At the same time, Southwest Florida is coping with the same problems as other metropolitan areas in terms of job losses. All three counties have a combined unemployment rate of 11% through March, up several percentage points over the past year, according to the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation.

Colliers Arnold, which has offices in Fort Myers and Naples, says it has noticed two consecutive quarters of positive absorption in the local office sector for the first time since tracking the market in 2006. The most active space users are government, medical and education, the firm says.

"We remain confident that office will enter recovery first," says Andrew Falde, investment specialist with Colliers Arnold in Fort Myers. He adds that medical will be the most active in the next few quarters as doctors seek to position themselves in the expanding hospital corridor along Daniels Parkway.

The retail sector may follow closely behind office into a recovery after the recession, led by discounters replacing high-end retailers, Falde says. Industrial is deep into the down cycle and may have a longer road back, he says.

Tasman notes that other core service providers are seeking office space to serve the area's affluent residents, particularly those who make their home on Sanibel Island. Some prospective tenants are looking to return to the US after offshoring operations in recent years to places like India, adding: "We're a mecca for job growth now."