Mark Theine
Analyst · RBC Capital Markets. Please go ahead
Thanks, Jeff. The first half of 2019 has been active and productive in managing our portfolio. Our team remains dedicated to superior customer service, the retention and recruitment of high-quality professionals and operating efficiencies to benefit both our healthcare partners and our shareholders. Beyond the 3.5% MOB portfolio of same-store NOI growth that John and Jeff mentioned, three key highlights in the second quarter include improved portfolio occupancy to 96% from 95.4% as a result of 75,000 square feet of net absorption driven by the commencement of the lease of the El Paso Specialty Hospital. Two, continued expansion and profitability of our best-in-class property management platform, where we now manage directly 56% of our medical office buildings, representing 55% of our NOI. And three, well managed CapEx investments totaling a mirror 6.4% of cash NOI delivering enhanced cash flow to FAD. As we enter the second half of 2019, DOC's portfolio is an industry-leading 96% occupied including 53% leased directly to investment grade tenants, which we believe is more than any other publicly traded portfolio in healthcare real estate. High portfolio occupancy not only provides our shareholders with reliable cash flow and strong earnings growth potential, but also benefits the healthcare system and provide our clients who trust us with their facilities. Even further, DOC's extensive healthcare relationships cement our ability to attract and lease space to complementary physicians helping our partners to achieve their clinical and business goals all while increasing access to quality care for everyone. In Q2, 2019, our leasing team completed 242,000 square feet of leasing activity including 127,000 square feet of lease renewals. Total retention was 76%, while our leasing spreads were positive 1.8%. Approximately 93% of our lease renewals this quarter contained in average annual rent escalator of 2.5% or greater as we continue to build our internal organic growth strategy. During the remainder of 2019, just 1.5% of DOC's portfolio is scheduled to renew with an average rental rate of $23.94 per square foot and our team has strong leasing momentum in Atlanta, Houston and Phoenix to fill current vacancies. Consistent with our plans announced earlier this year, we continue to expand our in-house property management platform. Over the past 12 months, we have transitioned property management services at 31 facilities totaling nearly two million square feet in Kentucky, Ohio and most recently Nebraska, Washington State and the Dallas Texas market. During Q3, 2019, we anticipate completing the in-house management transition of the Houston Texas market, which includes four facilities totaling nearly 293,000 square feet. As a result of this growth, we are proud to welcome to the DOC family, Jessie Ramsey, Lesley Taylor, Scott Hedrick, Teri Smith and Jennie Dominic [ph]. All are impressive individuals tasked with delivering the DOC difference every day, which is the outstanding customer service and diligent care healthcare providers expect from DOC. In the six years, since our IPO, which again we celebrated on July 19th, we've not only built one of the best healthcare real estate portfolios in the country. But we've also assembled the best healthcare real estate team. Going forward, we expect continued success from our asset and property management platform resulting in enhanced local market knowledge, repeat investment opportunities with existing partners, profitable operating efficiencies and continued tenant retention. During the second quarter, our construction and project management team also generated outstanding shareholder value by prioritizing capital in second generations and an improvements and facility upgrades totaling $4.3 million or just 6.4% of the portfolio's NOI. This conservative approach to CapEx investment compares favorably to our peers and is driven by our well diversified lease expiration schedule, tenant relationships and the desirability of our medical office portfolio. Rent concessions in the second quarter remained low with TI allowances and leasing concessions of approximately $1.72 per square foot per year for lease renewals and $3.09 per square foot per year for new leases. Lastly as announced in July, we would like to congratulate Mark Dukes, DOC's VP of Asset Management on his election as Vice-Chair of the Building Owners and Managers Association, also known as BOMA International. Mark will serve as an officer for four years, ultimately becoming the organization's, Chairman in 2021. BOMA is a recognized leader in educating and an informing commercial real estate owners, managers and advocates at the federal and local levels. We are proud of Mark's achievements as a real estate professional and excited for the exposure that this position will generate for Physicians Realty Trust and the Medical Office sector in general. Together with all of the DOC members of the team, we have created an incredible culture of excellence and outstanding portfolio and a successful strategies to maximize long-term per share cash flow returns to our shareholders. With that I'll turn the call back to John.