As 2025 is nearing a close, Sandy Sigal, NewMark Merrill President and CEO, recently sat down to reflect on a year that was defined by change, community connection, and meaningful moments that remind us of what truly anchors the company’s success.
People, purpose, and resilience were the three words that really captured what he considers anchors to his firm’s success. Below is a conversation with Sandy, who offers his take on the moments that have not only helped shape the past year but also on what he sees in the year ahead.
Q: When you look back at 2025, what stands out as the biggest highlights or turning points?
Sandy: The year started with so much hope, and then immediately, we dealt with the fires in Southern California. That time brought displacement, uncertainty, and the events sent shockwaves through communities. It is the kind of disruption that really changes you. At the same time, we had to navigate so much economic volatility – and that’s only continued. This year was also when AI and technology really came alive for us in a big way. It became a practical tool. We have been building our data foundation for years, so we were ready when it arrived.
On the company side, we saw a lot of growth with new retailers opening, new acquisitions coming online, and new developments underway. We have been very active with national brands such as Sprouts, Ross, Burlington, Skechers, and I’ve spent a lot of time visiting their headquarters, strengthening relationships, and bringing that energy back to the team.
Q: How did the ongoing uncertainty and volatility affect your approach to community building?
Sandy: It didn’t change our approach. It reaffirmed it. Those moments of disruption remind us why community building is such a core part of who we are. When stability feels far away, we want our centers to be the place where people feel grounded again. This year helped us amplify something we’ve always believed, which is that people want to know who is behind the places they rely on. So, for example, not just that this is “Anaheim Town Square” or “Village at the Peaks” but people want to know that this is where Joe opened his first business, or where someone got their first job, or where a family celebrated an anniversary. We have worked hard to personalize our centers and tell and highlight those individual stories to show that these places are filled with real people and real lives. That is truly the heart of community building.
Q: What helped NewMark Merrill stay resilient during a time of so much volatility?
Sandy: Adaptability is a luxury, and it has to be planned for before you need it. You can’t think from quarter to quarter. We are thinking in 10-year arcs. We build our capital structure, our lender relationships, and our investor partnerships around stability and long-term decision-making. We truly believe it is what helps us make the right decisions, instead of the fast ones.
We’ve also spent years making sure that our teams are equipped with the right data, tools and training. AI became a real accelerator for us this year because our foundation was ready. Another thing that has helped is constantly reminding ourselves that every day is a new day. We make sure we watch the trends, stay humble, and adjust where we need to.
Q: Even with all the change, what parts of your job continue to energize you the most?
Sandy: Two things. The first is visiting our centers. I love being on the ground, seeing customers and feeling the energy and the purpose of what these places mean. The second thing is that when you genuinely love the people you work with, it is hard to have a bad day. Our team is incredible, and helping them grow and watching them achieve their dreams is the best part of the job. People ask if I’ll ever retire, and honestly, I love this too much. Every year, you hope for stability, and every year, it gets harder. Planning for the people who follow me is a privilege, and that is true even during stressful times. I couldn’t be prouder of our team and of NewMark Merrill continuing to evolve with its mission of building strong communities, one center and through one story at a time.
SANDY’S PICKS: HIGHLIGHTS AND WINS OF THE YEAR
Most Inspiring Community Moment
The retirement of Gerald Griffin, a longtime day porter in Inglewood, CA, who treated the center like it was his home…welcoming each customer like a host. It serves as a reminder of how deeply people connect to the places we steward.
Favorite Story of Resilience
There was a tenant who lost her husband. He was deeply involved in her business, and the way she talked about what her store meant to her, and what having our support meant to her during such a hard time was incredibly moving.
Center Win of the Year
Stratford Crossing in Bloomingdale, IL. It is a place where a Burlington manager arrived with a handwritten list of all the things NewMark Merrill does to help her store outperform, which no other landlord had ever done for her before. She had so much pride in working with us and in how we helped contribute to her success.
Growing Together Moment
Visiting an Anaheim T-shirt shop owner who expanded from one to three stores. He had so much pride and it served as proof that the American Dream is alive and well at our centers.
Signature Initiative of the Year
The expansion of NewMark Merrill’s “American Hero” and “American Dream” storytelling initiatives. We have always celebrated the stories of entrepreneurs and of families that are seeing their dreams come alive in our centers. This year, we took it to a new level in capturing those stories and sharing those journeys with the communities that support them.
This year has been defined by change, but what is clear from the conversation with Sandy is that NewMark Merrill’s strength will continue to come from its people and from the communities it serves. It is the stories, the relationships, and the resilience across its centers that have not changed and will remain core to the company’s foundation. As a new year approaches, NewMark Merrill will continue with a renewed commitment to building places where communities feel connected and supported.