UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
(RULE 14a-101)
SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Filed by the Registrantx
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant¨
Check the appropriate box:
| ¨ | Preliminary Proxy Statement |
| ¨ | Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
| x | Definitive Proxy Statement |
| ¨ | Definitive Additional Materials |
| ¨ | Soliciting Material Pursuant to § 240.14a-12 |
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST, INC.
(Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
| x | No fee required. |
| ¨ | Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11. |
| (1) | Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies: |
| (2) | Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies: |
| (3) | Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined): |
| (4) | Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction: |
| (5) | Total fee paid: |
| ¨ | Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. |
¨ Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.
| (1) | Amount Previously Paid: |
| (2) | Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.: |
| (3) | Filing Party: |
| (4) | Date Filed: |
Proxy Statement and
Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders
To Be Held July 7, 2010
Dear Stockholder:
On Wednesday, July 7, 2010, we will hold our 2010 annual meeting of stockholders at The Island Hotel, Yorba Room, 690 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, California 92660. The meeting will begin at 10:00 a.m. Pacific daylight time. Directions to the meeting can be obtained by calling (866) 584-1381.
We are holding this meeting to:
| 1. | Elect five directors to hold office for one-year terms expiring in 2011. |
The Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR each nominee
| 2. | Attend to such other business as may properly come before the meeting and any adjournment or postponement thereof. |
Your board of directors has selected April 15, 2010 as the record date for determining stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting.
The proxy statement, proxy card and our 2009 annual report to stockholders are being mailed to you on or about April 27, 2010.
Whether you plan to attend the meeting and vote in person or not, we urge you to have your vote recorded as early as possible. Stockholders have the following three options for submitting their votes by proxy: (1) via the internet; (2) by telephone; or (3) by mail, using the enclosed proxy card.
Your vote is very important! Your immediate response will help avoid potential delays and may save us significant additional expenses associated with soliciting stockholder votes.
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON JULY 7, 2010:
Our proxy statement, form of proxy card and 2009 annual report to stockholders are also available at http://www.proxyvoting.com/kbsreit1
|
By Order of the Board of Directors
Charles J. Schreiber, Jr.
Chairman
Newport Beach, California
April 27, 2010
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE MEETING AND VOTING
| Q: | Why did you send me this proxy statement? |
| A: | We sent you this proxy statement and the enclosed proxy card because our board of directors is soliciting your proxy to vote your shares at the 2010 annual stockholders meeting. This proxy statement includes information that we are required to provide to you under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and is designed to assist you in voting. |
| Q: | What is a proxy? |
| A: | A proxy is a person who votes the shares of stock of another person who could not attend a meeting. The term “proxy” also refers to the proxy card or other method of appointing a proxy. When you submit your proxy, you are appointing Charles J. Schreiber, Jr., Peter McMillan III, David E. Snyder and Stacie K. Yamane, each of whom are our officers, as your proxies, and you are giving them permission to vote your shares of common stock at the annual meeting. The appointed proxies will vote your shares of common stock as you instruct, unless you submit your proxy without instructions. In this case, they will vote FOR all of the director nominees. With respect to any other proposals to be voted upon, they will vote in accordance with the recommendation of the board of directors or, in the absence of such a recommendation, in their discretion. If you do not submit your proxy, they will not vote your shares of common stock. This is why it is important for you to return the proxy card to us (or submit your proxy via the internet or by telephone) as soon as possible whether or not you plan on attending the meeting. |
| Q: | When is the annual meeting and where will it be held? |
| A: | The annual meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 7, 2010, at 10:00 a.m. Pacific daylight time at The Island Hotel, Yorba Room, 690 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, California 92660. |
| Q: | Who is entitled to vote? |
| A: | Anyone who owned our common stock at the close of business on April 15, 2010, the record date, is entitled to vote at the annual meeting. However, our advisor, KBS Capital Advisors LLC, which owned 20,000 shares of our common stock as of the record date, has agreed to abstain from voting any of its shares in any vote for the election of directors, any vote regarding the removal of the advisor or its affiliates, or any vote regarding a transaction between us and the advisor or its affiliates. |
| Q: | How many shares of common stock are outstanding? |
| A: | As of April 15, 2010 there were 181,435,671 shares of our common stock issued and outstanding, of which 181,421,225 were whole shares that are eligible to vote. |
| Q: | What constitutes a quorum? |
| A: | A quorum consists of the presence in person or by proxy of stockholders holding a majority of the outstanding shares. There must be a quorum present in order for the annual meeting to be a duly held meeting at which business can be conducted. If you submit your proxy, even if you abstain from voting, then you will at least be considered part of the quorum. |
| Q: | How many votes do I have? |
| A: | You are entitled to one vote for each whole share of common stock you held as of the record date. |
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| Q: | What may I vote on? |
| A: | You may vote on the election of nominees to serve on the board of directors and on any other proposal properly brought before the annual meeting. |
| Q: | How does the board of directors recommend I vote on the proposal? |
| A: | The board of directors recommends a vote FOR each of the nominees for election as director who are named in this proxy statement. |
| Q: | How can I vote? |
| A: | You can vote in person at the meeting or by proxy. Stockholders have the following three options for submitting their votes by proxy: |
| • | by mail, by completing, signing, dating and returning the enclosed proxy card; |
| • | via the internet at http://www.proxyvoting.com/kbsreit1; or |
| • | by telephone, by calling (866) 540-5759. |
For those stockholders with internet access, we encourage you to vote via the internet, since it is quick, convenient and provides a cost savings to us. When you vote via the internet or by telephone prior to the meeting date, your vote is recorded immediately and there is no risk that postal delays will cause your vote to arrive late and, therefore, not be counted. For further instructions on voting, see the enclosed proxy card. Voting via the internet is permitted under Section 2-507(c)(3) of the Maryland General Corporation Law.
If you elect to attend the meeting, you can submit your vote in person, and any previous votes that you submitted, whether by internet, telephone or mail, will be superseded.
| Q: | What if I submit my proxy and then change my mind? |
| A: | You have the right to revoke your proxy at any time before the meeting by: |
| (1) | notifying Peter McMillan III, our Secretary; |
| (2) | attending the meeting and voting in person; |
| (3) | returning another proxy card dated after your first proxy card, if we receive it before the annual meeting date; or |
| (4) | recasting your proxy vote via the internet or by telephone. |
Only the most recent proxy vote will be counted and all others will be discarded regardless of the method of voting.
| Q: | Will my vote make a difference? |
| A: | Yes. Your vote could affect the composition of our board of directors. Moreover, your vote is needed to ensure that the proposal can be acted upon. Because we are a widely held company,YOUR VOTE IS VERY IMPORTANT! Your immediate response will help avoid potential delays and may save us significant additional expenses associated with soliciting stockholder votes. |
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| Q: | What are the voting requirements to elect the board of directors? |
| A: | Under our charter a majority of the votes present in person or by proxy at the meeting is required for the election of the directors. This means that a director nominee needs to receive more votes for his or her election than against his or her election in order to be elected to the board. Because of this majority vote requirement,“withhold” votes and broker non-votes will have the effect of a vote against each nominee for director. If an incumbent director nominee fails to receive the required number of votes for reelection, then under Maryland law, he or she will continue to serve as a “holdover” director until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified. |
| Q: | What is a broker “non-vote”? |
| A: | A broker “non-vote” occurs when a broker holding stock on behalf of a beneficial owner submits a proxy but does not vote on a non-routine proposal because the broker does not have discretionary power with respect to that item and has not received instructions from the beneficial owner. On July 1, 2009, the SEC eliminated the ability of brokers to exercise discretionary voting in uncontested director elections at stockholder meetings that are held on or after January 1, 2010. The change prohibits brokers from giving a proxy to vote with respect to an election of directors without receiving voting instructions from a beneficial owner. Beneficial owners of shares held in broker accounts are advised that, if they do not timely provide instructions to their broker, their shares will not be voted in connection with the election of directors at our annual meeting. |
| Q: | How will voting on any other business be conducted? |
| A: | Although we do not know of any business to be considered at the annual meeting other than the election of directors, if any other business is properly presented at the annual meeting, your submitted proxy gives authority to Charles J. Schreiber, Jr., Peter McMillan III, David E. Snyder and Stacie K. Yamane, and each of them, to vote on such matters in accordance with the recommendation of the board of directors or, in the absence of such a recommendation, in their discretion. |
| Q: | When are the stockholder proposals for the next annual meeting of stockholders due? |
| A: | Stockholders interested in nominating a person as a director or presenting any other business for consideration at our annual meeting of stockholders in 2011 may do so by following the procedures prescribed in Section 2.12 of our Bylaws and in the SEC’s Rule 14a-8. To be eligible for presentation to and action by the stockholders at the 2011 annual meeting, director nominations and other stockholder proposals must be received by Peter McMillan III, our Secretary, no later than January 27, 2011. To also be eligible for inclusion in our proxy statement for the 2011 annual meeting, director nominations and other stockholder proposals must be received by Mr. McMillan by December 28, 2010. |
| Q: | Who pays the cost of this proxy solicitation? |
| A: | We will pay all of the costs of soliciting these proxies. We will also reimburse brokerage houses and other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses for forwarding proxy and solicitation materials to our stockholders. |
| Q: | Is this proxy statement the only way that proxies are being solicited? |
| A: | No. In addition to mailing proxy solicitation material, our directors and employees of our advisor or its affiliates, as well as third-party proxy service companies we retain, may also solicit proxies in person, via the internet, by telephone or by any other electronic means of communication we deem appropriate. We currently have no arrangements with paid solicitors. |
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| Q: | Where can I find more information? |
| A: | We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy any reports, statements or other information we file with the SEC on the web site maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Our SEC filings are also available to the public at the SEC’s Public Reference Room located at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20549. You may also obtain copies of the documents at prescribed rates by writing to the Public Reference Section of the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information regarding the public reference facilities. |
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CERTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT MANAGEMENT
The Board of Directors
We operate under the direction of our board of directors. The board of directors oversees our operations and makes all major decisions concerning our business. During 2009 our board of directors held ten meetings and acted by written consent on two occasions. For biographical information regarding our directors, see “ – Executive Officers and Directors.”
