Exhibit 99


                           EASTGROUP PROPERTIES, INC.

                                 847,458 Shares

                                  Common Stock

                               ($.0001 Par Value)

                           PLACEMENT AGENCY AGREEMENT

                                                              November 13, 2003

A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc.
One North Jefferson Avenue
St. Louis, Missouri 63103

     The undersigned,  EastGroup  Properties,  Inc., a Maryland corporation (the
"Company"),  hereby addresses you ("you," or the "Placement Agent") and confirms
its agreement with you as follows:

     1.  Description of Shares.  The Company has engaged the Placement  Agent in
connection  with the issuance of securities of the Company in the form of common
stock (the "Common Stock")  pursuant to that certain  Engagement  Letter,  dated
November  10,  2003,  between  the Company and A.G.  Edwards & Sons,  Inc.  (the
"Engagement Letter"). Pursuant to such engagement, the Company proposes to issue
and sell to certain  investors  (the  "Investors")  shares (the "Shares") of its
Common  Stock,  par value  $.0001 per share,  in an offering of shares of common
stock registered under its registration statement  (Registration No. 333-109769)
on Form S-3 (a "Registered Direct Offering."). The Company desires to engage the
Placement  Agent as its  placement  agent in  connection  with such issuance and
sale. The Shares are more fully described in the Prospectus hereinafter defined.

     2. Agreement to Act as Placement Agent;  Delivery and Payment. On the basis
of the representations,  warranties and agreements herein contained, but subject
to the terms and conditions  herein set forth, the Placement Agent agrees to act
as the  Company's  exclusive  placement  agent to assist the Company,  on a best
efforts basis, in connection with the proposed  issuance and sale by the Company
of the Shares to the Investor.  The Company  expressly  acknowledges  and agrees
that this Agreement does not in any way constitute a commitment by the Placement
Agent to purchase any of the Shares and does not ensure successful  placement of
the Shares or any portion thereof.  The Company shall pay to the Placement Agent
concurrently  with the Closing (as defined  below)  1.75% of the gross  purchase
price of the Shares (the "Placement Fee").



     Upon  satisfaction  of the  conditions  set forth in Section 5 hereof,  the
closing of the sale and  issuance of the Shares (the  "Closing")  shall occur at
the offices of Jaeckle  Fleischmann & Mugel,  LLP, or at such other place as may
be agreed upon  between you and the Company  (the "Place of  Closing"),  at 8:00
a.m.,  central  time,  on November 18, 2003,  or at such other time and date not
later than four full business days  thereafter as you and the Company may agree,
such time and date of payment and  delivery  being  herein  called the  "Closing
Date." The  delivery of the Shares shall be made to the  respective  accounts of
the Investors  against  payment by the  Investors of the purchase  price thereof
(the "Requisite  Funds") to the Placement Agent on behalf of the Company through
the ID System of The Depository  Trust Company (the "DTC").  The Placement Agent
shall then immediately  transfer the Requisite Funds, less the Placement Fee and
any  expenses  of the  Placement  Agent for which the  Company is  obligated  to
reimburse,  to the Company by Federal  Funds wire  transfer  payable in same day
funds.  The  delivery of the Shares to the  Investors  shall be made through the
facilities of the DTC.

     It is  understood  that the  Company  proposes  to offer the  Shares to the
Investors  upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Prospectus (as defined
below).

     3. Representations, Warranties and Agreements of the Company.

     The Company  represents and warrants to and agrees with the Placement Agent
that:

     (a)

          (i) The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange  Commission
     (the "SEC") a registration statement  (Registration No. 333-109769) on Form
     S-3 for the registration of equity securities of the Company, including the
     Shares, which has been carefully prepared by the Company pursuant to and in
     conformity with the  requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
     (the "1933 Act"),  and the rules and regulations  thereunder (the "1933 Act
     Rules and  Regulations") of the SEC. Such  registration  statement has been
     declared  effective by the SEC. The Company meets the  requirements for use
     of Form S-3  under the 1933 Act.  Copies  of such  registration  statement,
     including  any  amendments  thereto,  each related  preliminary  prospectus
     (meeting  the  requirements  of Rule 430 or 430A of the 1933 Act  Rules and
     Regulations) contained therein, and the exhibits,  financial statements and
     schedules  thereto have  heretofore been delivered by the Company to you. A
     final prospectus containing information permitted to be omitted at the time
     of effectiveness by Rule 430A of the 1933 Act Rules and Regulations will be
     filed  promptly by the Company with the SEC in accordance  with Rule 424(b)
     of the 1933 Act Rules and Regulations. The term "Registration Statement" as
     used  herein  means the  registration  statement  as amended at the time it
     became  effective  under  the 1933 Act (the  "Effective  Date"),  including
     financial  statements  and all exhibits and all documents  incorporated  by
     reference  therein  pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act and,
     if applicable,  the  information  deemed to be included by Rule 430A of the
     1933 Act Rules and Regulations.  The term "Prospectus" as used herein means
     the  prospectus  constituting  a part  of the  Registration  Statement  and
     included  in  the   Registration

                                     Page 2



     Statement  at the  Effective  Date,  as  supplemented  by  each  prospectus
     supplement  relating  to the  offering of the  Shares,  including  any such
     prospectus  supplement  filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Rules
     and Regulations (the "Prospectus Supplement") and including any information
     and documents included therein by reference pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3
     under the 1933 Act.  For  purposes of this  Agreement,  the words  "amend,"
     "amendment,"  "amended," "supplement" or "supplemented" with respect to the
     Registration   Statement  or  the  Prospectus   shall  mean  amendments  or
     supplements to the  Registration  Statement or the Prospectus,  as the case
     may be; as well as  documents  filed after the date of this  Agreement  and
     prior to the completion of the  distribution of the Shares and incorporated
     by reference therein as described above.

