REALTY INCOME CORP (O)

Item 7:                              Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion and analysis reflect our financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. For a discussion of the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, please refer to Part II, Item 7. "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.

GENERAL

Realty Income (NYSE: O), an S&P 500 company, is real estate partner to the world's leading companies. Founded in 1969, we invest in diversified commercial real estate and, as of December 31, 2024, have a portfolio of over 15,600 properties in all 50 U.S. states, the U.K., and six other countries in Europe. We are known as “The Monthly Dividend Company®” and have a mission to invest in people and places to deliver dependable monthly dividends that increase over time. Since our founding, we have declared 656 consecutive monthly dividends and are a member of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats® index for having increased our dividend for the last 30 consecutive years.

As of December 31, 2024, we owned or held interests in 15,621 properties, with approximately 339.4 million square feet of leasable space leased to 1,565 clients doing business in 89 separate industries. Of the 15,621 properties in our portfolio as of December 31, 2024, 15,316, or 98.0%, were single-client properties, and the remaining were multi–client properties. Our total portfolio had a weighted average remaining lease term (excluding rights to extend a lease at the option of the client) of approximately 9.3 years. Total portfolio annualized contractual rent (defined as the monthly aggregate cash amount charged to clients, inclusive of monthly base rent receivables) on our leases as of December 31, 2024 was $4.97 billion.

As of December 31, 2024, approximately 32.4% of our total portfolio annualized contractual rent came from properties leased to our investment grade clients, their subsidiaries or affiliated companies. As of December 31, 2024, our top 20 clients (based on percentage of total portfolio annualized contractual rent) represented approximately 36.4% of our annualized rent and 10 of these clients had investment grade credit ratings or were subsidiaries or affiliates of investment grade companies. Approximately 91% of our annualized retail contractual rent as of December 31, 2024, was derived from our clients with a service, non-discretionary, and/or low price point component to their business.

Unless otherwise specified, references to rental revenue in the Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations are exclusive of reimbursements from clients for recoverable real estate taxes and operating expenses totaling $303.1 million, $274.2 million, and $184.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022, respectively.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Increases in Monthly Dividends to Common Stockholders

We have continued our 56-year history of paying monthly dividends. In addition, we have increased the dividend five times during 2024 and twice during 2025. As of February 2025, we have paid 109 consecutive quarterly dividend increases and increased the dividend 129 times since our listing on the NYSE in 1994.

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The dividends paid per share during the year ended December 31, 2024 totaled $3.126, as compared to $3.051 during the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $0.075, or 2.5%.

The monthly dividend of $0.2680 per share represents a current annualized dividend of $3.216 per share, and an annualized dividend yield of 6.0% based on the last reported sale price of our common stock on the NYSE of $53.41 on December 31, 2024. Although we expect to continue our policy of paying monthly dividends, we cannot guarantee that we will maintain our current level of dividends, that we will continue our pattern of increasing dividends per share, or what our actual dividend yield will be in any future period.

Closing of Spirit Merger

On January 23, 2024, we closed on our previously announced stock-for-stock merger with Spirit. The Merger is further described in note 2, Merger with Spirit Realty Capital, Inc., to the consolidated financial statements contained in this annual report.

Investments

During the year ended December 31, 2024, we invested $3.9 billion at an initial weighted average cash yield of 7.4%, including an investment in 546 properties, properties under development or expansion, and investments in loans. See notes 4, Investments in Real Estate, 5, Investments in Unconsolidated Entities, and 6, Investments in Loans and Financing Receivables, to the consolidated financial statements contained in this annual report for further details.

Dispositions

During the year ended December 31, 2024, we sold 294 properties with total net proceeds received of $589.5 million.

Equity Capital Raising

During 2024, we raised $1.8 billion of proceeds from the sale of common stock, at a weighted average price of $58.33 per share, primarily through proceeds from the sale of common stock through our ATM program. The ATM program issuances during 2024 included 30.2 million shares issued pursuant to forward sale confirmations. As of December 31, 2024, 1.8 million shares of common stock subject to forward sale confirmations have been executed but not settled. See note 15, Stockholders' Equity, to the consolidated financial statements contained in this annual report for further details.

Note Issuances

In September 2024, we issued £350.0 million of 5.000% senior unsecured notes due October 2029 and £350.0 million of 5.250% senior unsecured notes due September 2041.

In August 2024, we issued $500.0 million of 5.375% senior unsecured notes due September 2054.

In January 2024, we issued $450.0 million of 4.750% senior unsecured notes due February 2029 and $800.0 million of 5.125% senior unsecured notes due February 2034. In connection with the Merger, we also completed the $2.7 billion exchange in principal of outstanding notes issued by Spirit Realty, L.P. (“Spirit OP”).

See note 10, Notes Payable, to the consolidated financial statements contained in this annual report for further details.

Redemption of Preferred Stock

On September 30, 2024, we redeemed all 6.9 million shares outstanding of our 6.000% Series A Preferred Stock (“Realty Income Series A Preferred Stock”), which was converted from Spirit's outstanding preferred stock in connection with the Merger, at a redemption price of $25.00 per share, plus accrued and unpaid dividends. For more details, see note 16, Series A Preferred Stock, to the consolidated financial statements contained in this annual report.

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Portfolio Discussion

Leasing Results

At December 31, 2024, we had 205 properties available for lease or sale out of 15,621 properties in our portfolio, which represents a 98.7% occupancy rate based on the number of properties in our portfolio. Our property-level occupancy rates exclude properties with ancillary leases only, such as cell towers and billboards, and properties with possession pending, and include properties owned by unconsolidated joint ventures. Below is a summary of our portfolio activity for the periods indicated below:

(1)Includes scheduled and unscheduled expirations (including leases rejected in bankruptcy), as well as future expirations resolved in the periods indicated above.

During the three months ended December 31, 2024, the new annualized contractual rent on re-leases was $52.5 million, as compared to the previous annual rent of $48.9 million on the same units, representing a rent recapture rate of 107.4% on the units re-leased.

During the year ended December 31, 2024, the new annualized contractual rent on re-leases was $184.0 million, as compared to the previous annual rent of $174.2 million on the same units, representing a rent recapture rate of 105.6% on the units re-leased.

As part of our re-leasing costs, we pay leasing commissions to unrelated, third-party real estate brokers consistent with the commercial real estate industry standard, and sometimes provide rent concessions to our clients. We do not consider the collective impact of the leasing commissions or rent concessions to our clients to be material to our financial position or results of operations.

Impact of Inflation

Leases generally provide for limited increases in rent as a result of fixed increases, increases in the consumer price index, retail price index in the case of certain leases in the U.K. (typically subject to ceilings), or increases in clients’ sales volumes. We expect that inflation will cause these lease provisions to result in rent increases over time. During times when inflation is greater than increases in rent, as provided for in the leases, rent increases may not keep up with the rate of inflation and other costs.

Moreover, our strategic focus on the use of net lease agreements reduces our exposure to rising property expenses due to inflation because the client is responsible for property expenses. Even though the utilization of net leases reduces our exposure to rising property expenses due to inflation, substantial inflationary pressures and increased costs may have an adverse impact on our clients if increases in their operating expenses exceed increases in revenue, which may adversely affect our clients' ability to pay rent. Additionally, inflationary periods may cause us to experience increased costs of financing, make it difficult to refinance debt at attractive rates or at all, and may adversely affect the properties we can acquire if the cost of financing an acquisition is in excess of our anticipated earnings from such property, thereby limiting the properties that can be acquired.

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Impact of Real Estate and Capital Markets

In the commercial real estate market, property prices generally continue to fluctuate. Likewise, during certain periods, the global capital markets have experienced significant price volatility, dislocations, and liquidity disruptions, which may impact our access to and cost of capital. We continually monitor the commercial real estate and global capital markets carefully and, if required, will make decisions to adjust our business strategy accordingly.

Impact of Current Macroeconomic Conditions

We continue to monitor developments related to macroeconomic factors that could have an adverse impact on our business and our clients. Our clients face additional challenges, including potential changes in consumer confidence levels, behavior and spending and increased operational expenses, such as with respect to labor costs. The extent of the future effects on our business, results of operations, cash flows, and growth strategies is highly uncertain and will ultimately depend on future developments, none of which can be predicted.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

As of December 31, 2024, we had $3.7 billion of liquidity, which consists of cash and cash equivalents of $445.0 million, unsettled ATM forward equity of $91.8 million, and $3.1 billion of availability under our $4.25 billion unsecured revolving credit facility, net of $1.1 billion of borrowing on the revolving credit facility and after deducting $67.3 million in borrowings under our commercial paper programs. We use our unsecured revolving credit facility as a liquidity backstop for the repayment of the notes issued under our commercial paper programs.

