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Washington Real Estate Investment Trust (“Washington REIT”) is a self-administered equity real estate investment trust (“REIT”) successor to a trust organized in 1960. Our business consists of the ownership and operation of income-producing real property in the greater Washington metro region. We own a diversified portfolio of office buildings, multifamily buildings and retail centers.

Our current strategy is to generate returns and maximize shareholder value through proactive asset management and prudent capital allocation decisions. Consistent with this strategy, we invest in additional income-producing properties through acquisitions, development and redevelopment. We invest in properties where we believe we will be able to improve the operating results and increase the value of the property. We focus on properties inside the Washington metro region’s Beltway, near major transportation nodes and in areas with strong employment drivers and superior growth demographics. We will seek to continue to upgrade our portfolio as opportunities arise, funding acquisitions with a combination of cash, equity, debt and proceeds from property sales.

While we have historically focused most of our investments in the greater Washington metro region, in order to maximize acquisition opportunities we also may consider opportunities to replicate our Washington-focused approach in other geographic markets which meet the criteria described above.

All of our officers and employees live and work in or near the greater Washington metro region.

Our Regional Economy and Real Estate Markets

The Washington metro region experienced moderate job growth during 2017 with approximately 48,900 net job additions, according to Delta Associates / Transwestern Commercial Services (“Delta”), a national full service real estate firm that provides market research and evaluation services for commercial property. This job growth is higher than the region's 20-year annual average of 44,100 new jobs, with growth in the private sector partially offset by net job losses of 4,200 in the Federal government. Current estimates by Delta indicate that the region's unemployment rate was 3.6% as of November 2017, unchanged from the prior year and lower than the national average of 3.9%. Delta expects the job growth in the Washington metro region to remain steady in 2018 as strong consumer spending and higher corporate profits in the private sector are offset by public sector uncertainty.

Our ten largest tenants, in terms of real estate rental revenue for 2017, are as follows:

1. Advisory Board Company

2. World Bank

3. Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc.

4. Atlantic Media, Inc.

5. Capital One, N.A.

6. Blank Rome LLP

7. Engility Corporation

8. Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP

9. Epstein Becker & Green, P.C.

10. Morgan Stanley, Smith Barney

We enter into arrangements from time to time by which various service providers conduct day-to-day property management and/or leasing activities at our properties. Bozzuto Management Company ("Bozzuto") began conducting property management and leasing services at our multifamily properties in 2014. Bozzuto provides such services under individual property management agreements for each property, each of which is separately terminable by us or Bozzuto. Although they vary by property, on average, the fees charged by Bozzuto under each agreement are approximately 3% of revenues at the property.

We expect to continue investing in additional income-producing properties through acquisitions, development and redevelopment. We invest in properties where we believe we will be able to improve the operating results and increase the value of the property. Our properties typically compete for tenants with other properties on the basis of location, quality and rental rates.

We make capital improvements to our properties on an ongoing basis for the purpose of maintaining and increasing their value and income. Major improvements and/or renovations to the properties during the three years ended December 31, 2017 are discussed in Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, under the heading “Capital Improvements and Development Costs.”

Further description of the property groups is contained in Item 2, Properties, and Note 14 to the consolidated financial statements, Segment Information, and in Schedule III. Reference is also made to Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

On February 15, 2018, we had 149 employees including 74 persons engaged in property management functions and 75 persons engaged in corporate, financial, leasing, asset management and other functions.