Our board has established two committees: the audit committee and the conflicts committee. Information regarding each of these committees is set forth below.
Board Leadership Structure
Our board of directors is composed of two of our sponsors, Charles J. Schreiber, Jr. and Peter McMillan III, and three independent directors. Our board composition and the corporate governance provisions in our charter ensure strong oversight by independent directors. Our board’s two committees, the audit committee and the conflicts committee, are composed entirely of independent directors. Our company is led by Mr. Schreiber, who has served as Chairman of our board of directors and our Chief Executive Officer since our inception in 2005. Although the board of directors has not established a policy on whether the role of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer should be combined, in practice the board of directors has found that having a combined Chairman and Chief Executive Officer role allows for more productive board meetings. As Chairman of the board of directors, Mr. Schreiber is responsible for leading board meetings and meetings of stockholders, generally setting the agendas for board meetings (subject to the requests of other board members) and providing information to the other directors in advance of meetings and between meetings. Mr. Schreiber’s direct involvement in the company’s operations makes him best positioned to lead strategic planning sessions and determine the time allocated to each agenda item in discussions of our short- and long-term objectives. As a result, the board of directors currently believes that maintaining a structure that combines the roles of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer is the appropriate leadership structure for our company. We do not currently have a policy requiring the appointment of a lead independent director as all of our independent directors are actively involved in board meetings.
The Role of the Board of Directors in our Risk Oversight Process
Our executive officers and KBS Capital Advisors are responsible for the day-to-day management of risks faced by the company, while the board of directors, as a whole and through its committees, has responsibility for the oversight of risk management. No less than quarterly, our entire board reviews information regarding the company’s liquidity, credit, operations, regulatory compliance and compliance with covenants in our material agreements, as well as the risks associated with each. In addition, each year our board reviews variances between our current portfolio business plan and our original underwriting analysis and each quarter the members review variances between our current results and our projections from the prior quarter, review all changes to our projections for future periods and discuss risks related to the portfolio. The audit committee oversees risk management in the areas of financial reporting, internal controls and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. The conflicts committee manages risks associated with the independence of the board of directors and potential conflicts of interest involving our advisor and its affiliates. Although each committee is responsible for evaluating certain risks and overseeing the management of such risks, the entire board of directors is regularly informed through committee reports about such risks as well as through regular reports directly from the executive officers responsible for oversight of particular risks within the company.
Director Independence
Although our shares are not listed for trading on any national securities exchange, a majority of the members of our board of directors, and all of the members of the audit committee and the conflicts committee, are “independent” as defined by the New York Stock Exchange. The New York Stock Exchange standards provide that to qualify as an independent director, in addition to satisfying certain bright-line criteria, the board of directors must affirmatively determine that a director has no material relationship with us (either directly or as a partner, stockholder or officer of an organization that has a relationship with us). The board of directors has determined that Hank Adler, Barbara R. Cambon and Stuart A. Gabriel each satisfies the bright-line criteria and that none has a relationship with us that would interfere with such person’s ability to exercise independent judgment as a member of the board. None of these directors has ever served as (or is related to) an employee of ours or any of our predecessors or acquired companies or received any compensation
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from us or any such other entities except for compensation directly related to service as a director. Therefore, we believe that all of these directors are independent directors.
The Audit Committee
General
The audit committee’s function is to assist our board of directors in fulfilling its responsibilities by overseeing (i) the integrity of our financial statements, (ii) our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, (iii) the independent auditors’ qualifications and independence, and (iv) the performance of the independent auditors and our internal audit function. The audit committee fulfills these responsibilities primarily by carrying out the activities enumerated in the audit committee charter. Our audit committee updated and revised our audit committee charter in August 2009. The audit committee charter is available on our web site at www.kbsreit.com.
The members of the audit committee are Hank Adler (Chairman), Barbara R. Cambon and Stuart A. Gabriel. All of the members of the audit committee are “independent” as defined by the New York Stock Exchange. All members of the audit committee have significant financial and/or accounting experience, and the board of directors has determined that Professor Adler satisfies the SEC’s requirements for an “audit committee financial expert.” During 2009 the audit committee met five times and acted by written consent on one occasion.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
During the year ended December 31, 2009, Ernst & Young LLP served as our independent registered public accounting firm and provided certain tax and other services. Ernst & Young has served as our independent auditor since our formation. We expect that Ernst & Young representatives will be present at the annual meeting of stockholders and they will have the opportunity to make a statement if they desire to do so. In addition, we expect that the Ernst & Young representatives will be available to respond to appropriate questions posed by stockholders. The audit committee anticipates that it will engage Ernst & Young as our independent auditors to audit our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2010, subject to agreeing on fee estimates for the audit work. The audit committee may, however, select new auditors at any time in the future in its discretion if it deems such decision to be in our best interests. Any such decision would be disclosed to the stockholders in accordance with applicable securities laws.
Pre-Approval Policies
The audit committee charter imposes a duty on the audit committee to pre-approve all auditing services performed for us by our independent auditors, as well as all permitted non-audit services in order to ensure that the provision of such services does not impair the auditors’ independence. In determining whether or not to pre-approve services, the audit committee will consider whether the service is a permissible service under the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC. The audit committee may, in its discretion, delegate to one or more of its members the authority to pre-approve any audit or non-audit services to be performed by the independent auditors, provided any such approval is presented to and approved by the full audit committee at its next scheduled meeting.
All services rendered by Ernst & Young for the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008 were pre-approved in accordance with the policies and procedures described above.
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Principal Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Fees
The audit committee reviewed the audit and non-audit services performed by Ernst & Young, as well as the fees charged by Ernst & Young for such services. In its review of the non-audit service fees, the audit committee considered whether the provision of such services is compatible with maintaining the independence of Ernst & Young. The aggregate fees billed to us for professional accounting services, including the audit of our annual financial statements by Ernst & Young for the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008, are set forth in the table below.
2009 | 2008 | |||||
Audit fees | $ | 643,500 | $ | 800,000 | ||
Audit-related fees | 84,500 | 65,500 | ||||
Tax fees | 108,600 | 164,000 | ||||
All other fees | – | – | ||||
Total | $ | 836,600 | $ | 1,029,500 | ||
For purposes of the preceding table, Ernst & Young’s professional fees are classified as follows:
| • | Audit fees – These are fees for professional services performed for the audit of our annual financial statements and the required review of quarterly financial statements and other procedures performed by Ernst & Young in order for them to be able to form an opinion on our consolidated financial statements. These fees also cover services that are normally provided by independent auditors in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements. |
| • | Audit-related fees – These are fees for assurance and related services that traditionally are performed by independent auditors that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of the financial statements, such as due diligence related to acquisitions and dispositions, attestation services that are not required by statute or regulation, internal control reviews and consultation concerning financial accounting and reporting standards. |
| • | Tax fees – These are fees for all professional services performed by professional staff in our independent auditor’s tax division, except those services related to the audit of our financial statements. These include fees for tax compliance, tax planning and tax advice, including federal, state and local issues. Services may also include assistance with tax audits and appeals before the IRS and similar state and local agencies, as well as federal, state and local tax issues related to due diligence. |
| • | All other fees – These are fees for any services not included in the above-described categories. |
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Report of the Audit Committee
The function of the audit committee is oversight of the financial reporting process on behalf of the board of directors. Management has responsibility for the financial reporting process, including the system of internal control over financial reporting, and for the preparation, presentation and integrity of our financial statements. In addition, the independent auditors devote more time and have access to more information than does the audit committee. Membership on the audit committee does not call for the professional training and technical skills generally associated with career professionals in the field of accounting and auditing. Accordingly, in fulfilling their responsibilities, it is recognized that members of the audit committee are not, and do not represent themselves to be, performing the functions of auditors or accountants.
In this context, the audit committee reviewed the 2009 audited financial statements with management, including a discussion of the quality and acceptability of our financial reporting, the reasonableness of significant judgments and the clarity of disclosures in the financial statements. The audit committee discussed with Ernst & Young, which is responsible for expressing an opinion on the conformity of those audited financial statements with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, the matters required to be discussed under the statement on Auditing Standards No. 61, as amended (AICPA,Professional Standards, Vol. 1. AU section 380), as adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board in Rule 3200T. The audit committee received from Ernst & Young the written disclosures and the letter required by applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding Ernst & Young’s communications with the audit committee concerning independence, and discussed with Ernst & Young their independence from us. In addition, the audit committee considered whether Ernst & Young’s provision of non-audit services is compatible with Ernst & Young’s independence.
Based on these reviews and discussions, the audit committee recommended to the board of directors that the audited financial statements be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009 for filing with the SEC.
