SAN DIEGO—You have to be close enough to your investment to have a hands-on approach, according to Allen Ginsborg, managing director and principal at NewMark Merrill Mountain States. Ginsborg has helped guide the company through many successful investments, the most recent of which is the Village at the Peaks shopping center, a former downtrodden mall revived into a community retail destination.

We tracked Ginsborg down for an exclusive interview at ICSC Western States in San Diego to find out about the company’s investment approach and strategy. Here, Ginsborg tells us about the Village at the Peaks project, the firm’s investment philosophy and gives some great insider advice on running a successful retail investment.