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Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corporation

mnr · NYSE Energy
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Ticker mnr
Exchange NYSE
Sector Energy
Industry Oil & Gas Exploration & Production
Employees 11-50
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FY2017 Annual Report · Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corporation
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Monmouth Real Estate  
Investment Corporation

A Public REIT Since 1968 
NYSE: MNR

www.mreic.reit

3499 Route 9 North 
Freehold, New Jersey 07728 
732.577.9996

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Monmouth Real Estate  
Investment Corporation

2017 Annual Report

“When the market opens tomorrow,  

billions of dollars will change hands voluntarily 

and every single one of those transactions  

will involve an element of trust.  

But trust must be earned.  

A reputation of integrity is often  

the most valuable asset a business can have.  

Eugene Landy has earned such a reputation,  

and we must continue to conduct ourselves 

accordingly, to remain true to his legacy and to 

protect the enduring value that has been built.”

– Michael P. Landy, President and CEO

 
 
 
 
 
 
Monmouth Real Estate  
Investment Corporation

A Public REIT Since 1968 
NYSE: MNR

www.mreic.reit

3499 Route 9 North 
Freehold, New Jersey 07728 
732.577.9996

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Monmouth Real Estate  
Investment Corporation

2017 Annual Report

“When the market opens tomorrow,  

billions of dollars will change hands voluntarily 

and every single one of those transactions  

will involve an element of trust.  

But trust must be earned.  

A reputation of integrity is often  

the most valuable asset a business can have.  

Eugene Landy has earned such a reputation,  

and we must continue to conduct ourselves 

accordingly, to remain true to his legacy and to 

protect the enduring value that has been built.”

– Michael P. Landy, President and CEO

 
 
 
 
 
 
50th Anniversary

– 1 –

2017 Annual ReportDaniel D. Cronheim 
Attorney-at-Law 
Executive Vice President, 
General Counsel 
David Cronheim Company

Neal Herstik 
Attorney-at-Law 
Gross, Truss & Herstik, PC

Michael P. Landy 
President and Chief Executive Officer

Directors

Catherine B. Elflein 
Senior Director Risk Management 
Celgene Corporation

Matthew I. Hirsch 
Attorney-at-Law 
Law Office of Matthew I. Hirsch

Samuel A. Landy 
Attorney-at-Law, President and  
Chief Executive Officer  
UMH Properties, Inc.

Gregory T. Otto 
Maritime Consultant 
Paul F. Richardson & Associates

Scott L. Robinson 
Managing Director  
Oberon Securities

Brian H. Haimm 
Chief Financial Officer and  
Chief Operating Officer  
Ascend Capital

Eugene W. Landy  
Chairman of the Board

Kevin S. Miller 
Chief Financial and Accounting Officer, 
and Treasurer

Stephen B. Wolgin 
Managing Director 
U.S. Real Estate Advisors, Inc.

Officers and Management

Eugene W. Landy 
Chairman of the Board

Allison Nagelberg 
General Counsel

Michael P. Landy 
President and Chief Executive Officer

Michael D. Prashad 
In House Counsel

Kevin S. Miller 
Chief Financial and Accounting Officer, 
and Treasurer

Richard Molke 
Vice President of Asset Management

Susan M. Jordan 
Vice President of Investor Relations

Katie Rytter 
Controller

Laura Teman 
Assistant Controller

Yulia Hatch 
Senior Accountant

Ashley Tripodi 
Assistant Property Manager

Allison Viscardi 
Senior Property Manager

Crystal Glas 
Executive Assistant

Corporate Information

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Corporate Office 
3499 Route 9 North 
Freehold, NJ 07728

Independent Auditors 
PKF O’Connor Davies, LLP 
665 Fifth Avenue 
New York, NY 10022

Transfer Agent & Registrar 
American Stock Transfer 
& Trust Company 
6201 15th Avenue 
Brooklyn, NY 11219

Common Stock Listing 
NYSE:MNR

www.mreic.reit

Guest Speaker:  
The Honorable Guido Calabresi

Keynote Speaker:  
James Grant, Grant’s Interest Rate Observer

Honoree, Founder and Chairman:  
Eugene W. Landy

People matter.  

Education and training matter. 

Great institutions matter.  

Pictured here are our family, friends and 
associates, all of whom have stood their 
watch to help build our great company.  
We have been privileged to know some of 
the great minds of our era, some of whom 
are seen here giving us counsel. 

Fifty years of leadership was only made 
possible because of the years spent at the 
United States Merchant Marine Academy 
and the Yale Law School.

We acknowledge our success is built on the 
framework created by the New York Stock 
Exchange and the National Association of 
Real Estate Investment Trusts. 

This annual report is our official log book of our voyage to date.

Great pride is taken in the accomplishments of our President and CEO, Michael Landy by both my wife Gloria and I.  
Gloria is a leader in her own right and is fittingly pictured here with me.

– Eugene W. Landy, Founder and Chairman of the Board

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Daniel D. Cronheim 
Attorney-at-Law 
Executive Vice President, 
General Counsel 
David Cronheim Company

Neal Herstik 
Attorney-at-Law 
Gross, Truss & Herstik, PC

Michael P. Landy 
President and Chief Executive Officer

Directors

Catherine B. Elflein 
Senior Director Risk Management 
Celgene Corporation

Matthew I. Hirsch 
Attorney-at-Law 
Law Office of Matthew I. Hirsch

Samuel A. Landy 
Attorney-at-Law, President and  
Chief Executive Officer  
UMH Properties, Inc.

