The Normandy Insider

How Vanesa Carpignano Became the Go-To Agent for Miami Beach's Best-Kept Secret

by ELLIMAN INSIDER TEAM
November 2025

Normandy Isle and Normandy Shores may be among Miami Beach’s best-kept secrets, but for Vanesa Carpignano, it has been home for nearly 15 years. As Executive Director of Luxury Sales at Douglas Elliman and a member of its Sports & Entertainment division, Carpignano has built a career around the community she loves—emerging as its most trusted insider and leading voice in real estate.

Now celebrating her 10-year anniversary with Douglas Elliman, Carpignano has closed over 250 transactions in Normandy Isle and Normandy Shores alone, placing her among the top 3% of Elliman agents statewide in 2023 and earning RealTrends Verified recognition as one of Florida’s most accomplished professionals. But for her, the accolades only tell part of the story.

Creative roots

Originally from Argentina, Carpignano’s professional path began not in sales, but in design. After working in marketing for MIT’s Sloan Business School Cultural Events in Boston and later in New York at Grey Advertising’s interactive division, she and her husband, Alvaro, relocated to Miami where their three children were born.

What began casually as helping friends from Argentina and abroad find the right real estate investments quickly grew into a new career.

“I never thought I was a salesperson—I always thought of myself as a creative,” she recalled. “But it turned out that I really loved it.”

Her creative background continues to influence her work, from staging and presentation to sophisticated marketing strategies. That balance of artistry and precision has been central to her rise within Miami Beach’s luxury market.

A neighborhood like no other

Carpignano was immediately captivated by the Normandy Shores gated community. Sharing its man-made island with the Normandy Shores Golf Club, the neighborhood has an abundance of waterfront and golf course homes that offer a country-club living without the HOA fees. Its architectural landscape is just as diverse, ranging from Art Deco and MiMo homes to Mediterranean estates and sleek contemporary builds.

“I didn’t know then that something like this existed in this part of Miami Beach,” she shared.

Just as compelling is the community spirit. From Mother’s Day brunches and Father’s Day barbecues at the clubhouse to Halloween gatherings, book clubs, and children’s story readings in the park, Normandy Isle and Normandy Shores has become a place where neighbors truly connect.

“Normandy attracts people who are really looking for community, especially if they’re relocating and don’t know anybody,” she added.

Home turf advantage

Carpignano’s deep roots in the community give her clients an advantage few can match.

“Being so connected to the neighborhood means I often get the first call,” she explained.

Sellers trust her to discreetly pair their homes with the right buyers, while buyers rely on her for access to opportunities before they ever reach the market. It’s that combination of credibility, local presence, and personal trust that has positioned Carpignano as the go-to expert for Normandy Isle and Normandy Shores real estate.

Beyond her career, life in Normandy has given Carpignano and her family a lifestyle they treasure. Along with her husband, three children, four golden doodles, and a cat, she embraces the island’s waterfront lifestyle—weekends filled with boating, sailing, and windsurfing. Her daughters, who grew up on the island, sometimes babysit for other neighborhood families, a continuation of the tight-knit spirit that makes the community so unique.

“This is more than just a place to live,” she said. “It’s a lifestyle and a family.”

Carpignano is also committed to building community—along with actual homes—through her philanthropic work with TECHO, a youth-led nonprofit that builds emergency housing and community projects across Latin America and the Caribbean. A recent trip to Mexico City, where she helped to build homes for the Design TECHO 2025, inspired her to cement the connection between selling luxury homes and building roofs for those in need: Beginning in the New Year, she will contribute a percentage of every real estate transaction to TECHO.

Lifestyle, security & upside

With Miami Beach’s luxury market continuing to evolve, Carpignano believes Normandy Isle and Normandy Shores is entering its most exciting chapter yet. Domestic and international buyers alike are recognizing its rare blend of lifestyle, security, and long-term investment value.

“Today’s buyer is searching for lifestyle, security, and future upside,” she explained. “Normandy delivers all three.”

Whether representing a legacy estate, uncovering off-market opportunities, or guiding a family new to Miami, Carpignano remains a friendly neighbor, top-producing broker, and trusted advisor to all that life in Normandy Isle and Normandy Shores has to offer.