NAI Burns Scalo, a Pittsburgh-based commercial real estate firm, is making an aggressive play on Florida’s Gulf Coast by buying Fort Myers-headquartered Commercial Property Southwest Florida. The deal plants a formal flag for NAI in Fort Myers, folding local market veterans into the firm’s brokerage, construction and property management platform. Company leaders say the move is designed to fuel development along the I-75 stretch from Tampa Bay to Fort Myers.
In a press release, NAI Burns Scalo said it has acquired Cushman & Wakefield | Commercial Property Southwest Florida and that founder Gary Tasman will stay on in an active role as the team transitions to the NAI brand. The company framed the acquisition as a way to lock in “local leadership and local decision-making” across its Florida operations.
An integrated platform
The firm’s distributed announcement, published through PR Newswire, highlights that NAI Burns Scalo works across brokerage, property management and construction and owns several million square feet of real estate. President Brian Walker said in the release that the goal is to pair local teams with in-house development and capital so the firm can operate as both adviser and owner on larger projects.
Why the I-75 corridor matters
Tampa Bay Business & Wealth reports that the Fort Myers expansion follows NAI’s 2025 Tampa office opening and the hire of longtime Florida executive Tim Rivers to run operations across the state. According to that coverage, company leaders ultimately want a platform capable of investing roughly $250 million a year. The publication also notes the firm’s construction division generates about $100 million in revenue and points to Southwest Florida’s very low vacancy rates and roughly 33% rent growth as major tailwinds.
NAI says it will look at office, industrial, multifamily and mixed-use deals while staying selective about where its money goes, and it plans to tap Tasman’s regional relationships to source opportunities. The company has cast the acquisition as a strategic step to blend local market knowledge with national capital and construction muscle, according to its announcement on NAI Burns Scalo.
