Zach Pruitt serves as CEO and a Principal of Cawley Commercial Real Estate.  

Pruitt joined Cawley CRE, partnering with colleagues to open the new Chicago office in 2018. As a Principal, he assumed the role of Designated Managing Broker for the downtown office before being appointed CEO in 2023.   

He prioritizes building strong client relationships and positions the dynamic 40-person firm – including brokerage and property management divisions – as a leading provider of market trends, analyses, and expertise; focused on achieving successful outcomes and setting new market standards. 

Pruitt brings more 20 years of extensive real estate experience spanning an array of product from office, industrial to urban infill, and an in-depth understanding of the complexities and nuances specific to multiple types of transactions, from ground-up development, lease negotiations and restructures, site acquisition and disposition, sale-leasebacks, build-to-suits, strategic planning, and portfolio management.   

He has partnered with a spectrum of clients, locally to internationally, including individual property owners, institutional investors, Fortune 500 companies, and privately owned family businesses.  

Prior to joining Cawley Commercial Real Estate, Pruitt gained over ten years of commercial real estate experience with primary focus of tenant representation at DTZ/UGL Equis now operating as Cushman & Wakefield and NelsonHill, with a practice focus within Urban Infill and Redevelopment in Chicago. He began his career in residential real estate, having worked for one of the nation’s largest home developers and a privately owned general contractor.  

A graduate of Purdue University, Pruitt is active in the Commercial Real Estate industry and involved in executive, leadership, and continuing education curriculums.  

Pruitt lives in Chicago, where he spends his time with his wife and two daughters and is an active member of their school and Parish. He is a certified youth soccer coach and is active in endurance sports and triathlons.