our team is awesome!
Since 1984 Preferred Yachts has helped thousands of clients realize their yachting dreams, let us do the same for you.
Joe Zammataro
(727) 560-0220
Joe@PreferredYachts.com
Owner and Certified Professional Yacht Broker.
For over 40 years, Joe has helped clients realize their boating dreams. He’d like to help you too. With extensive experience as a sailor, boat builder, yacht broker, businessman and a proven negotiator, Joe will provide you with sound advice and representation. You will find his practical experience and broad product knowledge insightful when comparing and evaluating yachts you are considering.
If your goal is to sell your boat, his sales and marketing experience will help you to sell your boat quickly, for the most dollars possible and have the process be hassle free. Few in the yacht business have more marketing experience than Joe. He began his career in the yacht business in 1978 and became vice president of sales and marketing for several yacht manufactures which included Gulfstar yachts, Lazzara Marine, Morgan Yachts and Irwin Yachts. During that time, he had the incredible opportunity to work side by side with several of the “legends” in the boat building industry. Joe also had the pleasure of working with Azimut Benetti, the Italian manufacturer that is the largest builder of motor yachts over eighty feet in the world. Through these experiences, Joe gained intimate product knowledge and a thorough understanding of the construction process that you may find helpful in comparing different yachts.
In 1984, Joe opened Preferred Yachts next to the St Petersburg Yacht Club. Understanding that yacht brokerage sales revolve around providing thorough and accurate information, Joe set out to create a better way of providing data to clients and sales people to make the best informed decisions. It was here that he pioneered and developed software that helped to revolutionize and computerize the yacht brokerage business.
Today, Joe continues to create successful marketing strategies that attract more potential buyers and tha sell a boat faster than other brokers. This includes The Preferred Yachts’ Brokerage Display Center at the Harborage Marina. With numerous boats for sale in one location, it attracts buyers from around the country. It’s like a boat show seven days a week. The Preferred Yachts’ Online Virtual Boat Show consists of 360-Degree Virtual Tours that are the next best thing to actually stepping aboard a boat. Available 24 hours a day, these virtual tours are shot and produced by Preferred Yachts at no cost to the seller and results in a majority of sales.
As one of only 125 of the 3000 licensed brokers in Florida to qualify as a Certified Professional Yacht Broker (CPYB), you will be assured of honest and accurate representation and that your interests are always protected. Joe’s experience in yacht sales is extensive and varied and includes selling hundreds of sail and power yachts.
Many of Joe’s clients have become lifelong friends. He’d like the opportunity to earn that relationship with you.
Pepper
Vice President
Customer Satisfaction
Pepper joined Preferred Yachts in 2015 and quickly rose within the organization. Pepper has become one of the keys to our success. She showers our guests with plenty of love and attention and will entertain them for hours chasing after her ball. Because of her unselfish care and concern for our clients, Pepper was promoted to Vice President of Customer Relations.
Wendy Figgs
(813) 514-7331
Wendy@PreferredYachts.com
We are fortunate to have Wendy as our Office Manager. She, her husband Bob and their dog Dexter, moved from North Carolina and live on a 47′ Sailboat. Her wealth of experience in the banking and real estate business, combined with her cheerful attitude make her the perfect person to keep the office organized and take care of our clients and sales people.
Jamie Birch
(317) 750-8664
Jamie@PreferredYachts.com
Jamie Birch grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana, and graduated from Indiana University in May of 2013 with her bachelor’s degree in marketing. After graduation, she moved down to St. Petersburg, Florida to pursue her dream of working and living on the water. Jamie grew up boating with family friends on various lakes in Michigan, where she first developed her love for boating and the water. With an education and background in sales and marketing, as well as two sales-related internships in college, she decided to gear her sales and marketing experience towards something she loves. Jamie has been a full time yacht broker since 2013.
Bo Brown
(727) 408-1027
Bo@PreferredYachts.com
What Bo Brown enjoys best about the yacht business is helping his clients achieve their boating dream. Bo has been in the Florida marine industry for nearly 30 years and has made a successful career as a yacht broker for over 27 years. His wealth of experience, knowledge and commitment has helped clients from all over the world find their ideal yacht or sell their current boat. He’d like to have the opportunity to be an assistant to you as well. “I know that listening to my client’s individual needs and wishes is what is important, whether helping a client sell their current boat, purchase a new boat or both simultaneously. Each client is unique and has their own expectations. My job is to ensure that together we achieve your goal.”
Ken D'Agostino
(941) 320-0044
Ken@PreferredYachts.com
Whether you are buying or selling a boat, Ken is uniquely qualified to help you.
Ken completely embraces the boating lifestyle. Ken is enjoying the live aboard lifestyle for almost 15 years. His boating passion began as a young teenager boating with his dad around Martha Vineyard, Nantucket and Long Island Sound. The racing bug eventually hit and Ken owned and raced a J-24 and then an IOR boat. Besides owning numerous sailboats, he’s owned a sportfish, a trawlers and his current boat is a 62’ motor yacht. Ken intimately understands what you go through to buy, sell or own a boat. What this means to you is he will help you make sound choices.
As an owner of a successful real estate company for decades, Ken is an outstanding negotiator and will expertly guide you through the buying or selling process.
Water is part of Ken’s DNA and he passed this passion on to his two adult children, who also own boats. Ken has been a Member of the Sarasota Yacht Club since 1995 and has served on the SYC Board of Directors for 11 plus years. He is a graduate of Eckerd College and a resident of Sarasota since 1978.
Fun loving and dedicated to the marine lifestyle, you will enjoy working with Ken. He is always available to talk boats. Give him a call.
Celeste Dorage
(941) 224-7031
Celeste@PreferredYachts.com
With the variety of skills that Captain Celeste brings, she will work tirelessly to help you find your dream yacht.