April 15, 2010 | The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors: |
| Hank Adler (Chairman), Barbara R. Cambon, and Stuart A. Gabriel |
The Conflicts Committee
General
The members of our conflicts committee are Barbara R. Cambon (Chairperson), Hank Adler and Stuart A. Gabriel, all of whom are independent directors. Our charter empowers the conflicts committee to act on any matter permitted under Maryland law if the matter at issue is such that the exercise of independent judgment by directors who are affiliates of our advisor could reasonably be compromised. Among the duties of the conflicts committee are the following:
| • | reviewing and reporting on our policies (see “ – Report of the Conflicts Committee” below); |
| • | approving transactions with affiliates and reporting on their fairness to us (see “ – Report of the Conflicts Committee” below); |
| • | supervising and evaluating the performance and compensation of our advisor; |
| • | reviewing our expenses and determining that they are reasonable and within the limits prescribed by our charter; |
| • | approving borrowings in excess of limits set forth in our charter; and |
| • | discharging the board’s responsibilities relating to compensation. |
The primary responsibilities of the conflicts committee are enumerated in our charter. The conflicts committee does not have a separate committee charter. The conflicts committee held 12 meetings during 2009.
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Oversight of Executive Compensation
As noted above, our conflicts committee discharges the board’s responsibilities relating to the compensation of our executives. Because we do not have any paid employees and our executive officers do not receive any compensation directly from us, these responsibilities are limited to administering our Employee and Independent Director Incentive Stock Plan. As of April 15, 2010, no awards have been granted under the plan. Furthermore, there is no timetable for the grant of any awards under the Employee and Independent Director Incentive Stock Plan, and our board of directors has adopted a policy that prohibits grants of any awards of shares of common stock to any person under the Employee and Independent Director Stock Plan. Our executive officers have no role in determining the amount or form of executive compensation.
Our Employee and Independent Director Incentive Stock Plan was approved and adopted prior to the commencement of our ongoing initial public offering in order to (i) furnish incentives to individuals chosen to receive share-based awards because we consider them capable of improving our operations and increasing our profits; (ii) encourage selected persons to accept or continue employment with our advisor; and (iii) increase the interest of our independent directors in our welfare through their participation in the growth in the value of our shares of common stock. The total number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance under the Employee and Independent Director Incentive Stock Plan is equal to 5% of our outstanding shares at any time, but not to exceed 10,000,000 shares.
Report of the Conflicts Committee
Review of our Policies
The conflicts committee has reviewed our policies and determined that they are in the best interest of our stockholders. Set forth below is a discussion of the basis for that determination.
Offering Policy. We offer shares of common stock under our dividend reinvestment plan and may do so until we have sold all 80,000,000 shares available for sale. The proceeds from sales of shares under our dividend reinvestment plan are used to (i) fund the repurchase of shares pursuant to our share redemption program, (ii) fund current and future capital expenditures, tenant improvement costs and leasing costs related to our investments in real estate properties; (iii) establish and maintain reserves required by financings of our investments in real estate properties; and (iv) meet funding obligations under our real estate loans receivable. For the year ended December 31, 2009, the costs of raising capital under our dividend reinvestment plan represented 3% of the capital raised.
Acquisition and Investment Policies. We have focused our investment efforts on the acquisition of a diverse portfolio of real estate and real estate-related assets. We have diversified our portfolio by investment type, geographic region, and tenant/borrower base. As of February 28, 2010, our investment portfolio consisted of 74% and 26% real estate and real estate-related investments, respectively, based on the gross acquisition price of the investments. We do not currently expect to make significant acquisitions of real estate or real estate-related investments in the future. Now that we have fully invested the proceeds of our initial public offering, our primary business objectives are: (i) to maintain and, if possible, improve the quality and income-producing ability of our investments; (ii) to position our investments to maximize their value; and (iii) to manage our portfolio to remain compliant with REIT requirements under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
Borrowing Policies. Careful use of debt helps us achieve our diversification goals by making more funds available for investment. Our target leverage is approximately 50% of the cost of all of our tangible assets (before deducting depreciation or other non-cash reserves). There is no limitation on the amount we may borrow for the purchase of any single property or other investment. Our charter generally limits our total borrowings to 75% of the cost (before deducting depreciation or other non-cash reserves) of our tangible assets; however, we may exceed that limit if a majority of the conflicts committee approves each borrowing in excess of our charter limitation and we disclose such borrowing to our stockholders in the next quarterly report with an explanation from the conflicts committee of the justification for the excess borrowing. We did not exceed our charter limitation on borrowing during any quarter of 2009. As of February 28, 2010, our borrowings were approximately 51% and 53% of the cost (before depreciation or other non-cash reserves) and book value (before depreciation) of our tangible assets, respectively.
Disposition Policies. We intend to hold our properties and other investments for an extended period, typically four to seven years for investments in properties. We believe that this is the optimal period to enable us to capitalize on the potential for income generation and capital appreciation of our real estate investments. The period that we will hold our investments in real estate-related assets will vary depending on the type of asset, interest rates and other factors. We may
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hold some of our investments in mortgage and mezzanine loans for four to seven years, though we expect to hold some of our loan investments for two to three years. Upon acquisition of any investment, our advisor develops a well-defined exit strategy for the investment and continually performs a hold-sell analysis on each asset in order to determine the optimal time to sell the asset in order to generate a strong return. Periodic reviews of each asset focus on the remaining available value enhancement opportunities for the asset and the demand for the asset in the marketplace. Economic and market conditions may influence us to hold our investments for different periods of time. We may sell an asset before the end of the expected holding period if we believe that market conditions and asset positioning have maximized the asset’s value to us or the sale of the asset would otherwise be in the best interests of our stockholders.
Policy Regarding Working Capital Reserves. We establish an annual budget for capital requirements and working capital reserves each year that we update on a monthly basis during the year. We will utilize proceeds from our dividend reinvestment plan, potential debt financings and our cash flow from operations to fund our working capital needs and to build a moderate level of cash reserves if we decide to do so. We believe these capital sources will be sufficient to meet our working capital needs for the upcoming year.
Policies Regarding Operating Expenses. Under our charter, we are required to limit our total operating expenses to the greater of 2% of our average invested assets or 25% of our net income for the four most recently completed fiscal quarters, as these terms are defined in our charter, unless the conflicts committee has determined that such excess expenses were justified based on unusual and non-recurring factors. Operating expense reimbursements for the four fiscal quarters ended December 31, 2009 did not exceed the charter imposed limitation because our total operating expenses were less than 2% of our average invested assets. For the four consecutive quarters ending December 31, 2009, total operating expenses represented approximately 1% of average invested assets. Our net income was negative for the period.
Liquidation or Listing Policy. If we do not list our shares of common stock on a national securities exchange by November 2012, our charter requires that we seek stockholder approval of the liquidation of the company, unless a majority of the conflicts committee determines that liquidation is not then in the best interests of our stockholders. If a majority of the conflicts committee does determine that liquidation is not then in the best interests of our stockholders, our charter requires that the conflicts committee revisit the issue of liquidation at least annually. Further postponement of listing or stockholder action regarding liquidation would only be permitted if a majority of the conflicts committee again determined that liquidation would not be in the best interest of our stockholders. If we sought and failed to obtain stockholder approval of our liquidation, our charter would not require us to list or liquidate, and we could continue to operate as before. If we sought and obtained stockholder approval of our liquidation, we would begin an orderly sale of our properties and other assets. We believe it is in the best interest of our stockholders not to list our shares of common stock on a national stock exchange at this time. In light of current conditions in the capital markets, we believe that listing our shares for trading on a national stock exchange at this time is not likely to enhance value for our stockholders. In addition, we currently believe it is more cost effective to remain unlisted and utilize KBS Capital Advisors as our external advisor at the present time than it would be to internalize all the resources necessary to operate a listed company. Finally, our shares are offered as a long-term investment. We believe that the ability to provide our stockholders with liquidity in the near-term is outweighed by the long-term benefits of allowing the portfolio to mature. Due to the continuing impact of the disruptions in the financial markets on the values of our investments, it is increasingly likely that we will postpone a liquidity event beyond November 2012 in order to improve the prospects for investors to have their capital returned and to realize a profit on their investment, likely through sales of individual or pooled assets.
Our Policy Regarding Transactions with Related Persons
Our charter requires our conflicts committee to review and approve all transactions between us and our advisor, any of our officers or directors or any of their affiliates. Prior to entering into a transaction with a related party, a majority of the conflicts committee must conclude that the transaction is fair and reasonable to us and on terms and conditions not less favorable to us than those available from unaffiliated third parties. In addition, our Code of Conduct and Ethics lists examples of types of transactions with related parties that would create prohibited conflicts of interest and requires our officers and directors to be conscientious of actual and potential conflicts of interest with respect to our interests and to seek to avoid such conflicts or handle such conflicts in an ethical manner at all times consistent with applicable law. Our executive officers and directors are required to report potential and actual conflicts to a designated compliance officer, currently our chief financial officer, or, if the compliance officer is affected by the conflict or if confidentiality and anonymity are needed, then our executive officers and directors should report the conflict directly to the Ethics Hotline. Reports made via the Ethics Hotline will be sent to the compliance officer, to an internal audit representative, and to at least one of the company’s independent directors, provided that no person named in the report will receive the report directly.
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Certain Transactions with Related Persons
The conflicts committee has reviewed the material transactions between our affiliates and us since the beginning of 2009 as well as any such currently proposed transactions. Set forth below is a description of such transactions and the committee’s report on their fairness.
