WINTHROP REALTY TRUST

WINTHROP REALTY TRUST ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION OF CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER EFFECTIVE
                                JANUARY 31, 2007

      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - BOSTON, January 26/PRNewswire-FirstCall/
--Winthrop Realty Trust (NYSE:FUR) today announced that Carolyn Tiffany, its
Chief Operating Officer, has elected to resign her position effective January
31, 2007 to pursue an opportunity at a private equity firm. "It was a very
difficult decision to leave Winthrop and I truly enjoyed my time with Winthrop
and the successes we have had" stated Ms. Tiffany.

      Peter Braverman, Winthrop's President, stated "it has been my pleasure to
work with Carolyn for the past 11 years. At this time Carolyn's significant
responsibilities will be allocated among Winthrop's existing staff including
myself and Tom Staples, Winthrop's Chief Financial Officer." Michael L. Ashner,
Winthrop's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented "we are grateful to
Carolyn for her many years of service to Winthrop and its affiliates. We wish
her well and are certain that she will be successful in her future pursuits."

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      Winthrop Realty Trust is a NYSE-listed real estate investment trust (REIT)
headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. Additional information on Winthrop
Realty Trust is available on its Web site at www.winthropreit.com.

Contact:

Winthrop Realty Trust
Beverly Bergman
(617) 570-4614