TAMPA, FL—Anecdotally, I can tell you that net lease sales are hot in Florida. In fact, just yesterday, I reported on now net lease QSR acquisitions are heating up. Even class B net lease properties are gaining traction.

“Calkain has known, through its transaction volume and anecdotally, that Florida's net lease assets command a premium when compared to the rest of the United States,” David Sobelman, executive vice president and managing partner at Calkain Companies, tells GlobeSt.com. “But we felt it was important to quantify that premium for our clients and prospective clients."

We can put some stats behind those net lease anecdotes, thanks to the 2014 Net Lease Florida Report. Calkain and Beshears & Associates just released the first comprehensive net lease market report focused on the state.

“This report is a first of its kind for Florida net lease assets,” Sobelman says. “We feel that our footprint and success in the State of Florida allowed us the privilege to comment, first hand, on the net lease market dynamics for the entire state.”

The report details the reason Florida is one of the most active net lease markets in the nation. For starters, population growth, tourism, and strong consumer spending have propelled demand for retail space and new development projects.

“Strong demand for retail space, continued consumer spending, no state income tax and a deep pool of investors continually make investment in Florida net leased properties inviting year after year,” Sobelman says. One of the findings reveals Florida net lease retail cap rates at lowest point in past nine years.

According to the report, South Florida and the high profile Miami market garner the most attention and demand. There's also healthy activity in the Tampa, Orlando and smaller city markets. Calkain finds population density is a key factor in the valuation of net lease properties in Florida.

Florida hosts a diverse pool of investors comprised of high net worth individuals from the northeast United States, foreign investors and perennially active local owners. The Calkain report concludes these investors all look to the Florida market as a familiar safe haven for their investment dollars.

Here are some interesting stats and facts: Net lease retail cap rates averaged 6.52% for Florida in 2014, roughly 50 basis points lower than the national average; McDonald's state wide average is a 4.24% cap rate; Wawa's state wide average is a 5.49% cap rate; pharmacies lead all sectors with the highest ask and sales price; banks lead all sectors with the lowest ask and sales cap rates. The report, as Sobelman explains, serves to “set the tone for why this market is so different than others throughout the country.”