Our Relationship with KBS Capital Advisors. Four of our executive officers, Messrs. Bren, Hall, McMillan and Schreiber, all actively participate in the management and operations of our advisor, KBS Capital Advisors, and, collectively, indirectly own 100% of our advisor. Our advisor has three managers: an entity owned and controlled by Mr. Bren; an entity owned and controlled by Messrs. Hall and McMillan; and an entity owned and controlled by Mr. Schreiber. Since our inception, our advisor has provided day-to-day management of our business. Among the services provided by our advisor under the terms of the advisory agreement are the following:
| • | identifying, presenting and recommending to us real estate investment opportunities consistent with our investment objectives and policies; |
| • | acquiring properties and other investments on our behalf; |
| • | arranging financing for real estate and real estate-related investments; |
| • | formulating and overseeing the implementation of strategies for the administration, promotion, management, maintenance, improvement, financing and refinancing, marketing, leasing and disposition of our properties and other investments; |
| • | engaging and supervising our agents; |
| • | performing administrative services and maintaining our accounting; and |
| • | assisting us with our regulatory compliance. |
Our advisor is subject to the supervision of our board of directors and only has such authority as we may delegate to it as our agent. Our advisory agreement has a one-year term expiring November 8, 2010, subject to an unlimited number of successive one-year renewals upon mutual consent of the parties. From January 1, 2009 through the most recent date practicable, which was February 28, 2010, we have compensated our advisor as set forth below.
Our organization and offering costs (other than selling commissions and dealer manager fees) were paid in part by our advisor, the dealer manager and their affiliates on our behalf and our advisor, dealer manager or their affiliates may continue to pay these costs of the dividend reinvestment plan offering on our behalf. Other offering costs include all expenses incurred by us in connection with our public offering, including but not limited to legal, accounting, printing, mailing, and filing fees. Pursuant to the advisory agreement and the dealer manager agreement, we are obligated to reimburse our advisor, the dealer manager or their affiliates, as applicable, for organization and offering costs paid by them on our behalf, provided that our advisor is obligated to reimburse us to the extent selling commissions, dealer manager fees, and organization and other offering costs incurred by us in the offering exceed 15% of our gross offering proceeds. From January 1, 2009 through February 28, 2010, our advisor incurred approximately $0.1 million of organization and offering expenses on our behalf, all of which has been reimbursed.
We incur acquisition fees payable to our advisor equal to 0.75% of the cost of our acquired investments, including acquisition expenses and any debt attributable to such investments. These fees relate to services provided in connection with the selection and acquisition or origination of real estate and real estate-related investments. During the period from January 1, 2009 through February 28, 2010, we did not acquire any investments and did not incur any acquisition fees.
In addition to acquisition fees, we reimburse our advisor for amounts that it pays in connection with the selection, acquisition or development of a property or the selection and acquisition or origination of a real estate-related investment, whether or not we ultimately acquire the asset. From January 1, 2009 through February 28, 2010, our advisor and its affiliates did not incur any such costs.
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Our advisor has advanced $1.6 million to us for cash distributions and expenses in excess of revenues through February 28, 2010, all of which is outstanding. Of the $1.6 million advanced from our advisor to cover distributions and expenses in excess of revenues as of February 28, 2010, no amount has been advanced since January 2007. Pursuant to the advisory agreement, as amended, we are obligated to reimburse our advisor on demand for the $1.6 million advance if and to the extent that our cumulative Funds from Operations (as defined below) for the period commencing January 1, 2006 through the date of any such reimbursement exceed the lesser of (i) the cumulative amount of any distributions declared and payable to our stockholders as of the date of such reimbursement or (ii) an amount that is equal to a 7.0% cumulative, non-compounded, annual return on invested capital for our stockholders for the period from July 18, 2006 through the date of such reimbursement. No interest will accrue on the advance being made by our advisor. The advisory agreement, as amended, defines Funds from Operations as funds from operations as defined by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts plus (i) any acquisition expenses and acquisition fees expensed by us and that are related to any property, loan or other investment acquired or expected to be acquired by us and (ii) any non-operating noncash charges incurred by us, such as impairments of property or loans, any other-than-temporary impairments of marketable securities, or other similar charges.
With respect to investments in real estate, we pay our advisor a monthly asset management fee equal to one-twelfth of 0.75% of the amount paid or allocated to acquire the investment, inclusive of acquisition fees and expenses related thereto and the amount of any debt associated with or used to acquire such investment. In the case of investments made through joint ventures, the asset management fee is determined based on our proportionate share of the underlying investment. With respect to investments in loans and any investments other than real estate, we pay our advisor a monthly fee calculated, each month, as one-twelfth of 0.75% of the lesser of (i) the amount actually paid or allocated to acquire or fund the loan or other investment, inclusive of acquisition or origination fees and expenses related thereto and the amount of any debt associated with or used to acquire or fund such investment and (ii) the outstanding principal amount of such loan or other investment, plus the acquisition or origination fees and expenses related to the acquisition or funding of such investment, as of the time of calculation. Notwithstanding the above, with respect to our investment in a consolidated joint venture (the “National Industrial Portfolio”) with New Leaf Industrial Partners Fund, L.P., the asset management fee is calculated as a monthly fee equal to one-twelfth of 0.27% of the cost of the joint venture investment (inclusive of acquisition fees and expenses related thereto and the amount of debt associated with the investment). The advisor may also earn a performance fee related to our investment in this joint venture (as described below).
With respect to an investment that has suffered an impairment in value, reduction in cash flow or other negative circumstances, such investment shall either be excluded from the calculation of the asset management fee described above or included in such calculation at a reduced value that is recommended by the advisor and our management and then approved by a majority of our independent directors, and this change in the fee shall be applicable to an investment upon the earlier to occur of the date on which (i) such investment is sold, (ii) such investment is surrendered to a person other than the company, our direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiary or a joint venture or partnership in which we have an interest, (iii) the advisor determines that it will no longer pursue collection or other remedies related to such investment, or (iv) the advisor recommends a revised fee arrangement with respect to such investment. During the fourth quarter of 2009, we excluded our investments in the Petra Fund REIT Corp. subordinated debt and the 2600 Michelson Mezzanine Loan from the calculation of asset management fees and will do so in future periods. As of February 28, 2010, we have not determined to calculate the asset management fee at an adjusted value for any other investments or to exclude any other investments from the calculation of the asset management fee.
From January 1, 2009 through February 28, 2010, we paid our advisor asset management fees of $25.6 million earned during that period pursuant to the advisory agreement. If necessary in future periods, our advisor intends to defer payment of its asset management fee if the cumulative amount of our Funds from Operations (as defined above) for the period commencing January 1, 2006 plus the amount of the advance from our advisor is less than the cumulative amount of distributions declared and currently payable to our stockholders.
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We have also incurred but not paid performance fees totaling $5.2 million related to our joint venture investment in the National Industrial Portfolio. The performance fee is earned by our advisor only upon our meeting certain Funds from Operations (as defined above) thresholds and makes our advisor’s cumulative asset management fees related to our investment in the National Industrial Portfolio joint venture equal to 0.75% of the cost of the joint venture investment (inclusive of acquisition fees and expenses related thereto and the amount of any debt associated with or used to acquire such investment) on an annualized basis from the date of our investment in the joint venture through the date of calculation. As of December 31, 2008, our operations were sufficient to meet the Funds from Operations condition in the advisory agreement. Although these performance fees were incurred as of December 31, 2008, the advisory agreement further provides that the payment of the performance fee shall only be made after the repayment of advances from our advisor discussed above. The amount of cash available for distributions in future periods will be decreased by the repayment of the advance from our advisor and the payment of our advisor’s performance fees.
Under our advisory agreement our advisor and its affiliates have the right to seek reimbursement from us for all costs and expenses they incur in connection with their provision of services to us, including our allocable share of our advisor’s overhead, such as rent, employee costs, utilities and information technology costs. We do not, however, reimburse our advisor for employee costs in connection with services for which our advisor receives acquisition fees or disposition fees. Although the advisor has the right to seek reimbursement for our allocable share of its overhead, to date it has not done so. From January 1, 2009 through February 28, 2010, our advisor and its affiliates incurred, and were reimbursed by us for, approximately $0.3 million of operating expenses related to miscellaneous general and administrative costs incurred on our behalf.
The conflicts committee considers our relationship with our advisor during 2009 to be fair. The conflicts committee evaluated the performance of the advisor and the compensation paid to the advisor in connection with its decision to renew the advisory agreement through November 8, 2010. The conflicts committee believes that the amounts payable to the advisor under the advisory agreement are similar to those paid by other publicly offered, unlisted, externally advised REITs and that this compensation is necessary in order for the advisor to provide the desired level of services to us and our stockholders. The conflicts committee bases its evaluation of the advisor on factors such as (a) the amount of the fees paid to the advisor in relation to the size, composition and performance of our portfolio; (b) the success of the advisor in generating opportunities that meet our investment objectives; (c) rates charged to other REITs and to investors other than REITs by advisors performing the same or similar services; (d) additional revenues realized by the advisor and its affiliates through their relationship with us, including loan administration, underwriting or broker commissions, servicing, engineering, inspection and other fees; (e) the quality and extent of service and advice furnished by the advisor; (f) the performance of our portfolio, including income, conservation or appreciation of capital, frequency of problem investments and competence in dealing with distress situations; and (g) the characteristics of our portfolio relative to the investments generated by the advisor for its own account.
Our Relationship with KBS Capital Markets Group. Our sponsors and four of our executive officers, Messrs. Bren, Hall, McMillan and Schreiber, indirectly own 100% of KBS Capital Markets Group, the dealer manager for our public offering. On May 30, 2008, we ceased offering shares of common stock in our primary offering but we continue to offer shares pursuant to our dividend reinvestment plan. Pursuant to our dealer manager agreement with KBS Capital Markets Group, we pay our dealer manager selling commissions of up to 3.0% of the gross offering proceeds of the dividend reinvestment plan. The dealer manager reallows 100% of these commissions to broker-dealers participating in the public offering. From January 1, 2009 through February 28, 2010, we incurred selling commissions of $1.7 million, of which 100% was reallowed to participating broker-dealers.
