Highwoods Properties Leases 68,000 Square Feet to GSA

RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Highwoods Properties, Inc. (NYSE:HIW), the largest owner and operator of suburban office properties in the Southeast and NAIOP’s 2009 Developer of the Year, today announced that it has leased 68,000 square feet of office space for a 10-year term at the 105,000 square foot Pamlico office building in Research Triangle Park to the General Services Administration (GSA) for use by the Social Security Administration. The lease commences immediately and increases Pamlico’s occupancy to 95.1%.

“We are pleased to further expand our GSA relationship and we welcome the GSA and Social Security Administration to our Pamlico building. Also, congratulations to our Raleigh team for their good work in attracting this high quality customer.”

Ed Fritsch, President and CEO of Highwoods Properties stated, “We are pleased to further expand our GSA relationship and we welcome the GSA and Social Security Administration to our Pamlico building. Also, congratulations to our Raleigh team for their good work in attracting this high quality customer.”

Inclusive of this lease, the GSA and other government agencies occupy 2.4 million square feet of space in seven markets, contributing 11.7% of the Company’s annualized revenues.

About the Company

Highwoods Properties, Inc., a member of the S&P MidCap 400 Index, is a fully integrated, self-administered real estate investment trust (“REIT”) that provides leasing, management, development, construction and other customer-related services for its properties and for third parties. At September 30, 2009, the Company owned or had an interest in 380 in-service office, industrial and retail properties encompassing approximately 35.4 million square feet. Highwoods also owned 580 acres of development land. Highwoods is based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and its properties and development land are located in Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. For more information about Highwoods Properties, please visit our Web site at www.highwoods.com.