PALO ALTO, CA--(Marketwire - 12/11/09) - Essex Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESS - News), a real estate investment trust (REIT) that invests in apartment communities located in highly desirable, supply-constrained markets, announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $1.03 per common share, payable January 15, 2010 to shareholders of record as of January 4, 2010.

The Board of Directors declared quarterly distributions of $0.48828 and $0.30469 per share on its 7.8125% Series F Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares and its 4.875% Series G Cumulative Convertible Preferred shares, respectively. Distributions for the 7.8125% Series F Cumulative Redeemable Preferred shares are payable on March 1, 2010 to shareholders of record as of February 12, 2010. Distributions for the 4.875% Series G Cumulative Convertible Preferred shares are payable on February 1, 2010 to shareholders of record as of January 4, 2010.