Burt Zupa began his real estate career in the early 1980’s, after relocating to Sarasota, Florida from Long Island, New York. He immediately became a force in the industry specializing in commercial real estate and affiliating with Schlott Realtors, the nation’s leading privately owned real estate provider at the time. He earned countless awards and was ranked second in earned commissions, out of 3,500 associates company-wide. When Schlott Realtors merged with Coldwell Banker in the early 1990’s, a non-compete regarding commercial real estate necessitated a move.  

Recognizing a gap in their business model, Burt partnered with two real estate industry leaders, Pat Neal and Tom Mannausa, who at the time were not involved in commercial real estate sales. Neal, a former Florida Senator and House Member, is the current owner of Neal Communities, an upmarket subdivision development company. Mannausa is a leading asset manager, principal court appointed receiver for the State of Florida, and current President of T. Mannausa & Company, a substantial residential development firm. Burt’s contribution to the team was his extensive commercial real estate knowledge, and as Director of Commercial Sales, he formed the top full-service commercial real estate sales, leasing, and management company on the west coast of Florida. He set up a streamlined approach for Resolution Trust, F.D.I.C, and Bank Receivership; and brought a substantial list of clients. 

Achieving continued success, Burt sought to focus on commercial real estate sales while expanding his own entrepreneurial interests. He ventured to form his own company under the largest privately owned real estate company in the nation, Weichert Realtors. Through Burt’s vision, his company immediately became one of the most successful franchises within the system, rapidly expanding to 8 offices throughout Florida. His franchise was ranked number 5 nation-wide, for both gross commission income and sales volume, out of 550 franchise and company owned offices.

Today, Burt focuses on his personal portfolio and preferred clients. In addition to assisting his clients in the transfer of off-market commercial real estate, he has the capacity to provide equity to developers on shovel-ready new construction, with a hospitality component. Oftentimes equity is the missing link in moving a development forward; and rather than competing with banks, REITs, and hedge funds, Burt compliments their efforts by his ability to provide the capital required to launch the venture. His “boots on the ground” approach has produced a proven track record of achieving his primary goal: to maximize profits while protecting his client at all costs. He has a reputation of being a tough, yet fair negotiator who takes a win-win approach, believing all parties can have a positive outcome in the end.