If our Board of Directors determines to raise additional equity capital, it may, without stockholder approval, issue additional shares of common stock or other capital stock. The Board of Directors may issue a number of shares up to the amount of our authorized capital in any manner and on such terms and for such consideration as it deems appropriate. Such securities may be senior to the outstanding classes of common stock. Such securities also may include additional classes of preferred stock, which may be convertible into common stock. Any such offering could dilute a stockholder's investment in us. Brookfield Asset Management Inc. (including certain of its affiliates, "Brookfield") has preemptive rights to purchase our common stock as necessary to allow it to maintain its respective proportional ownership interest in GGP on a fully diluted basis.

We have a dividend reinvestment plan ("DRIP"). We may determine to pay dividends in a combination of cash and shares of common stock.

We maintain policies and have entered into agreements designed to reduce or eliminate potential conflicts of interest. We have adopted governance principles governing our affairs and the Board of Directors, as well as written charters for each of the standing committees of the Board of Directors. In addition, we have a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to all of our officers, directors, and employees. At least a majority of the members of our Board of Directors must qualify as independent under the listing standards for NYSE companies. Any transaction between us and any director, officer or 5% stockholder must be approved pursuant to our Related Party Transaction Policy (available on the Corporate Governance page of our website at www.ggp.com), including such transactions with Brookfield (as defined above), our largest stockholder.

We intend to make investments that are consistent with our qualification as a REIT, unless the Board of Directors determines that it is no longer in our best interests to qualify as a REIT. We have authority to offer shares of our common stock or other securities in exchange for property. We also have authority to repurchase or otherwise reacquire our shares or any other securities. We may issue shares of our common stock, or cash at our option, to holders of units of limited partnership interest in the Operating Partnerships (as defined in Note 1) in future periods upon exercise of such holders' rights under the Operating Partnerships' agreements. Our policy prohibits us from making any loans to our directors or executive officers for any purpose. We may make loans to the joint ventures in which we participate.

As of February 2, 2016,December 31, 2017, we had approximately 1,700 employees.

We have comprehensive liability, property and rental loss insurance with respect to our portfolio of properties. We believe that such insurance provides adequate coverage.

The Company intends to maintain REIT status, and therefore our operations generally will not be subject to federal income tax on real estate investment trust taxable income. A schedule detailing the taxability of dividends for 2015, 20142017, 2016 and 20132015 has been presented in Note 11.10.

Our Internet website address is www.ggp.com. Our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Interactive Data Files, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports are available and may be accessed free of charge through the Investors section of our Internet website under the Financial Information subsection, as soon as reasonably practicable after those documents are filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Our Internet website and included or linked information on the website are not intended to be incorporated into this Annual Report. Additionally, the public may read and copy any materials we file with the SEC at the SEC's Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20549, and may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC, which can be accessed at http://www.sec.gov.

Our real property investments are influenced by the retail sector, which may be negatively impacted by increased unemployment, increased federal income and payroll taxes, increased health care costs, increased state and local taxes, increased real estate taxes, industry slowdowns, lack of availability of consumer credit, weak income growth, increased levels of consumer debt, poor housing market conditions, adverse weather conditions, natural disasters, plant closings, and other factors. Similarly, local real estate conditions, such as an oversupply of, or a reduction in demand for, retail space or retail goods, and the supply and creditworthiness of current and prospective tenants may negatively impact our properties.

Given these economic conditions, we believe there is a risk that the sales at stores operating in our properties may be adversely affected, which may cause tenants to be unable to pay their rental obligations. Because substantially all of our income is derived from rentals of real property, our income and available cash would be adversely affected if a significant number of tenants are unable to meet their obligations.

Our results of operations depend on our ability to continue to lease space in our properties, including vacant space and re-leasing space in properties where leases are expiring, optimizing our tenant mix, or leasing properties on economically favorable terms. Because approximately 6% to 12% of our total leases expire annually based on expiring GLA, we are continually focused on leasing our properties. Similarly, we are pursuing a strategy of replacing expiring short-term leases with long-term leases.

