Essex's Apartment Value Fund II Acquires 222-Unit Apartment Community in Washington

October 4, 2005

PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 4 /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 the Essex Apartment Value Fund II ("Fund II") (An affiliate of Essex Property Trust, which has a 28.2 percent interest as a general partner and limited partner in Fund II) has acquired Morning Run Apartments, a 222-unit apartment community located in Monroe, Washington for a contract price of approximately $19.75 million.

In regards to the acquisition, Keith Guericke, President and Chief Executive Officer stated, "This is a unique property that offers a high- quality of life and convenient access to local employment centers." Mr. Guericke continued, "We expect to see increased rental growth as the city of Monroe continues to develop as a vital location within the greater Puget Sound market."

    Morning Run Apartments was built in 1991, consists of 20, two and three-
story buildings and is located on 11 acres. The property's unit composition is
as follows:

     Units           Type                  Square Feet

       12      1-bedroom, 1-bath               758
       49      2-bedroom, 1-bath               922
       53      2-bedroom, 2-bath               992
       60      2-bedroom, 2-bath               1010
       48      3-bedroom, 2-bath               1132

The property is located near world class fishing, rafting, skiing and hiking as well as a wide variety of shopping and entertainment areas and expanding job nodes. The community contains an outdoor pool and spa, state of the art fitness center and business center. Each unit features modern finishes including vaulted ceilings and wood-burning fireplaces as well as a washer and dryer. All units are also equipped to provide high-speed internet access.

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 125 multifamily properties (25,950 units), and has 607 units in various stages of development. Additional information about Essex can be found on the Company's web site at www.essexpropertytrust.com.

Forward looking statement -- The statements which are not historical facts contained in this release such as the statements regarding the expected above average rental growth in the market in which Morning Run Apartments are located and the job and population growth in such market are forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, unexpected changes in the economic conditions and market demand for rental units in the market in which Morning Run Apartments are located. All forward- looking statements are made as of today, and the Company assumes no obligation to update this information. For more details relating to risk and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in our forward-looking statements, and risks to our business in general, please refer to our SEC filings, including our most recent Report on Form 10-Q for the period ending, June 30, 2005 and Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004.

     MARY C. JENSEN
     DIRECTOR OF INVESTOR RELATIONS
     (650) 849-1656
SOURCE  Essex Property Trust, Inc.
    -0-                             10/04/2005
    /CONTACT:  Mary C. Jensen, Director of Investor Relations of Essex
Property Trust, Inc., +1-650-849-1656/
    /Web site:  http://www.essexpropertytrust.com /
    (ESS)

CO:  Essex Property Trust, Inc.
ST:  California, Washington
IN:  FIN RLT
SU:  RLE

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6995 10/04/200514:00 EDThttp://www.prnewswire.com