Gregory T. Otto 
Maritime Consultant 
Paul F. Richardson & Associates

Scott L. Robinson 
Managing Director  
Oberon Securities

Brian H. Haimm 
Chief Financial Officer and  
Chief Operating Officer  
Ascend Capital

Eugene W. Landy  
Chairman of the Board

Kevin S. Miller 
Chief Financial and Accounting Officer, 
and Treasurer

Stephen B. Wolgin 
Managing Director 
U.S. Real Estate Advisors, Inc.

Officers and Management

Eugene W. Landy 
Chairman of the Board

Allison Nagelberg 
General Counsel

Michael P. Landy 
President and Chief Executive Officer

Michael D. Prashad 
In House Counsel

Kevin S. Miller 
Chief Financial and Accounting Officer, 
and Treasurer

Richard Molke 
Vice President of Asset Management

Susan M. Jordan 
Vice President of Investor Relations

Katie Rytter 
Controller

Laura Teman 
Assistant Controller

Yulia Hatch 
Senior Accountant

Ashley Tripodi 
Assistant Property Manager

Allison Viscardi 
Senior Property Manager

Crystal Glas 
Executive Assistant

Corporate Information

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Corporate Office 
3499 Route 9 North 
Freehold, NJ 07728

Independent Auditors 
PKF O’Connor Davies, LLP 
665 Fifth Avenue 
New York, NY 10022

Transfer Agent & Registrar 
American Stock Transfer 
& Trust Company 
6201 15th Avenue 
Brooklyn, NY 11219

Common Stock Listing 
NYSE:MNR

www.mreic.reit

Guest Speaker:  
The Honorable Guido Calabresi

Keynote Speaker:  
James Grant, Grant’s Interest Rate Observer

Honoree, Founder and Chairman:  
Eugene W. Landy

People matter.  

Education and training matter. 

Great institutions matter.  

Pictured here are our family, friends and 
associates, all of whom have stood their 
watch to help build our great company.  
We have been privileged to know some of 
the great minds of our era, some of whom 
are seen here giving us counsel. 

Fifty years of leadership was only made 
possible because of the years spent at the 
United States Merchant Marine Academy 
and the Yale Law School.

We acknowledge our success is built on the 
framework created by the New York Stock 
Exchange and the National Association of 
Real Estate Investment Trusts. 

This annual report is our official log book of our voyage to date.

Great pride is taken in the accomplishments of our President and CEO, Michael Landy by both my wife Gloria and I.  
Gloria is a leader in her own right and is fittingly pictured here with me.

– Eugene W. Landy, Founder and Chairman of the Board

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Letter to 
Shareholders

Michael P. Landy
President and Chief Executive Officer

 “Machines cannot dream, not even in sleep mode. If we stop 

dreaming big dreams, if we stop looking for a greater purpose, 

then we may as well be machines ourselves.”

Gary Kasparov 
First World Chess Champion to be defeated by a computer

JANUARY, 2018
Dear Fellow Human Shareholders,

Welcome to our 2017 annual report. Sadly, some of our largest 
investors will not be reading this annual report because their 
computer-driven algorithms are not programmed to seek value 
here. While I certainly hope it never comes to pass, because these 
massive computer-based index funds have grown exponentially, 
currently representing approximately 40% of total public-
equity ownership, we may see the day when writing a letter to 
shareholders will be a futile endeavor. For even if these computers 
somehow became interested in reading this letter, it would be a 
very difficult letter to write, as humans and computers think so 
differently. Paramount in the mind of a human investor is gaining 
an understanding of a company’s intrinsic value. While placing 
funds regardless of price across a broad spectrum of companies 
has, to date, been the relatively simple-minded task of the robot 
advisor. So, let us proceed with the former and drill down on the 
intrinsic value that has been growing here at Monmouth Real 
Estate Investment Corporation (Monmouth), keeping in mind that 
one of the big detriments and opportunities created by these large, 
passive computer-driven ownership positions, is that they can 
cause stock prices to diverge greatly from their intrinsic value.

– 2 –

Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corporation• Entered into commitments to purchase four new build-to-suit 
properties containing approximately 1.65 million square feet, for 
a purchase price of approximately $139.3 million scheduled to 
close over the next several quarters, including two properties we 
acquired subsequent to fiscal yearend, 

• Renewed 11 of the 13 leases totaling 1.4 million square feet that 
were scheduled to expire in fiscal 2017, resulting in a 92% tenant 
retention rate, 

• Maintained a sector leading occupancy rate of 99.3% at fiscal 
yearend, representing our second consecutive year with above 
99% occupancy,

• Extended our weighted average lease maturity from 7.4 years to 
7.9 years,

• Achieved a 19% total shareholder return for fiscal 2017, versus 
less than a 1% total return for the MSCI US REIT Index during the 
same period,

• Increased our total market capitalization by 22% to $2.2 billion 
at fiscal yearend,

• Raised $73.5 million in gross proceeds through our Series C 
Perpetual Preferred Stock follow-on offering at 6.125%,

• Raised an additional $36.4 million in gross proceeds from the 
issuance of shares of our 6.125% Series C Perpetual Preferred 
Stock through our Preferred Stock ATM Program, 

• Raised approximately $91.9 million in equity through our 
Dividend Reinvestment and Stock Purchase Plan,

• Redeemed our high coupon 7.625% Series A Preferred Stock and 
our high coupon 7.875% Series B Preferred Stock, 

• Extended our weighted average debt maturity from 9.6 years to 
10.2 years at fiscal yearend,

• Reduced our weighted average interest rate on our fixed rate debt 
from 4.5% to 4.2%,

• Generated $2.3 million in net realized gains in addition to the 
$6.6 million in unrealized gains we held at fiscal yearend on our 
REIT securities investments, and

• Subsequent to yearend, increased our common stock dividend by 
6.25% on October 2, 2017, representing our second dividend increase 
in three years.

