Education Realty Reports Fourth Quarter and Year End Results


MEMPHIS, Tenn., March 10, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Education Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:EDR), America's most experienced provider of collegiate student housing, today announced financial results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2005.

Highlights



 --  Fourth quarter earnings per share of $.08, compared to a net 
     loss of $.33 per share for the third quarter and $.80 per share 
     for the first eight months of operations as a public company.

 --  Fourth quarter funds from operations (FFO) of $.26 per 
     potentially diluted share, compared to $.03 per share for third 
     quarter and $.20 for first eight months of operations as a public 
     company.

 --  Maintained quarterly cash dividend at $.30 per share and affirmed 
     2006 target dividend of $1.19 per share.

 --  Year end occupancy of 94 percent compared to 90 percent at 
     December 31, 2004. 

 --  Completed acquisition of 13 student housing communities with 
     5,894 beds in six states, increasing its total portfolio to 59 
     properties with 36,637 beds.

 --  Pre-leased 47.3 percent of beds for 06/07 academic year as of 
     March 6, 2006 compared to 40.7 percent pre-leased at March 6, 
     2005 for 05/06 academic year.

 --  Average rental rate on leases executed for the 06-07 academic 
     year approximately 4 percent higher, as of March 6, 2006, than 
     the average rental rate on 05/06 academic year leases.

Fourth Quarter and Year End Operating Results

Year end operating results discussed in this press release combine the operating results of EDR since closing of its initial public offering (IPO) and acquisition of its properties on January 31, 2005 and the operating results of its predecessor for the period January 1 through January 30, 2005. These results are compared to the operating results of EDR's predecessor for the year ended December 31, 2004, which do not include the operations of 14 student housing communities acquired from JPI Investment Company, L.P. at the time of the IPO and 5 student housing communities acquired since the IPO. Accordingly, comparisons of 2005 quarterly and annual operating results to 2004 periods are not meaningful.

Revenues for the fourth quarter were $27.9 million, a 17% increase over third quarter revenues. Operating expenses for the fourth quarter were $21.7 million, a $5 million, or approximately 19%, improvement over operating expenses of $26.7 million for the third quarter. Accordingly, operating income for the fourth quarter was $6.2 million compared to a $2.9 million operating loss for the third quarter, a $9.1 million quarter-to-quarter improvement in profitability. For the fourth quarter, net income was $2 million, or $.08 per share, compared to a net loss of $7.2 million, or $.33 per share for the third quarter.

Funds from operations (FFO) for the fourth quarter were $7.5 million, or $.26 per potentially dilutive share and operating partnership unit, compared to $975,000, or $.03 per potentially dilutive share and operating partnership unit for the third quarter, an 866% improvement. Potentially dilutive shares and operating partnership units outstanding for purposes of calculating FFO per share/unit for both the third and fourth quarters were approximately 28.3 million. A reconciliation of FFO to net income is included in the financial tables accompanying this press release. For a definition of FFO and a statement by management regarding the reasons for and significance of reporting FFO as a measure of performance, see Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in EDR's annual report on 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004.

Paul O. Bower, chairman, chief executive officer and president of EDR, stated: "We believe that in the fourth quarter we turned the corner in our transition from private operators to a public company. Our revenue growth was strong, our expenses stabilized and we avoided the one-time charges from the prior quarters of operations."

"Moreover, our management team has refocused on the day-to-day business, generally free from the distractions of being a new public company and the time commitment that was required in landing the Place portfolio and raising the money to close the acquisition," said Bower. "We are seeing numerous opportunities for revenue growth, and we are confident that our 54 years of experience in the student housing business will allow us to capitalize on these opportunities in a way that increases shareholder value."

For the year ended December 31, 2005, revenues were $87.2 million and operating expenses were $87.7 million, resulting in a 2005 net loss from operations of $0.5 million. Net loss for the year ended December 31, 2005 was $15.5 million, or $.67 per share. Included in the annual net loss were one-time costs associated with the IPO of approximately $5.1 million.

For the year ended December 31, 2005, FFO were $13.1 million, or approximately $.46 per potentially dilutive share and operating partnership unit. FFO adjusted for one-time IPO charges were $19.5 million, or $.69 per potentially dilutive share and operating partnership unit.

Occupancy and Leasing

At quarter and year end, the properties comprising the EDR student housing portfolio had an occupancy rate of 94.3 percent, up from 90.3 percent at the same time a year ago.