          (ii)  Neither  the SEC nor any  state or other  jurisdiction  or other
     regulatory  body has  issued,  and  neither  is,  to the  knowledge  of the
     Company,  threatening to issue,  any stop order under the 1933 Act or other
     order  suspending  the  effectiveness  of the  Registration  Statement  (as
     amended  or  supplemented)  or  preventing  or  suspending  the  use of the
     Prospectus or suspending the  qualification  or  registration of the Shares
     for  offering  or  sale  in any  jurisdiction  nor  instituted  or,  to the
     knowledge of the Company,  threatened to institute proceedings for any such
     purpose.  The Registration  Statement and the Prospectus and any amendments
     or  supplements  thereto  contain or will contain,  as the case may be, all
     statements  which are required to be stated therein by, and in all material
     respects  conform or will conform,  as the case may be, to the requirements
     of,  the 1933  Act and the 1933 Act  Rules  and  Regulations.  Neither  the
     Registration  Statement nor any  amendment  thereto,  as of the  applicable
     effective  date,  contains or will contain,  as the case may be, any untrue
     statement  of a material  fact or omits or will omit to state any  material
     fact  required to be stated  therein or  necessary  to make the  statements
     therein,  not  misleading,  and neither the  Prospectus  nor any supplement
     thereto contains or will contain,  as the case may be, any untrue statement
     of a  material  fact or  omits  or will  omit to state  any  material  fact
     required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements  therein,
     in the  light  of  the  circumstances  under  which  they  were  made,  not
     misleading;  provided, however, that the Company makes no representation or
     warranty as to  information  contained in or omitted from the Prospectus in
     reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information  relating to the
     Placement  Agent  furnished to the Company by the Placement Agent expressly
     for use in the  preparation  thereof  (as  provided  in Section 12 hereof).
     There  is  no  contract  or  document  required  to  be  described  in  the
     Registration  Statement or  Prospectus  or to be filed as an exhibit to the
     Registration  Statement  which is not  described or filed as required.  The
     documents  incorporated by reference in the Prospectus  pursuant to Item 12
     of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act,  at the time they were  filed with the SEC,
     complied in all material  respects with the  requirements of the Securities
     Exchange  Act of 1934,  as  amended  (the  "1934  Act"),  and the rules and
     regulations  adopted  by the  SEC  thereunder  (the  "1934  Act  Rules  and
     Regulations").  Any future  documents  incorporated  by reference so filed,
     when  they  are  filed,  will  comply  in all  material  respects  with the
     requirements  of the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act  Rules and  Regulations;  no
     such incorporated  document  contained or will

                                     Page 3



     contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material
     fact  required to be stated  therein or  necessary  to make the  statements
     therein  not  misleading;  and,  when  read  together  and with  the  other
     information  in the  Prospectus,  at the  time the  Registration  Statement
     became effective and at the Closing Date, each such  incorporated  document
     did not or will not, as the case may be,  contain an untrue  statement of a
     material  fact or omit to  state a  material  fact  required  to be  stated
     therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

          (iii) This Agreement has been duly authorized,  executed and delivered
     by the Company and  constitutes a valid and legally  binding  obligation of
     the Company  enforceable  against the Company in accordance with its terms,
     except  as  enforceability  may  be  limited  by  bankruptcy,   insolvency,
     fraudulent  conveyance,  reorganization,  moratorium and other similar laws
     relating  to or  affecting  creditors'  rights  generally  and  by  general
     principles of equity (the "Exceptions").

          (iv) The Company and its subsidiaries have been duly organized and are
     validly  existing  as  corporations,   partnerships  or  limited  liability
     companies,  as the  case may be,  in good  standing  under  the laws of the
     states or other  jurisdictions in which they are incorporated or formed, as
     the case may be,  with full power and  authority  (corporate  and other) to
     own,  lease and operate their  properties  and conduct their  businesses as
     described in the  Prospectus  and, with respect to the Company,  to execute
     and deliver,  and perform the Company's  obligations under, this Agreement;
     the  Company  and its  subsidiaries  are duly  qualified  to do business as
     foreign  corporations in good standing in each state or other  jurisdiction
     in which  their  ownership  or leasing of  property  or conduct of business
     legally  requires  such  qualification,  except  where the failure to be so
     qualified,  individually  or in the  aggregate,  would not have a  Material
     Adverse Effect. The term "Material Adverse Effect" as used herein means any
     material adverse effect on the condition  (financial or other),  net worth,
     business,  affairs,  management,  prospects,  results of operations or cash
     flow of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

          (v)  Neither the Company  nor any of its  subsidiaries  has  sustained
     since the date of the  latest  audited  financial  statements  included  or
     incorporated   by  reference  in  the   Prospectus  any  material  loss  or
     interference  with  its  business  from  fire,  explosion,  flood  or other
     calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or
     court or governmental  action,  order or decree. Other than as set forth in
     the Prospectus and, since the respective  dates as of which  information is
     given in the  Prospectus,  there  has not been any  change  in the  capital
     stock,  partnership  interests or membership or similar  interests,  as the
     case may be, or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or
     any material  adverse change,  or any  development  involving a prospective
     material adverse change,  in or affecting the general affairs,  management,
     financial  position,  stockholders'  equity or results of operations of the
     Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole,  otherwise than as set forth
     in the Prospectus.

                                     Page 4



          (vi) The issuance and sale of the Shares and the  execution,  delivery
     and performance by the Company of this Agreement,  and the  consummation of
     the transactions herein contemplated, will not conflict with or result in a
     breach or violation of any of the terms or  provisions  of, or constitute a
     default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien,  charge
     or  encumbrance  upon any properties or assets of the Company or any of its
     subsidiaries under, any indenture,  mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement
     or other  agreement  or  instrument  to  which  the  Company  or any of its
     subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its  subsidiaries
     is bound or to which any of the  properties or assets of the Company or any
     of its subsidiaries is subject,  except to such extent as,  individually or
     in the aggregate,  does not have a Material  Adverse Effect,  nor will such
     action result in any violation of the provisions of the Company's  Charter,
     Articles  Supplementary or bylaws or any statute, rule, regulation or other
     law, or any order or judgment,  of any court or governmental agency or body
     having  jurisdiction  over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of
     their  properties;   and  no  consent,  approval,   authorization,   order,
     registration  or  qualification  of or with any such court or  governmental
     agency or body is required for the execution,  delivery and  performance of
     this Agreement,  the issuance and sale of the Shares or the consummation of
     the transactions  contemplated hereby, except such as have been, or will be
     prior  to the  Closing  Date,  obtained  under  the  1933  Act or as may be
     required by the National  Association  of  Securities  Dealers,  Inc.  (the
     "NASD") and such  consents,  approvals,  authorizations,  registrations  or
     qualifications  as may be required under state  securities or blue sky laws
     in connection with the purchase of the Shares by the Investor.

