Essex Property Trust Declares Quarterly Distributions

PALO ALTO, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/16/13 -- Essex Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ESS) announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $1.21 per common share, payable July 15, 2013 to shareholders of record as of June 28, 2013.

The Board of Directors has also declared regular quarterly distributions for its preferred share issuances as follows:

   Series         Record Date          Payment Date       Amount per Share
------------- -------------------- -------------------- --------------------
G                 July 1, 2013        July 31, 2013           $0.30469
H                 July 1, 2013        July 15, 2013           $0.44531

About Essex Property Trust, Inc.

Essex Property Trust, Inc., an S&P 400 company, is a fully integrated real estate investment trust (REIT) that acquires, develops, redevelops, and manages apartment communities located in highly desirable, supply-constrained markets. Essex currently has ownership interests in 166 multifamily properties with an additional 8 properties in various stages of development. Additional information about Essex can be found on the Company's web site at www.essexpropertytrust.com.