Originally from Marietta, Georgia, Joanna Benante grew up vacationing on the idyllic island of Longboat Key, with the dream of someday making the Sarasota area her home. In 2007 that dream became a reality as she and her family relocated from Chicago to sunny Florida. Starting her real estate career in Chicago, Joanna continued this path in Sarasota by partnering with Ann Martin to found the Martin and Benante Team with Michael Saunders and Company in 2007. Over the past 15 years, the expertise of this partnership has led to them consistently placing in the Top 1% of area real estate agents with Martin and Benante being named the #1 Top Selling Team of the St. Armands Office since 2011 and the Top 5 Team companywide in 2021 achieving over $76 Million in sales volume with 114 units sold. In 2022, the team has been recognized by Real Trends' "The Thousand", a national award ranking the top 500 sales associates and teams in the US and they were recognized by Tampa Bay Business Journal's "Who's Who in Residential Real Estate".
Over the years Joanna has worked with a diverse array of both buyers and sellers across all price points. Buyers coming from around the country and abroad look to Joanna’s extensive area knowledge for information on all locations spanning from Lakewood Ranch to Venice, Sarasota's barrier islands, and everywhere in between. Her local proficiency and vast understanding of all areas and options allow Joanna to effectively assist her clients in making informed decisions while navigating the process of making Sarasota and its surrounding locale their dream second home or blissful year-round living. Her superior market knowledge leads Joanna to also partner alongside her sellers in establishing the most competitive approach to pricing and strategic marketing through print ads, electronic distribution, and social media channels. This creative and savvy marketing approach led Joanna to be chosen as the exclusive Listing Agent for the first-ever Sarasota-based garage condo development, Wheel Base Garage Condos. After completely selling out all 46 units, Joanna was crowned “The Garage Queen” and tapped as the exclusive Listing Agent for a second project, Suncoast Executive Storage. Through the total sale of all 26 units, Joanna has established herself as the premier agent in this niche market and is currently collaborating with developers on exciting future garage condo projects.
Joanna is committed to serving her community and has had the honor of working closely with several local non-profits. This includes serving as a founding Board Member of Impact100 SRQ, as a member of the Sarasota Cotillion Board of Directors, Parish Council Member of the Church of St. Patrick, and St. Martha Catholic School Board of Directors. In her spare time, Joanna enjoys “vacationing” where she lives with her family and boating the glorious waters of Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Joanna lives with her husband of 25 years and has raised two sons in Sarasota.