In addition to selling commissions, we are obligated to reimburse the dealer manager and its affiliates for certain offering related expenses that they incur on our behalf. These expenses include travel, meals, lodging and attendance fees incurred by employees of the dealer manager to attend retail conferences sponsored by broker-dealers; expense reimbursements to broker-dealers for actual costs incurred in connection with attending educational conferences held by us; certain legal fees allocable to the dealer manager; and reimbursement of bona-fide due diligence expenses of broker-dealers (provided that our reimbursement of the bona fide due diligence expenses of broker-dealers shall not exceed in the aggregate 0.5% of the gross offering proceeds from the offering). Under our dealer manager agreement, we are responsible for reimbursing our dealer manager and its affiliates for offering related expenses they incur provided that our reimbursement payments shall not cause (i) total underwriting compensation (excluding reimbursement of bona fide due diligence expenses) to exceed 10% of the gross proceeds from the offering, or (ii) total organization and offering expenses borne by us to exceed 15% of the gross offering proceeds of the offering as of the date of the reimbursement. From January 1, 2009 through February 28, 2010, our dealer manager incurred approximately $0.1 million of our organization and offering expenses on our behalf, all of which has been reimbursed by us.
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The conflicts committee believes that this arrangement with our dealer manager is fair. We believe that the compensation paid to our dealer manager has allowed us to achieve our goal of acquiring a large, diversified portfolio of real estate and real estate-related investments.
Currently Proposed Transactions. There are no currently proposed material transactions with related persons other than those covered by the terms of the agreements described above.
April 15, 2010 | The Conflicts Committee of the Board of Directors: |
| Barbara R. Cambon (Chairperson), Hank Adler and Stuart A. Gabriel |
Nomination of Directors
General
We do not have a standing nominating committee. However, our conflicts committee, which is composed of all of our independent directors, is responsible for identifying and nominating replacements for vacancies among our independent director positions. Our board believes that the primary reason for creating a standing nominating committee is to ensure that candidates for independent director positions can be identified and their qualifications assessed under a process free from conflicts of interest with us. Because nominations for vacancies in independent director positions are handled exclusively by a committee composed only of independent directors, our board of directors has determined that the creation of a standing nominating committee is not necessary. Nominations for replacements for vacancies among non-independent director positions are considered and made by the full board. We do not have a charter that governs the director nomination process.
Board Membership Criteria
With respect to filling vacancies for independent director positions, the conflicts committee reviews the appropriate experience, skills and characteristics required of board members in the context of the then-current membership of the board. The full board annually conducts a similar review with respect to all director nominations. This assessment includes, in the context of the perceived needs of the board at that time, issues of knowledge, experience, judgment and skills, such as an understanding of the real estate and real estate finance industry or accounting or financial management expertise. The board seeks to nominate directors with diverse backgrounds, experiences and skill sets that complement each other so as to maximize the collective knowledge, experience, judgment and skills of the entire board. The board assesses its effectiveness in achieving this goal annually, in part, by reviewing the diversity of the skill sets of the directors and determining whether there are any deficiencies in the board’s collective skill set that should be addressed in the nominating process. The board made its first such assessment in connection with director nominations for the 2010 annual stockholders’ meeting and determined that the composition of the current board of directors satisfies its diversity objectives.
Other considerations in director nominations include the candidate’s independence from conflict with us and the ability of the candidate to attend board meetings regularly and to devote an appropriate amount of time in preparation for those meetings. It also is expected that independent directors nominated by the conflicts committee will be individuals who possess a reputation and hold positions or affiliations befitting a director of a large publicly held company and who are actively engaged in their occupations or professions or are otherwise regularly involved in the business, professional or academic community. Moreover, as required by our charter, at least one of our independent directors must have at least three years of relevant real estate experience, and each director who is not an independent director must have at least three years of relevant experience demonstrating the knowledge and experience required to successfully acquire and manage the type of assets we acquire and manage.
Selection of Directors
Unless otherwise provided by Maryland law, the board of directors is responsible for selecting its own nominees and recommending them for election by the stockholders, provided that the conflicts committee must nominate replacements for any vacancies among the independent director positions. All director nominees stand for election by the stockholders annually.
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In nominating candidates for the board of directors, the board (or the conflicts committee, as appropriate) solicits candidate recommendations from its own members and management of KBS Capital Advisors. The board and the conflicts committee may also engage the services of a search firm to assist in identifying potential director nominees.
The board and the conflicts committee will consider recommendations made by stockholders for director nominees who meet the established director criteria set forth above. In order to be considered for nomination, recommendations made by stockholders must be submitted within the timeframe required to request a proposal to be included in the proxy materials. See “Stockholder Proposals” below. In evaluating the persons recommended as potential directors, the board (or the conflicts committee, as appropriate) will consider each candidate without regard to the source of the recommendation and take into account those factors that they determine are relevant. Stockholders may directly nominate potential directors (without the recommendation of the committee) by satisfying the procedural requirements for such nomination as provided in Article II, Section 2.12 of our Bylaws. Any stockholder may request a copy of our Bylaws free of charge by calling 866-KBS-4CMG.
Stockholder Communications with the Board of Directors
We have established a procedure for stockholders to communicate comments and concerns to the board of directors. Stockholders may contact our board of directors at the following address:
Board of Directors of KBS Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc.
620 Newport Center Drive, Suite 1300
Newport Beach, California 92660
Stockholders should communicate to our Ethics Hotline any complaints or concerns regarding (1) suspected violations or concerns as to compliance with laws, regulations, our Code of Conduct and Ethics or other suspected wrongdoings affecting us or properties or assets we own, or (2) any complaints or concerns regarding our accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing matters, or any concerns regarding any questionable accounting or auditing matters affecting us. If stockholders wish to report any such matters, he or she should report the suspected violation or other complaint or concern by any of the following means:
| • | Via the internet at http://www.ethicspoint.com; |
| • | By calling the toll free Ethics Hotline at 1-888-329-6414; or |
| • | By mailing a description of the suspected violation or concern to: |
Audit Committee Chair
c/o KBS Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc.
620 Newport Center Drive, Suite 1300
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Reports made via the Ethics Hotline will be sent to the compliance officer, an internal audit representative and at least one of the company’s independent directors, provided that no person named in the report will receive the report directly.
Stockholders can also communicate directly with the chairman of our board of directors at our annual meeting. Although we do not have a policy regarding the attendance of our board members at annual meetings of our stockholders, we expect that the chairman of our board will be present at all such meetings. All of our directors were present telephonically or in person at our 2009 annual meeting of stockholders.
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Executive Officers and Directors
We have provided below certain information about our executive officers and directors. All of our directors have terms expiring on the date of the 2010 annual meeting and are being nominated for re-election to serve until the 2011 annual meeting and until his or her successor is elected and qualified.
Name | Position(s) | Age | Year First Became a Director | |||
| Peter M. Bren | President | 76 | N/A | |||
| Charles J. Schreiber, Jr. | Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Director | 58 | 2005 | |||
| Peter McMillan III | Executive Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and Director | 52 | 2005 | |||
| Keith D. Hall | Executive Vice President | 51 | N/A | |||
| David E. Snyder | Chief Financial Officer | 39 | N/A | |||
| Stacie K. Yamane | Chief Accounting Officer | 45 | N/A | |||
| Hank Adler | Director | 63 | 2005 | |||
| Barbara R. Cambon | Director | 56 | 2005 | |||
| Stuart A. Gabriel | Director | 56 | 2005 |
Peter M. Brenis our President, a position he has held since our inception in 2005. He is also the President of our advisor, KBS Capital Advisors, the President of KBS Real Estate Investment Trust II, Inc. (“KBS REIT II”) and KBS Real Estate Investment Trust III, Inc. (“KBS REIT III”), two other KBS-sponsored non-traded real estate investment trusts, and the President of KBS Legacy Partners Apartment REIT, Inc. (“KBS Legacy Partners Apartment REIT”), another non-traded real estate investment trust sponsored jointly by our sponsors and Legacy Partners Residential Realty LLC and certain of its affiliates. Mr. Bren has served as President of these entities since 2004, 2007, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Mr. Bren is also a sponsor of KBS Strategic Opportunity REIT, Inc. (“KBS Strategic Opportunity REIT, Inc.”), another KBS-sponsored non-traded real estate investment trust, which was formed in 2008. Other than de minimis amounts owned by family members or family trusts, Mr. Bren indirectly owns and controls a 33 1/3% interest in KBS Holdings LLC, which entity is the sole owner of our advisor and the dealer manager of our ongoing public offering. All four of our sponsors, Messrs. Bren, Hall, McMillan and Schreiber, actively participate in the management and operations of our advisor.
Mr. Bren is also a principal of KBS Realty Advisors LLC and Koll Bren Schreiber Realty Advisors, Inc., each an active and nationally recognized real estate investment advisor. These entities were first registered as investment advisors with the SEC in 2002 and 1999, respectively. The first investment advisor affiliated with Messrs. Bren and Schreiber was formed in 1992. KBS Realty Advisors, together with KBS affiliates, including KBS Capital Advisors, has been involved in the investment in or management of over $10.9 billion of real estate investments on behalf of institutional investors, including public and private pension plans, endowments and foundations, and the investors in us and KBS REIT II.
Peter Bren oversees all aspects of KBS Capital Advisors’ and KBS Realty Advisors’ business activities, including the acquisition, management and disposition of assets. Mr. Bren is also responsible for investor relationships. Through KBS-affiliated entities, Mr. Bren has teamed with Mr. Schreiber since 1992 to acquire, manage, develop and sell high-quality U.S. commercial real estate assets for institutional investors.