Among the components of the EDR portfolio:



 --  At the seven EDR predecessor properties, occupancy was 92.4 
     percent, up from 90.7 percent at December 31, 2004.

 --  At the 14 properties acquired from JPI at the time of the IPO, 
     occupancy was 94.7 percent, up from 91.8 percent at December 31, 
     2004.

 --  At the five properties acquired by EDR since the IPO, occupancy 
     was 95.4 percent, up from 84.8 percent at December 31, 2004.

Occupancy rates at properties EDR manages for third-party owners also jumped in 2005 over 2004. As of December 31, 2005, occupancy was 92.7 percent at properties managed by Allen & O'Hara Education Services, Inc., EDR's property management subsidiary, up from 84.7 percent a year ago.

As of March 6, 2006, the company reported the following leasing statistics for the upcoming 2006-2007 academic year:



 --  Student beds at properties owned by EDR at year end are 47.3 
     percent pre-leased, up from 40.7 percent a year ago.

 --  Student beds at properties managed by EDR's property management 
     company subsidiary, Allen & O'Hara Education Services, Inc., are 
     45.5 percent pre-leased, up from 36.7 percent a year ago.

 --  Student beds at the 13 student housing communities acquired from 
     Place Properties in January are 44.2 percent pre-leased, up from 
     43.6 percent a year ago.

Development Activity

EDR continues to provide development consulting services for student housing communities at six college campuses in the East, South and West through its development company subsidiary, Allen & O'Hara Development Company, LLC.

Development projects at year end included:



 --  Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania, where construction of 
     two buildings with 700 student beds is ahead of schedule for an 
     August 2006 opening and two more buildings with 690 student beds 
     are slated to open in late 2006 and summer of 2007.  Design is 
     underway on Phase II buildings with 1,000 more student beds, and 
     construction is set to start in 2007.

 --  California University of Pennsylvania, where construction of 447 
     beds of on-campus student housing continues toward on-time 
     completion in August 2006 and where construction of 352-bed Phase 
     II is scheduled to start in June 2006.

 --  Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where a $52.5 million bond 
     issue is scheduled to close and construction is scheduled to 
     begin May 1 on the first phase of a four-phase scope of work to 
     replace all on-campus student housing.

 --  University of Alabama -- Birmingham, where construction of a 190-
     unit, 753-bed Blazer Hall continues on time and on budget toward 
     a spring 2006 opening and where EDR's property management company 
     subsidiary, Allen & O'Hara Education Services Inc., will manage 
     the on-campus community.

 --  University of Colorado at Denver, where construction is ahead of 
     schedule on the 685-bed Campus Village Apartments adjacent to the 
     Auraria Higher Education Center, a shared campus with 
     Metropolitan State College and Community College of Denver.  
     Campus Village will open in the summer instead of the fall of 
     2006 and Allen & O'Hara Education Services Inc. will manage the 
     community.

 --  University of Louisville, where construction is on schedule for 
     the fall 2006 opening of a 359-bed residential suites and Greek 
     organizations building.  Allen & O'Hara Education Services Inc. 
     will manage the community. 

Property Management Update

Allen & O'Hara Education Services Inc. is actively engaged in the initial leasing of properties in Birmingham, Denver and Louisville. Blazer Hall at UAB in Birmingham, Campus Village in Denver and Community Park at the University of Louisville are slated to open later this year. As of March 6, 2006, 32.3 percent of the available beds at the three properties are pre-leased for the 2006-2007 academic year.

Acquisition Activity

On January 6, 2006, EDR completed its previously announced purchase from Place Properties of 13 collegiate communities in six states for $195 million in cash, stock and assumed debt. The properties are expected to generate a conservatively estimated 7.2 percent return.

EDR evaluated potential acquisitions of purpose-built Class A student housing valued at about $2 billion during calendar 2005 and expects to evaluate a similar amount during 2006.

Supplemental Information and Quarterly Conference Call

A copy of this media release, a self-directed investor presentation and a supplemental packet of financial and operating information are available at the company's web site, www.educationrealty.com. EDR will host an earnings conference call for interested parties today Friday, March 10, 2006, beginning at 11 a.m. Eastern Time. During the call, EDR Chairman, CEO and President Paul O. Bower, Executive Vice President and CFO Randall H. Brown and Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer Craig L. Cardwell will review the company's 2005 results and discuss the business outlook for 2006.