          (vii) As of  September  30,  2003,  the  Company  has duly and validly
     authorized  capital stock as set forth in the  Company's  Form 10-Q for the
     quarter ended September 30, 2003; all outstanding shares of Common Stock of
     the Company and the Shares  conform,  or when issued will  conform,  to the
     description  thereof in the  Prospectus  and have been, or, when issued and
     paid for in the manner described  herein will be, duly authorized,  validly
     issued, fully paid and non-assessable; and the issuance of the Shares to be
     purchased from the Company  hereunder is not subject to preemptive or other
     similar  rights,  or any  restriction  upon the voting or transfer  thereof
     pursuant   to   applicable   law  or  the   Company's   Charter,   Articles
     Supplementary,  bylaws or governing documents or any agreement to which the
     Company or any of its  subsidiaries  is a party or by which any of them may
     be bound.  All corporate action required to be taken by the Company for the
     authorization,  issuance  and sale of the Shares has been duly and  validly
     taken.  Except as disclosed  in the  Prospectus,  there are no  outstanding
     subscriptions,  rights,  warrants,  options, calls, convertible securities,
     commitments  of sale or  rights  related  to or  entitling  any  person  to
     purchase or otherwise to acquire any shares of, or any security convertible
     into or  exchangeable  or  exercisable  for, the capital stock of, or other
     ownership  interest  in, the  Company.  The  outstanding  shares of capital
     stock,  partnership  interests or membership or similar  interests,  as the
     case may be, of the Company's  subsidiaries  have been duly  authorized and
     validly  issued,  are fully  paid and  non-assessable  and are owned by the
     Company free and clear of any mortgage,  pledge, lien, encumbrance,  charge
     or

                                     Page 5



     adverse  claim and are not the subject of any  agreement  or  understanding
     with any person  and were not  issued in  violation  of any  preemptive  or
     similar  rights;  and  there  are  no  outstanding  subscriptions,  rights,
     warrants,  options, calls,  convertible securities,  commitments of sale or
     instruments  related to or  entitling  any person to purchase or  otherwise
     acquire any shares of, or any security  convertible into or exchangeable or
     exercisable  for, the capital stock of, or other ownership  interest in any
     of the subsidiaries.

          (viii)  The  statements  set forth in the  Prospectus  describing  the
     Shares  insofar as they purport to describe the  provisions of the laws and
     documents referred to therein, are accurate, complete and fair.

          (ix) Each of the Company and its  subsidiaries is in possession of and
     is operating in compliance  with all  franchises,  grants,  authorizations,
     licenses, certificates,  permits, easements, consents, orders and approvals
     ("Permits")  from  all  state,   federal,   foreign  and  other  regulatory
     authorities,  and has  satisfied  the  requirements  imposed by  regulatory
     bodies,  administrative  agencies or other governmental bodies, agencies or
     officials,  that are required for the Company and its subsidiaries lawfully
     to own, lease and operate their  properties and conduct their businesses as
     described in the Prospectus,  and, each of the Company and its subsidiaries
     is conducting  its business in compliance  with all of the laws,  rules and
     regulations of each jurisdiction in which it conducts its business, in each
     case with such exceptions,  individually or in the aggregate,  as would not
     have a Material  Adverse Effect;  each of the Company and its  subsidiaries
     has filed all notices, reports,  documents or other information ("Notices")
     required to be filed under applicable laws, rules and regulations,  in each
     case, with such exceptions,  individually or in the aggregate, as would not
     have a Material  Adverse  Effect;  and,  except as  otherwise  specifically
     described  in  the   Prospectus,   neither  the  Company  nor  any  of  its
     subsidiaries has received any  notification  from any court or governmental
     body,  authority or agency,  relating to the revocation or  modification of
     any such  Permit  or,  to the  effect  that any  additional  authorization,
     approval, order, consent,  license,  certificate,  permit,  registration or
     qualification  ("Approvals") from such regulatory authority is needed to be
     obtained by any of them, in any case where it could be reasonably  expected
     that  obtaining  such  Approvals  or the failure to obtain such  Approvals,
     individually or in the aggregate, would have a Material Adverse Effect.

          (x) The Company and its subsidiaries have filed all necessary federal,
     state and foreign income and franchise tax returns and paid all taxes shown
     as due  thereon;  all such tax  returns  are  complete  and  correct in all
     material respects;  all tax liabilities are adequately  provided for on the
     books of the  Company and its  subsidiaries  except to such extent as would
     not have a Material Adverse Effect;  the Company and its subsidiaries  have
     made all  necessary  tax payments  (including  payroll  and/or  withholding
     taxes) and are current and up-to-date; and the Company and its subsidiaries
     have no knowledge of any tax  proceeding  or action  pending or  threatened
     against  the  Company or its  subsidiaries  which,  individually  or in the
     aggregate,  might have a Material  Adverse

                                     Page 6



     Effect. The Company has made adequate charges, accruals and reserves in the
     applicable  financial  statements referred to in Section 3(a)(xx) hereof in
     respect of all federal, state, local and foreign income and franchise taxes
     for all periods as to which the tax  liability of the Company or any of the
     subsidiaries has not been finally determined.

          (xi) The Company and its  subsidiaries  have good and marketable title
     in fee simple to all items of real property and good and  marketable  title
     to all personal  property owned by them, in each case free and clear of all
     liens, encumbrances,  restrictions and defects except such as are described
     in the  Prospectus or do not  materially  affect the value of such property
     and do not  interfere  with the use made  and  proposed  to be made of such
     property;  and any property  held under lease or sublease by the Company or
     any of its  subsidiaries  is held under valid,  subsisting and  enforceable
     leases or  subleases  with such  exceptions  as are not material and do not
     interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the
     Company  and its  subsidiaries;  and  neither  the  Company  nor any of its
     subsidiaries  has any notice or knowledge of any material claim of any sort
     which has been, or may be,  asserted by anyone  adverse to the Company's or
     any of its  subsidiaries'  rights as lessee or sublessee under any lease or
     sublease  described above, or affecting or questioning the Company's or any
     of its  subsidiaries'  rights to the continued  possession of the leased or
     subleased  premises  under any such lease or sublease in conflict  with the
     terms thereof.