We were pleased to have Captain Celeste join us as a broker as she is a 100 Ton Master Captain since 2015 after having her 50 Ton Master Captain license since 2000. She is also an American Sailing Association Certified Sailing Instructor. She has specialized in yacht delivery throughout the entire eastern seaboard and the Caribbean.
She has been Owner and Head Chef of a very successful and widely acclaimed restaurant based in Boston as well as a trainer in corporate restaurant environments.
As a classically trained musician and composer, Celeste has performed and trained in Cambridge and Boston, MA as well as Woodstock, NY.
As a broker, Captain Celeste can fed your appetite for sailing knowledge and fine tune your preferences on yachts to deliver the perfect yacht purchase experience.
Bob Figgs
(813) 514-7330
Bob@PreferredYachts.com
We are proud to have Bob Figgs on our team.
Bob, his wife, Wendy and their dog, Dexter, have turned their dream of living aboard a boat into reality. Bob is an ASA Certified Bareboat and Multihull Sailor and enjoys sailing on his Beneteau Oceanis. He has owned many boats throughout his life, both power and sail. In addition, Bob conducts yacht “shake down cruises” and deliveries with a local captain for his clients that need those services. Having gone through the buying and selling cycle, Bob can empathize with your challenges whether you are buying or selling a boat.
Bob’s professional life began in the automotive Industry, where he earned accreditation as a Master Registered ASE Technician, and advanced into corporate life. Bob has traveled extensively through the Caribbean, Europe, Mexico, and Canada as a Regional Operations Manager in both sales and service for a Worldwide Automotive Manufacturer.
Now, as a full time, trained professional yacht broker, you will find his knowledge, experience, and integrity extremely helpful in making an informed decision best for you. You will also enjoy his easy-going attitude, sound advice and find his impeccable follow-up refreshing. Give Bob a call and put him to work for you.
Greg Johnson
(228) 222-0269
Greg@PreferredYachts.com
Born and raised on the Mississippi gulf coast, Greg moved to the Tampa area following his time in the Army. He attended the University of South Florida, where he graduated with a degree in mass communications and journalism. Therefore, his natural next progression was to immediately start selling boats. He’s had a passion for sailing and obsession with sailboats since his teens.
Over the past few years Greg has been refitting his 1973 Ericson 39 with the goal of cruising. There isn’t a system on the boat he hasn’t had his hands in. From fiberglass work to painting, electrical to plumbing, he can certainly tell you what not to do.
John Karaosmanoglu
(813) 809-3303
John@PreferredYachts.com
“John is uniquely qualified to be your broker. John’s deep love of boating led him to become a Naval Architect, earn a degree in Ocean Engineering, and achieve an MBA in Marketing and E-commerce.
Besides being an excellent student, John is also a great communicator and teacher. For nine years he taught and helped graduate, hundreds of students from the Marina and Yacht Management program as the Department Chair at Yasar University. Before that, he was a yachting agent for some of the largest giga yachts in the world –- i.e. yachts over 300 ft.
Having recently moved with his beloved wife and young daughter from Europe to the U.S., John is excited and motivated to use his background and global network to help you. His attention to detail, follow up, and easy demeanor is refreshing, and his guidance extremely helpful, whether you are buying or selling a boat.
Preferred Yachts is pleased to have a person with such an amazing background on our team. You will enjoy working with him.”
Barry Lillis
(941) 900-5965
Barry@PreferredYachts.com
Ron Nummi
(917) 243-2087
Ron@PreferredYachts.com
As a St. Petersburg local, Ron Nummi has the marine way of life in his blood. His love of the water and appreciation of vintage yachts drives Ron to help his clients achieve their own dreams in the boating lifestyle. Ron has spent many years living on yachts. From the time he was a film and stage actor in New York City, he lived on and raised his 3 children on a 42 ft. classic Chris Craft.
As his children got older, Ron’s career allowed him to travel extensively all over the world. He returned
to New York and worked as a stockbroker for several years before realizing he wanted to return to St. Petersburg and the boating lifestyle. He now lives on his 40 ft. Sailing yacht with his fiancé and their 2 dogs.
Ron is a professional communicator and keeps his clients involved in every aspect of the process. Ron’s love of the boating life shows in how he strives to share this with his clients, whether you are looking to start a new adventure on the water or selling your boat and look to the next chapter in their life.
Jennifer Peterson
(727) 685-9735
JenP@PreferredYachts.com
Not one person has more credentials and knowledge about the marine industry and way of life than Jennifer Peterson. Jenn’s professional life has always been centered around the sea. She earned a Degree in Environmental Science prior to graduating the Coast Guard Academy and serving our country for 5 years.
Jenn then acquired a degree in Navel Architecture, and with that knowledge became a Certified Marine Surveyor and Marine Electrician. She took the opportunity to Solo sail from St. Petersburg to Grenada and back. Upon her return, she obtained her Captain’s license as well as her broker’s license.
Her and her partner, another Preferred Yachts broker, Ron Nummi, live on their 40 Ft. Pacific Seacraft with their 2 dogs.
Fenton Tompkin
(727) 686-2387
Fenton@PreferredYachts.com
The Preferred Yachts Difference
We are full time professional yacht brokers, with a real office, in a real marina with real listings and a sincere passion to help our clients realize their boating dreams. Preferred Yachts is committed to the highest level of ethical, professional and knowledgeable representation for our clients.
Our Team is Awesome at
Listings and Sales
Our membership in The IYBA is your assurance of professional and ethical representation as well as fair and standardized Listing and Selling Agreements. Through IYBA, We have a cooperative relationship with the best brokers in the business in order to find a buyer for your yacht or to find your next one.
Joe Zammataro, CPYB
Call (727) 527-2800
Proud Member