On January 19, 2017, we celebrated our 50-year anniversary as 
a public REIT at the NYSE. Our longevity is a testament to our 
conservative principles. We have always been guided in our quest 
for value creation by keeping a long-term outlook. When looking 
back over the cycles, although we have performed well throughout, 
it has been the downturns that saw Monmouth’s business model 
outperform the most. Our anniversary celebration began with the 
ringing of the closing bell. This is an honor that we will always 
hold near and dear to our hearts. Our celebration continued with 
a dinner honoring our Founder and Chairman, Eugene Landy. 
Guests attended from all over the country and the room was 
overflowing with love and respect. 

Fiscal 2017 was a banner year for Monmouth. Our Company 
executed exceptionally well, and our achievements were many. 
During the year, the Company accomplished the following: 

• Generated AFFO per share growth of 9%,

• Increased our Gross Revenue by 20% to $120.5 million,

• Increased our Net Operating Income by 20% to $96.2 million,

• Acquired 2.8 million square feet of high-quality industrial 
space for $286.5 million comprising 10 brand new, Class A built-
to-suit properties, all leased long term, of which 77% is leased to 
investment grade tenants,

• Completed two expansion projects for approximately $5.6 million, 
adding additional rental space of 51,000 square feet,

• Generated 17% year-over-year growth in gross leasable area 
through acquisitions and expansions,

– 3 –

2017 Annual ReportBuilt one high-quality asset at a time, with a focus solely on 
single tenant, net leased industrial properties, leased long-term 
to investment grade tenants, Monmouth stands out as one of 
the most specialized of all REITs. Publicly traded since 1968, we 
are also one of the oldest REITs in the world. One of our most 
important assets, and a reason for our cycle-tested longevity, is our 
exceptional roster of tenant relationships. Our modern industrial 
property portfolio boasts an all-star tenant line up that currently 
includes Amazon, Anheuser-Busch, Beam Suntory, Coca-Cola, 
FedEx, GE, Home Depot, International Paper, National Oilwell 
Varco, Sherwin-Williams, Siemens, ULTA Cosmetics, United 
Technologies, and other high-quality companies. With approxi-
mately 85% of our rental revenue derived from investment grade 
tenants, our earnings quality is among the highest in the entire 
REIT sector. Today, our property portfolio comprises 108 prop-
erties totaling 19.1 million rentable square feet, geographically 
diversified across 30 states. This represents substantial progress, 
considering that our gross leasable area was less than half its cur-
rent size just six years ago. Most importantly, because this growth 
was generated through the acquisition of brand new, Class A, 
built-to-suit properties, Monmouth owns the youngest and most 
state-of-the-art property portfolio in the industrial REIT sector. 

Gross Leasable Area

18.8

16.0

13.9

20.0

18.0

16.0

14.0

12.0

10.0

8.0

6.0

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11.2

9.6

FY 2013

FY 2014

FY 2015

FY 2016

FY 2017

We’ve positioned our assets to benefit from three long-term cata-
lysts. First and foremost is the continued migration of consumer 
spending from traditional store shopping, to the infinite virtual 
storefronts that can be found on the Internet. Excluding food and 
fuel, ecommerce now represents approximately 16% of total retail 
spending, and continues to climb rapidly. Second is our focus on 
locations that are near major transportation hubs, major airports, 
and manufacturing plants that are vital to our tenants’ opera-
tions. This has proven over the long term to result in high tenant 

retention rates, and as a result we have averaged over 90% tenant 
retention for the past eight years. Third is strategically positioning 
our assets to benefit from the shift in the global supply chain that 
has been occurring due to the recently expanded Panama Canal. 
Over 70% of the U.S. population resides east of the Mississippi 
River, and because of the new, wider Panama Canal, shipping con-
tainer growth at the East Coast ports has been outpacing the West 
Coast ports for several years now. Domestic manufacturing has 
been increasing dramatically this past year, with many companies 
relocating their plants near the Eastern Ports to benefit from the 
greater shipping capacity that the expanded canal provides. As you 
can see from the map on pages 14 and 15 of this report, our portfo-
lio is very well positioned to benefit from these ongoing changes. 

Since 2011, our capital structure has grown by nearly 350%. We 
have achieved this substantial growth while reducing our overall 
leverage. This year’s $286.5 million in acquisitions represented 
the third straight record-breaking year of new acquisitions for 
Monmouth. In fiscal 2017 we acquired 10 brand-new Class A built-
to-suit industrial properties totaling 2.8 million square feet. We 
completed two expansion projects this year, adding 51,000 square 
feet of new rental space, for approximately $5.6 million. We have 
assembled a modern industrial property portfolio that contains 
substantial acreage to accommodate future growth. The land-to-
building ratio of our recent acquisitions is approximately 7:1, which 
will provide for ample future expansion space as needed. Growing 
Monmouth one high-quality asset at a time will continue to be a 
key focus here. We are not striving to be the biggest company. Our 
goal is simply to be a better company.

Capital Structure

Common Equity

Preferred Equity

Debt

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$2.5

$2.0

$1.5

$1.0

$0.5

$0.0

FY 2013

FY 2014

FY 2015

FY 2016

FY 2017

– 4 –

Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corporation 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 “We’re blind to our blindness. We have very little idea of how 

little we know. We’re not designed to know how little we know.” 

