Deanna Coleman & Cat Fernandez

A Real Estate Duo That Began at Home

By Robbyn Moore

Photos by Jennifer Arnett with Starloft Photography

Although Deanna Coleman and Cat Fernandez have been real estate business partners for two years, the reality is, their partnership has been 30 years in the making.

The mother/daughter team joined forces when Deanna’s real estate career was skyrocketing. She wanted to continue growing her business while creating a strong, relevant social media presence, and her daughter Cat was the perfect complement to her already successful career. At the time, Cat was in search of a new profession after years of working as a general manager for various companies. She was eager to find a career that would support her keen understanding of social media and brand marketing as well as offer a flexible schedule. With the right timing and limitless opportunities for success, The Coleman Team was formed under the Real Estate One brokerage.

The mother/daughter duo created their own unique style and approach to real estate by using Deanna’s connections and expertise and mixing it with Cat’s fresh take on the industry. The partnership was built on common core values: customer service, ongoing education and training, forward thinking, and relationship building.

As a team, Deanna and Cat share a strong work ethic and feed off of each other’s thought processes. “Honestly, it surprised me how well we worked together and had fit into a certain grove with each other,” Deanna said. “While I’m more old-fashioned and keep handwritten calendars and schedules, Cat is much more tech-savvy and creative — it’s a perfect combination that adds value to our business.”

For years, Deanna has been a standout in her field. She is the current 2022 Southeastern Border Association of REALTORS® (SEBAR) president and past 2020 and 2021 SEBAR MLS president. In 2021 and 2019, Deanna received the SEBAR Humanitarian award, and in 2015 and 2016, she earned the SEBAR Chairman of the Year award. She also received the 2020 Real Estate One Diamond Award, 2019 President’s Circle Award, 2018 Real Estate One President’s Council of Excellence Diamond Award, 2017 and 2013 Real Estate One Gold Award, and 2016 and 2015 Real Estate One President’s Council of Excellence Award. In 2020, Cat was honored with the Real Estate One Diamond Award.

“Our accessibility and dedication make us stand out above the rest,” Cat shared. “In addition to that, our combined skill sets make our transactions smooth, and our clients always take notice of that.” Deanna added, “Our clients get two real estate agents working for them, which assures them our full attention.”

The biggest challenge for Deanna and Cat has been learning to work off of each other’s strengths. “We both have strong personalities and are dominant in our roles,” Deanna explained. “The past two years have tested our relationship as partners and as mother and daughter. However, the growth that we have experienced from those challenges has led us to a successful business relationship, and more importantly, helped flourish our personal relationship, which has been the greatest reward.”

The talented twosome work in tandem to give their clients 100% of their desired outcome. With their goal to be a one-stop-shop experience, Deanna and Cat work closely with photographers, stagers and contractors as well as with title, mortgage and insurance companies to help give their clients a seamless experience. “We align ourselves with like-minded professionals who work just as hard as we do,” Cat said. “Otherwise, they just simply are not a part of our team.”

Beyond their real estate work, Deanna and Cat support more than 20 different community charities. They are both active members of the Community Outreach Committee for SEBAR and also work closely with the Real Estate One Charitable Foundation. Furthermore, they are involved in missionary work with Katrina’s Mission, a program that focuses on abolishing sex trafficking in the city of Detroit and restoring hope to survivors through the church.

Outside of their real estate work, Deanna and Cat continue to spend time together with their families.

“We are a small family but very close,” Deanna said. Deanna’s husband, Terry, along with their son Cameron and Deanna’s father, Bennie, enjoy dinners together and camping. Deanna is also very close to her niece Sarah and loves to share time with her children playing games or cards.

Cat and her husband, Nick, have been together since high school and just recently welcomed their first child, Theodore, on April 7, 2021. As first-time parents, they launched a podcast titled, “The Stay With You Podcast” as a virtual journal for their son. “It’s available on all streaming platforms if anyone wants to check it out,” Cat said proudly.

Currently, the team is most passionate about continuing education. “2020 brought a lot of new challenges, and thus, a lot of new learning opportunities,” Deanna said. “We take great pride in being an educated and resourceful team that can both inform and support our clients throughout their entire experience. Most importantly, we are passionate about being more than a salesperson: We are real estate agents for life.”

TEAM FEATURE Deanna Coleman & Cat Fernandez from Real Estate One