Business

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Business [Abstract]

Business

1. Business

Winthrop Realty Trust (“WRT”), a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) under Sections 856-860 of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”), is an unincorporated association in the form of a business trust organized in Ohio under a Declaration of Trust dated August 1, 1961, as amended and restated on May 21, 2009, which has as its stated principal business activity the ownership and management of, and lending to, real estate and related investments.

Since January 1, 2005, WRT has conducted its business through WRT Realty L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the “Operating Partnership”). WRT is the sole general partner of, and owns directly and indirectly, 100% of the limited partnership interest in the Operating Partnership. All references to the “Trust” refer to WRT and its consolidated subsidiaries, including the Operating Partnership.

The Trust is engaged in the business of owning real property and real estate related assets which it categorizes into three segments: (i) ownership of investment properties including wholly owned properties and investments in joint ventures which own properties (“operating properties”); (ii) origination and acquisition of loans and debt securities collateralized directly or indirectly by commercial and multi-family real property, including collateral mortgage-backed securities and collateral debt obligation securities (collectively “loan assets”); and (iii) equity and debt interests in other real estate investment trusts (“REIT securities”).