Daniel Kahneman 

2002 Nobel Prize recipient in Economic Sciences

Understanding behavioral economics is an essential tool for any-
one wanting to be a successful investor. Death, taxes, and change 
stand alone in the province of certainty. All else comes down to 
probabilistic judgments based upon experience and knowledge. 
In our 2014 annual report, we featured an essay titled “A Few 
Thoughts on REIT Dividends and Total Return.” That essay is 
reprinted in its original form in this year’s annual report, as it 
explains a few fundamental pillars for understanding our philoso-
phy and the value of our business model. The essay’s accompanying 
chart has been brought up to date to illustrate how prescient our 
predictions were. I encourage you to read it.

Last year, we discussed how qualitative differences can at times 
more than offset quantitative differences and how this is one of 
the areas where computer comprehension has a blind spot. We 
talked about how a $5.00 rent can be more valuable than a $6.00 
rent depending on who is paying it. Time is another key element 
where analysis can often go astray. Taking time for granted has 
undoubtedly been one of the costliest errors people make, and yet 
they make this error time and time again. Another common blind 
spot is many people see the world solely as a zero-sum game. They 
apply a very sharp pencil in their analysis and keep their heads 
up in the theoretical clouds. For instance, they argue that capital 
allocation should merely be a matter of raising capital when your 
currency is at a premium and then simply buying it back when it is 
at a discount. This is beyond overly simplistic. It may work well on 
the drawing board, but the reality on the ground is rarely so black 
and white. The entrepreneurial people we seek to do business with 
are those who can appreciate these nuances, for that is what is nec-
essary to create value where there was none. These are the people 
we have been fortunate to partner with throughout our 50-year 
history. Walking away at the end of a transaction with all parties 
satisfied with the outcome is the norm here. In looking at the diffi-
culties plaguing the retail real estate sector today, I can’t help but 
think that in many cases, had the landlords not pushed rents so 
aggressively year after year, perhaps they could be weathering the 
ecommerce storm better than they find themselves doing today. 
Here at Monmouth, by understanding the bigger picture, we have 
built some of the most dependable income streams the REIT world 
has to offer, and I’m proud to say that over the past 10 years, out 
of more than 180 REITs, Monmouth, with a total return of over 
300%, is one of the top 10 performing companies.

Approximately 85% of our rental revenue is derived from invest-
ment-grade companies or their subsidiaries. The remaining 15% 
is derived from very strong credits as well; they are just non-rated. 
While from a geographic standpoint our portfolio is well diversi-
fied across 30 states, from a tenant concentration standpoint our 

largest tenant, FedEx, currently represents 50% of our total square 
footage. Given the strength of FedEx, their long-term successful 
track record, and their increasingly bright prospects, we are more 
than comfortable with this high concentration. FedEx is an essen-
tial component of the Internet ecosystem, and without them there 
would be no ecommerce. Since the turn of the century, ecommerce 
sales have been growing at a 15% compound annual growth rate. 
Demand, and therefore the value of the FedEx logistics network, 
has grown considerably as a result. Today, we have 59 properties 
totaling approximately 9.5 million square feet leased to FedEx. 
FedEx still occupies the very first building we purchased back in 
1992, that was leased to them. They are a big reason our tenant 
retention rates have historically averaged over 90%, and they have 
been the primary source of the substantial building expansions 
we have been doing over the past several years. In our opinion, 
the value of the FedEx network is only going to increase further 
with time.

Fiscal 2017 marked our second consecutive year of achieving above 
99% occupancy. In fact, 100% occupancy was achieved for most of 
the year. We ended it with a 99.3% occupancy rate, which is down 
30 basis points from the end of fiscal 2016. These occupancy rates 
represent the highest in the industrial REIT sector and illustrate 
the mission-critical nature of our properties. Subsequent to year-
end, our occupancy rate has risen further, and is now 99.5%. In 
fiscal 2017, 10% of our gross leasable area, representing 13 leases 
totaling approximately 1.5 million square feet, was scheduled to 
expire. Eleven of the 13 leases were renewed this year, representing 
1.4 million total square feet, giving Monmouth a 92% tenant reten-
tion rate. Our fiscal 2017 lease renewals have an average term of 
6.8 years, and an average GAAP lease rate of $5.70 per square foot. 
This represents a slight decrease of 0.5% on a straight-line GAAP 
basis. Given the strength of our tenants and the long average lease 
renewal term, we are pleased with these results.

Occupancy

99.6% 99.3% 99.5%

97.7%

96.0% 95.9%

100%

98%

96%

94%

92%

90%

FY 2013

FY 2014

FY 2015

FY 2016

FY 2017

Current

– 5 –

2017 Annual ReportIn fiscal 2017, we raised approximately $91.9 million in equity 
capital through our Dividend Reinvestment and Stock Purchase 
Plan (DRIP). Of this amount, a total of $10.1 million in dividends 
was reinvested this year, representing a 22% participation rate in 
our dividend reinvestment plan. Investors who participate in our 
DRIP can enhance their returns by reinvesting their dividends and 
achieving a compounded return. This has proven to be a very reli-
able program to help fund our growth. Additionally, we financed 
our new acquisitions with low-cost, long-term mortgage debt, 
raising $188.8 million in conjunction with our fiscal 2017 acqui-
sitions at a weighted average interest rate of 3.9% and a weighted 
average debt maturity of 14.9 years. This year has seen increasingly 
strong competition for industrial property acquisitions, and as a 
result cap rates have reached record low levels. Interest rates are 
beginning to rise, thus tightening our investment spreads and 
reducing our levered returns on equity. We are very pleased to have 
executed substantial growth at precisely the right time in the cycle, 
and while it is still beneficial to seek opportunistic acquisitions, 
Warren Buffett’s famous admonition, “What the wise man does in 
the beginning, the fool does in the end,” is something to keep in 
mind should investment spreads continue to compress further.