Our primary cash obligations, for the current year and subsequent years, are included in the “Material Cash Requirements” table, which is presented later in this section. We expect to fund our operating expenses and other short-term liquidity requirements, including property acquisitions and development costs, payment of principal and interest on our outstanding indebtedness, property improvements, re-leasing costs, and cash distributions to common stockholders, primarily through a combination of the following:

•Cash and cash equivalents;

•Future cash flows from operations;

•Issuances of common stock or debt, or other securities offerings;

•Additional borrowings under our revolving credit facility or commercial paper programs, which are backstopped by our credit facility;

•Short-term loans;

•Asset dispositions; and

•Credit investment repayments

In addition to these sources of liquidity, we are exploring various capital diversification initiatives, including the establishment of a third-party private capital open-end fund.

We believe that our cash and cash equivalents on hand, cash provided from operating activities, and borrowing capacity are sufficient to meet our liquidity needs for the next twelve months. We intend, however, to use permanent or long-term capital to fund property acquisitions and to repay future borrowings under our credit facility and commercial paper programs.

Long-Term Liquidity Requirements

Our goal is to deliver dependable monthly dividends to our stockholders that increase over time. Historically, we have met our principal short-term and long-term capital needs, including the funding of high-quality real estate acquisitions, investments in loans to clients, property development, and capital expenditures by issuing common stock, long-term unsecured notes, and term loan borrowings. Over the long term, we believe that common stock should be the majority of our capital structure. We may issue common stock when we believe our share price is at a level that allows for the proceeds of an offering to be accretively invested into additional properties or to permanently finance properties that were initially financed by our revolving credit facility, commercial paper programs, or shorter-term debt securities. However, we cannot assure you that we will have access to the capital markets at all times and at terms that are acceptable to us.

Capitalization

As of December 31, 2024, our total capitalization was $74.9 billion. Total capitalization consisted of $47.8 billion of common equity (based on the December 31, 2024 closing price on the NYSE of $53.41 and assuming the conversion of 2.7 million common units of Realty Income, L.P.), and total outstanding borrowings of $27.2 billion on our revolving credit facility, commercial paper, term loans, mortgages payable, senior unsecured notes and bonds, and our proportionate share of unconsolidated entities' debt (excluding unamortized deferred financing costs, discounts, and premiums). Our total debt to capitalization was 36.3% at December 31, 2024.

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Universal Shelf Registration

On February 16, 2024, we filed a new shelf registration statement with the SEC, which is effective for a term of three years and will expire in February 2027. In accordance with SEC rules, the amount of securities to be issued pursuant to this shelf registration statement was not specified when it was filed and there is no specific dollar limit. The securities covered by this registration statement include (1) common stock, (2) preferred stock, (3) debt securities, (4) depositary shares representing fractional interests in shares of preferred stock, (5) warrants to purchase debt securities, common stock, preferred stock, or depositary shares, and (6) any combination of these securities. We may periodically offer one or more of these securities in amounts, prices and on terms to be announced when and if these securities are offered. The specifics of any future offerings, along with the use of proceeds of any securities offered, will be described in detail in a prospectus supplement, or other offering materials, at the time of any offering.

ATM Program

Under our current ATM program, which we entered into in August 2023, we may offer and sell up to 120.0 million shares of common stock (1) by us to, or through, a consortium of banks acting as our sales agents or (2) by a consortium of banks acting as forward sellers on behalf of any forward purchasers contemplated thereunder, in each case by means of ordinary brokers' transactions on the NYSE at prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices or by any other methods permitted by applicable law.

As of December 31, 2024, there were approximately 1.8 million shares of unsettled common stock subject to forward sale confirmations through our ATM program, representing approximately $91.8 million in expected net proceeds, which have been executed at a weighted average price of $51.80 per share (assuming full physical settlement of all outstanding shares of common stock, subject to such forward sale agreements and certain assumptions made with respect to settlement dates). During the year ended December 31, 2024, we settled approximately 30.2 million shares of common stock previously sold pursuant to forward sale agreements through our ATM program for approximately $1.7 billion of net proceeds. As of December 31, 2024, we had 55.5 million shares remaining for future issuance under our ATM program. We anticipate maintaining the availability of our ATM program in the future, including the replenishment of authorized shares issuable thereunder.

Debt Financing Activities

At December 31, 2024, our total outstanding borrowings of revolving credit facility, commercial paper, term loans, mortgages payable, and senior unsecured notes and bonds were $26.5 billion, with a weighted average maturity of 5.8 years and a weighted average interest rate of 3.9%. As of December 31, 2024, approximately 96% of our total debt was fixed rate debt. See notes 7 through 10 to the consolidated financial statements contained in this annual report for additional information about our outstanding debt, along with our debt financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2024 below.

Note Issuances

During the year ended December 31, 2024, we issued the following notes and bonds:

In connection with the Merger, we also completed the $2.7 billion exchange in principal of outstanding notes issued by Spirit OP. See note 10, Notes Payable, to the consolidated financial statements contained in this annual report for further details.

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Note Repayments

During the year ended December 31, 2024, we repaid the following notes, plus accrued and unpaid interest upon maturity:

Term Loan Issuances

In January 2024, in connection with the Merger, we entered into an amended and restated term loan agreement (which replaced Spirit's then-existing term loans with various lenders). The amended and restated term loan agreements are fixed through interest rate swaps at a weighted average interest rate of 3.9%. Pursuant to the amended and restated term loan agreement, we borrowed $800.0 million in aggregate total borrowings, $300.0 million of which matures in August 2025 and $500.0 million of which matures in August 2027 (the “$800 million term loan agreement”). We also entered into an amended and restated term loan agreement pursuant to which we borrowed $500.0 million in aggregate total borrowings which matures in June 2025 (the “$500 million term loan agreement”).

Term Loan Redemption

During the year ended December 31, 2024, we repaid our $250.0 million senior unsecured term loan in full upon maturity.

Mortgage Repayments

During the year ended December 31, 2024, we made $740.5 million in principal payments, including the full repayment of five mortgages for $735.9 million.

Covenants

The following is a summary of the key financial covenants for our senior unsecured notes, as defined and calculated per the terms of our senior notes and bonds. These calculations, which are not based on U.S. GAAP, are presented to investors to show our ability to incur additional debt under the terms of our senior notes and bonds as well as to disclose our current compliance with such covenants and are not measures of our liquidity or performance. The actual amounts as of December 31, 2024, are:

(1) Our debt service coverage ratio is calculated on a pro forma basis for the preceding four-quarter period on the assumptions that: (i) the incurrence of any debt (as defined in the covenants) incurred by us since the first day of such four-quarter period and the application of the proceeds therefrom (including to refinance other debt since the first day of such four-quarter period), (ii) the repayment or retirement of any of our debt since the first day of such four-quarter period, and (iii) any acquisition or disposition by us of any asset or group since the first day of such four quarters had in each case occurred on January 1, 2024 and subject to certain additional adjustments. Such pro forma ratio has been prepared on the basis required by that debt service covenant, reflects various estimates and assumptions and is subject to other uncertainties, and therefore does not purport to reflect what our actual debt service coverage ratio would have been had transactions referred to in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of the preceding sentence occurred as of January 1, 2024, nor does it purport to reflect our debt service coverage ratio for any future period. Fixed charge coverage is calculated in the same manner as the debt service coverage. The following is our calculation of debt service and fixed charge coverage at December 31, 2024 (in thousands, for trailing twelve months):

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Credit Agency Ratings

The borrowing interest rates under our revolving credit facility are based upon our ratings assigned by credit rating agencies. As of December 31, 2024, we were assigned the following investment grade corporate credit ratings on our senior unsecured notes and bonds: Moody’s Investors Service has assigned a rating of A3 with a “stable” outlook and Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group has assigned a rating of A- with a “stable” outlook. In addition, we were assigned the following ratings on our commercial paper at December 31, 2024: Moody's Investors Service has assigned a rating of P-2 and Standard & Poor's Ratings Group has assigned a rating of A-2.

Based on our credit agency ratings as of December 31, 2024, interest rates under our credit facility for U.S. borrowings would have been at the SOFR, plus 0.725% with a SOFR adjustment charge of 0.10% and a revolving credit facility fee of 0.125%, for all-in drawn pricing of 0.95% over SOFR, for British Pound Sterling ("GBP") borrowings, at the SONIA, plus 0.725% with a SONIA adjustment charge of 0.0326% and a revolving credit facility fee of 0.125%, for all-in drawn pricing of 0.8826% over SONIA, and for Euro ("EUR") borrowings at one-month EURIBOR, plus 0.725%, and a revolving credit facility fee of 0.125%, for all-in drawn pricing of 0.85% over one-month EURIBOR. In addition, our credit facility provides that the interest rates can range between: (i) SOFR/SONIA/EURIBOR, plus 1.40% if our credit rating is lower than BBB-/Baa3 or our senior unsecured debt is unrated and (ii) SOFR/SONIA/EURIBOR, plus 0.70% if our credit rating is A/A2 or higher. In addition, our credit facility provides for a facility commitment fee based on our credit ratings, which ranges from: (i) 0.30% for a rating lower than BBB-/Baa3 or unrated, and (ii) 0.10% for a credit rating of A/A2 or higher.

