Ziff: We invested most substantially in the enclosed mall space, having acquired our second and third such properties in Monroe, NC and Antioch, CA, in the East Bay section of Northern California. We already have one in Canada. We're not targeting this space; these deals were interesting on their own merits. But now that we have this platform, we'll look to grow it.

GlobeSt.com: How do you plan to do that?

Ziff: Typically our strategy is to acquire value-oriented centers nationally, because there's more yield in class B+ properties. We're seeking high quality of life areas with traffic, density and retail productivity.

GlobeSt.com: What do you see ahead in the market?

Ziff: I see a lot of strong competition ahead for the best space and for big boxes and junior boxes. In our portfolio, we've got five big boxes or junior boxes available and we're in discussions on a bunch of them. The nationals have come back in a big way and the lack of vacancy is a sign of that, we'll continue to see competition. There's been a lack of construction starts in 2014 and that's expected for 2015 so we should see a healthy market.

We're seeing more rental growth locally and a deeper pool of prospects for vacancies. We're seeing what we're seeing nationally, but on steroids. The tables have definitely turned from a few years ago when landlords were slaves to the tenant.

I also expect to see continued focus on the retail experience that offers entertainment, dining, Wi-Fi or anything to keep customers in stores to drive traffic and space to compete not just with online shopping but also with other stores. If we can offer a better experience at our malls, that'll help position us to see an increase in our market share.