Mr. Bren has been involved in real estate development, management, acquisition, disposition and financing for 40 years and with the acquisition, origination, management, disposition and financing of real estate-related debt investments for more than 16 years as the President of The Bren Company; a former Senior Partner of Lincoln Property Company; President of Lincoln Property Company, Europe; and Chairman of the Board and President of KBS Realty Advisors and KBS Capital Advisors. Mr. Bren is also a founding member of The Richard S. Ziman Center for Real Estate at the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
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Charles J. Schreiber, Jr.is the Chairman of our board of directors and our Chief Executive Officer, positions he has held since our inception in 2005. He is also the Chief Executive Officer of our advisor and the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of KBS REIT II and KBS REIT III. Mr. Schreiber has served in these positions for these entities since 2004, 2007 and 2010, respectively. He is also a sponsor of KBS Strategic Opportunity REIT and KBS Legacy Partners Apartment REIT, which were formed in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Other than de minimis amounts owned by family members or family trusts, Mr. Schreiber indirectly owns and controls a 33 1/3% interest in KBS Holdings LLC, which entity is the sole owner of our advisor and the dealer manager of our ongoing public offering. All four of our sponsors, Messrs. Bren, Hall, McMillan and Schreiber, actively participate in the management and operations of our advisor.
Mr. Schreiber is also a principal of KBS Realty Advisors LLC and Koll Bren Schreiber Realty Advisors, Inc., each an active and nationally recognized real estate investment advisor. These entities were first registered as investment advisors with the SEC in 2002 and 1999, respectively. The first investment advisor affiliated with Messrs. Bren and Schreiber was formed in 1992. KBS Realty Advisors, together with KBS affiliates, including KBS Capital Advisors, has been involved in the investment in or management of over $10.9 billion of real estate investments on behalf of institutional investors and the investors in us and KBS REIT II.
As Chief Executive Officer of KBS Capital Advisors and KBS Realty Advisors, Mr. Schreiber oversees all operations of the companies, including the acquisition and management of individual investments for KBS-advised investors and their portfolios of income-producing real estate assets. He directs all facets of the company’s business activities. Mr. Schreiber is also responsible for investor relationships.
Mr. Schreiber has been involved in real estate development, management, acquisition, disposition and financing for more than 35 years and with the acquisition, origination, management, disposition and financing of real estate-related debt investments for more than 16 years. Prior to teaming with Mr. Bren in 1992, he served as the Executive Vice President of Koll Investment Management Services and Executive Vice President of Acquisitions/Dispositions for The Koll Company. During the mid-1970s through the 1980s, he was Founder and President of Pacific Development Company and was previously Senior Vice President/Southern California Regional Manager of Ashwill-Burke Commercial Brokerage.
Mr. Schreiber graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance with an emphasis in Real Estate. During his four years at USC, he did graduate work in the then newly-formed Real Estate Department in the USC Graduate School of Business. He is currently an Executive Board Member for the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business/School of Policy, Planning and Development.
Our board of directors has concluded that Mr. Schreiber is qualified to serve as one of our directors and the Chairman of the Board for reasons including his extensive industry and leadership experience. With 35 years of real estate experience and 16 years of experience with debt-related investments, Mr. Schreiber has the depth and breadth of experience to implement our business strategy. He gained his understanding of the real estate and real estate-finance markets through hands-on experience with acquisitions, asset and portfolio management, asset repositioning, and dispositions. As our Chief Executive Officer and a principal of our external adviser, Mr. Schreiber is best-positioned to provide the board of directors with insights and perspectives on the execution of our business strategy, our operations and other internal matters. Further, as a principal of KBS-affiliated investment advisors and as Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board and a director of KBS REIT II, Mr. Schreiber brings to the board demonstrated management and leadership ability.
Peter McMillan III is our Executive Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and one of our directors, positions he has held since our inception in 2005. He is Executive Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and a director of KBS REIT II and KBS REIT III, positions he has held since 2007 and 2010, respectively. In addition, Mr. McMillan is President and Chairman of the Board of KBS Strategic Opportunity REIT and Executive Vice President of KBS Legacy Partners Apartment REIT, positions he has held since the respective formations of these entities in 2008 and 2009. Mr. McMillan also owns and controls a 50% interest in GKP Holding LLC. GKP Holding owns a 33 1/3% interest in KBS Holdings LLC, which entity is the sole owner of our advisor and the dealer manager of our ongoing public offering. All four of our sponsors, Messrs. Bren, Hall, McMillan and Schreiber, actively participate in the management and operations of our advisor.
Mr. McMillan is a co-founder and the Managing Partner of Willowbrook Capital Group, LLC. Prior to forming Willowbrook in 2000, Mr. McMillan served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of SunAmerica Investments, Inc., which was later acquired by AIG. As Chief Investment Officer, he was responsible for over $75 billion in
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assets, including residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities, public and private investment grade and non-investment grade corporate bonds and commercial mortgage loans and real estate investments. Before joining SunAmerica in 1989, he served as Assistant Vice President for Aetna Life Insurance and Annuity Company with responsibility for the company’s $6 billion fixed income portfolios. Mr. McMillan received his Master of Business Administration in Finance from the Wharton Graduate School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and his Bachelor of Arts Degree with honors in Economics from Clark University. Mr. McMillan is a director of Steinway Musical Instruments, Inc. and Metropolitan West Funds.
Our board of directors has concluded that Mr. McMillan is qualified to serve as one of our directors for reasons including his expertise in real estate finance and with real estate-related investments. With over 25 years of experience investing in and managing real estate-related debt investments, Mr. McMillan offers insights and perspective with respect to our real estate-related investment portfolio as well as our real estate portfolio. As one of our executive officers and a principal of our advisor, Mr. McMillan is also able to direct the board of directors to the critical issues facing our company. Further, his experiences as a director of KBS REIT II, Steinway Musical Instruments, Inc., Metropolitan West Funds and us provide him with an understanding of the requirements of serving on a public company board.
Keith D. Hall is our Executive Vice President, a position he has held since our inception in 2005. He is also the Executive Vice President of KBS REIT II and KBS REIT III and Chief Executive Officer and a director of KBS Strategic Opportunity REIT, positions he has held since 2007, 2010 and 2008. Mr. Hall is also a sponsor of KBS Legacy Partners Apartment REIT, which was formed in 2009. Mr. Hall also owns and controls a 50% interest in GKP Holding LLC. GKP Holding owns a 33 1/3% interest in KBS Holdings LLC, which entity is the sole owner of our advisor and the dealer manager of our ongoing public offering. All four of our sponsors, Messrs. Bren, Hall, McMillan and Schreiber, actively participate in the management and operations of our advisor.
Mr. Hall is a co-founder of Willowbrook Capital Group, LLC, an asset management company. Prior to forming Willowbrook in 2000, Mr. Hall was a Managing Director at CS First Boston, where he managed CSFB’s distribution strategy and business development for the Principal Transaction Group’s $18 billion real estate securities portfolio. Mr. Hall’s two primary business unit responsibilities were Mezzanine Lending and Commercial Real Estate Development. Before joining CSFB in 1996, he served as a Director in the Real Estate Products Group at Nomura Securities, with responsibility for the company’s $6 billion annual pipeline of fixed-income, commercial mortgage-backed securities. Mr. Hall spent the 1980s as a Senior Vice President in the High Yield Department of Drexel Burnham Lambert’s Beverly Hills office, where he was responsible for distribution of the group’s high yield real estate securities. Mr. Hall received a Bachelor of Arts Degree with honors in Finance from California State University, Sacramento with honors in Finance from Cal State Sacramento.
David E. Snyder is our Chief Financial Officer, a position he has held since December 2008. He is also the Chief Financial Officer of KBS REIT II and KBS REIT III, positions he has held since December 2008 and January 2010, respectively. He is also the Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary of KBS Strategic Opportunity REIT and KBS Legacy Partners Apartment REIT, which were formed in 2008 and 2009, respectively. In addition, in late November 2008, Mr. Snyder was appointed Chief Financial Officer of KBS Capital Advisors.
From January 1998 to May 2008, Mr. Snyder was at Nationwide Health Properties, Inc. (“NHP”), a real estate investment trust specializing in healthcare related property. He served as the Vice President and Controller from July 2005 to February 2008 and Controller from January 1998 to July 2005. At NHP, Mr. Snyder was responsible for internal and external financial reporting, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, budgeting, debt compliance, negotiation and documentation of debt and equity financing and the negotiation of acquisition and leasing documentation. In addition, Mr. Snyder was part of the senior management team that approved investments, determined appropriate financing and developed strategic goals and plans. As part of his investment and financing responsibilities, Mr. Snyder participated in the origination, modification and refinancing of mortgage loans made to customers, mortgages obtained on real estate and unsecured credit facilities.
Mr. Snyder was an adjunct accounting professor at Biola University from 1998 to 2005, teaching courses in auditing and accounting. He was the director of financial reporting at Regency Health Services, Inc., a skilled nursing provider, from November 1996 to December 1997. From October 1993 to October 1996, Mr. Snyder worked for Arthur Andersen LLP. Mr. Snyder received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting from Biola University in La Mirada, California. Mr. Snyder is a Certified Public Accountant.
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Stacie K. Yamaneis our Chief Accounting Officer and has served in that capacity since October 2008. From our inception in 2005 until December 2008, Ms. Yamane served as our Chief Financial Officer. She also held the position of Controller from 2005 until October 2008. Ms. Yamane is also the Fund Controller of our advisor and Chief Accounting Officer of KBS REIT II, KBS REIT III and KBS Legacy Partners Apartment REIT. She has been an officer of these entities since 2004, 2007, 2010 and 2009, respectively. In August 2009, she was also appointed Chief Accounting Officer of KBS Strategic Opportunity REIT.