We also issue senior debt securities from time to time and our credit ratings can impact the interest rates charged in those transactions. If our credit ratings or ratings outlook change, our cost to obtain debt financing could increase or decrease. The credit ratings assigned to us could change based upon, among other things, our results of operations and financial condition. These ratings are subject to ongoing evaluation by credit rating agencies, and we cannot assure you that our ratings will not be changed or withdrawn by a rating agency in the future if, in its judgment, circumstances warrant. Moreover, a rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold our debt securities, or common stock.

Material Cash Requirements

The following table summarizes the maturity of each of our obligations as of December 31, 2024 (dollars in millions):

(1) The initial term of the credit facility expires in June 2026 and includes, at our option, two six-month extensions. At December 31, 2024, there were $1,062.9 million of outstanding borrowings under our revolving credit facility, and commercial paper programs outstanding were $67.3 million, which mature between January 2025 and March 2025.

(2) Interest on the commercial paper programs, term loans, mortgages payable, and senior unsecured notes and bonds has been calculated based on outstanding balances at period end through their respective maturity dates.

(3) We currently pay the ground lessors directly for the rent under certain ground lease arrangements.

(4) Our clients, who are generally sub-tenant clients under ground leases, are responsible for paying the rent under these ground leases. In the event our client fails to pay the ground lease rent, we are primarily responsible.

(5) “Other” consists of $683.3 million of commitments under construction contracts, $93.5 million for tenant improvements, re-leasing costs, recurring capital expenditures, and non-recurring building improvements, and $11.5 million for contingent purchase consideration obligations related to leasing activities for a multi-tenant property acquired.

Investments in Unconsolidated Entities

As of December 31, 2024, our pro-rata share of secured debt of unconsolidated entities was approximately $659.2 million.

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DIVIDEND POLICY

Distributions are paid monthly to holders of shares of our common stock.

Distributions are paid monthly to the limited partners holding common units of Realty Income, L.P., each on a per unit basis that is equal to the amount paid per share to our common stockholders (subject to the adjustment factor applicable to those units at the time of such distribution).

In order to maintain our status as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, we generally are required to distribute dividends to our stockholders aggregating annually at least 90% of our taxable income (excluding net capital gains), and we are subject to income tax to the extent we distribute less than 100% of our taxable income (including net capital gains). In 2024, our cash distributions to common stockholders totaled $2.69 billion, or approximately 126.1% of our estimated taxable income of $2.13 billion. Certain measures are available to us to reduce or eliminate our tax exposure as a REIT, and accordingly, no provision for U.S. federal income taxes, other than our taxable REIT subsidiaries (each, a "TRS"), has been made. Our estimated taxable income reflects non-cash deductions for depreciation and amortization. Our estimated taxable income is presented to show our compliance with REIT dividend requirements and is not a measure of our liquidity or operating performance. We intend to continue to make distributions to our stockholders that are sufficient to meet this dividend requirement and that will reduce or eliminate our exposure to income taxes. Furthermore, we believe our cash on hand and funds from operations are sufficient to support our current level of cash distributions to our stockholders. We distributed $3.126 per share to stockholders during the year ended December 31, 2024, representing 74.6% of our diluted Adjusted Funds from Operations Available to Common Stockholders ("AFFO") per share of $4.19.

Future distributions will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend on, among other things, our results of operations, Funds from Operations Available to Common Stockholders ("FFO"), Normalized Funds from Operations Available to Common Stockholders ("Normalized FFO"), AFFO, cash flow from operations, financial condition, capital requirements, the annual distribution requirements under the REIT provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, our debt service requirements, and any other factors the Board of Directors may deem relevant. In addition, our credit facility contains financial covenants that could limit the amount of distributions payable by us in the event of a default, and which prohibit the payment of distributions on our common stock in the event that we fail to pay when due (subject to any applicable grace period) any principal or interest on borrowings under our credit facility.

Distributions of our current and accumulated earnings and profits for federal income tax purposes generally will be taxable to stockholders as ordinary income, except to the extent that we recognize capital gains and declare a capital gains dividend, or that such amounts constitute “qualified dividend income” subject to a reduced rate of tax. The maximum tax rate of non-corporate taxpayers for “qualified dividend income” is generally 20%. In general, dividends payable by REITs are not eligible for the reduced tax rate on qualified dividend income, except to the extent that certain holding requirements have been met with respect to the REIT’s stock and the REIT’s dividends are attributable to dividends received from certain taxable corporations (such as our TRSs) or to income that was subject to tax at the corporate or REIT level (for example, if we distribute taxable income that we retained and paid tax on in the prior taxable year). However, non-corporate stockholders, including individuals, generally may deduct up to 20% of dividends from a REIT, other than capital gain dividends and dividends treated as qualified dividend income, for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, and before January 1, 2026.

Distributions in excess of earnings and profits generally will first be treated as a non-taxable reduction in the stockholders’ basis in their stock, but not below zero. Distributions in excess of that basis generally will be taxable as a capital gain to stockholders. Approximately 30.4% of the distributions to our common stockholders, made or deemed to have been made in 2024, were classified as a return of capital for federal income tax purposes.

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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following is a comparison of our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.

Total Revenue

The following summarizes our total revenue (in millions):

Rental Revenue (excluding reimbursable)

The table below summarizes the increase in rental revenue (excluding reimbursable) in the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 (dollars in millions):

(1)The same store rental revenue percentage increased by 0.5% for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared with the same period in 2023.

(2)For purposes of comparability, same store rental revenue is presented on a constant currency basis using the exchange rate as of December 31, 2024. None of the properties in France, Germany, Ireland, or Portugal met our same store pool definition for the periods presented. In addition, the same store pool excludes properties assumed on January 23, 2024 as a result of the Merger.

(3)Relates to the aggregate of (i) rental revenue from 315 properties that were available for lease during part of 2024 or 2023 for the year ended December 31, 2024, and (ii) rental revenue for 50 properties under development or completed developments that do not meet our same store pool definition for the year ended December 31, 2024.

(4)"Other excluded revenue" primarily consists of reimbursements for tenant improvements and rental revenue that is not contractual base rent such as lease termination settlements.

For purposes of determining the same store rent property pool, we include all properties that were owned for the entire year-to-date period, for both the current and prior year, except for properties during the current or prior year that; (i) were vacant at any time, (ii) were under development or redevelopment, or (iii) were involved in eminent domain and rent was reduced. Each of the exclusions from the same store pool are separately addressed within the applicable sentences above, explaining the changes in rental revenue for the period.

Of the 16,694 in-place leases in the portfolio, 13,734, or 82.3%, were under leases that provide for increases in rents through: base rent increases tied to inflation (typically subject to ceilings), percentage rent based on a percentage of the clients’ gross sales, fixed increases, or a combination of two or more of the aforementioned rent provisions.

Rent based on a percentage of our clients' gross sales, or percentage rent, was $16.0 million and $14.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Percentage rent represents less than 1% of rental revenue.

At December 31, 2024, our portfolio of 15,621 properties was 98.7% leased with 205 properties available for lease or sale, as compared to 98.6% leased with 193 properties available for lease at December 31, 2023. It has been our experience that approximately 1% to 4% of our property portfolio will be available for lease at any given time; however, it is possible that the number of properties available for lease or sale could increase in the future, given the nature of economic cycles and other unforeseen global events.

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Rental Revenue (reimbursable)

A number of our leases provide for contractually obligated reimbursements from clients for recoverable real estate taxes and operating expenses. Contractually obligated reimbursements by our clients increased by $28.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared with the same period in 2023, primarily due to the growth of our portfolio due to acquisitions; partially offset by lower recoverable taxes as a result of a modification of tax remittance terms with a client in the prior year.

Other Revenue

The following summarizes our total other revenue (in millions):

Total Expenses

The following summarizes our total expenses (in millions):

(1) Excludes rental revenue (reimbursable).

Depreciation and Amortization

Depreciation and amortization increased by $500.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared with the same period in 2023, primarily due to the Merger and the acquisitions of properties in 2023 and 2024, which were partially offset by property dispositions. Real estate assets acquired in the Merger contributed an additional $413.4 million of depreciation and amortization for the year ended December 31, 2024.

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Interest Expense

The following is a summary of the components of our interest expense (in thousands):

Interest expense increased by $286.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared with the same period in 2023, primarily due to higher average borrowings and weighted average interest rates. Included in the overall increase, $67.4 million was from lower non-cash amortization of debt discounts and premiums, primarily due to the amortization of the discount recorded to reflect the fair value of senior notes exchanged in the Merger. These increases were partially offset by higher capitalized interest driven by increased development activity. See notes to the accompanying consolidated financial statements contained in this annual report for additional information regarding our indebtedness.

