Tips From the Pros

What should you know — or do — to better manage your business? And how far are you prepared to grow? Real estate advisers and tech companies offer the following tips:

"A complete portfolio analysis will enable your service provider to lay out a program to extract as much value as possible from your real estate."

— Mark Dufton, DJM Realty, Melville, N.Y.

Whether your chain is growing or shrinking, the first step in managing retail real estate is to "get your arms around your data."

— Andy Thomas, Virtual Premise, Atlanta

"The market is very fluid right now. For retailers today, decisions require a lot more science and art than ever before."

— Andy Graiser, A&G Realty Partners, Melville, N.Y.

"When a retailer is cutting back, it becomes even more essential to pare and retain the right locations."

—Tom Buxton, Buxton, Fort Worth, Texas

"You have to understand what is happening at each of your store locations. Many retail brands are re-aligning their real estate portfolios to represent the highest-performing locations."

— Rick Davis, DAVACO, Dallas