Michael VanBuskirk

Michael VanBuskirk serves as Vice Chairman of Newmark Zimmer in Kansas City. Since joining the firm in 1994, Michael has been involved in the completion of more than 1,200 transactions with a combined value of over $2.25 billion. These transactions include over 30 million square feet of commercial properties and over 3,500 acres of land. He was made a principal of the firm in 2006, is a member of the firm’s board of directors and serves on the executive management team.

As co-leader of Newmark Zimmer’s Investment Sales and Capital Markets Team, Michael is responsible for the acquisition and disposition of investment properties for individual investors, regional investment groups and institutional clients. He has experience in all investment property types including office, medical office, industrial, retail, multifamily, hospitality and development land.

Michael has an active consulting practice and assists corporate clients in managing all aspects of their commercial real estate including portfolio analysis and lease negotiations, property acquisitions/dispositions and structuring sale-leaseback transactions. He has extensive experience in consulting and assisting not-for-profits in maximizing the value of their real estate assets. Michael has successfully completed projects for clients in over 20 states.

Michael is active in development activities including project management, build-to-suits,  and land development. In this capacity he has been involved with the development of more than 2 million square feet of commercial buildings and more than 2,000 acres of land. He has also been involved with the placement of more than $150 million of commercial mortgages, completed multiple loan sales and has served as a court appointed receiver.

Outside of his professional success, Michael is deeply committed to community involvement and civic engagement.  He has served in leadership roles for economic development, not-for-profit and education related organizations throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area.  In honor of Michael’s decades of service through commercial real estate, economic development and volunteerism; he was honored as the 2025 Citizen of the Year by the City of Lee’s Summit, Missouri.