          (xii) Except as described in the Prospectus, there is no factual basis
     for any action,  suit or other  proceeding  involving the Company or any of
     its  subsidiaries  or any of their  material  assets for any failure of the
     Company or any of its subsidiaries,  or any predecessor  thereof, to comply
     with any  requirements of federal,  state or local  regulation  relating to
     air, water, solid waste management,  hazardous or toxic substances,  or the
     protection  of  health  or the  environment.  Except  as  described  in the
     Prospectus,  none of the property  owned or leased by the Company or any of
     its  subsidiaries  is, to the best  knowledge of the Company,  contaminated
     with any waste or hazardous substances,  and neither the Company nor any of
     its  subsidiaries  may be deemed an "owner or operator" of a "facility"  or
     "vessel"  which owns,  possesses,  transports,  generates  or disposes of a
     "hazardous  substance"  as  those  terms  are  defined  in  s.9601  of  the
     Comprehensive  Environmental  Response,  Compensation  and Liability Act of
     1980, 42 U.S.C. s.9601 et seq.

          (xiii) No labor  disturbance  exists with the employees of the Company
     or any of its  subsidiaries  or is imminent  which,  individually or in the
     aggregate,  would have a Material Adverse Effect.  None of the employees of
     the Company or any of its  subsidiaries  is  represented by a union and, to
     the best knowledge of the Company and its subsidiaries, no union organizing
     activities   are  taking  place.   Neither  the  Company  nor  any  of  its
     subsidiaries  has violated  any federal,  state or local law or foreign law
     relating to  discrimination in hiring,  promotion or pay of employees,  nor
     any applicable wage or hour

                                     Page 7



     laws, or the rules and regulations  thereunder,  or analogous  foreign laws
     and regulations, which might, individually or in the aggregate, result in a
     Material Adverse Effect.

          (xiv)  The  Company  and its  subsidiaries  are in  compliance  in all
     material respects with all presently applicable  provisions of the Employee
     Retirement  Income  Security  Act  of  1974,  as  amended,   including  the
     regulations  and  published   interpretations   thereunder  ("ERISA");   no
     "reportable  event" (as defined in ERISA) has occurred  with respect to any
     "pension  plan" (as  defined  in  ERISA)  for  which  the  Company  and its
     subsidiaries  would have any  liability;  the Company and its  subsidiaries
     have not incurred and do not expect to incur  liability  under (A) Title IV
     of ERISA with respect to  termination  of, or withdrawal  from, any pension
     plan or (B) Sections 412 or 4971 of the Internal  Revenue Code of 1986,  as
     amended, including the regulations and published interpretations thereunder
     (the  "Code");  and each  pension plan ---- for which the Company or any of
     its subsidiaries  would have any liability that is intended to be qualified
     under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified in all material  respects,
     and nothing  has  occurred,  whether by action or by failure to act,  which
     would cause the loss of such qualification.

          (xv) The Company and its subsidiaries  maintain insurance of the types
     and in the amounts generally deemed adequate for their business, including,
     but not limited to, directors' and officers' insurance,  insurance covering
     real  and  personal  property  owned  or  leased  by the  Company  and  its
     subsidiaries against theft, damage, destruction,  acts of vandalism and all
     other risks customarily insured against,  all of which insurance is in full
     force and effect.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been
     refused any insurance  coverage  applied for, and the Company has no reason
     to believe  that it and its  subsidiaries  will not be able to renew  their
     existing  insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain
     similar  coverage  from  similar  insurers as may be  necessary to continue
     their business at a cost that would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

          (xvi) Neither the Company nor any of its  subsidiaries is, or with the
     giving of notice or lapse of time or both would be, in default or violation
     with respect to its Charter,  Articles Supplementary,  bylaws,  partnership
     agreements,  operating agreements or other governing documents, as the case
     may be.  Neither the Company  nor any of its  subsidiaries  is, or with the
     giving  of notice or lapse of time or both  would  be,  in  default  in the
     performance or observance of any material obligation,  agreement,  covenant
     or condition  contained in any  indenture,  mortgage,  deed of trust,  loan
     agreement,  lease or other  agreement or instrument to which the Company or
     any of its  subsidiaries  is a party or by which the  Company or any of its
     subsidiaries  is bound or to which any of the  properties  or assets of the
     Company or any of its  subsidiaries  is  subject,  or in  violation  of any
     statutes,  laws,  ordinances or  governmental  rules or  regulations or any
     orders or decrees to which it is subject,  including,  without  limitation,
     Section 13 of the 1934 Act, which default or violation,  individually or in
     the aggregate,  would have a Material  Adverse Effect.  Neither the Company
     nor any of its  subsidiaries  has,  at any time during

                                     Page 8



     the past five years,  (A) made any unlawful  contributions to any candidate
     for any political  office,  or failed fully to disclose any contribution in
     violation of law, or (B) made any payment to any state,  federal or foreign
     government  official,  or other  person  charged  with  similar  public  or
     quasi-public  duty (other than payment  required or permitted by applicable
     law).

          (xvii) Other than as set forth in the  Prospectus,  there are no legal
     or  governmental  proceedings  pending  to which the  Company or any of its
     subsidiaries  is a party or of which any  property of the Company or any of
     its  subsidiaries  is the subject  that,  if  determined  adversely  to the
     Company or any of its subsidiaries,  would individually or in the aggregate
     have a Material  Adverse  Effect or which would  materially  and  adversely
     affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or which is
     required to be disclosed in the  Prospectus;  to the best of the  Company's
     knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated.

          (xviii) The Company is not and,  after  giving  effect to the offering
     and sale of the Shares,  will not be a "holding  company," or a "subsidiary
     company" of a "holding  company," or an "affiliate" of a "holding  company"
     or of a  "subsidiary  company,"  as such  terms are  defined  in the Public
     Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, as amended (the "1935 Act").

          (xix) The Company is not and,  after giving effect to the offering and
     sale of the  Shares,  will  not be an  "investment  company"  or an  entity
     "controlled"  by an "investment  company," as such terms are defined in the
     Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act").