Property Expenses (excluding reimbursable)

Property expenses (excluding reimbursable) consist of costs associated with properties available for lease, non-net-leased properties and general portfolio expenses and include, but are not limited to, property taxes, maintenance, insurance, utilities, property inspections and legal fees.

Property expenses (excluding reimbursable) increased by $31.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared with the same period in 2023, primarily due to a higher number of properties available for lease compared with the same periods in 2023, in addition to acquisitions in 2023 and 2024 in which the lease terms do not obligate the tenant to pay certain expenses, which resulted in higher repairs and maintenance costs, property insurance and taxes.

Property Expenses (reimbursable)

Property expenses (reimbursable) consist of reimbursable property taxes and operating costs paid on behalf of our clients. Property expenses (reimbursable) increased by $28.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared with the same period in 2023 primarily due to an increase in portfolio size, resulting in higher common area maintenance, property taxes, and insurance expenses paid on behalf of our clients.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses increased by $32.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared with the same period in 2023, primarily due to higher employee costs of $19.6 million and higher professional fees of $7.9 million as we continue to invest in our people and our platform.

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Provisions for Impairment

The following table summarizes our provisions for impairment during the periods indicated below (in millions):

Provisions for impairment increased by $338.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared with the same period in 2023, as a result of increases of $236.8 million in impairment of real estate, primarily due to a higher number of properties impaired under the held for sale model, and $101.9 million in higher credit losses recognized on financing receivables for distressed clients accounted for under sales leaseback transactions.

Merger, Transaction, and Other Costs, Net

During the year ended December 31, 2024, we incurred $96.3 million of merger, transaction, and other costs, net consisting of $86.7 million of transaction and integration-related costs related to Spirit, which largely consisted of employee severance, post-combination share-based compensation, transfer taxes, and various professional fees directly attributable to the Merger, as well as $5.1 million related to the lease termination of a legacy corporate facility, and $4.5 million of organization costs incurred related to our private fund.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, we incurred $14.5 million of merger, transaction, and other costs, net, the majority of which was related to the Merger that closed in January 2024.

Gain on Sales of Real Estate

The following summarizes our property dispositions (dollars in millions):

Foreign Currency and Derivative Gain (Loss), Net

We borrow in the functional currencies of the countries in which we invest. Net foreign currency gain and loss are primarily related to the remeasurement of intercompany debt from foreign subsidiaries and outstanding borrowings denominated in the local currencies we invest in. Derivative gain and loss are primarily related to mark-to-market adjustments on derivatives that do not qualify for hedge accounting and settlement of designated derivatives reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income ("AOCI").

Foreign currency and derivative gain (loss), net was a $3.4 million gain for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared $13.4 million loss with the same period in 2023, primarily due to the impact of foreign currency fluctuations on the remeasurement of intercompany debt.

Equity in Earnings of Unconsolidated Entities

Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities was $7.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $2.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities is due to an increase in our joint venture investments.

Other Income, Net

Other income, net decreased by $0.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared with the same period in 2023, primarily due to lower gains on insurance proceeds, largely offset by higher interest on short-term investments.

Income Taxes

Income taxes primarily consist of international income taxes accrued or paid by us and our subsidiaries, as well as state and local taxes. The increase of $14.6 million in income taxes for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared with the same period in 2023 is primarily attributable to higher taxable income in the U.K.

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Preferred Stock Dividends

The increase in preferred stock dividends of $7.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared with the same period in 2023 is due to the issuance of Realty Income Series A Preferred Stock in connection with the Merger.

Excess of Redemption Value over Carrying Value of Preferred Shares Redeemed

In September 2024, we redeemed all 6.9 million of Realty Income Series A Preferred Stock outstanding. The excess of the $25.00 liquidation price per share over the carrying value of Realty Income Series A Preferred Stock redeemed resulted in a loss on redemption of $5.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP and are the basis for our discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations. Preparing our consolidated financial statements requires us to make a number of estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. We believe that we have made these estimates and assumptions in an appropriate manner and in a way that accurately reflects our financial condition. We continually test and evaluate these estimates and assumptions using our historical knowledge of the business, as well as other factors, to ensure that they are reasonable for reporting purposes. However, actual results may differ from these estimates and assumptions. This summary should be read in conjunction with the more complete discussion of our accounting policies and procedures included in note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, to our consolidated financial statements in this annual report. In order to prepare our consolidated financial statements according to the rules and guidelines set forth by U.S. GAAP, many subjective judgments must be made with regard to critical accounting policies. We believe the following are our most critical accounting policies and estimates:

Allocation of the Purchase Price of Real Estate Acquisitions

Management must make significant assumptions in determining the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed. We evaluate whether or not substantially all of the value of acquired assets is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or group of identifiable assets to determine whether a transaction is accounted for as an asset acquisition or a business combination. A majority of our acquisitions qualify as asset acquisitions and the transaction costs associated with those acquisitions are capitalized. However, for transactions that qualify as business combinations, such as the Merger, we expense the transaction costs and categorize them as merger, transaction, and other costs, net in our consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income. For business combinations, we recognize the amount of any purchase consideration that exceeds the fair value of all identified assets acquired and liabilities assumed as goodwill and may record measurement period adjustments within one year of the acquisition date as permitted under ASC 805, Business Combinations (for more details see note 2, Merger with Spirit Realty Capital, Inc. to our consolidated financial statements contained in this annual report).

For asset acquisitions, we allocate the cost of real estate acquired, inclusive of transaction costs, to: (1) land, (2) building and improvements, and (3) identified intangible assets and liabilities, based in each case on their relative estimated fair values. For business combinations, all assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recorded at fair value. The difference between the purchase consideration and the aggregated fair value is recognized as goodwill or a gain on bargain purchase. Intangible assets and liabilities consist of above-market or below-market lease value and the value of in-place leases, as applicable. Additionally, above-market rents on leases acquired through sale-leaseback transactions under which we are a lessor are accounted for as financing receivables amortizing over the lease term, while below-market rents on leases under which we are a lessor are accounted for as prepaid rent. In an acquisition of multiple properties, we must also allocate the purchase price among the properties. The allocation of the purchase price is based on our assessment of estimated fair value of the land, building and improvements, and identified intangible assets and liabilities and is often based upon the various characteristics of the market where the property is located. In addition, any assumed mortgages are recorded at their estimated fair values. The estimated fair values of our mortgages payable have been calculated by discounting the future cash flows using applicable interest rates that have been adjusted for factors, such as industry type, client investment grade, maturity date, and comparable borrowings for similar assets. The use of different assumptions in the allocation of the purchase price of the acquired properties and liabilities assumed could affect the timing of recognition of the related revenue and expenses.

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Provisions for Impairment - Real Estate Assets

Management must make significant judgment as to if, and when, impairment losses should be taken on our properties when events or a change in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset may not be recoverable. If estimated future operating cash flows (undiscounted and without interest charges) plus estimated disposition proceeds (undiscounted) are less than the current book value of the property, a fair value analysis is performed and, to the extent the estimated fair value is less than the current book value, a provision for impairment is recorded to reduce the book value to estimated fair value. Key inputs that we utilize in this analysis include projected rental rates, estimated holding periods, capital expenditures, and property sales capitalization rates. If a property is held for sale, it is carried at the lower of carrying cost or estimated fair value, less estimated cost to sell. The carrying value of our real estate is the largest component of our consolidated balance sheets. Our strategy of primarily holding properties, long-term, directly decreases the likelihood of their carrying values not being recoverable, thus requiring the recognition of an impairment. However, if our strategy, or one or more of the above assumptions were to change in the future, an impairment may need to be recognized. If events should occur that require us to reduce the carrying value of our real estate by recording provisions for impairment, they could have a material impact on our results of operations.