Dividend Growth
(per share)

Balance-sheet strength must be an essential focus for any REIT. 
Over our 50-year history, we have seen companies implode from 
excessive leverage and poorly structured debt-maturity schedules. 
A continuing theme here has been to capitalize on this protracted 
period of historically low interest rates by extending our debt 
maturities as far as possible, and by reducing our cost of capital 
throughout our capital structure. During the year, we successfully 
finished replacing all $111 million of our high-dividend Series A 
and Series B Preferred Stock, which had a weighted-average cou-
pon of 7.75%, with our new 6.125% Series C Perpetual Preferred 
Stock. This resulted in approximately $1.8 million in annual 
preferred dividend savings going forward. At fiscal yearend, our 
net debt to total market capitalization ratio was a conservative 
32%. Our total market capitalization was approximately $2.2 bil-
lion, representing a 22% increase over the prior year. Our capital 
structure at fiscal yearend is composed of $1.2 billion in equity 
capitalization, $246 million in perpetual preferred capital and 
$711 million in debt. Eighty-three percent of our total debt is 
fixed-rate, with a weighted-average interest rate of 4.2% and a 
weighted-average maturity of 11.6 years, representing one of the 
longest debt maturity schedules in the entire REIT sector. We also 
held $123.8 million in marketable REIT securities, representing 
8% of our undepreciated assets. Our securities portfolio delivered 
strong results this year, with $2.3 million in net realized gains 
as well as substantial dividend income. During the year, we fully 
repaid $40 million in mortgage loans, thereby unencumbering 
approximately $160 million worth of properties. Our Company 
remains very well capitalized to execute our qualitative growth 
strategy going forward.

$0.64

$0.64

$0.60

$0.60

$0.68

Debt Maturity Schedule

Mortgages (all fixed rate)

Loans Payable

FY 2014

FY 2015

FY 2016

FY 2017

FY 2018E

$400

$350

$300

$250

$200

$150

$100

$50

$0

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49.2%

21.0%

8.0% 7.7%

8.6%

5.5%

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

Thereafter

– 6 –

$0.80

$0.70

$0.60

$0.50

$0.40

Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corporation 
 
 
Monmouth’s Funds from Operations (FFO) for fiscal 2017 
were $54.4 million, or $0.75 per diluted share, as compared to 
$46.6 million, or $0.71 per diluted share, for the same period 
a year ago, representing an increase in FFO per share of 6%. 
Growing our recurring earnings, or what are commonly referred 
to as Adjusted Funds from Operations (AFFO), is always a major 
focus here. AFFO excludes gains or losses on the sale of real 
estate and gains or losses on the sale of REIT securities, as well 
as lease termination income and the effects of straight-lined rent 
adjustments. Therefore, we believe AFFO serves as the best proxy 
for recurring cash earnings. Following three consecutive years 
of double-digit per-share growth for this important metric, our 
AFFO per diluted share increased this year to $0.76 per diluted 
share from $0.70 in the prior year, representing a 9% increase.  
The significant growth in our AFFO per diluted share has allowed 
us to raise our common stock dividend twice in the last three years. 
Because Monmouth’s dividend was maintained throughout the 
Global Financial Crisis, our current $0.68 annual common share 
dividend is greater than it has ever been. 

AFFO Growth
(per share)

$0.80

$0.70

$0.60

$0.50

$0.40

$0.76

$0.70

$0.57

$0.52

$0.46

FY 2013

FY 2014

FY 2015

FY 2016

FY 2017

– 7 –

2017 Annual ReportFederal Reserve Monetary Base

Federal Reserve monetary base (M1)

4.5

4.0

3.5

3.0

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

s
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i
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l
i
r
T
n
0$

0.5

i

QE3

QE2

QE1

1950

1955

1960

1965

1970

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

2015

2020

Source: BofA Merrill Lynch Global Investment Strategy, Federal Reserve

 “Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon.”

Milton Friedman 

1976 Nobel Prize recipient in Economic Sciences

At $4.5 trillion, the Federal Reserve’s balance sheet has never been 
larger. Because the European Central Bank, the Bank of Japan, 
and others followed suit with their own monetary expansions, 
the amount of added global liquidity equates to over $22 trillion. 
Debt-to-GDP ratios have risen to levels too high both here and 
abroad. Increased price inflation is one of the only solutions 
available in order to bring these ratios down to sustainable levels. 
Despite record-low unemployment, to date, these experiments in 
monetary policy have not produced the inflation levels that the 
central bankers have been targeting. While we have seen wide-
spread asset price inflation in the bond market, the stock market, 
the commercial and residential real estate markets, the world of 
art, classic cars, and even the surreal world of crypto-currencies, 
the consumer price index (CPI) has stubbornly remained below 
the 2% level the central bankers desire. With so much new money 
being pumped into the system globally, why have we not seen 
rampant inflation? A large part of the answer can be found in the 
deflationary forces that the digital revolution has unleashed. The 
speed of change brought on by digitization has been remarkable. 
Computer processing power has been growing two-fold every 
12–24 months since the 1970s. This has resulted in exponential 
increases in power at exponentially reduced costs. Tremendous 
gains in productivity have been unleashed that have thus far more 
than offset the inflationary pressures that these enormous liquidity 
injections were intended to produce. While it is hard to calculate 
all the deflation the digital revolution has created, it is not outside 

the realm of possibility that our real GDP is actually higher than 
our nominal GDP if all things are considered. While deflation-
ary forces have until now ruled the day, inflation will inevitably 
return at some point, and likely at higher levels than anticipated. 
Historically, real estate has provided one of the few safe harbors 
from inflationary forces as land values, rental rates, and construc-
tion costs will all rise with inflation.