          (xx) KPMG LLP, the  accounting  firm which has certified the financial
     statements  filed with or incorporated by reference in and as a part of the
     Registration Statement, is an independent public accounting firm within the
     meaning of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Rules and Regulations. The Company
     and each of its  subsidiaries  maintains  a system of  internal  accounting
     controls sufficient to provide reasonable  assurance that: (A) transactions
     are  executed  in  accordance   with   management's   general  or  specific
     authorizations;  (B)  transactions  are  recorded  as  necessary  to permit
     preparation of financial  statements in conformity with generally  accepted
     accounting principles and to maintain accountability for assets; (C) access
     to assets is permitted  only in  accordance  with  management's  general or
     specific  authorization;  and (D)  the  recorded  accounts  for  assets  is
     compared with the existing  assets at reasonable  intervals and appropriate
     action is taken with respect thereto. The consolidated financial statements
     and schedules of the Company,  including the notes thereto,  filed with (or
     incorporated by reference) and as a part of the  Registration  Statement or
     Prospectus,  are accurate in all material  respects and present  fairly the
     financial  condition  of  the  Company  and  its  subsidiaries  as  of  the
     respective  dates thereof and the  consolidated  results of operations  and
     changes in financial position and consolidated  statements of cash flow for
     the respective  periods covered  thereby,  all in conformity with generally
     accepted accounting principles applied

                                     Page 9



     on a consistent  basis  throughout the periods involved except as otherwise
     disclosed  therein.  All adjustments  necessary for a fair  presentation of
     results  for such  periods  have been made.  The  selected  financial  data
     included or  incorporated  by reference in the  Registration  Statement and
     Prospectus  present  fairly the  information  shown  therein  and have been
     compiled  on  a  basis  consistent  with  that  of  the  audited  financial
     statements.   Any   operating  or  other   statistical   data  included  or
     incorporated  by reference in the  Registration  Statement  and  Prospectus
     comply in all  material  respects  with the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Rules
     and Regulations and present fairly the information shown therein.

          (xxi)  Except to the extent such rights have been waived with  respect
     to the sale of the Shares,  no holder of any  security of the  Company,  or
     security  convertible  into a  security  of the  Company,  has any right to
     require registration of shares of Common Stock or any other security of the
     Company  because  of  the  filing  of  the  Registration  Statement  or the
     consummation  of  the  transactions  contemplated  hereby  and,  except  as
     disclosed  in  the   Prospectus,   no  person  has  the  right  to  require
     registration  under the 1933 Act of any  shares  of  Common  Stock or other
     securities  of the  Company.  No  person  has  the  right,  contractual  or
     otherwise,  to cause the Company to permit such  person to  underwrite  the
     sale  of any  of the  Shares.  Except  for  this  Agreement,  there  are no
     contracts,  agreements or understandings  between the Company or any of its
     subsidiaries  and any person that would give rise to a valid claim  against
     the  Company,  its  subsidiaries  or the  Placement  Agent for a  brokerage
     commission,  finder's fee or like payment in connection  with the issuance,
     purchase and sale of the Shares.

          (xxii) The  Company  has not  distributed  and,  prior to the later to
     occur of (A) the Closing Date and (B) completion of the distribution of the
     Shares,  will not distribute any offering  material in connection  with the
     offering and sale of the Shares other than the Registration Statement,  the
     Prospectus or documents incorporated therein by reference.

          (xxiii)  The  Company  has not taken and will not  take,  directly  or
     indirectly, any action designed to or which might reasonably be expected to
     cause or  result  in  stabilization  or  manipulation  of the  price of the
     Company's  Common  Stock,  and the  Company is not aware of any such action
     taken or to be taken by affiliates of the Company.

          (xxiv) The Company represents and warrants to you that any certificate
     signed by any officer of the Company and delivered to the  Placement  Agent
     or to counsel for the Placement Agent shall be deemed a representation  and
     warranty by the Company to the  Placement  Agent as to the matters  covered
     thereby.

          (xxv) The Company  represents and warrants to you that it is organized
     and has operated in conformity with the requirements for  qualification and
     taxation as a real estate investment trust ("REIT") for each of its taxable
     years  since its  formation  and its current  organization  and current and
     proposed  method  of  operation  will  enable  it to  continue  to meet the
     requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT. No transaction event
     has

                                    Page 10



     occurred  which could cause the Company not to be able to qualify as a REIT
     for its current taxable year or any future taxable year.

          (xxvi) The  Company  represents  and  warrants to you that each of the
     Company's investments that is a partnership or a limited liability company,
     other than any entity for which a taxable REIT subsidiary election has been
     made  ("Subsidiary  Partnerships"),  is  properly  classified  either  as a
     disregarded  entity or as a partnership,  and not as a corporation or as an
     association  taxable as a  corporation,  for  federal  income tax  purposes
     throughout  the period from its formation  through the date hereof,  or, in
     the case of any Subsidiary  Partnerships that have terminated,  through the
     date of termination of such Subsidiary Partnerships.

          (xxvii) The Company has retained KPMG LLP as its qualified accountants
     and qualified tax experts,  and KPMG LLP (i) periodically  tests procedures
     and conduct annual compliance reviews designed to determine compliance with
     the REIT  provisions of the Internal  Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the
     "Code") and (ii)  assists the Company in  monitoring  what it believes  are
     appropriate   accounting  systems  and  procedures  designed  to  determine
     compliance with the REIT provisions of the Code.

          (xxviii)  The  Company   represents  and  warrants  to  you  that  the
     statements  under the captions "Risk  Factors--Other  Risks--We May Fail to
     Qualify  as  a  REIT"  and  "Material  United  States  Federal  Income  Tax
     Consequences" in the Prospectus are accurate in all material respects.

     4.  Additional  Covenants.  The  Company  covenants  and  agrees  with  the
Placement Agent that:

     (a) The Company  will timely  transmit  copies of the  Prospectus,  and any
amendments or supplements thereto, to the SEC for filing pursuant to Rule 424(b)
of the 1933 Act Rules and Regulations.

     (b) The Company has  furnished or will deliver to the  Placement  Agent and
counsel  for the  Placement  Agent,  without  charge,  conformed  copies  of the
Registration  Statement  as  originally  filed  and of  each  amendment  thereto
(including  exhibits filed therewith or  incorporated  by reference  therein and
documents  incorporated or deemed to be  incorporated by reference  therein) and
conformed copies of all consents and certificates of experts.  The copies of the
Registration  Statement and each  amendment  thereto  furnished to the Placement
Agent will be identical to the  electronically  transmitted copies thereof filed
with the SEC pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T
or by Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Rules and  Regulations.  The Company will promptly
notify  the  Placement  Agent  of the  issuance  by the  SEC of any  stop  order
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration  Statement or of the initiation
or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes. The Company will use
its best  efforts to prevent  the  issuance  of any stop order and,  if any stop
order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.

