(13) Equity Based Compensation Plans

Stock Options and Restricted Stock

The Essex Property Trust, Inc. 2004 Stock Incentive Plan provides incentives to attract and retain officers, directors and key employees. The Stock Incentive Plan provides for the grants of options to purchase a specified number of shares of common stock or grants of restricted shares of common stock. Under the Stock Incentive Plan, the total number of shares available for grant is approximately 1,200,000. The 2004 Stock Incentive Plan is administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors. The Compensation Committee is comprised of independent directors. The Compensation Committee is authorized to establish the exercise price; however, the exercise price cannot be less than 100% of the fair market value of the common stock on the grant date. The Company's options have a life of ten years. Option grants for officers and employees fully vest between one year and five years after the grant date.

Stock-based compensation expense for options and restricted stock under the fair value method totaled $1.5 million, $1.0 million, and $1.2 million for years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 respectively. Stock-based compensation capitalized for options and restricted stock totaled $0.2 million for each of the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009. The intrinsic value of the options exercised totaled $3.8 million, $2.9 million, and $0.5 million, for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010, and 2009 respectively. The intrinsic value of the options outstanding and fully vested totaled $10.6 million, $7.7 million, and $4.1 million, for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

Total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested share-based compensation granted for stock options totaled $2.6 million as of December 31, 2011. The unrecognized compensation cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2 to 5 years for the stock option plans.

The average fair value of stock options granted for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 was $17.98, $18.39 and $5.24, respectively. The stock options granted during the fourth quarter of 2011 included a $100 cap on the appreciation of the market price over the exercise price. The fair value of stock options was estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted average assumptions used for grants:

	2011			2010			2009
Stock price	$	131.87		$	107.21		$	66.05-$84.90
Risk-free interest rates		2.24	%		3.50	%		4.58	%
Expected lives	10 years			10 years			10 years
Volatility		19.63	%		22.00	%		20.00	%

A summary of the status of the Company's stock option plans as of December 31, 2011, 2010, and 2009 and changes during the years ended on those dates is presented below:

	2011					2010					2009
	Shares			Weighted- average exercise price		Shares			Weighted- average exercise price		Shares			Weighted- average exercise price
Outstanding at beginning of year		300,642		$	88.11		378,542		$	82.08		393,443		$	80.63
Granted		197,500			131.87		18,214			107.21		32,259			76.68
Exercised		(83,122	)		84.24		(78,381	)		63.97		(18,407	)		38.31
Forfeited and canceled		-			0.00		(17,733	)		105.40		(28,753	)		85.11
Outstanding at end of year		415,020			109.71		300,642			88.11		378,542			82.02

Options exercisable at year end		219,820			92.31		265,770			86.28		329,909			81.37

The following table summarizes information about stock options outstanding as of December 31, 2011:

		Options outstanding					Options exercisable
Range of		Number outstanding as of December 31,		Weighted- average remaining contractual	Weighted- average exercise		Number exercisable as of December 31,		Weighted- average exercise
exercise prices		2011		life	price		2011		price
$	48.68 - 73.38		50,577	2.8 years	$	61.78		50,577	$	61.78
	79.05 - 125.84		167,693	5.0 years		97.70		148,193		97.15
	126.73 - 132.62		196,750	9.8 years		132.27		21,050		131.66
			415,020	6.8 years		109.71		219,820		92.31

During 2011, 2010, and 2009 the Company issued 1,540, 14,415, and 18,954 shares of restricted stock, respectively. The unrecognized compensation cost granted under the restricted stock program of $2.8 million as of December 31, 2011 is expected to be recognized straight-line over a period of 6 years.

The following table summarizes information about restricted stock outstanding as of December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 and changes during the years ended:

	2011					2010					2009
	Shares			Weighted- average grant price		Shares			Weighted- average grant price		Shares			Weighted- average grant price
Unvested at beginning of year		44,877		$	102.46		37,727		$	99.43		30,304		$	119.31
Granted		1,540			134.44		14,415			109.62		18,954			75.77
Vested		(9,532	)		104.71		(6,126	)		102.27		(5,647	)		108.49
Forfeited and canceled		(1,666	)		94.35		(1,139	)		93.92		(5,884	)		116.89
Unvested at end of year		35,219			98.57		44,877			102.46		37,727			99.43

Long Term Incentive Plan – Z Units

The Company has adopted an incentive program involving the issuance of Series Z Incentive Units and Series Z-1 Incentive Units (collectively referred to as “Z Units”) of limited partnership interest in the Operating Partnership. Vesting in the Z Units is based on performance criteria established in the plan. The criteria can be revised at the beginning of the year by the Board's Compensation Committee if the Committee deems that the plan's criterion is unachievable for any given year. The sale of Z Units is contractually prohibited. Z Units are convertible into Operating Partnership units which are exchangeable for shares of the Company's common stock that may have marketability restrictions. The estimated fair value of a Z Unit is determined on the grant date and considers the company's current stock price, the dividends that are not paid on unvested units and a marketability discount for the 8 to 15 years of illiquidity. Compensation expense is calculated by multiplying estimated vesting increases for the period by the estimated fair value as of the grant date less its $1.00 per unit purchase price.

