About Denise

Profile: Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Denise moved to Northern Virginia as a child and remained in the Washington DC metro area until 2003, when she relocated to Sarasota. Denise believes the quality of life on Florida's Gulf Coast is truly unparalleled, and feels that real estate is the ideal way to share her love for the area with current and future residents. Denise first earned a real estate license in VA, MD and DC while working for an apartment search company. From here, she switched gears and entered the advertising industry, working at the Washington Post, Times Community Newspapers and Trader Publishing Co., as well as establishing her own small firm in Sarasota. She also served as VP of Marketing and Business Development for a Sarasota-based medical company, before deciding to return to her roots in real estate. Denise believes that her commitment, drive, passion and empathy make the experience of buying and selling a home a truly pleasurable one. Fluent in Portuguese, Denise's hobbies include travel, photography, bicycling and horseback riding. Testimonials: "What a pleasure! Denise’s guidance and support made our new home purchase a breeze. She was our trusted advisor and partner every step along the way, sharing accurate communication across all parties involved. Our entire experience, and transaction was successful due to Denise’s market knowledge, process expertise, responsiveness, and negotiation skills. Her professionalism, dedication and kind manner cannot be beat." - John M., Buyer, October 2020 "What are the characteristics of the quintessential realtor? Dependability, responsibility, honesty, and resourcefulness immediately come to mind. Denise Barbato not only possesses all those qualities at a superlative level, but she is also one of the kindest, most compassionate human beings you will ever meet. Selling or purchasing a home can be an extremely stressful and emotional experience. Most responsible realtors are concerned about assisting you with such transactions in a professional and an expedient manner. Denise is certainly one of those realtors, but she also gently guides her clients in a very warm, personalized, and caring manner. She truly becomes your friend in the process and greatly exceeds your expectations. Denise did everything possible to accommodate our specific needs. For example, when selling our Sarasota home and moving from Florida to Rhode Island, she recommended several reputable movers, based on her diligent research and personal experience. When we needed to ship our car to R.I., Denise also offered us sound advice in choosing the best company to suit our needs. Shortly after we began our drive up North, Denise came to our Sarasota property to ensure that our other car would be safely transferred to the truck transporting it to R.I. This gave my husband and me tremendous peace of mind. Most of all, Denise always kept us informed on a regular basis. This not only provided us with reassurance, but also prevented us from feeling the anxiety and uncertainty often associated with placing your home on the market. Whether it was an update regarding the most recent selling and buying trends, the notification of an upcoming showing of our home or the reporting of prospective buyers’ reactions after viewing our property, Denise never hesitated to provide us with timely advice, feedback, and other relevant information. Furthermore, she was always available whenever we needed to contact her regarding any concern whatsoever. Whenever we contacted Denise, our telephone call and text messages were always addressed promptly and courteously. Being a realtor is not imply a job for Denise; rather, it is truly her avocation in life. She is passionate about what she does and is totally committed to her clients. Therefore, without hesitation, I would most highly recommend Denise Barbato as an exceptional real estate agent. I promise you will not be disappointed. In fact, I believe you will be extremely pleased in every possible way." - Anne Marie V.. Seller, August 2020 "I met Denise at an open house in Palmer Ranch, Sarasota. I immediately appreciated her demeanor and professional approach -- not pushy, insistent or overpowering. She engaged in small conversation in her warm, engaging way. I enjoyed the encounter and didn’t feel overwhelmed with questions designed to determine my qualifications and economic ability to purchase. Subsequently, I felt comfortable in giving her my contact info and explained my unsure plans and certain criteria which included abundant, natural light. So Denise won me over with many showings always keeping within my parameters and price range. I thought she would eventually lose patience with me and change being professionally grounded and stop finding perspective homes altogether. Instead, she continued her search for me over the next 9 months or so. Professionally, patiently, and always paying attention to my needs. She never tried to change my opinion, desires or my nuances. Denise found the perfect home which met ALL of my specifications! She then helped me navigate through the purchasing process which went very smooth. Lots of details. Lots of time. She had lots of patience. She is much appreciated!" - -Vilma R., Buyer, January 2020 "Denise is a truly exceptional real estate agent: she is conscientious, hardworking, ethical, thorough and extremely sensitive to the needs of her clients. She really goes far beyond expectations in that she seeks to operate in the best interests of her clients by gaining a detailed understanding of what they want and need in a home. While she works well with her peer agents in coordinating reviewing properties and showings, she runs circles around most of them by spending time with her clients to get to know them personally. I can say after this process of buying the perfect home for us, she is now a friend. How many clients can say that about their real estate agent? My wife and I now have the perfect home in Sarasota because of Denise. We strongly recommend her to anyone in need of an agent to buy or sell a home." - Henry A., Buyer, May 2020 "Denise, thank you for all your help in finding me the perfect home for my lifestyle and budget. I was so happy that we were able to close the deal in 30 days! I appreciate your help throughout the whole process - finding a mortgage broker, dealing with the HOA, setting up inspections and home warranty. I most appreciate that we were in touch daily while you were overseas! You also provided me with excellent referrals for painters, contractors for remodeling and even assisted me in finding furniture for my new home - all of your help made this transition much easier." -Karen D., Buyer, July 2019 "Denise is the best realtor I’ve ever had! She really cares that you find exactly what you are looking for, and doesn’t stop until you do! Her research skills are second to none. If you are looking for someone who not only cares but actually listens, then Denise is your realtor!" -Amy M., Buyer, March 2018