                                    Page 11



     (c)  The  Company  will  not  file  any  amendment  or  supplement  to  the
Registration Statement,  the Prospectus (or any other prospectus relating to the
Shares filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Rules and Regulations  that
differs from the  Prospectus as filed pursuant to such Rule 424(b)) and will not
file any document  under the 1934 Act before the  termination of the offering of
the Shares by the Company if the document would be deemed to be  incorporated by
reference  into the  Registration  Statement  or the  Prospectus,  of which  the
Placement Agent shall not previously have been advised and furnished with a copy
or to which the Placement Agent shall have  reasonably  objected or which is not
in  compliance  with the 1933 Act Rules and  Regulations;  and the Company  will
promptly notify you after it shall have received notice thereof of the time when
any  amendment  to the  Registration  Statement  becomes  effective  or when any
supplement to the Prospectus has been filed.

     (d) During the period  when a  Prospectus  relating to any of the Shares is
required to be delivered  under the 1933 Act by any  Placement  Agent or dealer,
the Company will comply,  at its own expense,  with all requirements  imposed by
the 1933  Act and the  1933 Act  Rules  and  Regulations,  as now and  hereafter
amended, and by the rules and regulations of the SEC thereunder, as from time to
time in force,  so far as  necessary  to permit the  continuance  of sales of or
dealing in the Shares  during  such  period in  accordance  with the  provisions
hereof and as contemplated by the Prospectus.

     (e) If,  during the period when a Prospectus  relating to any of the Shares
is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act by any Placement Agent or dealer,
(i) any event relating to or affecting the Company or of which the Company shall
be advised in writing by the  Placement  Agent shall occur as a result of which,
in the opinion of the Company or the  Placement  Agent,  the  Prospectus as then
amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or
omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein,
in the light of the circumstances  under which they were made, not misleading or
(ii) it shall be necessary to amend or supplement the Registration  Statement or
the Prospectus to comply with the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Rules and  Regulations,
the 1934 Act or the 1934 Act Rules and  Regulations,  the Company will forthwith
at its expense prepare and file with the SEC, and furnish to the Placement Agent
a reasonable  number of copies of, such  amendment or supplement or other filing
that will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance.

     (f) During the period  when a  Prospectus  relating to any of the Shares is
required to be delivered under the 1933 Act by the Placement  Agent, the Company
will furnish such proper  information as may be lawfully  required and otherwise
cooperate in  qualifying  the Shares for offer and sale under the  securities or
blue  sky laws of such  jurisdictions  as the  Placement  Agent  may  reasonably
designate and will file and make in each year such  statements or reports as are
or may be  reasonably  required  by the  laws of such  jurisdictions;  provided,
however,  that the  Company  shall  not be  required  to  qualify  as a  foreign
corporation or shall be required to qualify as a dealer in securities or to file
a general consent to service of process under the laws of any jurisdiction.

                                    Page 12



     (g) In  accordance  with Section  11(a) of the 1933 Act and Rule 158 of the
1933 Act Rules and Regulations, the Company will make generally available to its
security  holders  and to  holders of the  Shares,  as soon as  practicable,  an
earning  statement (which need not be audited) in reasonable detail covering the
12 months  beginning  not later than the first day of the month next  succeeding
the month in which  occurred the effective date (within the meaning of Rule 158)
of the Registration Statement.

     (h) During the period  when a  Prospectus  relating to any of the Shares is
required to be delivered under the 1933 Act by the Placement  Agent, the Company
will file promptly all  documents  required to be filed with the SEC pursuant to
Sections 13(a),  13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act. The Company will furnish to
its security holders annual reports containing  financial  statements audited by
independent public accountants.  The Company will, for a period of one year from
the Closing  Date,  deliver to the Placement  Agent at its  principal  executive
office a  reasonable  number of copies of  annual  reports,  quarterly  reports,
current  reports  and copies of all other  documents,  reports  and  information
furnished  by the  Company  to its  shareholders  or filed  with any  securities
exchange or market  pursuant to the  requirements  of such exchange or market or
with the SEC  pursuant to the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act. The Company will deliver
to  the  Placement  Agent  similar  reports  with  respect  to  any  significant
subsidiaries,  as that term is  defined  in the 1933 Act Rules and  Regulations,
which are not consolidated in the Company's  financial  statements.  Any report,
document or other information  required to be furnished under this paragraph (h)
shall be  furnished  as soon as  practicable  after  such  report,  document  or
information becomes available.

     (i)  During  the  period  beginning  from  the date of this  Agreement  and
continuing to and including the date that is 30 days after the Closing Date, the
Company will not,  without the prior  written  consent of the  Placement  Agent,
offer for sale,  sell or enter into any agreement to sell, or otherwise  dispose
of, any equity  securities  of the  Company,  except for the  Shares;  provided,
however,  that the Company may issue,  or grant  options to purchase,  shares of
Common Stock pursuant to any employee stock  incentive plan existing on the date
hereof.

     (j) The Company will apply the proceeds  from the sale of the Shares as set
forth in the  description  under  "Use of  Proceeds"  in the  Prospectus,  which
description  complies  in all  respects  with  the  requirements  of Item 504 of
Regulation S-K.

     (k) The Company will promptly provide you with copies of all correspondence
to and from, and all documents  issued to and by, the SEC in connection with the
registration  of the  Shares  under the 1933 Act or  relating  to any  documents
incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement or the Prospectus.

     (l) Prior to the Closing Date,  the Company will furnish to you, as soon as
they have been prepared,  copies of any unaudited interim consolidated financial
statements of the Company and its subsidiaries for any periods subsequent to the
periods  covered  by the  financial  statements  appearing  in the  Registration
Statement and the Prospectus or incorporated therein by reference.

                                    Page 13



     (m) Except as required by law,  prior to the Closing Date, the Company will
issue no press release or other communication,  directly or indirectly, and will
hold  no  press   conferences  with  respect  to  the  Company  or  any  of  its
subsidiaries,   the  financial  condition,  results  of  operations,   business,
properties,  assets or liabilities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or
the offering of the Shares,  without your prior  written  consent.  In the event
that any such  disclosure is required by law, the Company will  promptly  notify
you of such  required  disclosure  prior to issuing  any press  release or other
communication  or holding any press  conference,  and, to the extent  reasonably
practicable,  the  Company  will  permit you to comment on any press  release or
other communication.