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NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

Adjusted Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization for Real Estate ("Adjusted EBITDAre")

Nareit established an EBITDA metric for real estate companies (i.e., EBITDA for real estate, or EBITDAre) it believed would provide investors with a consistent measure to help make investment decisions among REITs. Our definition of “Adjusted EBITDAre” is generally consistent with the Nareit definition, other than our adjustment to remove foreign currency and derivative gain and loss and merger, transaction, and other costs, net. We define Adjusted EBITDAre, a non-GAAP financial measure, for the most recent quarter as earnings (net income) before (i) interest expense, (ii) income taxes, (iii) depreciation and amortization, (iv) provisions for impairment, (v) merger, transaction, and other costs, net, (vi) gain on sales of real estate, (vii) foreign currency and derivative gain and loss, net, and (viii) our proportionate share of adjustments from unconsolidated entities. Our Adjusted EBITDAre may not be comparable to Adjusted EBITDAre reported by other companies or as defined by Nareit, and other companies may interpret or define Adjusted EBITDAre differently than we do. Management believes Adjusted EBITDAre to be a meaningful measure of a REIT’s performance because it provides a view of our operating performance, analyzes our ability to meet interest payment obligations before the effects of income tax, depreciation and amortization expense, provisions for impairment, gain on sales of real estate and other items, as defined above, that affect comparability, including the removal of non-recurring and non-cash items that industry observers believe are less relevant to evaluating the operating performance of a company. In addition, EBITDAre is widely followed by industry analysts, lenders, investors, rating agencies, and others as a means of evaluating the operational cash generating capacity of a company prior to servicing debt obligations. Management also believes the use of an annualized quarterly Adjusted EBITDAre metric, which we refer to as Annualized Adjusted EBITDAre, is meaningful because it represents our current earnings run rate for the period presented. Annualized Adjusted EBITDAre and Annualized Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDAre, as defined below, are also used to determine the vesting of performance share awards granted to executive officers. Annualized Adjusted EBITDAre should be considered along with, but not as an alternative to net income as a measure of our operating performance. We define Annualized Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDAre as Annualized Adjusted EBITDAre, subject to certain adjustments to incorporate Adjusted EBITDAre from investments we acquired or stabilized during the applicable quarter and to remove Adjusted EBITDAre from investments we disposed of during the applicable quarter, and include transaction accounting adjustments in accordance with U.S. GAAP, giving pro forma effect to all transactions as if they occurred at the beginning of the applicable period. Our calculation includes all adjustments consistent with the requirements to present Adjusted EBITDAre on a pro forma basis in accordance with Article 11 of Regulation S-X. The Annualized Pro Forma Adjustments are consistent with the debt service coverage ratio calculated under financial covenants for our senior unsecured notes. We believe Annualized Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDAre is a useful non-GAAP supplemental measure, as it excludes investments that were no longer owned at the balance sheet date and includes the annualized rent from investments acquired during the quarter. Management also uses our ratios of Net Debt/Annualized Adjusted EBITDAre and Net Debt/Annualized Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDAre as measures of leverage in assessing our financial performance, which is calculated as net debt (which we define as total debt per the consolidated balance sheets, excluding deferred financing costs and net premiums and discounts, but including our proportionate share of debt from unconsolidated entities, less cash and cash equivalents), divided by annualized quarterly Adjusted EBITDAre and annualized Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDAre, respectively.

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The following is a reconciliation of net income (which we believe is the most comparable U.S. GAAP measure) to Adjusted EBITDAre and Annualized Pro Forma EBITDAre calculations for the periods indicated below (dollars in thousands):

(1) We calculate Annualized Adjusted EBITDAre by multiplying the Quarterly Adjusted EBITDAre by four.

(2) Net Debt is total debt per our consolidated balance sheets, excluding deferred financing costs and net premiums and discounts, but including our proportionate share of debt from unconsolidated entities, less cash and cash equivalents.

As described above, the Annualized Pro Forma Adjustments, which include transaction accounting adjustments in accordance with U.S. GAAP, consist of adjustments to incorporate the Adjusted EBITDAre from investments we acquired or stabilized during the applicable quarter and remove Adjusted EBITDAre from investments we disposed of during the applicable quarter, giving pro forma effect to all transactions as if they occurred at the beginning of the period, consistent with the requirements of Article 11 of Regulation S-X. The annualized Pro Forma Adjustments are consistent with the debt service coverage ratio calculated under financial covenants for our senior unsecured notes. The following table summarizes our Annualized Pro Forma Adjustments related to our Annualized Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDAre calculation for the periods indicated below (in thousands):

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FUNDS FROM OPERATIONS AVAILABLE TO COMMON STOCKHOLDERS ("FFO") AND NORMALIZED FUNDS FROM OPERATIONS AVAILABLE TO COMMON STOCKHOLDERS ("Normalized FFO")

We define FFO, a non-GAAP measure, consistent with the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts' definition, as net income available to common stockholders, plus depreciation and amortization of real estate assets, plus provisions for impairments of depreciable real estate assets, and reduced by gain on property sales. We define Normalized FFO, a non-GAAP financial measure, as FFO excluding merger, transaction, and other costs, net. We define diluted FFO and diluted normalized FFO as FFO and normalized FFO adjusted for dilutive noncontrolling interests.

The following summarizes our FFO and Normalized FFO (in millions, except per share data):

(1) All per share amounts are presented on a diluted per common share basis.

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The following is a reconciliation of net income available to common stockholders (which we believe is the most comparable U.S. GAAP measure) to FFO and Normalized FFO. Also presented is information regarding distributions paid to common stockholders and the weighted average number of common shares used for the basic and diluted computation per share (dollars in thousands, except per share amounts):

We consider FFO and Normalized FFO to be appropriate supplemental measures of a REIT’s operating performance as they are based on a net income analysis of property portfolio performance that adds back items such as depreciation and impairments for FFO, and adds back merger, transaction, and other costs, net, for Normalized FFO. The historical accounting convention used for real estate assets requires straight-line depreciation of buildings and improvements, which implies that the value of real estate assets diminishes predictably over time. Since real estate values historically rise and fall with market conditions, presentations of operating results for a REIT, using historical accounting for depreciation, could be less informative.

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ADJUSTED FUNDS FROM OPERATIONS AVAILABLE TO COMMON STOCKHOLDERS ("AFFO")

We define AFFO, a non-GAAP measure, as FFO adjusted for unique revenue and expense items, which we believe are not as pertinent to the measurement of our ongoing operating performance. We define diluted AFFO as AFFO adjusted for dilutive noncontrolling interests.

The following summarizes our AFFO (in millions, except per share data):

(1) All per share amounts are presented on a diluted per common share basis.

We consider AFFO to be an appropriate supplemental measure of our performance. Most companies in our industry use a similar measurement, but they may use the term “CAD” (for Cash Available for Distribution), “FAD” (for Funds Available for Distribution) or other terms. Our AFFO calculations may not be comparable to AFFO, CAD or FAD reported by other companies, and other companies may interpret or define such terms differently than we do.

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The following is a reconciliation of net income available to common stockholders (which we believe is the most comparable U.S. GAAP measure) to Normalized FFO and AFFO. Also presented is information regarding distributions paid to common stockholders and the weighted average number of common shares used for the basic and diluted computation per share (in thousands, except per share amounts). Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. These reclassifications had no impact on previously reported AFFO.

(1)See reconciling items for Normalized FFO presented under “Funds from Operations Available to Common Stockholders ("FFO") and Normalized Funds from Operations Available to Common Stockholders ("Normalized FFO")".

(2)Includes the amortization of the purchase price allocated to interest rate swaps acquired in the Merger.

(3)Credit losses primarily relate to the impairment of financing receivables.

(4)Includes non-cash foreign currency losses (gains) from remeasurement to USD, mark-to-market adjustments on investments and derivatives that are non-cash in nature, straight-line payments from cross-currency swaps, obligations related to financing lease liabilities, adjustments allocable to noncontrolling interests, and gains and losses on the sale of loans receivable.

We believe the non-GAAP financial measure AFFO provides useful information to investors because it is a widely accepted industry measure of the operating performance of real estate companies that is used by industry analysts and investors who look at and compare those companies. In particular, AFFO provides an additional measure to compare the operating performance of different REITs without having to account for differing depreciation assumptions and other unique revenue and expense items which are not pertinent to measuring a particular company’s on-going operating performance. Therefore, we believe that AFFO is an appropriate supplemental performance metric, and that the most appropriate U.S. GAAP performance metric to which AFFO should be reconciled is net income available to common stockholders. Presentation of the information regarding FFO, Normalized FFO, and AFFO is intended to assist the reader in comparing the operating performance of different REITs, although it should be noted that not all REITs calculate FFO, Normalized FFO, and AFFO in the same way,

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so comparisons with other REITs may not be meaningful. Furthermore, FFO, Normalized FFO, and AFFO are not necessarily indicative of cash flow available to fund cash needs and should not be considered as alternatives to net income as an indication of our performance. FFO, Normalized FFO, and AFFO should not be considered as alternatives to reviewing our cash flows from operating, investing, and financing activities. In addition, FFO, Normalized FFO, and AFFO should not be considered as measures of liquidity, our ability to make cash distributions, or our ability to pay interest payments.

Item 7:                              Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion and analysis reflect our financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. For a discussion of the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, please refer to Part II, Item 7. "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.

GENERAL

Realty Income, The Monthly Dividend Company®, is an S&P 500 company and member of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats® index for having increased its dividend every year for over 25 consecutive years. We invest in people and places to deliver dependable monthly dividends that increase over time. We are structured as a REIT requiring us annually to distribute at least 90% of our taxable income (excluding net capital gains) in the form of dividends to our stockholders. The monthly dividends are supported by the cash flow generated from real estate owned under long-term net lease agreements with our commercial clients.

