Equity Based Compensation Plans

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2024

Share-Based Payment Arrangement, Noncash Expense [Abstract]

2018 Plan

In May 2018, stockholders approved the Company’s 2018 Stock Award and Incentive Compensation Plan (“2018 Plan”). The 2018 Plan serves as the successor to the Company’s 2013 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2013 Plan”) with administration authority granted to the Company’s Compensation Committee. The Company’s 2018 Plan provides incentives to attract and retain officers, directors and key employees. The 2018 Plan provides for the grant of stock-based awards to employees, directors and consultants of the Company and its affiliates. The aggregate number of shares of common stock available for issuance pursuant to awards granted under the 2018 Plan is 2,000,000 shares, plus the number of shares authorized for grants and available for issuance under the 2013 Plan as of the effective date of the 2018 Plan and the number of shares subject to outstanding awards under the 2013 Plan that are forfeited or otherwise not issued under such awards. No further awards will be granted under the 2013 Plan and the shares that remained available for future issuance under the 2013 Plan as of the effective date of the 2018 Plan will be available for issuance under the 2018 Plan.

Costs for stock options and restricted stock awards under the fair value method totaled $7.7 million, $12.1 million, and $11.4 million for years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively. For each of the years ended December 31, 2023, and 2022 costs included $3.5 million related to restricted stock awards for bonuses awarded based on asset dispositions, which is recorded as a cost of real estate and land sold, respectively. Stock-based compensation expense from stock options and restricted stock awards issued to recipients who are direct and incremental to projects under development were capitalized and totaled $0.5 million, $0.6 million, and $0.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The intrinsic value of stock options exercised totaled $4.5 million, zero, and $7.6 million, for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 respectively. The intrinsic value of stock options exercisable totaled $9.5 million and $4.5 million as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Restricted stock awards

The Company estimates the fair value of restricted stock awards on the grant date using a Monte Carlo simulation based upon total shareholder return metrics, the trailing 20-day average stock price, dividend yields and expected volatility rates. Stock-based compensation expense for restricted stock awards having performance-based conditions is recognized over the requisite service period when the conditions become probable of achievement. Service-based conditions include vesting periods of three years or less and are forfeit if required conditions are not met.

The following table summarizes information about the Company’s restricted stock awards:


	Year Ended December 31,
	2024			2023			2022
	Shares	Weighted- average grant date fair value		Shares	Weighted- average grant date fair value		Shares	Weighted- average grant date fair value
Unvested at beginning of year	101,701	$	197.22	182,915	$	222.90	159,401	$	251.03
Granted	52,300	212.02		2,315	220.40		72,838	215.73
Vested	(24,002)	187.32		(37,075)	247.07		(44,945)	306.25
Forfeited and canceled	(28,070)	182.25		(46,454)	259.71		(4,379)	272.12
Unvested at end of year	101,929	$	211.27	101,701	$	197.22	182,915	$	222.90

The unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested restricted stock totaled $10.2 million as of December 31, 2024 and is expected to be recognized over a period of 1.9 years.

Stock option awards

The Company estimates the fair value of stock option grants on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The assumptions used in calculating the fair value of stock-based awards represent management’s best estimates and involve inherent uncertainties and the application of management’s judgment. Stock options are granted with an exercise price not less than 100% of the estimated fair value of the shares on the date of grant and generally have a contractual life of 10 years. Awards subject to service-based conditions include vesting periods of three years or less and are forfeit if required conditions are not met.

Total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested stock options totaled $0.4 million as of December 31, 2024 and the unrecognized compensation cost is expected to be recognized over a period of 0.9 years.

The average fair value of stock options granted for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 was $21.24 and $23.39, respectively. No stock options were granted during the year ended December 31, 2024. Stock options granted in 2023 and 2022 include a $100 cap on the appreciation of the market price over the exercise price. Stock options have the following weighted average assumptions:


	2024		2023			2022
Stock price	$	—	$	216.31		$	245.17
Risk-free interest rates	—		4.06		%	3.50		%
Expected lives	—		6 years			6 years
Volatility	—		36.00		%	27.98		%
Dividend yield	—		3.30		%	3.06		%

The following table summarizes information about the Company’s stock options:


	Year Ended December 31,
	2024			2023			2022
	Options	Weighted- average exercise price		Options	Weighted- average exercise price		Options	Weighted- average exercise price
Outstanding at beginning of year	530,812	$	273.51	487,446	$	279.46	463,863	$	284.82
Granted	—	—		49,908	216.31		111,757	245.17
Exercised	(56,304)	218.68		—	—		(76,246)	245.43
Forfeited and canceled	(3,125)	266.21		(6,542)	280.21		(11,928)	281.19
Outstanding at end of year	471,383	$	280.11	530,812	$	273.51	487,446	$	279.46
Exercisable at year end	453,240	$	282.73	417,739	$	282.30	293,377	$	285.76

Long-Term Incentive Plans

2015 Plan

In December 2014, the Operating Partnership issued 2015 Long-Term Incentive Plan award units to executives of the Company. The awards are subject to forfeiture based on performance-based and service-based conditions. The awards that are subject to vesting, vested at 20% per year on each of the first five anniversaries of the initial grant date. The performance conditions measurement ended in December 2015 with unearned awards automatically forfeit. Additional awards were granted subject only to performance-based criteria and were fully vested on the date granted. Awards are convertible one-for-one into OP Units which, in turn, are convertible into common stock of the Company.

The estimated fair value of the awards were determined on the grant date using Monte Carlo simulations under a risk-neutral premise and considered the Company’s stock price on the date of grant, unpaid dividends on unvested awards and a discount factor for ten years of illiquidity.

2014 Plan

In December 2013, the Operating Partnership issued 2014 Long-Term Incentive Plan award units to executives of the Company. The awards are subject to forfeiture based on performance-based and service-based conditions. The awards vested at 25% per year on each of the first four anniversaries of the initial grant date. In December 2014, the Company achieved the performance criteria and all of the performance-based awards were earned by the recipients, subject to satisfaction of service-based vesting conditions. Awards are convertible one-for-one into OP Units which, in turn, are convertible into common stock of the Company.

The following table summarizes information about the Company’s 2015 and 2014 Plans:


	Total Vested and Outstanding Units	Weighted- average Grant-date Fair Value
Balance as of December 31, 2022	106,137	$	84.47
Converted	(8,500)
Balance as of December 31, 2023	97,637	$	86.16
Converted	(30,142)
Balance as of December 31, 2024	67,495	$	85.80

Equity-based compensation costs and total unrecognized compensation costs for 2015 and 2014 Plan awards under the fair value method totaled zero for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022. The intrinsic value of vested awards totaled $19.3 million as of December 31, 2024.