     (n) The  Company  will use its best  efforts to obtain  approval  for,  and
maintain the quotation of the Shares on, the New York Stock Exchange.

     (o) The Company and its subsidiaries  will maintain and keep accurate books
and records  reflecting their assets and maintain internal  accounting  controls
which  provide  reasonable  assurance  that (i)  transactions  are  executed  in
accordance with  management's  authorization,  (ii) transactions are recorded as
necessary to permit the  preparation  of the  Company's  consolidated  financial
statements and to maintain  accountability for the assets of the Company and its
subsidiaries,  (iii) access to the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries is
permitted  only in  accordance  with  management's  authorization,  and (iv) the
recorded accounts of the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries are compared
with existing assets at reasonable intervals.

     (p)  The  Company  will  use its  best  efforts  to  continue  to meet  the
requirements  for  qualification as a REIT under Sections 856 through 860 of the
Code.

     5. Conditions of Closing. The Closing shall be subject to the accuracy,  as
of the date  hereof  and as of the  Closing  Date,  of the  representations  and
warranties of the Company contained herein, to the performance by the Company of
its  covenants  and  obligations  hereunder,  and  to the  following  additional
conditions,  and the Company shall not issue or sell the Shares unless and until
all of the  conditions of this Section 5 shall have been  satisfied or waived by
the Placement Agent:

     (a) The Registration  Statement and all  post-effective  amendments thereto
shall have become effective not later than 1:00 p.m., New York time, on the date
hereof,  or, with your  consent,  at a later date and time,  not later than 1:00
p.m., New York time, on the first business day following the date hereof,  or at
such later date and time as may be approved by the Placement  Agent. All filings
required by Rule 424 and Rule 430A of the 1933 Act Rules and  Regulations  shall
have been made. No stop order  suspending the  effectiveness of the Registration
Statement,  as  amended  from  time to  time,  shall  have  been  issued  and no
proceeding  for that purpose  shall have been  initiated or, to the knowledge of
the Company or the Placement  Agent,  threatened or contemplated by the SEC, and
any  request  of the SEC  for  additional  information  (to be  included  in the
Registration  Statement or the Prospectus or otherwise) shall have been complied
with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Placement Agent.

                                    Page 14



     (b) The  Placement  Agent shall not have advised the Company on or prior to
the Closing Date, that the Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendment
or supplement thereto contains an untrue statement of fact which, in the opinion
of counsel to the Placement Agent, is material,  or omits to state a fact which,
in the opinion of such counsel, is material and is required to be stated therein
or is necessary to make the statements  therein,  in light of the  circumstances
under which they were made, not misleading.

     (c) On the Closing  Date,  you shall have  received  the opinion of Jaeckle
Fleischmann & Mugel,  LLP,  counsel for the Company,  addressed to you and dated
the Closing Date, to the effect that:

          (i)  The  Registration  Statement  and all  post-effective  amendments
     thereto have become  effective  under the 1933 Act; any required  filing of
     the  Prospectus  or any  supplement  thereto  pursuant  to Rule  424(b)  or
     otherwise  has been made in the manner and within the time period  required
     thereby;  and, to the knowledge of such counsel after due inquiry,  no stop
     or other order suspending the  effectiveness of the Registration  Statement
     has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or
     are pending or contemplated under the 1933 Act or under the securities laws
     of any jurisdiction.

          (ii) The Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and each amendment
     or supplement  thereto  (including any document  incorporated  by reference
     into the  Prospectus),  as of their  respective  effective  or issue  date,
     comply as to form and appear on their face to be  appropriately  responsive
     in all material respects to the requirements of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act
     and the applicable 1933 Act Rules and Regulations (except that such counsel
     need express no opinion as to the financial  statements or other  financial
     or  statistical  data);  the  conditions  for use of  Form  S-3  have  been
     satisfied;  and, as of the date they were filed with the SEC, the documents
     incorporated by reference in the Prospectus  appear on their face to comply
     as to form and be  appropriately  responsive in all material  respects with
     the  requirements  of the 1934 Act and the  applicable  1934 Act  Rules and
     Regulations  (except  that such  counsel  need express no opinion as to the
     financial statements or other financial data).

          (iii) The descriptions in the Registration Statement and Prospectus of
     statutes,  laws,  ordinances,  rules,  regulations,  legal or  governmental
     proceedings,  contracts and other documents are accurate and fairly present
     the  information  required  to be shown under the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act
     Rules and Regulations.

          (iv) This Agreement has been duly  authorized,  executed and delivered
     by the Company and  constitutes a valid and legally  binding  obligation of
     the Company.

          (v) The Company and its subsidiaries  have been duly organized and are
     validly  existing  as  corporations   partnerships  and  limited  liability
     companies  in  good  standing  under  the  laws  of  the  states  or  other
     jurisdictions in which they are incorporated

                                    Page 15



     and organized,  with full power and authority (corporate and other) to own,
     lease  and  operate  their  properties  and  conduct  their  businesses  as
     described in the  Prospectus  and, with respect to the Company,  to execute
     and deliver,  and perform the Company's  obligations under, this Agreement;
     the  Company  and its  subsidiaries  are duly  qualified  to do business as
     foreign  corporations or similar entities in good standing in each state or
     other  jurisdiction  in which  their  ownership  or leasing of  property or
     conduct of business legally requires such  qualification,  except where the
     failure to be so qualified,  individually  or in the  aggregate,  would not
     have a Material Adverse Effect.

          (vi)  The  entities   listed  on  Schedule  II  hereto  are  the  only
     subsidiaries,  direct  or  indirect,  of the  Company.  The  Company  owns,
     directly or indirectly through other subsidiaries, the percentage indicated
     on  Schedule II of the  outstanding  shares of capital  stock,  partnership
     interests,  membership or similar  interests,  as the case may be, or other
     securities  evidencing equity ownership of such subsidiaries,  and all such
     securities have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and
     non-assessable  and, to the  knowledge  of such  counsel,  are owned by the
     Company free and clear of any mortgage,  pledge, lien, encumbrance,  charge
     or adverse claim and are not the subject of any agreement or  understanding
     with any person,  and were not issued in  violation  of any  preemptive  or
     similar rights; and, to the knowledge of such counsel,  except as disclosed
     in  the  Prospectus,  there  are  no  outstanding  subscriptions,   rights,
     warrants,  options, calls, convertible securities,  commitments of sale, or
     instruments  related to or  entitling  any person to purchase or  otherwise
     acquire any shares of, or any security  convertible  into or exercisable or
     exchangeable  for,  any such  shares of  capital  stock or other  ownership
     interest of any of such subsidiaries.

