Mike Wagner
Mike Wagner created WPG as the next expression of his tenured career and dedication to real estate. Mike has had a successful career in commercial real estate investment for over 20 years.
He is the former President and founder of Encore Real Estate Development (2009 -2014) and former Chief Operating Officer and Managing Partner of Paradise Group (1999-2009).
Prior to joining the development community, Mike enjoyed a 20 years career with Wachovia Bank, now Wells Fargo, primarily as a commercial real estate relationship manager responsible for new business development and credit risk analysis. Mike earned his Bachelor’s degree in Management from the University of South Florida.
Sarah Liakos
Sarah Liakos serves Wagner Property Group as Vice President overseeing both Development and Accounting. Her responsibilities also include working closely with external due diligence vendors and overseeing the day to day operations of the business.
Formerly, Sarah was a part of Encore Real Estate Development (2009-2014) where she began her career in commercial real estate and continuously expanded her roles and responsibilities. Sarah graduated with a dual-major Bachelor of Science from Indiana University in Bloomington. In addition to working at WPG, she is a small business owner in the Tampa Bay area and is very proud to have worked for various successful and well respected companies across the US to include lululemon (Southern California) and Morningstar (Chicago).
Joe Risi
Acquisitions Specialist
Joseph A. Risi is currently an Acquisitions Specialist at Wagner Property Group, where he focuses on sourcing development and investment opportunities. Joe plays a pivotal role as he identifies and secures valuable properties for development, contributing to the growth and expansion of the organization while negotiating property acquisitions.
Joe’s journey to his current position at Wagner Property Group was paved through a series of strategic roles; namely as a Summer Analyst at Lionheart Capital in Miami, Florida where he focused directly on future SPAC offerings. Joe also performed financial analysis and market research as an Intern at Manole Capital Management and as an Operations Intern at Blasters Inc.
Joe hails from Tampa, Florida, showcasing a deep-rooted connection to the region he now serves professionally. He graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science in Finance. His educational background, combined with his professional experiences and Florida upbringing, make him a well-rounded individual with a strong commitment to his work and community.
Burton Tuttle
Vice President
Burton Tuttle is a founding member of Wagner Property Group. As Vice President, Burton is responsible for sourcing development and investment opportunities, as well as cultivating and managing retailer, banking and investor relationships.
Previously, Burton served as Site Acquisition Manager at Encore Real Estate Development in Safety Harbor, Florida, where he was consistently a top producer covering the West Coast of Florida. Prior to that, Burton spent 5 years in Dallas, TX as the Real Estate Manager for Salvo Real Estate Solutions, a merchant builder that specialized in hard corner development.
Burton graduated with honors from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX with a B.S. in Economics and Finance. He holds a Real Estate Broker’s license in Florida and a Real Estate Salesperson license in Texas. Burton is actively involved with The Bergstrom Council, the Real Estate Investment Council, ICSC, Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, and he is a member at First Presbyterian Church in Tampa.
Taylor Wagner
Taylor currently serves WPG as a research analyst. Her position as an analyst is unique in that her responsibilities are split between assisting the real estate team in research concepts, and supporting the operations team in reporting, bookkeeping, and the construction draw process.
Taylor attended the University of Miami where she completed her Bachelor of Science degree in 2013 from their School of Business Administration, with a major in Management. Post-graduation, Taylor worked in the fast paced world of residential real estate in South Florida before moving back to Tampa Bay and beginning her career in commercial development here at WPG.
Matthew Griffith
Matthew Griffith serves Wagner Property Group as Vice President with a primary focus on Acquisitions. He is currently responsible for managing the team that sources development and investment opportunities, negotiates property acquisitions and determines project feasibility.
Prior to joining WPG, Matthew had a 10-year career as a commercial real estate appraiser and consultant, last serving as founding partner and managing director of a regional valuation and consulting firm with offices in Tampa, Orlando and Miami. He also held the position of Associate Vice President with Grubb & Ellis Landauer, preceded by five years as Senior Associate at a regional valuation/consulting firm based in Tampa.
Matthew is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Florida State University where he received a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Real Estate. Furthermore, he was one of the youngest ever to receive the MAI professional designation conferred by the Appraisal Institute (Non-Practicing).
Michael O'Connor
Michael grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. He studied business and real estate development at Suffolk University. In 2018, he moved to Tampa to join Wagner Property Groups acquisitions team.
Since then, he has worked diligently to acquire real estate in target markets while working with property owners to get them the best outcome based on their situation.
Real estate and development are Michaels passion and in his free time he loves playing golf, reading books and spending time with his family.