FT. LAUDERDALE—Calkain Companies is heading south. The Washington, D.C. triple net lease specialist is opening an office in Fort Lauderdale to complement its office in Tampa.

Patrick Nutt, Calkain’s recently promoted managing director, is relocating from Tampa to open the Fort Lauderdale location for Calkain. The firm also hired industry veteran Michael Zimmerman as a vice president. He has successfully closed more than $350 million in investment sales in South Florida. Zimmerman worked at RJS Realty until last November and previously served as a vice president of Investments at Marcus & Millichap.

“Florida attracts national attention, especially for net lease properties,” Nutt tells GlobeSt.com. “But South Florida is a market to itself. Without having boots on the ground down in the Tri-County area we were lacking the presence we really needed to serve our clients.”