With regard to the overall US industrial market, our property 
sector is experiencing record results. In addition to the continued 
growth in ecommerce, there has been strong growth in the man-
ufacturing sector, with new plants springing up near the Gulf and 
Eastern Ports as a result of the aforementioned recently expanded 
Panama Canal. Port activity, rail volume, and imports are all at 
very high levels. Consumer spending levels are strong and rising. 
The above 3% real GDP growth reported for the second and third 
quarter of this year represents more than a 50% improvement 
over the anemic GDP levels that have held the US economy back 
throughout this recovery. The industrial property sector is heading 
into 2018 with very strong momentum. Net absorption has now 
been positive for a record 30 consecutive quarters and will surpass 
230 million square feet for the fourth year in a row. This growth 
has resulted in a continued decline in vacancy rates, which have 
fallen by 40 basis points from the prior-year period to a record low 
of 5.1% currently. New construction has increased, with 233 mil-
lion square feet currently being built. However, demand continues 

– 8 –

Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corporation 
 
to outpace new supply by a healthy margin. National rental rates 
are up 4.1% year over year to an average asking rate of $5.80 
per square foot. It is anticipated that industrial rent growth will 
continue in 2018 due to these favorable conditions. Our portfolio 
is currently 99.5% occupied, and clearly our strong linkages to the 
digital economy have been one of the key drivers of our success. 

In conclusion, I’d like to thank my great teammates at Monmouth. 
It is truly an honor to work with each and every one of you. We 
have grown so much over the past several years, and it is in no 
small part due to the fact that our industrious group embraces 
our culture and philosophy. So, thank you all for your hard work, 
sound judgment, honesty, and integrity. Thank you for thinking 
BIG and for not seeing the world as a zero-sum game. 

To our directors, thank you for your strong oversight, vigilance, 
and care. Experience, continuity, predictability, and reliability are 
all still virtues in my book. Each of you has a deep understanding 
of our business model and our philosophy. Here’s to keeping our 
ship sailing in smooth seas for the next 50 years.

Last but not least, to our long-term human shareholders, thank 
you, as you are essential to our success. In constructing plans, one 
of the inherent weaknesses in human nature is that people often 
cling to the best-case scenario. Always assuming that their desired 
outcome will follow their plan. Even when the facts change, and 
the plan should be reevaluated and adjusted accordingly, they are 
blind to see it. People have a strong propensity to fall in love with 
their plans. An inherent advantage of artificial intelligence is that 
each decision is made without any emotional attachment to the 
prior decision. Each step is evaluated in complete isolation. This is 
one of the major reasons artificial intelligence now plays chess at 
levels humans cannot. Notwithstanding the tremendous progress 
being made in artificial intelligence, I remain hopeful that the 
human component will always be an integral part of the value 
creation process, as it alone can provide the imagination necessary 
to dream the big dreams. Monmouth’s long-term track record pro-
vides empirical proof that we have executed the sound judgment 
needed to realize these dreams. We are eternally grateful for the 
faith that you have shown in us. Your continued faith is something 
that we will never take for granted. It is essential to realizing our 
dreams of tomorrow.

Sincerely yours,

Michael P. Landy
President and Chief Executive Officer

– 9 –

2017 Annual ReportA Few Thoughts on 
REIT Dividends and  
 Total Return*

Historically, REIT dividends have accounted for approximately 
65% of the total investment return. The remaining 35% being 
derived from share price appreciation. Because REIT dividends 
are generally secured by contracts in the form of leases, there is a 
higher probability associated with receiving the cash flows from 
which the dividend is derived than that of the other component of 
total return; price appreciation. The price appreciation component 
is far more nebulous as much depends on the prevailing winds of 
investment fund flows throughout all asset classes. These fund 
flows can be fickle and are beyond anyone’s control. 

Therefore, a hypothetical 10% total return comprised of 6.5% in 
dividend income plus 3.5% in price appreciation, is much more 
preferable than the same 10% total return comprised of 3.5% in 
dividend income plus 6.5% in price appreciation. The reason being 
the first scenario has a greater probability of continued perfor-
mance than that of the second scenario.

Because Monmouth’s assets are secured by long-term leases to 
investment grade tenants, the probability associated with receiv-
ing the high quality cash flows from which our dividend is derived, 
is greater than that of the REIT sector as a whole. This fact was 
evidenced throughout the recent Great Recession when REIT divi-
dends were severely cut and in some cases even eliminated entirely. 
Meanwhile, Monmouth’s dividend didn’t miss a beat. 

Therefore, a hypothetical 10% total return comprised of 6.5% in 
dividend income generated by our real estate portfolio, plus 3.5% 
in price appreciation, is much more preferable than the same 10% 
total return comprised of 6.5% in dividend income generated from 
the average REIT portfolio, plus 3.5% in price appreciation. Again, 
the reason being the first scenario has a greater probability of con-
tinued performance than that of the second scenario.

Yet, as shown in the adjacent chart, the dividend income generated 
from an investment in Monmouth continues to be substantially 
greater than that of the average REIT today. The main explanation 
for this is in today’s world bigger is better when it comes to valuing 
stocks. In an efficient market, we feel that our dividend yield would 
be in-line with the REIT average, if not lower. As a result of our 
recent growth this differential has improved. We expect this favor-
able trend to continue.

 *This essay is reprinted in its original form, which first appeared in our 2014 

Annual Report. The accompanying chart has been brought up to date to 

show how prescient our predictions were.

– 10 –

Monmouth Real Estate Investment CorporationFTSE NAREIT Index Versus  
Monmouth Annual Dividend Return

Monmouth

FTSE NAREIT

10%

9%

8%

7%

6%

5%

4%

3%

2%

1%

0%

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

– 11 –

2017 Annual ReportCould you change the flag on the home page to:

...opens Saturday February 17th at Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY

February 17th - May 27th, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY.

