my client was going to be out of the country working after we closed so he couldn’t be there. So I offered to help schedule and meet with a roofer to fix a leak in the roof, a designer to pick the perfect shade of white to paint the walls and get furniture ordered, a security company to set up a security system, and so much more. The ironic part of this story is that while I was over there coordinating repairs and meeting contractors, I met my next client. He was a friend of my clients who was staying at his house and it just so happened that he wanted to buy a house too. So the moral of the story is to listen to your gut. If I would have taken the advice of moving on right when escrow closed, I wouldn’t have met my next client. So ultimately, I attribute my success to paving my own path and doing business in a thoughtful and impactful way so that my clients will not only want to work with me in the future, but tell their friends and family about me. My business is 90% referral based and all of my referrals have come from past clients and word mouth.

Becoming a successful real estate agent in LA is not an easy fete. There have been some really difficult transactions that have pushed me to the brink but quitting has never been in my DNA. And overcoming challenges are what makes this career so rewarding.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My biggest supporter and number one fan is my husband, Erik Smith, who has been a huge part of my success. Not only have I learned so much from him being a developer and teaching me so much about construction (we’ve done multiple projects together – earlier this year we developed and sold a gorgeous architectural spec home in Brentwood) but he has been a constant source of support in my hardest career moments and my most joyous. This business can be brutal if you let it so having someone in your corner is paramount to keeping you on the right track.

Website: katicattaneo.com

Instagram: @KatiCatt

Other: TikTok – @KatiCattaneoGroup

Image Credits
Molly Marler Leigha Smith