PALO ALTO, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 09/12/12 -- Essex Property Trust, Inc., (NYSE: ESS) announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $1.10 per common share, payable October 15, 2012 to shareholders of record as of September 28, 2012.

The Board of Directors has also declared regular quarterly distributions for its preferred share issuances as follows:

Series    Record Date         Payment Date        Amount per Share
G         October 1, 2012     October 31, 2012    $0.30469
H         October 1, 2012     October 15, 2012    $0.44531

Essex Property Trust, Inc., an S&P 400 company, is a fully integrated real estate investment trust (REIT) that acquires, develops, redevelops, and manages multifamily residential properties in selected West Coast markets. Essex currently has ownership interests in 161 apartment communities with an additional 9 properties in various stages of active development. Additional information about Essex can be found on the Company's web site at www.essexpropertytrust.com.