To access the call, participants from within the U.S. may dial 866.700.6067 and participants from outside the U.S. may dial 617.213.8834. The pass code for this call is 28373289. Participants who prefer to listen to the call and view an accompanying slide presentation via the Internet may log on to www.educationrealty.com or www.earnings.com, or institutional investors may log on to www.streetevents.com prior to the call.

A taped rebroadcast of the earnings call will be available approximately one hour following its completion on March 10 through March 17, 2006. To access the rebroadcast, the domestic number is 888.286.8010, the international number is 617.801.6888 and the pass code is 38354987. A replay of the call will also be available at www.educationrealty.com or www.earnings.com for 30 days following the call. The call will also be available as a podcast on www.reitcafe.com.

About Education Realty Trust

Education Realty Trust is one of America's largest owners and operators of collegiate student housing, owning and/or managing approximately 36,637 beds at 59 properties near campuses around the country. For more information about EDR, please visit the company's Web site at www.educationrealty.com.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:

Statements in this release regarding Education Realty Trust's business that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and involve a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause EDR's future results, performance, or achievements to differ significantly from the results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. For a discussion of additional risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see the "Business-Risk Factors" section of EDR's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and EDR undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments, or otherwise.



             EDUCATION REALTY TRUST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

               CONSOLIDATED AND COMBINED BALANCE SHEETS
        (Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

                            Dec. 31, 2005       Dec. 31, 2004
                            ------------  -------------------------- 
                            Consolidated  Consolidated  Combined EDR 
                                EDR           EDR       Predecessor 
                            ------------  ------------  ------------
                             (Unaudited)
 Assets

  Student housing
   properties, net            $ 620,305    $      --    $  83,785
  Corporate office
   furniture, net                   991           --           --
  Cash and cash
   equivalents                   61,662            1        2,883
  Restricted cash and
   short-term investments         6,738           --        1,102
  Student contracts
   receivable, net                  470           --           87
  Management fee
   receivable from third
   party, net                       552           --          161
  Goodwill and other
   intangibles, net               3,214           --           --
  Other assets                   10,117        3,790          856
                              ---------    ---------    ---------
 Total assets                 $ 704,049    $   3,791    $  88,874
                              =========    =========    =========

 Liabilities and
  stockholders' and
  predecessor owners'
  equity
 Liabilities:

  Mortgage loans, net of
   premium/discount           $ 328,335    $      --    $  81,111
  Revolving line of credit           --          497           --
  Note payable to
   affiliate                         --           --          485
  Accounts payable and
   accrued expenses               9,371           --        1,642
  Accounts payable
   affiliate                        225        3,515          799
  Deferred revenue                7,660           --        3,048
                              ---------    ---------    ---------
 Total liabilities              345,591        4,012       87,085

 Minority interest               27,926           --           --

 Commitments and
  contingencies

 Stockholders' and
  predecessor owners'
  equity:
  Common stock, $.01 par
   value, 200,000,000
   shares authorized,
   26,263,889 shares
   issued and outstanding
   as of Dec. 31, 2005              263           --           --

  Preferred shares, $0.01
   par value, 50,000,000
   shares authorized, no
   shares issued and
   outstanding                       --           --           --
  Unearned deferred
   compensation                  (2,470)          --           --
  Additional paid in
   capital                      354,134            1           --
  Loan to unitholder             (5,996)          --           --
  Warrants                          375           --           --
  Accumulated deficit           (15,774)        (222)          --
  Predecessor owners'
   equity                            --           --        1,789
                              ---------    ---------    ---------
 Total stockholders' and
  predecessor owners'
  equity                        330,532         (221)       1,789
                              ---------    ---------    ---------

 Total liabilities and
  stockholders' and
  predecessor owners'
  equity                      $ 704,049    $   3,791    $  88,874
                              =========    =========    =========


              EDUCATION REALTY TRUST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
       CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED AND COMBINED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
          (Amounts in thousands except share and per share data)

                                    EDR                  EDR
                                Consolidated     Predecessor Combined
                             ---------------------------------------
                             Three months ended   Three months ended
                               Dec. 31, 2005        Dec. 31, 2004
                             ------------------   ------------------
                                (Unaudited)          (Unaudited)

 Revenues:

