When we first started buying commercial real estate 15 years ago, our process looked a lot different than it does today. The data wasn’t simply at our fingertips, it needed to be uncovered. We had to get creative in order to gain insights about potential properties. With more data than ever, we make buying decisions with more clarity than ever to the benefit of both our tenants and our partners. With more data, we leverage years of expertise and know with certainty how to create value.

At the start of MRP, collecting data was a completely manual process. We physically spent days at shopping centers counting foot traffic on legal pads to assess potential before investing. We did everything we could to take the risk out of the investment, and that looked like boots-on-the-ground data collection and ample time on-site. We counted how many cars entered the parking lot on a given day, looked for oil stains at the front door, and talked to store managers about their successes or challenges.

Today, the data looks more like credit card swipes and cell phone signals in the small town hubs and knowing exact data on each Walmart Supercenter’s performance to guarantee traffic. While this seems very different from the days of counting cars, it’s only reinforced the efficacy of our strategy. With more data at our fingertips, we cross-reference our on-site insights with the numbers to make the best decisions every step of the way and ensure ongoing value creation and resilience for every center.

With this data, also comes deep insight for national brands looking to expand in small towns. Before the data was readily available, a town of 6,000 people wasn’t an attractive location for big brands. Now that we can prove small towns offer high traffic, lower costs, and higher profits, brands have a clear roadmap for growth. They’ve seen the results and know that the opportunities for growth in small towns are easily repeatable, too. With more data, we regularly work with national brands to identify new markets booming for opportunity.

Our 15 year head start positions us as the experts of small-town America, and we have the data to prove it. When retailers want to scale in small towns they know that we are the right partner to help them achieve that goal. Because of our concentrated focus, we have the ability and desire to help tenants execute a high volume of small deals that lead to big success in small towns. 

Reach out to our team to learn more about the MRP strategy and your place in it.