As part of our continuing coverage of the retail sector inour leadup to ICSC RECon 2014 in Las Vegas, we talked to GuyPonticiello, Managing Director of JLL's Net Lease group, for thecompany's take on the sector.

GlobeSt.com: Net Lease has garnered a lot moremainstream investor acceptance in the last few years. Where do yousee the sector headed as a result?

Guy Ponticiello: In 2013, net leasetransaction volumes reached a record setting $42 billion. In 2014,we anticipate net lease transaction volumes will far exceed prioryear's estimates due to greatly improving financing options and anextensive amount of capital pursuing net lease investments. Thecomfort level and excitement from investors regarding this segmentis creating a strong environment for raising capital by many of thenet lease sponsors, particularly through the broker dealer networkswhich was predominately utilized by the non-traded REITS in raisingin excess of $8 billion in equity in 2013. As the product is viewedin a more institutional light and covered more extensively byindustry analysts, transaction volumes will continue to grow,pursued by players across the spectrum including REITs, pensionfunds and institutional investors.