  Student housing leasing
   revenue                     $     23,045          $      4,707
  Student housing restaurant
   revenue                              888                   897
  Third-party development
   services                             786                     4
  Third-party management
   services                             710                   370
  Operating expense 
   reimbursements                     2,485                 1,365
                               ------------          ------------
   Total revenues                    27,914                 7,343

 Operating Expenses:

  Student housing leasing
   operations                        11,284                 1,586
  Student housing restaurant            826                   800
  General and administrative          1,549                   825
  Depreciation and
   amortization                       5,521                   791
  Reimbursable operating
   expenses                           2,485                 1,365
                               ------------          ------------
   Total operating expenses          21,665                 5,367

 Operating income                     6,249                 1,976

 Nonoperating Expenses:

  Interest                            4,298                 1,408
  Amortization of deferred
   financing costs                      238                    41
  Interest income                      (673)                   --
                               ------------          ------------
   Total nonoperating
    expenses                          3,863                 1,449

 Income before equity in
  earnings of unconsolidated
  entities, income taxes
  and minority interest               2,386                   527

 Equity in earnings of
  unconsolidated entities               293                    69
                               ------------          ------------

 Income before income taxes
  and minority interest               2,679                   596
 Income taxes                           327                    --
                               ------------          ------------
 Net income before minority
  interest                            2,352                   596

 Minority interest                      344                    --
                               ------------          ------------
 Net income                    $      2,008          $        596
                               ============          ============
 Earnings per share
  information:

 Net Income per share --
  basic and diluted            $       0.08
                               ============
 Weighted average common
  shares outstanding --
  basic and diluted              26,259,639      
                               ============


            EDUCATION REALTY TRUST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
 CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED AND COMBINED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (contd.)
       (Amounts in thousands except share and per share data)

                              EDR and EDR                     EDR
                    EDR       Predecessor      EDR        Predecessor
                Consolidated    Combined   Consolidated     Combined
                ----------------------------------------  ------------
                 Jan. 31 to    Jan. 1 to     Year Ended    Year Ended
               Dec. 31, 2005 Jan. 30, 2005 Dec. 31, 2005 Dec. 31, 2004
                ------------  ------------  ------------  ------------
                 (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)

 Revenues:

  Student 
   housing
   leasing 
   revenue      $     74,374  $      1,503  $     75,877  $     17,896
  Student housing
   restaurant
   revenue             3,222           269         3,491         3,137
  Third-party
   development
   services            1,759            --         1,759           392
  Third-party
   management
   services            1,865           103         1,968         1,326
  Operating
   expense
   reimbursements      6,023           671         6,694         5,223
                ------------  ------------  ------------  ------------
   Total 
    revenues          87,243         2,546        89,789        27,974

 Operating
  Expenses:

  Student 
   housing
   leasing
   operations         40,196           524        40,720         7,645
  Student 
   housing
   restaurant          3,020           255         3,275         2,899
  General and
   administrative      9,547           377         9,924         3,545
  Depreciation 
   and
   amortization       28,908           260        29,168         3,120
  Reimbursable
   operating
   expenses            6,023           671         6,694         5,223
                ------------  ------------  ------------  ------------
   Total 
    operating
    expenses          87,694         2,087        89,781        22,432

 Operating 
  income (loss)         (451)          459             8         5,542

 Nonoperating
  Expenses:

  Interest            15,885           479        16,364         5,623
  Exit fees on
   early 
   repayment
   of mortgages        1,084            --         1,084            --
  Amortization 
   of deferred
   financing 
   costs                 820            --           820           163
  Interest income     (1,303)           --        (1,303)           --
                ------------  ------------  ------------  ------------
   Total
    nonoperating
    expenses          16,486           479        16,965         5,786

 Income (loss)
  before equity 
  in earnings of
  unconsolidated
  entities, 
  income taxes 
  and
  minority 
  interest           (16,937)          (20)      (16,957)        (244)

 Equity in
  earnings of
  unconsolidated
  entities               853            27           880         1,002
                ------------  ------------  ------------  ------------

 Income (loss)
  before income
  taxes and
  minority
  interest           (16,084)            7       (16,077)          758
 Income taxes            497            --           497            --
                ------------  ------------  ------------  ------------
 Net income 
  (loss)
  before 
  minority
  interest           (16,581)            7       (16,574)          758

 Minority 
  interest            (1,040)           --        (1,040)           --
                ------------  ------------  ------------  ------------
 Net income 
  (loss)        $    (15,541) $          7  $    (15,534) $        758
                ============  ============  ============  ============