Stock-based compensation expense for Z Units under the fair value method totaled approximately $1.5 million, $2.3 million and $1.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Stock-based compensation capitalized for Z Units totaled approximately $0.5 million, $0.6 million, and $0.4 million, for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010, and 2009, respectively. The intrinsic value of the Z Units unvested totaled $17.3 million as of December 31, 2011. Total unrecognized compensation cost related to Z Units unvested under the Z Units plans totaled $8.9 million as of December 31, 2011. The unamortized cost is expected to be recognized over the next 15 years subject to the achievement of the stated performance criteria.

The issuance of Z Units is administered by the Compensation Committee which has the authority to select participants and determine the awards to be made up to a maximum of 600,000 Z Units. For Z units issued prior 2010, the conversion ratchet (accounted for as vesting) of the Z Units into common units, will increase by up to 10% (up to 20% in certain circumstances following their initial issuance) effective January 1 of each year for each participating executive who remains employed by the Company if the Company has met a specified “funds from operations” per share target, or such other target as the Compensation Committee deems appropriate, for the prior year, up to a maximum conversion ratchet of 100%. Z units issued in 2011 and 2010 are discussed below. The Operating Partnership has the option to redeem Z Units held by any executive whose employment has been terminated with either common units of the Operating Partnership or shares of the Company's common stock based on the then-effective conversion ratchet.

During 2010, the Operating Partnership issued 108,000 Series Z-1 Incentive Units (the “2010 Z-1 Units”) of limited partner interest to twenty executives of the Company in exchange for cash from seven executive officers of the Company, and a capital commitment from the remaining thirteen executives of $1.00 per 2010 Z-1 Unit. The 2010 Z-1 Units are convertible one-for-one into common units of the Operating Partnership (which, in turn, are convertible into common stock of the Company) upon the earlier to occur of 100 percent vesting of the units or the year 2025. The conversion ratchet (accounted for as vesting) of the 2010 Z-1 Units into common units, increased to 20 percent effective January 1, 2011 because the Company achieved the FFO minimum target of $4.75 per diluted share in 2010. Each year thereafter, vesting of the 2010 Z-1 Units will be consistent with the Company's annual FFO growth, but is not to be less than zero or greater than 14 percent. The 2010 Z-1 Unit holders are entitled to receive 10 percent of dividends distributed to common stockholders in 2010, and because the Company achieved the FFO minimum target of $4.75 per diluted share in 2010, the 2010 Z-1 Unit holders were entitled to 25 percent of annual dividends paid in 2011. Each year thereafter, the percent of distributions received by the 2010 Z-1 Unit holders will increase by the same percentage amounts that the 2010 Z-1 Units vesting increases, provided that once the 2010 Z-1 Units holders receive distributions of 30 percent, such distribution percentage will not increase further until the 2010 Z-1 Unit vesting is at the 30 percent level. Once such vesting percentage is at the 30 percent level, subsequent distributions for the 2010 Z-1 Unit holders will be equal to the vesting percentage of the 2010 Z-1 Units.

During 2011, the Operating Partnership issued 46,500 Series Z-1 Incentive Units (the “2011 Z-1 Units”) of limited partner interest to fourteen executives of the Company in exchange for cash from eight executive officers of the Company, and a capital commitment from the remaining six executives of $1.00 per 2011 Z-1 Unit. The 2011 Z-1 Units are convertible one-for-one into common units of the Operating Partnership (which, in turn, are convertible into common stock of the Company) upon the earlier to occur of 100 percent vesting of the units or the year 2026. The conversion ratchet (accounted for as vesting) of the 2011 Z-1 Units into common units, increased to 10 percent effective January 1, 2012 because the Company achieved the FFO minimum target of $5.65 per diluted share in 2011. Each year thereafter, vesting of the 2011 Z-1 Units will be consistent with the Company's annual FFO growth, but is not to be less than zero or greater than 14 percent. The 2011 Z-1 Unit holders are entitled to receive 10 percent of dividends distributed to common stockholders in 2011, and because the Company achieved the FFO minimum target of $5.65 per diluted share in 2011, the 2011 Z-1 Unit holders are entitled to 20 percent of annual dividends paid in 2012. Each year thereafter, the percent of distributions received by the 2011 Z-1 Unit holders will increase by the same percentage amounts that the 2011 Z-1 Units vesting increases, provided that once the 2011 Z-1 Units holders receive distributions of 30 percent, such distribution percentage will not increase further until the 2011 Z-1 Unit vesting is at the 30 percent level. Once such vesting percentage is at the 30 percent level, subsequent distributions for the 2011 Z-1 Unit holders will be equal to the vesting percentage of the 2011 Z-1 Units.

The following table summarizes information about the Z Units outstanding as of December 31, 2011 ($ in thousands):

	Long Term Incentive Plan - Z Units
	Total Vested Units		Total Unvested Units			Aggregate Intrinsic Value of Unvested Units		Total Outstanding Units			Weighted- average Grant-date Fair Value		Weighted- average Remaining Contractual Life
Balance, December 2008		250,928		143,604		$	11,505		394,532		$	39.36	9.2 years
Vested		37,723		(37,723	)				-
Balance, December 2009		288,651		105,881			9,435		394,532			39.36	8.2 years
Granted		-		108,000					108,000
Vested		37,629		(37,629	)				-
Cancelled				(4,350	)				(4,350	)
Balance, December 2010		326,280		171,902			20,400		498,182			54.15	11.2 years
Granted		-		46,500					46,500
Vested		44,520		(44,520	)				-
Cancelled		-		(3,863	)				(3,863	)
Balance, December 2011		370,800		170,019		$	17,232		540,819		$	55.69	12.2 years