Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2013
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies	Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies Description of Business Highwoods Properties, Inc. (the “Company”) is a fully-integrated 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 September 30, 2013, the Company and/or the Operating Partnership wholly owned: 282 in-service office, industrial and retail properties, comprising 30.1 million square feet; 592 acres of undeveloped land suitable for future development, of which 496 acres are considered core assets; and four office development properties. In addition, we owned interests (50.0% or less) in 23 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 September 30, 2013, the Company owned all of the Preferred Units and 89.5 million, or 96.8%, of the Common Units in the Operating Partnership. Limited partners own the remaining 2.9 million Common Units. During the nine months ended September 30, 2013, the Company redeemed 789,144 Common Units for a like number of shares of Common Stock. Common Stock Offerings During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013, the Company issued 904,809 and 3,961,190 shares of Common Stock, respectively, under its equity sales agreements at an average gross sales price of $35.81 and $36.97 per share, respectively, and received net proceeds, after sales commissions, of $31.9 million and $144.2 million, respectively. During the third quarter of 2013, the Company issued 4,312,500 shares of Common Stock in a public offering and received net proceeds of $150.9 million. As a result of these Common Stock offerings and the redemptions discussed above, the percentage of Common Units owned by the Company increased from 95.6% at December 31, 2012 to 96.8% at September 30, 2013. 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 Sheets at December 31, 2012 were retrospectively revised from previously reported amounts to reflect in real estate and other assets, net, held for sale those properties classified as held for sale during the three months ended September 30, 2013. Our Consolidated Statements of Income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 were retrospectively revised from previously reported amounts to reflect in discontinued operations the operations for those properties classified as discontinued operations. The Company's Consolidated Financial Statements include the Operating Partnership, wholly owned subsidiaries and those entities in which the Company has the controlling interest. The Operating Partnership's Consolidated Financial Statements include wholly owned subsidiaries and those entities in which the Operating Partnership has the controlling interest. All intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated. At September 30, 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.

Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies

Description of Business

Highwoods Properties, Inc. (the “Company”) is a fully-integrated 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 September 30, 2013, the Company and/or the Operating Partnership wholly owned: 282 in-service office, industrial and retail properties, comprising 30.1 million square feet; 592 acres of undeveloped land suitable for future development, of which 496 acres are considered core assets; and four office development properties. In addition, we owned interests (50.0% or less) in 23 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 September 30, 2013, the Company owned all of the Preferred Units and 89.5 million, or 96.8%, of the Common Units in the Operating Partnership. Limited partners own the remaining 2.9 million Common Units. During the nine months ended September 30, 2013, the Company redeemed 789,144 Common Units for a like number of shares of Common Stock.

Common Stock Offerings

During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013, the Company issued 904,809 and 3,961,190 shares of Common Stock, respectively, under its equity sales agreements at an average gross sales price of $35.81 and $36.97 per share, respectively, and received net proceeds, after sales commissions, of $31.9 million and $144.2 million, respectively. During the third quarter of 2013, the Company issued 4,312,500 shares of Common Stock in a public offering and received net proceeds of $150.9 million. As a result of these Common Stock offerings and the redemptions discussed above, the percentage of Common Units owned by the Company increased from 95.6% at December 31, 2012 to 96.8% at September 30, 2013.

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 Sheets at December 31, 2012 were retrospectively revised from previously reported amounts to reflect in real estate and other assets, net, held for sale those properties classified as held for sale during the three months ended September 30, 2013. Our Consolidated Statements of Income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 were retrospectively revised from previously reported amounts to reflect in discontinued operations the operations for those properties classified as discontinued operations.

The Company's Consolidated Financial Statements include the Operating Partnership, wholly owned subsidiaries and those entities in which the Company has the controlling interest. The Operating Partnership's Consolidated Financial Statements include wholly owned subsidiaries and those entities in which the Operating Partnership has the controlling interest. All intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated. At September 30, 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.