Gary Tasman leaves Cushman & Wakefield for NAI Burns Scalo

Gary Tasman started Cushman & Wakefield Commercial Property Southwest Florida in January 2007. Two years later, he created the first independently owned and operated alliance for the global real estate company in Florida. 

On June 9, Tasman announced he ended that exclusive alliance agreement and joined another company that recently entered the Florida market. 

Tasman joined NAI Burns Scalo effective immediately and has been named executive vice president. Over the next week, Cushman & Wakefield leasing and sale signs across Southwest Florida will be rebranded as NAI Burns Scalo. 

“I’m not going anywhere,” said Tasman, who will continue working from the same fifth-floor office at 5220 Summerlin Commons Blvd. in south Fort Myers. His team of 35 employees made the move with him. 

Tasman said the move will give his team access to additional services, including construction, development and investment advisory capabilities. 

Tasman is still the broker of record for Skyplex, a master-planned development concept he created while at Cushman & Wakefield on behalf of the Lee County Port Authority, which owns the 680 acres slated for development. 

“I think you can say we are extremely interested in developing in the Skyplex area,” Tasman said. 

As Tasman considered NAI Burns Scalo President Brian Walker’s proposal, he said he realized he could bring more to his role as a broker by joining a company that does more than brokerage. 

“NAI came in with $100 million initially to invest and $250 million a year over the next five years to invest in Florida,” Tasman said. “That’s massive. 

“They approached me. I didn’t approach them. The more I saw how it could benefit our community with this kind of talent, the more interested I became. For me, it was an opportunity to do more — faster.” 

NAI Burns Scalo began as a roofing company in 1956 in Pittsburgh, founded by John Scalo and Duke Burns. It has since evolved into a privately owned real estate company with 325 offices in 55 countries. 

NAI stands for Network of Affiliated Independents. Independent brokers share resources, referrals and market data while maintaining local ownership and leadership — factors Tasman said he found attractive. 

In addition to brokerage services, Burns Scalo offers property management, construction and development services. 

NAI Burns Scalo, which also has offices in West Virginia, entered Florida in September 2025 when it opened an office in Tampa. Walker, who previously competed against Burns Scalo in the Pittsburgh market before joining the company three years ago, began recruiting Tasman last year. 

“We’re really excited about the investment opportunities in Southwest Florida,” Walker said. “Gary Tasman is so passionate about growth in the market. 

“We’re diversifying into a national growth company. We won’t go into any market now without a full array of services.” 

Walker said he was not ready to disclose the company's specific investment plans but said they would cover all major commercial real estate sectors, including office, industrial and retail. 

“Everybody knows in real estate, real estate’s a local business,” Walker said. “Gary Tasman has unbelievable real estate relationships. In the last five months, we’ve spent a lot of time down here with Gary trying to do it the right way. 

“We wanted to be a part of this. I’m super excited to be here. We’re looking to do something very special in this particular community.” 

Tasman said that once he understood the scope of NAI Burns Scalo’s vision and goals, the decision to join the company became easy. 

“I fully believe that we’ll be able to do in a few years what would otherwise take us decades to do — in terms of impacting the community in a positive way and impacting the market in a much more meaningful way,” Tasman said. 

Tasman called June 9 a monumental day. Several NAI Burns Scalo executives visited him in Fort Myers, and he formally submitted his notice to Cushman & Wakefield. 

“I had already informed them,” Tasman said. “They’re very aware of it. We’re still going to support them in this market. We have an excellent arrangement with them. 

“We now are part of a team that is not only going to support us with data and thoughtful leadership but also help grow the market with capital and a full suite of services.”