Our leases generally contain provisions designed to ensure the creditworthiness of the tenant. However, companies in the retail industry, including some of our tenants, have declared bankruptcy, or from time to time, have voluntarily closed certain of their stores. We may be unable to re-lease such space or to re-lease it on comparable or more favorable terms. As a result, the bankruptcy or closure of a national tenant may adversely affect our revenues. In addition, such closings may allow other tenants to modify their leases to terms that are less favorable for us, also adversely impacting our revenues. For example, certain of our lease agreements include a co-tenancy provision that allows the tenant to pay a reduced rent amount and, in certain instances, terminate the lease, if we fail to maintain certain occupancy levels.levels or if specific anchor tenants are no longer at the property. Therefore, if occupancy or tenancy falls below certain thresholds, rents we are entitled to receive from our retail tenants could be reduced.

Real estate investments are relatively illiquid, which may limit our ability to strategically change our portfolio promptly in response to changes in economic or other conditions. If revenues from a property decline but the related expenses do not, the income and cash available to us would be adversely affected. If it becomes necessary or desirable for us to dispose of one or more of our mortgaged properties, we may not be able to obtain a release of the lien on the mortgaged property without payment of the associated debt. The foreclosure of a mortgage on a property or inability to sell a property could adversely affect the level of cash available to us.

We are dependent on perceptions by retailers or shoppers of the safety, convenience and attractiveness of our retail properties. If retailers and shoppers perceive competing retail properties and other retailing options such as the Internet to be more convenient or of a higher quality, our revenues may be adversely affected.

Capital investment to expand or develop properties is anticipated to be an ongoing part of our strategy. In connection with such projects, we will be subject to various risks, which may result in lower than expected returns or a loss. These risks include the following:

Newly acquired properties may not perform as expected, such as not realizing expected occupancy and rental rates. In addition, we may have unexpected costs and may be unable to finance or refinance the new properties at acceptable terms. If an acquisition is not successful, we may have a loss on our investment in the property.

There are numerous retail formats that compete with our properties in attracting retailers to lease space. In addition, retailers at our properties face continued competition from retailers at other malls, lifestyle and power centers, outlet malls and other discount shopping centers, discount shopping clubs, Internet sales, catalog companies, and telemarketing. Competition of these types could adversely affect our revenues and cash flows.

We compete with other major real estate investors with significant capital for attractive investment opportunities. These competitors include REITs, public and private financial institutions, and private institutional investors.

Our ability to realize our strategies and capitalize on our competitive strengths are dependent on our ability to effectively operate a large portfolio of high quality properties, maintain good relationships with our tenants and consumers, and remain well-capitalized. Our failure to do any of the foregoing could affect our ability to compete effectively in the markets in which we operate.

A number of our properties are located in areas that are subject to natural or other disasters, including hurricanes, flooding and earthquakes. Furthermore, many of our properties are located in coastal regions, and would therefore be affected by any future increases in sea levels. For example, certain of our properties are located in California and Hawaii or in other areas with a higher risk of natural disasters such as earthquakes or tsunamis.

Terrorist attacks and threats of terrorist attacks in the United States or other acts or threats of violence may result in declining economic activity, which could harm the demand for goods and services offered by our tenants and the value of our properties and might adversely affect the value of an investment in our securities. Such a resulting decrease in retail demand could make it difficult for us to renew or re-lease our properties.

Terrorist activities or violence also could directly affect the value of our properties through damage, destruction or loss, and the availability of insurance for such acts, or of insurance generally, might be reduced or cost more, which could increase our operating

expenses and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. To the extent that our tenants are affected by such attacks and threats of attacks, their businesses similarly could be adversely affected, including their ability to continue to meet obligations under their existing leases. These acts and threats might erode business and consumer confidence and spending and might result in increased volatility in national and international financial markets and economies. Any one of these events might decrease demand for real estate, decrease or delay the occupancy of our new or redeveloped properties, and limit our access to capital or increase our cost of raising capital.

We use information technology, digital telecommunications and other computer resources to carry out important operational activities and to maintain our business records. Many of these resources are provided to us and/or maintained on our behalf by third-party service providers pursuant to agreements that specify to varying degrees certain security and service level standards. Although we and our service providers employ what we believe are adequate security, disaster recovery and other preventative and corrective measures, our ability to conduct our business may be impaired if these resources are compromised, degraded, damaged or fail, whether due to a virus or other harmful circumstance, intentional penetration or disruption of our information technology resources by a third party, natural disaster, hardware or software corruption or failure or error or poor product or vendor/developer selection (including a failure of security controls incorporated into or applied to such hardware or software), telecommunications system failure, service provider error or failure, intentional or unintentional personnel actions (including the failure to follow our security protocols), or lost connectivity to our networked resources.

