Equity Transactions

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Equity [Abstract]

Equity Transactions

Equity Transactions

Common Stock Offerings

In September 2018, the Company entered into a new equity distribution agreement pursuant to which the Company may offer and sell shares of its common stock having an aggregate gross sales price of up to $900.0 million (the "2018 ATM Program"). Upon entering into the 2018 ATM Program, the Company simultaneously terminated its existing equity distribution agreements, which were entered into in March 2016 in connection with its prior at-the-market equity offering program (the "2016 ATM Program").

In connection with the 2018 ATM Program, the Company may also enter into related forward sale agreements whereby, at the Company’s discretion, it may sell shares of its common stock under the 2018 ATM Program under forward sale agreements. The use of a forward sale agreement would allow the Company to lock in a share price on the sale of shares of its common stock at the time the agreement is executed, but defer receiving the proceeds from the sale of shares until a later date. The Company anticipates using the net proceeds, which are contributed to the Operating Partnership, to acquire, develop, or redevelop properties, which primarily will be apartment communities, to make other investments and for working capital or general corporate purposes, which may include the repayment of indebtedness.

For the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company issued 228,271 shares of common stock through the 2018 ATM Program at an average price of $321.56 per share for proceeds of $73.4 million. For the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company did not sell any shares of its common stock through the 2018 ATM Program or through the 2016 ATM Program. For the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company issued 345,444 shares of common stock, through the 2016 ATM program, at an average price of $260.38 per share for proceeds of $89.9 million. As of December 31, 2019, there were no outstanding forward sale agreements, and $826.6 million of shares remained available to be sold under this program.

Operating Partnership Units and Long-Term Incentive Plan ("LTIP") Units

As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the Operating Partnership had outstanding 2,158,396 and 2,171,309 operating partnership units and 143,257 and 134,080 vested LTIP units, respectively. The Operating Partnership’s general partner, Essex, owned 96.6% of the partnership interests in the Operating Partnership as of both December 31, 2019 and 2018, and Essex is responsible for the management of the Operating Partnership’s business. As the general partner of the Operating Partnership, Essex effectively controls the ability to issue common stock of Essex upon a limited partner’s notice of redemption. Essex has generally acquired Operating Partnership limited partnership units ("OP Units") upon a limited partner’s notice of redemption in exchange for shares of its common stock. The redemption provisions of OP Units owned by limited partners that permit Essex to settle in either cash or common stock at the option of Essex were further evaluated in accordance with applicable accounting guidance to determine whether temporary or permanent equity classification on the balance sheet is appropriate. The Operating Partnership evaluated this guidance, including the requirement to settle in unregistered shares, and determined that, with few exceptions, these OP Units meet the requirements to qualify for presentation as permanent equity.

LTIP units represent an interest in the Operating Partnership for services rendered or to be rendered by the LTIP unitholder in its capacity as a partner, or in anticipation of becoming a partner, in the Operating Partnership. Upon the occurrence of specified events, LTIP units may over time achieve full parity with common units of the Operating Partnership for all purposes. Upon achieving full parity, LTIP units will be exchanged for an equal number of the OP Units.

The collective redemption value of OP Units and LTIP units owned by the limited partners, not including Essex, was approximately $692.5 million and $565.3 million based on the closing price of Essex's common stock as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.