_________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

could you please change the Carriage House Residency to reflect the following?

- Writer-In-Residence at The Carriage House/Ibex Puppetry    2015–2017

- Writer-In-Residence at The Carriage House/Ibex Puppetry    2015– present

_______________________________________________________

Home Page:

(or it could read

_

CV)

Fellowships, etc

It appears this way:

Change to this:

Lectures:

Bibliography

Stanford University Department of Theater and Performance Studies Guest Playwright Series:  Intimate Apparel/ Alva Rogers Wednesday January 24th 1:30-3:30 pm, Robie Gym 139

_______________________________________________________________________

We Wanted A Revolution, Black Radical Women 1965-1985:  A Sourcebook, Editors:  Catherine Morris, Rujeko Hockley Publisher Duke University Press/Brooklyn Museum, April 2017

We Wanted A Revolution, Black Radical Women 1965-1985:  New Perspectives, Editors:  Catherine Morris, Rujeko Hockley Publisher:  Brooklyn Museum/ Duke University Press, February 2018

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Exhibitions fellowships, etc:

- We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women, 1965–1985 California African American Museum   October 13, 2017-January 14, 2018, Los Angeles, CA

- We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women, 1965–1985 Albright-Knox Art Gallery February 17-  May 27, 2018, Buffalo, NY

- We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women, 1965–1985 Institute of Contemporary Art/ Boston June 26 - September 30, 2018

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It appears as this:

Please change to this:

New York University’s Fales Special Collections Library acquired her personal papers to be archived in its Downtown Art Collection in 2014.

New York University’s Fales Special Collections Library acquired her personal papers for  its Downtown Art Collection.

She is currently working on a novel, a work of creative non-fiction, and an archival website for her performance work.

Bio on website:spacer spacer spacer Alva Rogers is a writer, dramatist, lyricist and educator whose writing utilizes magic realism to explore themes of American identity, gender, otherness and “the uses of enchantment.” Her writing for solo performance uses deconstructed nursery rhymes recapitulated with musical memories from childhood. While studying creative writing at Brown University, Rogers was encouraged by professor Robert Coover to look for places where music and performance practices could fit into her genre-crossing writing using a hypertext structure. Her use of dolls and puppets reveals the uses of enchantment and highlights the need to return to that childlike state of dwelling harmoniously in both reality and imagination. Rogers is the recipient of grants from the Rockefeller Foundation, Jim Henson Foundation, New York Foundation for the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, Meet the Composer and a New York Dance and Performance Bessie Award, among others. The Joseph Papp Public Theater, Dixon Place, Heather Henson’s Handmade Puppet Films, The Kitchen and the Spoleto Festival, USA have commissioned works. Readings and productions have been presented by HERE, Actor’s Express Theater, New Georges, The Women’s Project, Trinity Repertory Theater, Seattle Repertory Theater, The Walker Art Center, P.S. 122, The New Museum, Pillsbury House Theater, The O’Neill Puppetry Conference and the American Museum of Natural History. She was a co-founder, lead performer and muse in Rodeo Caldonia, a performance collective/art lab/theater troupe that worked together in New York City from 1985–1989.

101

82

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59

$100

$75

$50

$25

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$

FY 2013

FY 2014

FY 2015

FY 2016

FY 2017

– 12 –

Gross Leasable Area

18.8

16.0

13.9

11.2

9.6

FY 2013

FY 2014

FY 2015

FY 2016

FY 2017

Gross Revenue

121

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20.0

18.0

16.0

14.0

12.0

10.0

8.0

6.0

$125

Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corporation 
 
 
 
 
 
Total Return Performance

10 Year

MNR
MNR

S&P 500
S&P 500

MSCI US REIT INDEX (RMS)
MSCI US REIT INDEX (RMS)

300%

200%

100%

0%

-100%

12/31/2007

06/30/2008

12/31/2008

06/30/2009

12/31/2009

06/30/2010

12/31/2010

06/30/2011

12/31/2011

06/30/2012

12/31/2012

06/30/2013

12/31/2013

06/30/2014

12/31/2014

06/30/2015

12/31/2015

06/30/2016

12/31/2016

06/30/2017

12/31/2017

1 Year

MNR

S&P 500

MSCI US REIT INDEX (RMS)

20%

10%

0%

-10%

-20%

Jan ’17

Mar ’17

May ’17

Jul ’17

Sep ’17

Nov ’17

– 13 –

322.89%

126.03%

105.05%

21.90%
21.83%

5.07%

2017 Annual ReportProperty Locations

MREIC owns 108 properties. 
Our gross leasable area as of 
January 2018 is 19.1 million 
square feet, geographically 
diversified across 30 states.

– 14 –

Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corporation– 15 –

2017 Annual ReportFeatured Acquisition

Big Town Shopping Mall –  
Dallas, Texas

Retailing is thriving. It is the methodology that is changing. This 
year saw thousands of retail store closings while overall consumer 
spending continued to increase. This growth was primarily driven 
by the dramatic shift toward ecommerce. Growing at a 15% 
compound annual growth rate since the turn of the century, ecom-
merce sales now represent approximately 16% of total retail sales 
excluding food, fuel, and auto. The 2017 holiday shopping season 
achieved record numbers for online sales. It also resulted in record 
numbers for package deliveries for our largest tenant, FedEx. 

