Throughout the past year, the net lease sector has experienced a myriad of challenges, as well as unexpected successes.
While retail assets have historically proven to be the net lease sector’s primary investment type, the COVID-19 pandemic effectively shifted asset class performance within the sector.
Throughout the ongoing pandemic, retail-occupied industrial and logistics properties gained increased interest from net lease investors, as stakeholders evolved alongside the market’s changes and expanded their investments to reflect this new trend.
As new buyers enter the space, fueling activity through an influx of investments, essential logistics and retail properties continue to deliver returns and perform well. However, certain non-essential net-leased properties have fallen to the wayside, causing sector professionals to quickly navigate unfamiliar activity.
“That learning curve really only took a couple of months,” Matthew Mousavi, managing principal at SRS Real Estate Partners National Net Lease Group, previously told GlobeSt.com. “Investors were able to pivot and understand the new normal of net lease. This is not your typical recession where everything is down. Certain industries are booming. That bodes well for us.”
While large-format tenants, such as theaters, entertainment centers and fitness centers continue to struggle, overall activity within the market began to significantly pick-up in Q4 2020; positioning the sector to deliver strong growth in 2021.
“Q4 has been total mania,” Camille Renshaw, CEO and founder of B+E stated in an earlier interview with GlobeSt.com. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much going on. Loads of large 1031 exchanges are in the market. We have smaller ones too, but these are probably the most $50 and $60 million exchanges we’ve had.”
Considering the endless ups and downs that net lease professionals have navigated within the space throughout the past 12 months, GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum is aiming to celebrate the professionals and companies whom not only survived, but thrived in the dynamic, challenging environment. Deserving of special recognition, are the professionals that succeeded in the net lease sector through targeted, meticulous trend-tracking, implemented services, entrepreneurial approaches and streamlined innovations.
Effecting change through their vast successes and contributions, these professionals have shaped the net lease real estate scene into a growing marketplace and an integral sector.
Seeking powerful game-changers, as both industry veterans and newcomers, GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum will profile the 2021 Influencers in Net Lease within its September issue and on GlobeSt.com. We additionally plan to honor the chosen Net Lease Influencers at a celebratory awards ceremony this fall – assuming health and safety guidelines allow. Whether at our event or within our pages, our hope is that the industry will gain insights from the nominees’ stories, thus preparing their transactions and investments for continued success.