Meet Cathy Morrison, Broker

Interviewer:  So. Cathy, how long have you lived in Lakeland?

Cathy:  Well, I was born in Treasure Island and my parents moved us to Lakeland in 1976 because of the Lakeland Water Ski Club.  My mom was a championship water skier, and my dad was a boat mechanic and senior boat driver for AWSA sanctioned ski tournaments.  

Interviewer:  So, do you ski too?

Cathy:  I once held the record for world’s youngest water skier at 9 months old until my cousin took the title away from me.  I skied on the Master Craft Ski team when I was in my teens and then as I got older, I had other interest vs going to school every morning with wet hair after practice before school.  Up until recently I still did my annual run thru the slalom course, but I haven't in sometime.  My mother still however skis a couple times a week.

Interviewer:  Interesting and impressive.  So just curious how did you decide the name of the real estate brokerage?  It seems unique.

Cathy:  I didn't want to be ABC Realty and wanted something different, so I took my mother’s maiden name of Austin and my husband of 32 years, his mother's maiden name which is Deane and that’s where it came from.

Interviewer:  I like that.  So how long has Austin Deane been in business and how did you get started in real estate?

Cathy:  Austin Deane has opened in January 2020.  I however have been in various aspects of real estate since I was 19, so I am showing my age a bit.  My mom sold real estate in my late teens and she got me a job with a title company in town as their receptionist.  I learned quick and soon started doing real estate closings myself, and within a year I was managing an office for a different company.  Then from there, I opened my first title company in 1996.  That company grew into one of the largest closing offices in town.  From there, I added mortgage and real estate services to my company which then became known as RealWorks.  RealWorks was a franchise however, and it didn't work out on several levels, mostly with the franchisee.  I did however have 35 agents in my office, 2 mortgage brokers and a title staff.  It was unfortunate it didn't work.

So, I went back to just the title company division to keep it simple.  I ended up selling that company in 2014.  I had a two-year noncompete and didn't want to do anything that had the words insurance or finance in it, and I all know is real estate. So, selling real estate was next option and I love it! I worked for a couple of large franchise firms but decided that I wanted to be an independent brokerage or a boutique brokerage.

Interviewer: It sounds like you have a vast knowledge of the workings of a real estate transaction, has that been a help in your business?

Cathy: Yes, very much so. I have been able to structure deals and save deals that other agents would not have been able to do because they have never worked in all the aspects of a transaction. Because of my experience and skill, I have many happy repeat customers that I have helped buy or sell who also refer me to their friends and family. That is the kind of business every REALTOR loves to receive.