– 16 –

Monmouth Real Estate Investment CorporationFedEx Ground – Dallas, Texas 

352,000 Square Feet

The large FedEx Ground distribution center pictured here, 
replaced what was a giant shopping mall named, Big Town Mall. 
Originally constructed in 1959, Big Town Mall was once the largest 
mall in Texas. This example of creative destruction is indicative of 
the changing of the guard that has been taking place in the world 
of consumer spending. Because consumer spending has been 
migrating from the physical stores on Main Street, to the virtual 
stores out in Cyberspace, this valuable land is now better utilized 
as a distribution center than it is for retail storefronts.

Situated just six miles east of downtown Dallas, and in close  
proximity to the Union Pacific rail hub, this property leased for  
15 years to FedEx Ground, is a welcome new addition to our 
high-caliber portfolio. Our property portfolio is currently 99.5% 
occupied and clearly our strong linkages to the digital economy 
have been one of the big drivers of our success.

– 17 –

2017 Annual ReportFinancial Highlights

The following is a calendar yearend common stock review:

Year

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

Share Volume Opening Price 
($)

Closing Price 
($)

Dividend Paid 
($)

Appreciation 
(Depreciation)

Total  
Return

 80,472,400 

15.24

 80,440,900 

10.46

 53,003,500 

 58,753,100 

11.07

9.09

 33,110,000 

10.36

17.80

15.24

10.46

11.07

9.09

0.65

0.64

0.61

0.60

0.60

16.8%

21.9%

45.7%

53.5%

-5.5%

0.3%

21.8%

29.2%

-12.3%

-6.8%

The shares of common stock of Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corporation are traded on the New York Stock 
Exchange (NYSE:MNR).

The following is a 5-year dividend payment and Core FFO analysis:

Fiscal Year Ended September 30

Core Funds From Operations ($)

Dividends Per Share ($)

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

57,088,302

50,270,633

35,276,535

29,482,323

27,852,944

0.64

0.64

0.60

0.60

0.60

– 18 –

Monmouth Real Estate Investment CorporationDaniel D. Cronheim 
Attorney-at-Law 
Executive Vice President, 
General Counsel 
David Cronheim Company

Neal Herstik 
Attorney-at-Law 
Gross, Truss & Herstik, PC

Michael P. Landy 
President and Chief Executive Officer

Directors

Catherine B. Elflein 
Senior Director Risk Management 
Celgene Corporation

Matthew I. Hirsch 
Attorney-at-Law 
Law Office of Matthew I. Hirsch

Samuel A. Landy 
Attorney-at-Law, President and  
Chief Executive Officer  
UMH Properties, Inc.

Gregory T. Otto 
Maritime Consultant 
Paul F. Richardson & Associates

Scott L. Robinson 
Managing Director  
Oberon Securities

Brian H. Haimm 
Chief Financial Officer and  
Chief Operating Officer  
Ascend Capital

Eugene W. Landy  
Chairman of the Board

Kevin S. Miller 
Chief Financial and Accounting Officer, 
and Treasurer

Stephen B. Wolgin 
Managing Director 
U.S. Real Estate Advisors, Inc.

Officers and Management

Eugene W. Landy 
Chairman of the Board

Allison Nagelberg 
General Counsel

Michael P. Landy 
President and Chief Executive Officer

Michael D. Prashad 
In House Counsel

Kevin S. Miller 
Chief Financial and Accounting Officer, 
and Treasurer

Richard Molke 
Vice President of Asset Management

Susan M. Jordan 
Vice President of Investor Relations

Katie Rytter 
Controller

Laura Teman 
Assistant Controller

Yulia Hatch 
Senior Accountant

Ashley Tripodi 
Assistant Property Manager

Allison Viscardi 
Senior Property Manager

Crystal Glas 
Executive Assistant

Corporate Information

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Corporate Office 
3499 Route 9 North 
Freehold, NJ 07728

Independent Auditors 
PKF O’Connor Davies, LLP 
665 Fifth Avenue 
New York, NY 10022

Transfer Agent & Registrar 
American Stock Transfer 
& Trust Company 
6201 15th Avenue 
Brooklyn, NY 11219

Common Stock Listing 
NYSE:MNR

www.mreic.reit

Guest Speaker:  
The Honorable Guido Calabresi

Keynote Speaker:  
James Grant, Grant’s Interest Rate Observer

Honoree, Founder and Chairman:  
Eugene W. Landy

People matter.  

Education and training matter. 

Great institutions matter.  

Pictured here are our family, friends and 
associates, all of whom have stood their 
watch to help build our great company.  
We have been privileged to know some of 
the great minds of our era, some of whom 
are seen here giving us counsel. 

Fifty years of leadership was only made 
possible because of the years spent at the 
United States Merchant Marine Academy 
and the Yale Law School.

We acknowledge our success is built on the 
framework created by the New York Stock 
Exchange and the National Association of 
Real Estate Investment Trusts. 

This annual report is our official log book of our voyage to date.

Great pride is taken in the accomplishments of our President and CEO, Michael Landy by both my wife Gloria and I.  
Gloria is a leader in her own right and is fittingly pictured here with me.

– Eugene W. Landy, Founder and Chairman of the Board

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Monmouth Real Estate  
Investment Corporation

A Public REIT Since 1968 
NYSE: MNR

www.mreic.reit

3499 Route 9 North 
Freehold, New Jersey 07728 
732.577.9996

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Monmouth Real Estate  
Investment Corporation

2017 Annual Report

“When the market opens tomorrow,  

billions of dollars will change hands voluntarily 

and every single one of those transactions  

will involve an element of trust.  

But trust must be earned.  

A reputation of integrity is often  

the most valuable asset a business can have.  

Eugene Landy has earned such a reputation,  

and we must continue to conduct ourselves 

accordingly, to remain true to his legacy and to 

protect the enduring value that has been built.”

– Michael P. Landy, President and CEO