Essex Acquires Marina City Club Located in Marina del Rey California

January 26, 2004

PALO ALTO, Calif., Jan. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Essex Property Trust, Inc., (NYSE: ESS) a real estate investment trust (REIT) with apartment communities located in targeted West Coast markets, announced today that its has purchased, the improvements of Marina City Club, located in Marina del Rey, California, which include a 101-unit promenade apartment community, an adjacent marina with approximately 340 boat slips and assorted retail space. The total contract price was approximately $27.7 million. The improvements are on a long-term ground lease with the County of Los Angeles that expires in 2067.

Marina City Club a quality asset that is located in the heart of Marina del Rey, and one of the few apartment communities located directly on the Marina. The property is comprised of 7 one-bedroom/one-bath units, 67 two-bedroom/two-bath units and 27 three-bedroom/two-bath units. An attractive 2,500-foot pedestrian promenade bisects the apartment community and the marina. Marina de Rey is conveniently located to major West Los Angeles employment centers, and offers a high-quality of life.

Essex Property Trust, Inc., located in Palo Alto, California and traded on the New York Stock Exchange (ESS), is a fully integrated real estate investment trust (REIT) that acquires, develops, redevelops, and manages multifamily residential properties in selected West Coast communities. Essex currently has ownership interests in 122 multifamily properties (26,113 units), and has 1,056 units in various stages of development. Additional information about Essex can be found on the Company's web site at www.essexpropertytrust.com. If you would like to receive future press releases via e-mail-please send a request to investors@essexpropertytrust.com.

The statements which are not historical facts contained in this release such as the Company's beliefs and expectations regarding the Company's financing transactions, the Company's expectations regarding economic conditions within the Seattle metropolitan area, and future rental growth and occupancy in this area, are forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to be different than such forward looking statements including, but not limited to, unexpected decreasing in the market demand for rental housing, unexpected increases in the supply of rental housing, the effect of changes in economic conditions, the impact of competition and competitive pricing, and other risks detailed in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. All forward-looking statements and reasons why results may differ included in this press release are made as of the date hereof, and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statement or reason why actual results may differ.

    CONTACT:

     Michael J. Schall            Mary C. Jensen
     Chief Financial Officer      Director of Investor Relations
     650-849-1600                 650-849-1656


SOURCE  Essex Property Trust, Inc.
    -0-                             01/26/2004
    /CONTACT:  Michael J. Schall, Chief Financial Officer, +1-650-849-1600, or
Mary C. Jensen, Director of Investor Relations, +1-650-849-1656, both of Essex
Property Trust, Inc./
    /Web site:  http://www.essexpropertytrust.com /
    (ESS)

CO:  Essex Property Trust, Inc.; Marina City Club
ST:  California
IN:  FIN RLT
SU:  TNM

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