 Earnings per
  share
  information:

 Loss per share --
  basic and 
  diluted       $      (0.67)
                ============  

 Weighted average
  common shares
  outstanding-
  basic and 
  diluted         23,063,110
                ============ 


               EDUCATION REALTY TRUST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
                       CALCULATION OF FFO AND FFOA
          (Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

                Three      Three                             Twelve
                months     months    Jan. 31     Jan. 1      months
                ended      ended        to         to        ended
               Dec. 31,   Dec. 31,   Dec. 31,   Dec. 31,    Dec. 31, 
                 2005       2004       2005       2005       2004
               ------------------------------  --------------------
                 (EDR       (EDR       (EDR   (EDR and EDR   (EDR
                Consol-    Prede-     Consol-     Prede-    Prede-
                idated)    cessor)    idated)    cessor)    cessor)
               --------   --------   --------  --------------------

 Net income
  (loss)       $  2,008   $    596   $(15,541)  $      7   $    758
 Real estate
  related
  depreciation
  and
  amortization    5,458        784     28,636        260      3,110
               --------   --------   --------   --------   --------
 Funds from   
  operations
  ("FFO")         7,466      1,380     13,095        267      3,868

 Elimination
  of one-time
  IPO related
  transactions:

  Charge for
   profit
   interest
   units             --         --      4,039         --         --
  Write-off of
   fees
   associated
   with
   repayment
   of mortgage 
   debt              --         --      1,084         --         --
  Loss of
   deferred
   revenue due
   to purchase
   accounting 
   (a)               --         --      1,233         --         --
               --------   --------   --------   --------   --------
 Impact of IPO
  related
  transactions       --         --      6,356         --         --
               --------   --------   --------   --------   --------

 Funds from
  operations --
  adjusted
  ("FFOA")     $  7,466   $  1,380   $ 19,451   $    267   $  3,868
               ========   ========   ========   ========   ========
 FFO per share
  -- weighted
  average
  stocks/units $   0.27              $  0.52
 FFOA per
  share --
  weighted
  average
  stocks/units $   0.27              $  0.78

 Weighted
  average
  shares/
  units      28,150,867           24,941,717

 FFO per
  share --
  potentially
  dilutive
  stocks/units $   0.26              $  0.46
 FFOA per
  share --
  potentially
  dilutive
  stocks/units $   0.26              $  0.69

 Total
  potentially
  dilutive
  common and
  restricted
  stock and
  partnership
  units      28,302,228           28,302,228
             ==========           ==========
 ------------------------
 (a) Represents the balance of deferred straight-lined rents and
  service fees at the time of the Formation Transactions and IPO that
  would have been recognized by the company during the subsequently
  reported period had it already owned the properties. Generally
  accepted accounting principles do not allow such revenue items to be
  carried forward in an acquisition, resulting in this one-time,
  non-recurring loss of revenue.


                             2006 OUTLOOK
      CONSOLIDATED & COMBINED STATEMENT OF FUNDS FROM OPERATIONS 
   (Unaudited, amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

                                             For the Year Ending
                                                Dec. 31, 2006
                                         -------------------------- 
                                          Low Range      High Range
                                         -----------    -----------
 
 Net income (loss)                       $   (11,621)   $   (10,191)

 Real estate related depreciation and
  amortization                                39,192         39,192
                                         -----------    -----------

 Funds from operations ("FFO")           $    27,571    $    29,001
                                         ===========    ===========

 FFO per share -- potentially dilutive
  stocks/units                           $      0.97    $      1.02
                                         ===========    ===========

 Total potentially dilutive common and
  restricted stock and partnership
  units                                   28,302,228     
                                         ===========
 ------------------------
 The fiscal 2006 guidance is based on our judgment and current 
 expectations. The guidance is forward looking and exclusive of any 
 financing or capital transactions and any acquisitions other than 
 the Place portfolio acquisition. Actual results may be affected by 
 many factors, including, but not limited to, the following: (i) the 
 leasing rates and occupancy levels achieved at our student housing 
 communities; (ii) the realization of development services revenue 
 relating to the timing of construction activity of our on-campus 
 development projects; (iii) the amount of income recognized by the
 taxable REIT subsidiary and any corresponding income tax expense; 
 (iv) interest rate risk and (v) the start-up costs related to the 
 compliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.


            

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