As of December 31, 2023, we owned or held interests in a diversified portfolio of 13,458 properties located in all 50 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, the U.K., France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, with approximately 272.1 million square feet of leasable space to clients doing business in 86 separate industries. Of the 13,458 properties in the portfolio at December 31, 2023, 13,197, or 98.1%, are single-client properties, of which 13,007 were leased, and the remaining are multi-client properties. Our total portfolio has a weighted average remaining lease term (excluding rights to extend a lease at the option of our client) of approximately 9.8 years.

Unless otherwise specified, references to rental revenue in the Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations are exclusive of reimbursements from clients for recoverable real estate taxes and operating expenses totaling $274.2 million, $184.7 million and $104.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Closing of Spirit Realty Capital Merger

On January 23, 2024, we closed on our previously announced merger with Spirit, which is further described in note 21, Subsequent Events, to the consolidated financial statements. The Spirit portfolio consisted of 2,018 U.S. retail, industrial and other properties across 49 states. With assets that are highly complementary to our existing portfolio, this transaction enhances the diversification and depth of our real estate portfolio and will allow us to strengthen our longstanding relationships with existing clients and curate new ones.

Increases in Monthly Dividends to Common Stockholders

We have continued our 55-year history of paying monthly dividends. In addition, we increased the dividend five times during 2023 and once during 2024. As of February 2024, we have paid 105 consecutive quarterly dividend increases and increased the dividend 123 times since our listing on the NYSE in 1994.

The dividends paid per share during 2023 totaled $3.051, as compared to $2.967 during 2022, an increase of $0.084, or 2.8%.

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The monthly dividend of $0.2565 per share represents a current annualized dividend of $3.0780 per share, and an annualized dividend yield of 5.4% based on the last reported sale price of our common stock on the NYSE of $57.42 on December 31, 2023. Although we expect to continue our policy of paying monthly dividends, we cannot guarantee that we will maintain our current level of dividends, that we will continue our pattern of increasing dividends per share, or what our actual dividend yield will be in any future period.

Investments During 2023

During the year ended December 31, 2023, we invested $9.5 billion at an initial weighted average cash yield of 7.1%, including an investment in 1,408 properties, properties under development or expansion, investments in loans and a preferred equity investment. See notes 4, Investments in Real Estate, 5, Investments in Unconsolidated Entities, and 6, Investments in Loans, to the consolidated financial statements for further details.

Equity Capital Raising

We have an At-The-Market ("ATM") program, pursuant to which we may offer and sell up to 120.0 million shares of common stock (1) by us to, or through, a consortium of banks acting as our sales agents or (2) by a consortium of banks acting as forward sellers on behalf of any forward purchasers contemplated thereunder, in each case by means of ordinary brokers' transactions on the NYSE at prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices or by any other methods permitted by applicable law.

During 2023, we raised $5.5 billion of net proceeds from the sale of common stock, at a weighted average price of $59.79 per share, primarily through proceeds from the sale of common stock through our At-the-Market ("ATM") Program. The ATM program issuances during 2023 included 91.7 million shares issued pursuant to forward sale confirmations. As of December 31, 2023, 6.2 million shares of common stock subject to forward sale confirmations have been executed but not settled. See note 11, Issuances of Common Stock, to the consolidated financial statements for further details.

Note Issuances

In January 2024, we issued $450.0 million of 4.750% senior unsecured notes due February 2029 and $800.0 million of 5.125% senior unsecured notes due February 2034. In connection with the Merger, we also completed the $2.7 billion exchange in principal of outstanding notes issued by Spirit Realty, L.P. (“Spirit OP”). See note 21, Subsequent Events, to the consolidated financial statements for further details.

In December 2023, we issued £300.0 million of 5.750% senior unsecured notes due December 2031 and £450.0 million of 6.000% senior unsecured notes due December 2039.

In July 2023, we issued €550.0 million of 4.875% senior unsecured notes due July 2030 and €550.0 million of 5.125% senior unsecured notes due July 2034.

In April 2023, we issued $400.0 million of 4.700% senior unsecured notes due December 2028 and $600.0 million of 4.900% senior unsecured notes due July 2033.

In January 2023, we issued $500.0 million of 5.050% senior unsecured notes due January 2026 and $600.0 million of 4.850% senior unsecured notes due March 2030.

See note 10. Notes Payable, to the consolidated financial statements for further details.

Appointment of New Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer ("CFO")

Effective January 1, 2024, Jonathan Pong was appointed Executive Vice President, CFO and Treasurer, replacing Christie Kelly, our former CFO, upon her planned retirement that was announced in June 2023.

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Portfolio Discussion

Leasing Results

At December 31, 2023, we had 193 properties available for lease or sale out of 13,458 properties in our portfolio, which represents a 98.6% occupancy rate based on the number of properties in our portfolio. Our property-level occupancy rates exclude properties with ancillary leases only, such as cell towers and billboards, properties with possession pending, and include properties owned by unconsolidated joint ventures.

Below is a summary of our portfolio activity for the periods indicated below:

(1)Includes scheduled and unscheduled expirations (including leases rejected in bankruptcy), as well as future expirations resolved in the periods indicated above.

During the three months ended December 31, 2023, the new annualized contractual rent on re-leases was $52.7 million, as compared to the previous annual rent of $50.8 million on the same units, representing a rent recapture rate of 103.6% on the units re-leased, which excludes restructurings associated with the Cineworld bankruptcy. Including Cineworld restructured leases that resulted in lease extensions, the recapture rate was 94.1% for the three months ended December 31, 2023. We re-leased 20 units to new clients without a period of vacancy, and 12 units to new clients after a period of vacancy.

During the year ended December 31, 2023, the new annualized contractual rent on re-leases was $198.1 million, as compared to the previous annual rent of $190.3 million on the same units, representing a rent recapture rate of 104.1% on the units re-leased, which excludes restructurings associated with the Cineworld bankruptcy. Including Cineworld restructured leases that resulted in lease extensions, the recapture rate was 101.1% for the year ended December 31, 2023. We re-leased 27 units to new clients without a period of vacancy, and 39 units to new clients after a period of vacancy.

As part of our re-leasing costs, we pay leasing commissions to unrelated, third-party real estate brokers consistent with the commercial real estate industry standard, and sometimes provide rent concessions to our clients. We do not consider the collective impact of the leasing commissions or rent concessions to our clients to be material to our financial position or results of operations.

Pan European Sale and Leaseback with Decathlon SE ("Decathlon")

We entered the markets of France, Germany, and Portugal for the first time through sale-leaseback transactions with affiliates of Decathlon, a world leader in retail sporting goods and an investment grade rated company, for €527.0 million, which includes 82 retail properties located in France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Spain.

Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures

In October 2023, we completed our previously announced $951.4 million acquisition of common and preferred interests from Blackstone Real Estate Trust, Inc. ("BREIT") in a new joint venture that owns a 95% interest in the real estate of The Bellagio Las Vegas. The investment included $301.4 million of common equity in the joint venture in exchange for an indirect interest of 21.9% in the property and a $650.0 million preferred equity interest in the joint venture with an expected rate of return of 8.1%.

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In November 2023, we established a joint venture with Digital Realty Trust, Inc. ("Digital Realty") to support the development of two build-to-suit data centers in Northern Virginia. We invested approximately $199.8 million to acquire an 80% equity interest in the venture, while Digital Realty maintains a 20% interest. Each partner will fund its pro rata share of the remaining $117.7 million estimated development cost for the first phase of the project, which is slated for completion in mid-2024.

See note 5, Investments in Unconsolidated Entities, to the consolidated financial statements for further details.

Impact of Inflation

Leases generally provide for limited increases in rent as a result of fixed increases, increases in the consumer price index, or retail price index in the case of certain leases in the U.K. (typically subject to ceilings), or increases in the clients’ sales volumes. We expect that inflation will cause these lease provisions to result in rent increases over time. During times when inflation is greater than increases in rent, as provided for in the leases, rent increases may not keep up with the rate of inflation and other costs.

Moreover, our strategic focus on the use of net lease agreements reduces our exposure to rising property expenses due to inflation because the client is responsible for property expenses. Even though the utilization of net leases reduces our exposure to rising property expenses due to inflation, substantial inflationary pressures and increased costs may have an adverse impact on our clients if increases in their operating expenses exceed increases in revenue, which may adversely affect our clients' ability to pay rent. Additionally, inflationary periods may cause us to experience increased costs of financing, make it difficult to refinance debt at attractive rates or at all, and may adversely affect the properties we can acquire if the cost of financing an acquisition is in excess of our anticipated earnings from such property, thereby limiting the properties that can be acquired.

