By Maurice Nieman, Colliers International’s Irvine Office
Sales activity in net-leased investments is substantially up since the beginning of 2010, but make no mistake we are still in the midst of what is likely to be a long road to full recovery.

A $269 million sale-leaseback deal is about to give Realty Income Corp. a taste of the winemaking business–at least from the real estate investment perspective.

Tulsa, Okla.-based net lease brokerage firm Stan Johnson Company has completed the $62.7 million sale of a 20-property retail portfolio fully occupied by CVS/pharmacies.

What a difference a few years and a good lease make. Four years after its $25 million acquisition of the then-vacant 490,000-square-foot office complex at 550 King Street in Littleton, Mass., a joint venture of Angelo Gordon & Co. and National Development has sold the fully leased asset to Wells Real Estate Investment Trust II Inc. for $85.5 million in an off-market transaction.

From retail condominiums to big boxes, Jonathan Hipp views Washington, D.C.’s urban retail market as a place for growth. And with the formation of Calkain Urban Investment Advisors , he is prepared to be at the forefront.

In most sports, coaches use specialists to deal with pressure situations. In football, for example, they will bring in a slash-type runner on offense to cross the goal line or a pass rusher on defense to sack the quarterback. These specialists have specific skills and in many cases prove to be the difference between victory and defeat. For those in real estate, and particularly with Stan Johnson Co., specialization is the maxim for those that want to succeed in these trying times and get deals closed, no matter what the size or complexity.