In addition, Ms. Yamane serves as Senior Vice President/Controller, Portfolio Accounting for KBS Realty Advisors LLC, a position she has held since 2004. She served as a Vice President/ Portfolio Accounting with KBS-affiliated investment advisors from 1995 to 2004. At KBS Realty Advisors, Ms. Yamane is responsible for client accounting/ reporting for four real estate portfolios. These portfolios consist of industrial, office and retail properties as well as land parcels. Ms. Yamane works closely with portfolio managers, asset managers, property managers and clients to ensure the completion of timely and accurate accounting, budgeting and financial reporting. In addition, she assists in the supervision and management of KBS Realty Advisors’ accounting department.
Prior to joining an affiliate of KBS Realty Advisors in February of 1995, Ms. Yamane was an audit manager at Kenneth Leventhal & Company, a CPA firm specializing in real estate. During her eight years at Kenneth Leventhal & Company, Ms. Yamane performed or supervised a variety of auditing, accounting and consulting engagements including the audit of financial statements presented under the U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) basis, as well as financial statements presented on a cash and tax basis, the valuation of asset portfolios and the review and analysis of internal control systems. Her experiences at KBS and Kenneth Leventhal & Company give her 20 years of real estate experience.
Ms. Yamane received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration with a dual concentration in Accounting and Management Information Systems from California State University, Fullerton. She is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive California).
Hank Adler is one of our independent directors. Professor Adler is also an independent director of KBS REIT II. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Accounting at Chapman University. Prior to his retirement from Deloitte & Touche, LLP in 2003, Professor Adler was a partner with that firm where he had been employed for over 30 years. He specialized in tax accounting and served as client service and tax partner for a variety of public and private companies. He received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Master of Business Administration from the University of California, Los Angeles. Professor Adler currently serves on the board of directors, compliance committee and as chairman of the audit committee of Corinthian Colleges, Inc. From 1998 to 2007, he also chaired the Toshiba Senior Classic charity event, a PGA Senior Tour championship event. In the 1990s, he served on the board of trustees and as President of the Irvine Unified School District. From 1994 to 2006, he served on the board of directors of Hoag Hospital Memorial Presbyterian.
Our board of directors has concluded that Professor Adler is qualified to serve as one of our independent directors and as the chair of our audit committee for reasons including his extensive experience in public accounting. With over 30 years at one of the big four accounting firms, Professor Adler brings to our board critical insights to and an understanding of the accounting principles and financial reporting rules and regulations affecting our company. His expertise in evaluating the financial and operational results of public companies and overseeing the financial reporting process makes him a critical member of our board of directors and our audit committee. In addition, as a director of KBS REIT II, Corinthian Colleges, Inc. and us, Professor Adler is well aware of the corporate governance and regulatory issues facing public companies.
Barbara R. Cambon is one of our independent directors. Ms. Cambon is also an independent director of KBS REIT II. Since April 2009, she has served as Chief Operating Officer of Premium One Asset Management LLC, a company whose business focuses on providing investment management services to investors. Since October 2003, she has also served as a Managing Member of Snowcreek Management LLC, a real estate asset-management company whose business activities focus on residential development projects for institutional investors. As Managing Member, Ms. Cambon provides asset management services to an institutional partnership investment in residential real estate development. She has been in the real estate investment business for 25 years, principally working with institutional capital sources and investment programs. From November 1999 until October 2002, she served as a Principal of Los Angeles-based Colony Capital, LLC, a private real estate investment firm, and from April 2000 until October 2002 she also served as Chief Operating Officer of Colony. Prior to joining Colony in 1999, Ms. Cambon was President and Founder of Institutional Property Consultants, Inc., a real estate consulting company. She is a past Director and Chairman of the Board of the Pension Real Estate Association and past Director of the National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries. Ms. Cambon serves on the board of directors and on the audit and compensation committees of BioMed Realty Trust, Inc., on
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the board of Neighborhood National Bancorp and on the University of San Diego Burnham-Moores Real Estate Institute Policy Advisory Board. Ms. Cambon received a Master of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from the University of Delaware.
Our board of directors has concluded that Ms. Cambon is qualified to serve as one of our independent directors and as the chair of our conflicts committee for reasons including her expertise in real estate investment and management. Ms. Cambon’s 25 years of experience investing in, managing and disposing of real estate on behalf of investors give her a wealth of knowledge and experiences from which to draw in advising our company. As a managing member of her own real estate asset-management company, Ms. Cambon is acutely aware of the operational challenges facing companies such as ours. Further, her service on the boards of KBS REIT II and BioMed Realty Trust, Inc., both public REITs, gives her additional perspective and insight into large public real estate companies such ours.
Stuart A. Gabriel, Ph.D. is one of our independent directors. Professor Gabriel is also an independent director of KBS REIT II. Since June 2007, Professor Gabriel has served as Director and Arden Realty Chair at the Richard S. Ziman Center for Real Estate and Professor of Finance in the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles. Prior to joining UCLA he was Director and Lusk Chair in Real Estate at the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate, a position he held from 1999 to 2007. Professor Gabriel also served as Professor of Finance and Business Economics in the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California, a position he held from 1990 to 2007. In 2004, he was elected President of the American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association. Professor Gabriel serves on the editorial boards of Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Journal of Housing Economics, Journal of Real Estate Research, Journal of Urban Economics, and Regional Science and Urban Economics. He is also a Fellow of the Homer Hoyt Institute for Advanced Real Estate Studies. Professor Gabriel has published extensively on topics of real estate finance and urban and regional economics. His teaching and academic research experience include analysis of real estate and real estate capital markets performance as well as structured finance products, including credit default swaps, commercial mortgage-backed securities and collateralized debt obligations. Also, he has received a number of awards at USC for outstanding graduate teaching. Professor Gabriel serves as a consultant to numerous corporate and governmental entities. Prior to joining the USC faculty in 1990, Professor Gabriel served on the economics staff of the Federal Reserve Board in Washington, D.C. He also has been a Visiting Scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. Professor Gabriel holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley.
Our board of directors has concluded that Professor Gabriel is qualified to serve as one of our independent directors for reasons including his extensive knowledge and understanding of the real estate and finance markets and real estate finance products. As a professor of real estate finance and economics, Professor Gabriel brings unique perspective to our board. His years of research and analysis of the real estate and finance markets make Professor Gabriel well-positioned to advise us with respect to our investment and financing strategy. This expertise also makes him an invaluable resource for assessing and managing risks facing our company. Through his experience as a director of us and KBS REIT II, he also has an understanding of the requirements of serving on a public company board.
Compensation of Executive Officers
Our executive officers do not receive compensation directly from us for services rendered to us. Our executive officers are officers and/or employees of, or hold an indirect ownership interest in, KBS Capital Advisors, our advisor, and/or its affiliates, and our executive officers are compensated by these entities, in part, for their services to us. See “– The Conflicts Committee – Report of the Conflicts Committee – Certain Transactions with Related Persons” for a discussion of the fees paid to KBS Capital Advisors and its affiliates.
Compensation of Directors
If a director is also one of our executive officers, we do not pay any compensation to that person for services rendered as a director. The amount and form of compensation payable to our independent directors for their service to us is determined by our board of directors, based upon recommendations from our advisor. Four of our executive officers, Messrs. Bren, Hall, McMillan and Schreiber, manage and control our advisor, and through the advisor, they are involved in recommending the compensation to be paid to our independent directors.
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We have provided below certain information regarding compensation earned by or paid to our directors during fiscal year 2009.
Name | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash in 2009(1) | All Other Compensation | Total | ||||||
Hank Adler | $ | 125,833 | $ | – | $ | 125,833 | |||
Barbara R. Cambon | 124,833 | – | 124,833 | ||||||
Stuart A. Gabriel | 118,333 | – | 118,333 | ||||||
Peter McMillan III(2) | – | – | – | ||||||
Charles J. Schreiber, Jr.(2) | – | – | – | ||||||
| (1) | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash include meeting fees earned in the fourth quarter of 2008 but paid or reimbursed in the first quarter of 2009 as follows: Professor Adler $10,333; Ms. Cambon $13,333; and Professor Gabriel $6,333. |
| (2) | Directors who are also our executive officers do not receive compensation for services rendered as a director. |
Cash Compensation
We pay each of our independent directors:
| • | an annual retainer of $40,000; |
| • | $2,500 for each board meeting attended; |
| • | $2,500 for each committee meeting attended (committee chairpersons receive an additional $500 per committee meeting for serving in that capacity); |
| • | $2,000 for each teleconference meeting of the board; and |
| • | $2,000 for each teleconference meeting of any committee (committee chairpersons receive an additional $1,000 per teleconference committee meeting for serving in that capacity). |
All directors receive reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attendance at meetings of the board of directors.
Equity-Based Compensation
We have adopted an Employee and Independent Director Incentive Stock Plan, one of the purposes of which is to increase the interest of our independent directors in our welfare through participation in the growth in the value of our shares. To date, we have not issued any awards pursuant to this plan and we have no timetable for the grant of any awards under the plan. Furthermore, our board of directors has adopted a policy that prohibits grants of any awards of shares of common stock to any person under the Employee and Independent Director Stock Plan. The principal features of the Employee and Independent Director Incentive Stock Plan are described above under “– The Conflicts Committee – Oversight of Executive Compensation.”