Impact of Real Estate and Credit Markets

In the commercial real estate market, property prices generally continue to fluctuate. Likewise, during certain periods, the global capital markets have experienced significant price volatility, dislocations, and liquidity disruptions, which may impact our access to and cost of capital. We continually monitor the commercial real estate and global capital markets carefully and, if required, will make decisions to adjust our business strategy accordingly.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

As of December 31, 2023, we had $4.1 billion of liquidity, which consists of cash and cash equivalents of $232.9 million, including £46.1 million denominated in Sterling and €43.6 million denominated in Euro, unsettled ATM forward equity of $337.8 million, and $3.5 billion of availability under our $4.25 billion unsecured revolving credit facility, after deducting $764.4 million in borrowings under our commercial paper programs. We use our unsecured revolving credit facility as a liquidity backstop for the repayment of the notes issued under these programs.

Our primary cash obligations, for the current year and subsequent years, are included in the “Material Cash Requirements” table, which is presented later in this section. We expect to fund our operating expenses and other short-term liquidity requirements, including property acquisitions and development costs, payment of principal and interest on our outstanding indebtedness, property improvements, re-leasing costs, and cash distributions to common stockholders, primarily through cash provided by operating activities, borrowings under our revolving credit facility, short-term term loans, and under our commercial paper programs, and through public securities offerings.

We expect to fund the next twelve months of obligations through a combination of the following:

•Cash and cash equivalents;

•Future cash flows from operations;

•Issuances of common stock or debt; and

•Additional borrowings under our revolving credit facility and our term loan (after deducting outstanding borrowings under our commercial paper programs).

We believe that our cash and cash equivalents on hand, cash provided from operating activities, and borrowing capacity is sufficient to meet our liquidity needs for the next twelve months. We intend, however, to use permanent or long-term capital to fund property acquisitions and to repay future borrowings under our credit facility and commercial paper programs.

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Long-Term Liquidity Requirements

Our goal is to deliver dependable monthly dividends to our stockholders that increase over time. Historically, we have met our principal short-term and long-term capital needs, including the funding of high-quality real estate acquisitions, investments in loans, property development, and capital expenditures by issuing common stock, preferred stock, long-term unsecured notes, and term loan borrowings. Over the long term, we believe that common stock should be the majority of our capital structure. We may issue common stock when we believe our share price is at a level that allows for the proceeds of an offering to be accretively invested into additional properties or to permanently finance properties that were initially financed by our revolving credit facility, commercial paper programs, or shorter-term debt securities. However, we cannot assure you that we will have access to the capital markets at all times and at terms that are acceptable to us.

Capitalization

As of December 31, 2023, our total market capitalization was $65.4 billion. Total market capitalization consisted of $43.3 billion of common equity (based on the December 31, 2023 closing price on the NYSE of $57.42 and assuming the conversion of common units of Realty Income, L.P.) and total outstanding borrowings of $22.1 billion on our revolving credit facility, commercial paper, term loans, mortgages payable, senior unsecured notes and bonds, and our proportionate share of unconsolidated entities' debt (excluding unamortized deferred financing costs, discounts, and premiums). Our total debt to market capitalization was 33.8% at December 31, 2023.

Universal Shelf Registration

On February 16, 2024, we filed a new shelf registration statement with the SEC, which is effective for a term of three years and will expire in February 2027. In accordance with SEC rules, the amount of securities to be issued pursuant to this shelf registration statement was not specified when it was filed and there is no specific dollar limit. The securities covered by this registration statement include (1) common stock, (2) preferred stock, (3) debt securities, (4) depositary shares representing fractional interests in shares of preferred stock, (5) warrants to purchase debt securities, common stock, preferred stock, or depositary shares, and (6) any combination of these securities. We may periodically offer one or more of these securities in amounts, prices and on terms to be announced when and if these securities are offered. The specifics of any future offerings, along with the use of proceeds of any securities offered, will be described in detail in a prospectus supplement, or other offering materials, at the time of any offering.

ATM Program

As of December 31, 2023, there were approximately 6.2 million shares of unsettled common stock subject to forward sale confirmations through our ATM program, representing approximately $337.8 million in expected net proceeds, which have been executed at a weighted average price of $54.70 per share (assuming full physical settlement of all outstanding shares of common stock, subject to such forward sale agreements and certain assumptions made with respect to settlement dates). During the year ended December 31, 2023, we settled approximately 91.7 million shares of common stock previously sold pursuant to forward sale agreements through our ATM program for approximately $5.4 billion of net proceeds. As of December 31, 2023, we had 81.3 million shares remaining for future issuance under our ATM program. We anticipate maintaining the availability of our ATM program in the future, including the replenishment of authorized shares issuable thereunder.

Debt and Financing Activities

At December 31, 2023, our total outstanding borrowings of revolving credit facility, commercial paper, term loans, mortgages payable, and senior unsecured notes and bonds were $21.5 billion, with a weighted average maturity of 5.9 years and a weighted average interest rate of 3.9%. As of December 31, 2023, approximately 94% of our total debt was fixed rate debt. See notes 7 through 10 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information about our outstanding debt, along with our debt financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2023 below.

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Note Issuances

During the year ended December 31, 2023, we issued the following notes and bonds (in millions):

In January 2024, we issued $450.0 million of 4.750% senior unsecured notes due February 2029 and $800.0 million of 5.125% senior unsecured notes due February 2034. In connection with the Merger, we also completed the $2.7 billion exchange in principal of outstanding notes issued by Spirit OP. See note 21, Subsequent Events, to the consolidated financial statements for further details.

Term Loans

In January 2023, we entered into a term loan agreement, permitting us to incur multicurrency term loans, up to an aggregate of $1.5 billion in total borrowings. As of December 31, 2023, we had $1.1 billion in multicurrency borrowings, including $90.0 million, £705.0 million, and €85.0 million in outstanding borrowings. The 2023 term loans mature in January 2025 with one remaining 12-month maturity extension available at our option. In conjunction with our 2023 term loans, we entered into interest rate swaps which fix our per annum interest rate. As of December 31, 2023, the effective interest rate, after giving effect to the interest rate swaps, was 5.0%.

Covenants

The following is a summary of the key financial covenants for our senior unsecured notes, as defined and calculated per the terms of our senior notes and bonds. These calculations, which are not based on accounting principles generally accepted in U.S. GAAP, are presented to investors to show our ability to incur additional debt under the terms of our senior notes and bonds as well as to disclose our current compliance with such covenants and are not measures of our liquidity or performance. The actual amounts as of December 31, 2023, are:

(1) Our debt service coverage ratio is calculated on a pro forma basis for the preceding four-quarter period on the assumptions that: (i) the incurrence of any debt (as defined in the covenants) incurred by us since the first day of such four-quarter period and the application of the proceeds therefrom (including to refinance other debt since the first day of such four-quarter period), (ii) the repayment or retirement of any of our debt since the first day of such four-quarter period, and (iii) any acquisition or disposition by us of any asset or group since the first day of such four quarters had in each case occurred on January 1, 2023 and subject to certain additional adjustments. Such pro forma ratio has been prepared on the basis required by that debt service covenant, reflects various estimates and assumptions and is subject to other uncertainties, and therefore does not purport to reflect what our actual debt service coverage ratio would have been had transactions referred to in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of the preceding sentence occurred as of January 1, 2023, nor does it purport to reflect our debt service coverage ratio for any future period. The following is our calculation of debt service and fixed charge coverage at December 31, 2023 (in thousands, for trailing twelve months):

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Credit Agency Ratings

The borrowing interest rates under our revolving credit facility are based upon our ratings assigned by credit rating agencies. As of December 31, 2023, we were assigned the following investment grade corporate credit ratings on our senior unsecured notes and bonds: Moody’s Investors Service has assigned a rating of A3 with a “stable” outlook and Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group has assigned a rating of A- with a “stable” outlook. In addition, we were assigned the following ratings on our commercial paper at December 31, 2023: Moody's Investors Service has assigned a rating of P-2 and Standard & Poor's Ratings Group has assigned a rating of A-2.

Based on our credit agency ratings as of December 31, 2023, interest rates under our credit facility for U.S. borrowings would have been at the SOFR, plus 0.725% with a SOFR adjustment charge of 0.10% and a revolving credit facility fee of 0.125%, for all-in drawn pricing of 0.95% over SOFR, for British Pound Sterling borrowings, at the SONIA, plus 0.725% with a SONIA adjustment charge of 0.0326% and a revolving credit facility fee of 0.125%, for all-in drawn pricing of 0.8826% over SONIA, and for Euro Borrowings at one-month EURIBOR, plus 0.725%, and a revolving credit facility fee of 0.125%, for all-in drawn pricing of 0.85% over one-month EURIBOR. In addition, our credit facility provides that the interest rates can range between: (i) SOFR/SONIA/EURIBOR, plus 1.40% if our credit rating is lower than BBB-/Baa3 or our senior unsecured debt is unrated and (ii) SOFR/SONIA/EURIBOR, plus 0.70% if our credit rating is A/A2 or higher. In addition, our credit facility provides for a facility commitment fee based on our credit ratings, which ranges from: (i) 0.30% for a rating lower than BBB-/Baa3 or unrated, and (ii) 0.10% for a credit rating of A/A2 or higher.

