Establishes Record Date for the Annual Shareholders' Meeting

Essex Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESS) announced today that its Board of Directors has approved a 0.8% increase to its annual cash dividend. This represents the Company's 32^nd consecutive annual dividend increase. The Board of Directors has declared a first quarter dividend of $2.59 per share, payable April 15, 2026 to shareholders of record as of March 31, 2026. On an annualized basis, the dividend represents a distribution of $10.36 per common share.

The Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be held virtually on Tuesday, May 12, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time or 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Shareholders of record as of February 25, 2026 will be entitled to vote at the meeting. Further information regarding how to access and vote at the virtual Annual Meeting will be contained in the proxy materials to be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

About Essex Property Trust, Inc.

Essex Property Trust, Inc., an S&P 500 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 259 apartment communities comprising over 63,000 apartment homes with an additional property in active development. Additional information about the Company can be found on the Company's website at www.essex.com.

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Loren Rainey

Sr. Director, Investor Relations

(650) 655-7800

lrainey@essex.com