The same rings true for brokers that made sure their clients— and anyone else that would listen—know that they are the epitome of professionalism and have the ability to procure transactions even when people aren't seeking them. Brokers that have maintained and even increased their presence during the depths of the recession are typically those that are now extremely noticeable by both investors and landlords.

There was a time when anyone with a computer and a halfhearted attempt at a website could make a decent living by "slinging" property flyers around the internet with the hopes of getting a portion of some fee that they really didn't control. Now, for the betterment of the entire industry, brokers involved in a net lease transaction are actually being vetted by those that hire them. In essence, true net lease brokers have become the cream.

Corporations, which will ultimately become tenants in various built-to-suit properties, are of the same ilk. Those companies that decided that they could take advantage of some depressed market pricing and restarted their develop programs when others were still analyzing the macroeconomic conditions of the world have also fared well. Walgreens, CVS, Chase Bank, TD Bank, McDonald's, Dollar General, Family Dollar, Wawa and 7-Eleven have taken what many thought as a stagnant development period and turned it to their benefit. The common thread with these companies is not that they went against common thought about when and if they should develop new locations, but that they all have an investment-grade credit rating by Standard & Poor's or Moody's. That is far from a coincidence.

Overall, in what was once a highly segmented industry and one where a few dollars or a real estate license could get you in the net lease game, today's market is forcing professionals and entities to exploit their merits in order to set themselves apart from lesser-known or less-experienced providers. The cream always goes on top of pie.