As part of our coverage leading up to ICSC Western Conference & Deal Making event,
Bob Peterson, Vice President, Investments for Passco Companies, gives us his insider perspective for this edition of Counter Culture. 

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We've already revealed a few of the top tips for investors in today's retail market.  (Click here to read that article.)

We started with the basics - a team with a diverse collective background, extremely deep relationships, and in-house services.

But certainly there are tips beyond an investment firm's operations that will help investors thrive in the retail market today. 

That's where Part 2 comes in - see below for the rest of Passco's Top Tips for retail investors:

Tip #4 - Select Investment Markets Wisely

Approaching the right markets for acquisition can have a dramatic impact on potential success for today's retail investors.

The fact is, retail investment opportunities continue to dwindle in traditional major markets.  For this reason, wise investors will look beyond gateway markets and work to identify up-and-coming markets for investment.

This is a major focus at Passco Companies.  We're looking beyond today's top-performing markets, and we're identifying markets and submarkets that are poised for rapid growth over the next ten years.  By investing in markets that are demonstrating deep potential for growth, we believe we'll be successful in delivering superior returns to our investors in the years to come.

Tip #5 - Make EVERY property value-add

There is always a way to increase the value of a property.  A retail asset doesn't have to be distressed or undermanaged in order to deliver strong returns.  It all comes down to the team that is operating the asset.

For the Passco team, building value often means acquiring a property that is already performing well, then elevating that property to the next level.

In today's market, this means catering to Millennials by re-tenanting retail centers with fresh new food and entertainment concepts.  The tenant mix in many older centers is stale and obsolete and has limited chance of success.  Instead, retail investors must bring in gourmet, on-trend eateries that will attract and engage today's retail consumers. 

Beyond connecting with Millennials, retail investors can add value to retail assets by paying attention to changing demographics.  For example, at Passco, we've found that bringing growing ethnic food chains to some of our centers has proven extremely successful in building value.  By catering to the specific needs and wants of certain neighborhoods, we have been able to create a dramatic increase in foot traffic to our centers.

The bottom line is this:  retail investors in today's market must be creative in finding and creating new, valuable opportunities.

The retail landscape is changing, and identifying the right retail investments has become more challenging than it was in years and cycles past.  That said, firms with the right team, platform and strategy will be well-positioned to find great success in the current market.