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Equity Compensation Plan Information
We have reserved shares of common stock for issuance under our Employee and Independent Director Stock Incentive Plan. This plan was approved by our then sole stockholder, KBS Capital Advisors, in 2005 before we commenced our public offering. The following table provides summary information about securities issuable under our equity compensation plan.
| Plan category | Number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights | Weighted average exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights | Number of securities under equity compensation plans | |||
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders | – | – | 9,071,784 (1) | |||
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders | – | – | – | |||
Total | – | – | 9,071,784 (1) | |||
| (1) | As of April 15, 2010. The number of shares authorized for issuance pursuant to the Employee and Independent Director Stock Incentive Plan is equal to 5% of the outstanding shares of our common stock at any time, but may not exceed 10,000,000 shares. Our board of directors has adopted a policy that prohibits grants of any awards of shares of common stock to any person under the Employee and Independent Director Stock Plan. |
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STOCK OWNERSHIP
The following table shows, as of April 5, 2010, the amount of our common stock beneficially owned (unless otherwise indicated) by (1) any person who is known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of the outstanding shares of our common stock, (2) our directors, (3) our executive officers, and (4) all of our directors and executive officers as a group.
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner(1) | Amount and Nature of Beneficial Ownership (2) | Percentage | ||
Hank Adler | 13,343 | * | ||
Peter M. Bren | 20,000 (3) | * | ||
Barbara R. Cambon | 5,938 | * | ||
Stuart A. Gabriel | – | – | ||
Keith D. Hall | 20,000 (3) | * | ||
Peter McMillan III | 20,000 (3) | * | ||
Charles J. Schreiber, Jr. | 21,064 (3)(4) | * | ||
David E. Snyder | – | – | ||
Stacie K. Yamane | – | – | ||
All officers and directors as a group | 40,345 (3) | * | ||
| * | Less than 1% of the outstanding common stock. |
| (1) | The address of each named beneficial owner is c/o KBS Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc., 620 Newport Center Drive, Suite 1300, Newport Beach, California 92660. |
| (2) | None of the shares are pledged as security. |
| (3) | Includes 20,000 shares owned by KBS Capital Advisors, which is indirectly owned and controlled by Peter M. Bren, Keith D. Hall, Peter McMillan III and Charles J. Schreiber, Jr. |
| (4) | Includes 1,064 shares held by the Schreiber Family Trust DTD 6/3/75, of which Mr. Schreiber is a trustee. |
Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
Under U.S. securities laws, directors, executive officers, and any persons beneficially owning more than 10% of our common stock are required to report their initial ownership of the common stock and most changes in that ownership to the SEC. The SEC has designated specific due dates for these reports, and we are required to identify in this proxy statement those persons who did not file these reports when due. Based solely on our review of copies of the reports filed with the SEC and written representations of our directors and executive officers, we believe all persons subject to these reporting requirements filed the reports on a timely basis in 2009.
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PROPOSAL 1. ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
At the annual meeting, you and the other stockholders will vote on the election of all five members of our board of directors. Those persons elected will serve as directors until the 2011 annual meeting and until their successors are duly elected and qualified. The board of directors has nominated the following people for re-election as directors:
• Charles J. Schreiber, Jr. | • Peter McMillan III | |
• Hank Adler | • Barbara R. Cambon | |
• Stuart A. Gabriel |
Each of the nominees for director is a current member of our board of directors. Detailed information on each nominee is provided on pages 16 through 20.
The appointed proxies will vote your shares of common stock as you instruct, unless you submit your proxy without instructions. In this case, they will vote FOR all of the director nominees listed above. If any nominee becomes unable or unwilling to stand for re-election, the board may reduce its size or designate a substitute. If a substitute is designated, proxies voting on the original nominee will be cast for the substituted nominee.
Vote Required
Under our charter, a majority of the votes present in person or by proxy at the meeting is required for the election of the directors. This means that a director nominee needs to receive more votes for his or her election than against his or her election in order to be elected to the board. Because of this majority vote requirement,“withhold” votes and broker non-votes will have the effect of a vote against each nominee for director. If an incumbent director nominee fails to receive the required number of votes for reelection, then under Maryland law, he or she will continue to serve as a “holdover” director until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified.
Whether you plan to attend the meeting and vote in person or not, we urge you to have your vote recorded. Stockholders have the following three options for submitting their votes by proxy: (1) via the internet, (2) by telephone or (3) by mail, using the enclosed proxy card. Your vote is very important! Your immediate response will help avoid potential delays and may save us significant additional expenses associated with soliciting stockholder votes.
Recommendation
YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” ALL
NOMINEES LISTED FOR REELECTION AS DIRECTORS.
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STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS
Any proposals by stockholders for inclusion in proxy solicitation material for the next annual meeting must be received by our secretary, Peter McMillan III, at our executive offices no later than December 28, 2010. However, if we hold our annual meeting before June 7, 2011 or after August 6, 2011, stockholders must submit proposals for inclusion in our 2011 proxy statement within a reasonable time before we begin to print our proxy materials. The mailing address of our executive offices is 620 Newport Center Drive, Suite 1300, Newport Beach, California 92660. If a stockholder wishes to present a proposal at the 2011 annual meeting, whether or not the proposal is intended to be included in the 2011 proxy materials, our bylaws require that the stockholder give advance written notice to our secretary by January 27, 2011.
OTHER MATTERS
As of the date of this proxy statement, we know of no business that will be presented for consideration at the annual meeting other than the items referred to above. If any other matter is properly brought before the meeting for action by stockholders, proxies in the enclosed form returned to us will be voted in accordance with the recommendation of the board of directors or, in the absence of such a recommendation, in accordance with the discretion of the proxy holder.
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KBS Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc.
620 NEWPORT CENTER DRIVE SUITE 1300 NEWPORT BEACH CALIFORNIA 92660
THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The undersigned stockholder hereby appoints Charles J. Schreiber, Jr., Peter McMillan III, David E. Snyder and Stacie K. Yamane, and each of them, as proxy and attorney-in-fact, each with the power to appoint his or her substitute, on behalf and in the name of the undersigned, to represent the undersigned at the annual meeting of stockholders of KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST, INC. to be held on July 7, 2010, and at any adjournments thereof, and to vote all shares of common stock that the undersigned would be entitled to vote if personally present, as indicated on the reverse side of this card. The undersigned acknowledges receipt of the notice of annual meeting of stockholders, the proxy statement, and the annual report.
This proxy, when properly executed, will be voted in the manner directed herein by the undersigned stockholder. If no direction is made, this proxy will be voted “FOR” all nominees listed. The proxies are authorized to vote upon such other matters as may properly come before the meeting or any adjournments thereof in accordance with the recommendation of the board of directors or, in the absence of such a recommendation, in their discretion, including, but not limited to, the power and authority to adjourn the meeting to a date not more than 120 days after the record date in the event that a quorum is not obtained by the July 7, 2010 meeting date.
PLEASE RETURN ONLY THIS PROXY IN THE ENCLOSED SELF-ADDRESSED, POSTAGE PAID ENVELOPE. DO NOT RETURN THE PROXY STATEMENT. IF YOU RETURN ANY ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS, YOUR PROXY MAY BE UNDELIVERABLE BECAUSE OF INSUFFICIENT POSTAGE.
FOLD AND DETACH HERE IF YOU ELECT TO VOTE BY MAIL
KBS Real Estate Investment Trust
PROXY FOR ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST, INC. Wednesday, July 7, 2010 10:00 a.m. (PDT) At The Island Hotel, Yorba Room 690 Newport Center Drive Newport Beach, California 92660 Your Vote Is Important! Using the telephone or Internet, you can vote any time, 24 hours a day.
You can authorize a proxy in one of three ways: 1. Vote by Telephone: Call toll-free 866-540-5759 on a touch tone telephone and follow the instructions. There is NO CHARGE to you for this call. 2. Vote by Internet at the following Internet Address: http://www.proxyvoting.com/kbsreit1 Follow the on-screen instructions provided there. 3. Vote by Mail: Mark, sign and date your proxy card and return it promptly in the enclosed envelope. See detailed instructions on the reverse side of this form.
Please mark your choice like this X in blue or black ink. The Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR all nominees listed in Proposal 1. 1. Election of FOR all nominees listed below WITHHOLD for all nominees listed below Directors (01) Schreiber (02) McMillan (03) Adler (04) Cambon (05) Gabriel FOR ALL EXCEPT THE FOLLOWING CANDIDATE(S): Control Number Signature Dated Please sign exactly as name appears on this proxy card. When shares of common stock are held by joint tenants, both should sign. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, trustee, or guardian, please give full title as such. If a corporation, please sign in full corporate name by President or other authorized officer. If a partnership, please sign in partnership name by general partner or other authorized person. Signature if held jointly Dated IF YOU ELECT TO VOTE BY MAIL, PLEASE SIGN, DATE, DETACH AND RETURN THIS PROXY CARD IN THE ENCLOSED POSTPAID ENVELOPE. KBS Real Estate Investment Trust
Control Number for Telephone/Internet Proxy Authorization IN ORDER TO SAVE TIME, COST AND PAPER WE ENCOURAGE ONLINE OR PHONE VOTING Using the telephone or Internet, you can vote any time, 24 hours a day. If you authorize a proxy by telephone or Internet, the named proxies will be authorized to vote your shares in the same manner as if you marked, signed and returned your proxy card. VOTE BY INTERNET: www.proxyvoting.com/kbsreit1 You will be asked to enter the CONTROL NUMBER located in the box in the upper right of this form. Follow the on-screen instructions provided there. VOTE BY PHONE:
Toll Free: (866) 540-5759 You will be asked to enter the CONTROL NUMBER located in the box in the upper right of this form. Follow the instructions. If you vote by phone or Internet, do not mail the proxy card. 1417-09