TAMPA, FL-With 2013 a seemingly distant past, it's clear that most of us are now focused on the year ahead. It was clear to us that single tenant, net leased properties have become their own industry and are no longer a subset of the overall real estate market. Even ICSC has begun recognizing the net lease industry by hosting the inaugural ICSC N3 Net Lease Conference in Dallas in March 2014.

It is apparent that everyone, even those who once thought of net lease investments as an afterthought of their investment portfolio, are now laser focused on how this asset class of properties can drive profits during bull markets while offering stability through even the most challenging of bear markets.

Consolidation is a word that I heard a lot in 2013, a trend very likely to continue throughout 2014. Even my firm has been approached by other professionals in the net lease industry to discuss a larger platform in order for them to be more competitive in the marketplace; a concept that we're totally open to discussing.