He has been in the real estate business since 1975. Mr. Mako was appointed an officer of the Bank of New York, responsible for commercial and residential construction and mortgage lending in the Central New York area. He has been in the consulting and valuation area of the practice since 1978, as a partner in an Upstate New York valuation firm. Prior to joining Cushman & Wakefield, Inc., he most recently was the managing partner of Summit Associates, a full service valuation and consulting company serving the Upstate New York market. In addition, he has had additional experience in office, residential, and retail leasing and property management.

Appraisal and consulting assignments have included vacant land, air rights, office buildings, shopping centers, industrial complexes, commercial properties, residential properties, subdivisions, hotels, golf courses, manufactured home communities, self-storage properties, parking facilities, and investment properties throughout the Upstate New York area. Mr. Mako has been qualified as an expert witness in the State of New York Court of Claims, by the Federal Bankruptcy Court, and for real estate and valuation issues in the New York State Supreme Court, including issues involving tax certiorari, matrimonial, partnership dissolutions, foreclosures, and other matters, and has been qualified as an expert witness in New York State Surrogates Court. Mr. Mako has been a guest speaker at various real estate, banking, and legal organization meetings in New York State. Mr. Mako has lectured and taught real estate analysis through local real estate schools, Onondaga Community College, and as an approved instructor in real estate brokerage and real estate appraisal by the New York State Department of State.