“Flemish, Dutch, French, German…a little English,” said Geert Benoot playfully. He went on listing the seven languages he fluently reads, writes and speaks. “South African and Swiss, and then we speak beer too…we are from Belgium,” he said with a smile.
His gregarious son, Matthieu, agrees. “Yes, we speak beer very well,” he said, naming one of his favorites, Chimay, a heavy Belgian ale.
“Every beer in Belgium has its own glass,” said Catherine, the lovely Benoot family matriarch. She says it’s challenging to find restaurants that serve Chimay Belgium-style in a wide-mouthed goblet. “But on Beach Drive you can have it,” she said.
Whether you like beer or not, when you meet the Benoots, you just want to waste the afternoon with them—chatting, sipping suds and soaking in the Florida sunshine.
Warm and friendly, the Benoots are “international to the core,” as Geert puts it.
But they’re “all St. Pete-ians,” Matthieu said. Their love of St. Petersburg’s perfect blend of small town charm and big city amenities is immediately apparent in conversation.
”We are definitely connected to the neighborhood,” Geert said. He and Catherine, who’ve been married for more than 35 years, live just a four-minute walk from the office of their family business, located at 70 Beach Drive N.E., Benoot Realty.
From Belgium to St. Pete
Family owned and operated, Benoot Realty is a full-service real estate brokerage with decades of experience in both U.S. and European markets. With offices in St. Petersburg, Florida and Menen, Belgium, Benoot Realty is committed to lending their local knowledge and international expertise for all the real estate needs of their clients—from renting, buying and selling to investment and development projects.
Born and raised in Belgium, the Benoots started vacationing in Tarpon Springs 25 years ago. They became permanent residents in 1998 and U.S. citizens 10 years later. The avid boaters moved to St. Petersburg in 2012, after discovering the St. Petersburg Yacht Club.
“We’re very proud to be U.S. citizens,” Geert said. “This is an unbelievable country.”
Geert and Catherine started their real estate careers in Belgium during the late 1980s. “I have sold, managed, constructed and developed over one thousand properties outside the U.S.,” Geert said.
Seizing the opportunity to assist European clients with American real estate investment opportunities in the late 2000s, he started Benoot Realty.
Family Owned and Operated
In 2011, Geert was joined in the business by sons Matthieu and Clement, who both share their father’s passion for real estate and dedication to providing superior customer service. Catherine, who used to practice real estate in Europe, now manages public relations for the company.
The Benoots have built a team of agents who share their values and drive, including Bruce Farrell, Lisa Siver, Logan Dickinson, Grant Bond and Steve Castleberry, a former NBA player. Much more than just colleagues, the agents are an extension of the Benoot family.
The company they’ve have built together goes beyond real estate, and they take pride in the community that has contributed so much to their success. Their humble beginnings have blossomed into a business culture that values character and integrity above all else.
Not a Job, But a Lifestyle
Matthieu says, “Real estate is not a job, it’s a lifestyle. It’s always there.”
Their work keeps them busy, managing sales and rentals for both small and large-scale residential, commercial and development projects throughout the Tampa Bay area. But they always have time for their clients.
”When people call our office, it goes to my cell phone and his cell phone,” Matthieu said. “We take pride in communication and actually answering our phone.”
“You can call at 11 at night, they’re going to pick up. You can call at seven in the morning, they will pick up,” Catherine said. “They’re always working…Sunday, Monday, brunch, dinner.”
“Seven days a week,” Geert said. “We just breathe real estate, eat real estate, drink real estate, sleep real estate.”
“When we have our dinner together, it’s more of a business meeting,” Matthieu said.
“It never stops,” Catherine said.
“We go over and beyond,” Matthieu said. “After the sale is done we don’t just walk, we stick with the client.”
We Walk Everywhere!
The Benoots say living within walking distance to St. Pete’s vibrant downtown is what their clients want most, something they enjoy themselves.
“You can walk to 60, 70 restaurants,” Geert said. “We have a small thing to eat and we talk.”
“I’m more down Central (Ave.),” Matthieu said. “Little mom-and-pop or hole-in-the-wall restaurants that are, just hands down, the best food.”
“Yes, there’s so many good ones,” Catherine said. “But when we can’t walk, we don’t go. We walk everywhere.”
“But, when you see us in downtown we are the same people,” Geert said.
“Yes. Please come and say hi to us when you see us,” Matthieu said. “We’ll buy you a Chimay.”
Get in Touch
Call Benoot Realty for a complimentary, no-obligation consultation, including an in-depth evaluation of the property within the current market.
Benoot Realty is located at 70 Beach Drive N.E., St. Petersburg. For more information call (727) 944-4000, email [email protected] or visit benootrealty.com.
