Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013
Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies	Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies Description of Business Highwoods Properties, Inc., together with its consolidated subsidiaries (the “Company”), is a fully-integrated, self-administered and self-managed equity real estate investment trust (“REIT”) that provides leasing, management, development, construction and other customer-related services for its properties and for third parties. The Company conducts virtually all of its activities through Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership (the “Operating Partnership”). At March 31, 2013, the Company and/or the Operating Partnership wholly owned: 303 in-service office, industrial and retail properties, comprising 30.1 million square feet; 649 acres of undeveloped land suitable for future development, of which 566 acres are considered core assets; and two office development properties. In addition, we owned interests (50.0% or less) in 31 in-service office properties, a rental residential development property and 11 acres of undeveloped land suitable for future development, which includes a 12.5% interest in a 261,000 square foot office property directly owned by the Company (not included in the Operating Partnership’s Consolidated Financial Statements). The Company is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership. At March 31, 2013, the Company owned all of the Preferred Units and 81.7 million, or 95.7%, of the Common Units in the Operating Partnership. Limited partners, including two directors of the Company, own the remaining 3.7 million Common Units. In the event the Company issues shares of Common Stock, the net proceeds of the issuance are contributed to the Operating Partnership in exchange for additional Common Units. Generally, the Operating Partnership is required to redeem each Common Unit at the request of the holder thereof for cash equal to the value of one share of the Company’s Common Stock, $0.01 par value, based on the average of the market price for the 10 trading days immediately preceding the notice date of such redemption, provided that the Company at its option may elect to acquire any such Common Units presented for redemption for cash or one share of Common Stock. The Common Units owned by the Company are not redeemable. During the three months ended March 31, 2013, the Company redeemed 10,071 Common Units for a like number of shares of Common Stock. As a result of this activity, the percentage of Common Units owned by the Company increased from 95.6% at December 31, 2012 to 95.7% at March 31, 2013. Common Stock Offerings The Company has entered into equity sales agreements with various financial institutions to offer and sell, from time to time, shares of its Common Stock by means of ordinary brokers' transactions on the New York Stock Exchange or otherwise at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices or as otherwise agreed with any of the institutions. During the three months ended March 31, 2013, the Company issued 1,299,791 shares of Common Stock under these agreements at an average gross sales price of $35.95 per share and received net proceeds, after sales commissions, of $46.0 million. Basis of Presentation Our Consolidated Financial Statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). Our Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2012 was retrospectively revised from previously reported amounts to reflect in real estate and other assets, net, held for sale those properties which qualified as held for sale during the three months ended March 31, 2013. Our Consolidated Statements of Income for the three months ended March 31, 2012 were retrospectively revised from previously reported amounts to reflect in discontinued operations the operations for those properties that qualified for discontinued operations. Our Consolidated Financial Statements include the Operating Partnership, wholly owned subsidiaries and those entities in which we have the controlling financial interest. All intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated. At March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, we had involvement with, but are not the primary beneficiary in, an entity that we concluded to be a variable interest entity (see Note 3). 1. Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies – Continued The unaudited interim consolidated financial statements and accompanying unaudited consolidated financial information, in the opinion of management, contain all adjustments (including normal recurring accruals) necessary for a fair presentation of our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. We have omitted certain notes and other information from the interim consolidated financial statements presented in this Quarterly Report as permitted by SEC rules and regulations. These Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with our 2012 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Use of Estimates The preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]
Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies	Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies Description of Business Highwoods Properties, Inc., together with its consolidated subsidiaries (the “Company”), is a fully-integrated, self-administered and self-managed equity real estate investment trust (“REIT”) that provides leasing, management, development, construction and other customer-related services for its properties and for third parties. The Company conducts virtually all of its activities through Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership (the “Operating Partnership”). At March 31, 2013, the Company and/or the Operating Partnership wholly owned: 303 in-service office, industrial and retail properties, comprising 30.1 million square feet; 649 acres of undeveloped land suitable for future development, of which 566 acres are considered core assets; and two office development properties. In addition, we owned interests (50.0% or less) in 31 in-service office properties, a rental residential development property and 11 acres of undeveloped land suitable for future development, which includes a 12.5% interest in a 261,000 square foot office property directly owned by the Company (not included in the Operating Partnership’s Consolidated Financial Statements). The Company is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership. At March 31, 2013, the Company owned all of the Preferred Units and 81.7 million, or 95.7%, of the Common Units in the Operating Partnership. Limited partners, including two directors of the Company, own the remaining 3.7 million Common Units. In the event the Company issues shares of Common Stock, the net proceeds of the issuance are contributed to the Operating Partnership in exchange for additional Common Units. Generally, the Operating Partnership is required to redeem each Common Unit at the request of the holder thereof for cash equal to the value of one share of the Company’s Common Stock, $0.01 par value, based on the average of the market price for the 10 trading days immediately preceding the notice date of such redemption, provided that the Company at its option may elect to acquire any such Common Units presented for redemption for cash or one share of Common Stock. The Common Units owned by the Company are not redeemable. During the three months ended March 31, 2013, the Company redeemed 10,071 Common Units for a like number of shares of Common Stock. As a result of this activity, the percentage of Common Units owned by the Company increased from 95.6% at December 31, 2012 to 95.7% at March 31, 2013. Common Stock Offerings The Company has entered into equity sales agreements with various financial institutions to offer and sell, from time to time, shares of its Common Stock by means of ordinary brokers' transactions on the New York Stock Exchange or otherwise at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices or as otherwise agreed with any of the institutions. During the three months ended March 31, 2013, the Company issued 1,299,791 shares of Common Stock under these agreements at an average gross sales price of $35.95 per share and received net proceeds, after sales commissions, of $46.0 million. Basis of Presentation Our Consolidated Financial Statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). Our Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2012 was retrospectively revised from previously reported amounts to reflect in real estate and other assets, net, held for sale those properties which qualified as held for sale during the three months ended March 31, 2013. Our Consolidated Statements of Income for the three months ended March 31, 2012 were retrospectively revised from previously reported amounts to reflect in discontinued operations the operations for those properties that qualified for discontinued operations. Our Consolidated Financial Statements include wholly owned subsidiaries and those entities in which we have the controlling financial interest. All intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated. At March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, we had involvement with, but are not the primary beneficiary in, an entity that we concluded to be a variable interest entity (see Note 3). 1. Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies – Continued The unaudited interim consolidated financial statements and accompanying unaudited consolidated financial information, in the opinion of management, contain all adjustments (including normal recurring accruals) necessary for a fair presentation of our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. We have omitted certain notes and other information from the interim consolidated financial statements presented in this Quarterly Report as permitted by SEC rules and regulations. These Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with our 2012 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Use of Estimates The preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

The entire disclosure for the organization, consolidation and basis of presentation of financial statements disclosure, and significant accounting policies of the reporting entity. May be provided in more than one note to the financial statements, as long as users are provided with an understanding of (1) the significant judgments and assumptions made by an enterprise in determining whether it must consolidate a VIE and/or disclose information about its involvement with a VIE, (2) the nature of restrictions on a consolidated VIE's assets reported by an enterprise in its statement of financial position, including the carrying amounts of such assets, (3) the nature of, and changes in, the risks associated with an enterprise's involvement with the VIE, and (4) how an enterprise's involvement with the VIE affects the enterprise's financial position, financial performance, and cash flows. Describes procedure if disclosures are provided in more than one note to the financial statements.

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