A significant and extended disruption in the functioning of these resources, including our primary website, could damage our reputation and cause us to lose customers, tenants, revenues, result in the unintended and/or unauthorized public disclosure or the misappropriation of proprietary, personal identifying and confidential information, and require us to incur significant expenses to

Under various federal, state or local laws, ordinances and regulations, a current or previous owner or operator of real estate may be required to investigate and clean up hazardous or toxic substances released at a property, and may be held liable to third parties for bodily injury or property damage (investigation and/or clean-up costs) incurred by the parties in connection with the contamination. These laws often impose liability without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of the release of the hazardous or toxic substances. The presence of contamination or the failure to remediate contamination may adversely affect the owner's ability to sell, lease or borrow with respect to the real estate. Other federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations require abatement or removal of asbestos-containing materials in the event of demolition or certain renovations or remodeling, the cost of which may be substantial for certain redevelopments, and also govern emissions of and exposure to asbestos fibers in the air. Federal, state and local laws also regulate the operation and removal of underground storage tanks. In connection with the ownership, operation and management of certain properties, we could be held liable for the costs of remedial action with respect to these regulated substances or tanks or related claims.

Our properties have been subjected to varying degrees of environmental assessment at various times. Phase I environmental site assessments have not revealed any environmental conditions that would have a material adverse effect on our overall business, financial condition or results of operations. It is possible that these assessments do not reveal all potential environmental liabilities or that conditions have changed since the assessment was prepared (typically, at the time the property was purchased or developed).

However, the identification of new areas of contamination, a change in the extent or known scope of contamination or changes in cleanup requirements could result in significant costs to us.

We carry comprehensive liability, fire, flood, earthquake, terrorism, extended coverage and rental loss and environmental insurance on all of our properties. We believe the policy specifications and insured limits of these policies are adequate and appropriate. There are, however, some types of losses, including lease and other contract claims, and certain environmental conditions not discovered within the applicable policy period, which generally are not insured. If an uninsured loss or a loss in excess of insured limits occurs, we could lose all or a portion of the capital we have invested in a property, as well as the anticipated future revenue from the property. If this happens, we might nevertheless remain obligated for any mortgage debt or other financial obligations related to the property.

Should the general price level increase in the future, this may have an impact on our consumers' disposable income. This may place pressure on retailer sales and margins as their costs rise and they may be unable to pass the costs along to the consumer, which in turn may affect their ability to pay rents and which could adversely impact our cash flow. Many but not all of our leases have fixed amounts for recoveries and if our costs rise we may not be able to pass these costs on to our tenants. Rising costs may also impact our ability to generate cash flows.

Inflation also poses a risk to us due to the possibility of future increases in interest rates. Such increases would result in higher interest rates on new fixed-rate debt and adversely impact us due to our outstanding variable rate debt. From time to time, we manage our exposure to interest rate fluctuations related to a portion of our variable-rate debt using interest rate cap, swap and treasury lock agreements. Such agreements allow us to replace variable-rate debt with fixed-rate debt. However, our efforts to manage risks associated with interest rate volatility may not be successful. Additionally, interest rate cap, swap and treasury-lock agreements expose us to additional risks, including that the counterparties to the agreements might not perform their obligations. We also might be subject to additional costs, such as transaction fees or breakage costs, if we terminate these agreements.

Deflation may have an impact on our ability to repay our debt. Deflation may put pressure on our tenants' profit margins or delay consumption and thus weaken tenant sales, which may reduce our tenants' ability to pay rents. Deflationary pressure on retailers may diminish their ability to rent our space and decrease our ability to re-lease the space on favorable terms to us.

Our operations are conducted almost entirely through our subsidiaries. Our ability to make dividends or distributions in connection with being a REIT is highly dependent on the earnings of and the receipt of funds from our subsidiaries through dividends or distributions, and our ability to generate cash to meet our debt service obligations is further limited by our subsidiaries' ability to make such dividends, distributions or intercompany loans. Our subsidiaries' ability to pay any dividends or distributions to us are limited by their obligations to satisfy their own obligations to their creditors and preferred stockholders before making any dividends or distributions to us.

Delaware law imposes requirements that could further restrict our ability to pay dividends to holders of our common stock.