We also issue senior debt securities from time to time and our credit ratings can impact the interest rates charged in those transactions. If our credit ratings or ratings outlook change, our cost to obtain debt financing could increase or decrease. The credit ratings assigned to us could change based upon, among other things, our results of operations and financial condition. These ratings are subject to ongoing evaluation by credit rating agencies, and we cannot assure you that our ratings will not be changed or withdrawn by a rating agency in the future if, in its judgment, circumstances warrant. Moreover, a rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold our debt securities, preferred stock or common stock.

Material Cash Requirements

The following table summarizes the maturity of each of our obligations as of December 31, 2023 (dollars in millions):

(1) The initial term of the credit facility expires in June 2026 and includes, at our option, two six-month extensions. At December 31, 2023, there were no borrowings under our revolving credit facility, and commercial paper programs outstanding were $764.4 million, which matured between January 2024 and February 2024.

(2) The maturity date for our 2023 term loans reflects the closing of our previous twelve-month extension option and assumes the additional twelve-month extension available at the company's option is exercised.

(3) Excludes our January 2024 issuance of $450.0 million of 4.750% senior unsecured notes due February 2029 and $800.0 million of 5.125% senior unsecured notes due February 2034.

(4) Interest on the commercial paper programs, term loans, mortgages payable, and senior unsecured notes and bonds has been calculated based on outstanding balances at period end through their respective maturity dates. Excludes interest on the January 2024 issuances of $450.0 million of unsecured senior notes due February 2029 and $800.0 million of unsecured senior notes due February 2034.

(5) We currently pay the ground lessors directly for the rent under the ground leases.

(6) Our clients, who are generally sub-tenants clients under ground leases, are responsible for paying the rent under these ground leases. In the event our client fails to pay the ground lease rent, we are primarily responsible.

(7) “Other” consists of $740.0 million of commitments under construction contracts, and $32.7 million for re-leasing costs, recurring capital expenditures, and non-recurring building improvements.

Investments in Unconsolidated Entities

As of December 31, 2023, our pro-rata share of secured debt of unconsolidated entities was approximately $659.2 million.

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DIVIDEND POLICY

Distributions are paid monthly to holders of shares of our common stock.

Distributions are paid monthly to the limited partners holding common units of Realty Income, L.P., each on a per unit basis that is equal to the amount paid per share to our common stockholders.

In order to maintain our status as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, we generally are required to distribute dividends to our stockholders aggregating annually at least 90% of our taxable income (excluding net capital gains), and we are subject to income tax to the extent we distribute less than 100% of our taxable income (including net capital gains). In 2023, our cash distributions to common stockholders totaled $2.11 billion, or approximately 115.9% of estimated taxable income of $1.82 billion. Certain measures are available to us to reduce or eliminate our tax exposure as a REIT, and accordingly, no provision for federal income taxes, other than our taxable REIT subsidiaries (each, a "TRS"), has been made. Our estimated taxable income reflects non-cash deductions for depreciation and amortization. Our estimated taxable income is presented to show our compliance with REIT dividend requirements and is not a measure of our liquidity or operating performance. We intend to continue to make distributions to our stockholders that are sufficient to meet this dividend requirement and that will reduce or eliminate our exposure to income taxes. Furthermore, we believe our cash on hand and funds from operations are sufficient to support our current level of cash distributions to our stockholders. We distributed $3.051 per share to stockholders during 2023, representing 76.3% of our diluted Adjusted Funds from Operations Available to Common Stockholders ("AFFO") per share of $4.00.

Future distributions will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend on, among other things, our results of operations, Funds from Operations Available to Common Stockholders ("FFO"), Normalized Funds from Operations Available to Common Stockholders ("Normalized FFO"), AFFO, cash flow from operations, financial condition, capital requirements, the annual distribution requirements under the REIT provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, our debt service requirements, and any other factors the Board of Directors may deem relevant. In addition, our credit facility contains financial covenants that could limit the amount of distributions payable by us in the event of a default, and which prohibit the payment of distributions on our common stock in the event that we fail to pay when due (subject to any applicable grace period) any principal or interest on borrowings under our credit facility.

Distributions of our current and accumulated earnings and profits for federal income tax purposes generally will be taxable to stockholders as ordinary income, except to the extent that we recognize capital gains and declare a capital gains dividend, or that such amounts constitute “qualified dividend income” subject to a reduced rate of tax. The maximum tax rate of non-corporate taxpayers for “qualified dividend income” is generally 20%. In general, dividends payable by REITs are not eligible for the reduced tax rate on qualified dividend income, except to the extent that certain holding requirements have been met with respect to the REIT’s stock and the REIT’s dividends are attributable to dividends received from certain taxable corporations (such as our TRSs) or to income that was subject to tax at the corporate or REIT level (for example, if we distribute taxable income that we retained and paid tax on in the prior taxable year). However, non-corporate stockholders, including individuals, generally may deduct up to 20% of dividends from a REIT, other than capital gain dividends and dividends treated as qualified dividend income, for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, and before January 1, 2026.

Distributions in excess of earnings and profits generally will first be treated as a non-taxable reduction in the stockholders’ basis in their stock, but not below zero. Distributions in excess of that basis generally will be taxable as a capital gain to stockholders who hold their shares as a capital asset. Approximately 6.8% of the distributions to our common stockholders, made or deemed to have been made in 2023, were classified as a return of capital for federal income tax purposes.

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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following is a comparison of our results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022.

Total Revenue

The following summarizes our total revenue (dollars in thousands):

Rental Revenue (excluding reimbursable)

The table below summarizes our rental revenue (excluding reimbursable) for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 (dollars in thousands):

(1)The same store rental revenue percentage increase for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the same period in 2022 is 1.9%.

(2)For purposes of comparability, same store rental revenue is presented on a constant currency basis using the exchange rate as of December 31, 2023. None of the properties in France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, or Portugal met our same store pool definition for the periods presented.

(3)Relates to the aggregate of (i) rental revenue from 325 properties that were available for lease during part of 2023 or 2022, and (ii) rental revenue for 27 properties under development or completed developments that do not meet our same store pool definition for the periods presented.

(4)Primarily consists of reimbursements for tenant improvements and rental revenue that is not contractual base rent such as lease termination.

For purposes of determining the same store rent property pool, we include all properties that were owned for the entire year-to-date period, for both the current and prior year, except for properties during the current or prior year that; (i) were vacant at any time, (ii) were under development or redevelopment, or (iii) were involved in eminent domain and rent was reduced. Each of the exclusions from the same store pool are separately addressed within the applicable sentences above, explaining the changes in rental revenue for the period.

Of the 14,262 in-place leases in the portfolio, which excludes 270 vacant units, 11,717, or 82.2%, were under leases that provide for increases in rents through: base rent increases tied to inflation (typically subject to ceilings), percentage rent based on a percentage of the clients’ gross sales, fixed increases, or a combination of two or more of the aforementioned rent provisions.

Rent based on a percentage of our client's gross sales, or percentage rent, was $14.8 million and $14.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, which represents less than 1% of rental revenue.

At December 31, 2023, our portfolio of 13,458 properties was 98.6% leased with 193 properties available for lease, as compared to 99.0% leased with 126 properties available for lease at December 31, 2022. It has been our experience that approximately 1% to 4% of our property portfolio will be available for lease at any given time; however, it is possible that the number of properties available for lease or sale could increase in the future, given the nature of economic cycles and other unforeseen global events.

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Rental Revenue (reimbursable)

A number of our leases provide for contractually obligated reimbursements from clients for recoverable real estate taxes and operating expenses. The increase in contractually obligated reimbursements by our clients for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared with the same period in 2022 is primarily due to higher recoverable real estate tax taxes from overall portfolio growth.

Other Revenue

Other revenue primarily relates to interest income recognized on financing receivables for certain leases with above-market terms and interest income recognized on client loans and preferred equity investments. The increase in other revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared with the same period in 2022 is primarily due to higher interest income on financing receivables of $60.9 million driven by an increase in recent sale-leaseback transactions with above-market lease terms, in addition to an increase of $17.0 million from interest income earned on new loans and preferred equity investments entered into during the year.

Total Expenses

The following summarizes our total expenses (in thousands):

(1) Excludes rental revenue (reimbursable).

Depreciation and Amortization

The increase in depreciation and amortization for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared with the same period in 2022 is primarily due to overall portfolio growth from acquisitions.

Interest Expense

The following is a summary of the components of our interest expense (in thousands):