The unit is ±1,300 SF of retail space.

Scott Scheel has a good course about commercial real estate, but he concentrates more on apartment investing in his course while he is actively buying retail buildings and not apartments.The loan default rate on apartments is 58%, so before you buy an apartment building think why is it so high.Another avenue to consider is mini storages if you want to own real estate, the default rate is only 16%.

I would recommend reading Sam Walton: Made in America, it demonstrates how he build the largest retailer in the world by delegating responsibilities.

Macy's, a cornerstone of American retail, is seeing significant interest in the real estate it has put up for sale, a promising sign in a challenging market.

Many MFs in gentrifying areas will become flips (conversion to SF for retail). 

Is that similar to other retail sales in your area?

It's also common to encounter retail branch employees who are  not familiar with  the entities and various ownership structures real estate investors utilize since they are normally opening personal bank accounts.

The answer to this question will take into account your mother's goals on how the money needs to work, transition plans in the future, risk tolerance, asset segment preferences (retail, industrial, MF, self-storage, etc.), and many other factors.

Very different answers to your question depending on the answer to this one.If for a career path, I would agree with @Michael K Gallagher and find a brokerage that is actively doing deals, has a property management division in house, and has brokers covering each of the key market segments - multi-family, retail, office, industrial and land.

Looking for advice on some retail land & storefronts