          (vii) The issuance and sale of the Shares and the execution,  delivery
     and performance by the Company of this Agreement,  and the  consummation of
     the transactions herein contemplated, will not conflict with or result in a
     breach or violation of any of the terms or  provisions  of, or constitute a
     default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien,  charge
     or  encumbrance  upon any properties or assets of the Company or any of its
     subsidiaries under, any indenture,  mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement
     or other agreement or instrument known to such counsel after due inquiry to
     which the  Company  or any of its  subsidiaries  is a party or by which the
     Company  or  any  of its  subsidiaries  is  bound  or to  which  any of the
     properties or assets of the Company or any of its  subsidiaries is subject,
     except to such extent as, individually or in the aggregate, does not have a
     Material  Adverse  Effect,  nor will such action result in any violation of
     the provisions of the Company's Charter,  Articles  Supplementary or bylaws
     or any  statute,  rule,  regulation  or other law, or any order or judgment
     known to such  counsel  after due  inquiry,  of any  court or  governmental
     agency  or  body  having  jurisdiction  over  the  Company  or  any  of its
     subsidiaries or any of their properties.

          (viii) No consent,  approval,  authorization,  order,  registration or
     qualification  of or with  any  court  or  governmental  agency  or body is
     required in connection with the

                                    Page 16



     execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, and the issuance and
     sale of the Shares or the  consummation  of the  transactions  contemplated
     hereby,  except such as may be required  under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act
     Rules and Regulations and have been obtained,  or as may be required by the
     NASD or under  state  securities  or blue sky laws in  connection  with the
     purchase  of the  Shares  by the  Investor.  Each  of the  Company  and its
     subsidiaries  has filed all  Notices  pursuant  to,  and has  obtained  all
     Approvals  required to be obtained under,  and has otherwise  complied with
     all requirements of, all applicable laws and regulations in connection with
     the  issuance  and sale of the Shares,  in each case with such  exceptions,
     individually  or in the aggregate,  as would not affect the validity of the
     Shares,  their issuance or the transactions  contemplated  hereby or have a
     Material  Adverse Effect;  and no such Notices or Approvals are required to
     be  filed  or  obtained  by the  Company  or any  of  its  subsidiaries  in
     connection with the execution,  delivery and performance of this Agreement,
     the  issuance  and  sale of the  Shares  or the  transactions  contemplated
     hereby,  in  each  case  with  such  exceptions,  individually  or  in  the
     aggregate,  as would not affect the validity of the Shares,  their issuance
     or the transactions contemplated hereby or have a Material Adverse Effect.

          (ix) To the knowledge of such counsel after due inquiry and other than
     as set  forth  in  the  Prospectus,  there  are no  legal  or  governmental
     proceedings  pending to which the Company or any of its  subsidiaries  is a
     party or of which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is
     the subject  that,  if  determined  adversely  to the Company or any of its
     subsidiaries,  would  individually  or in the  aggregate  have  a  Material
     Adverse Effect on the current or future  consolidated  financial  position,
     stockholders'  equity or  results  of  operations  of the  Company  and its
     subsidiaries  taken as a whole; and, to the knowledge of such counsel after
     due  inquiry,  no  such  proceedings  are  threatened  or  contemplated  by
     governmental authorities or threatened by others.

          (x) The  Company has duly and validly  authorized  and issued  capital
     stock as set forth under the caption  "Description of Capital Stock" in the
     Prospectus;  all outstanding  shares of Common Stock of the Company and the
     Shares  conform,  or when issued will  conform,  as to legal matters to the
     description thereof in the Prospectus; all shares of Common Stock issued by
     the  Company  have been duly  authorized,  validly  issued,  fully paid and
     non-assessable;  and the  Shares to be sold by the  Company  have been duly
     authorized  and,  when  delivered  and paid  for in  accordance  with  this
     Agreement,  will be  validly  issued,  fully paid and  non-assessable.  All
     corporate action required to be taken by the Company for the authorization,
     issue and sale of the Shares has been duly and  validly  taken.  The Shares
     are duly authorized for trading, subject to official notice of issuance and
     evidence of satisfactory distribution,  on the New York Stock Exchange. The
     form of  specimen  certificate  representing  the  Shares  filed  with  the
     Securities  and Exchange  Commission is in valid and  sufficient  form. The
     issuance of the Shares to be  purchased  from the Company  hereunder is not
     subject to preemptive or other similar rights,  or any restriction upon the
     voting or transfer  thereof  pursuant  to  applicable  law or the  Charter,
     Articles Supplementary, bylaws or governing documents of the

                                    Page 17



     Company or any agreement to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is
     a party  or by which  any of them  may be  bound;  and,  to such  counsel's
     knowledge, except as described in the Prospectus,  there are no outstanding
     subscriptions,  rights,  warrants,  options, calls, convertible securities,
     commitments  of sale or  rights  related  to or  entitling  any  person  to
     purchase or otherwise  acquire any shares of, or any  security  convertible
     into or  exercisable  or  exchangeable  for, the capital stock of, or other
     ownership interest in, the Company.

          (xi) To the knowledge of such counsel  after due inquiry,  the Company
     and each of its subsidiaries hold all licenses,  certificates,  permits and
     approvals from all state,  federal and other  regulatory  authorities,  and
     have  satisfied  in all  material  respects  the  requirements  imposed  by
     regulatory bodies,  administrative  agencies or other governmental  bodies,
     agencies  or  officials,   that  are  required  for  the  Company  and  its
     subsidiaries  lawfully to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct
     its business as described in the Prospectus,  and, to the knowledge of such
     counsel  after due  inquiry,  each of the Company and its  subsidiaries  is
     conducting its business in compliance in all material  respects with all of
     the laws,  rules and regulations of each  jurisdiction in which it conducts
     its business.

          (xii) The statements  made in the Prospectus  under the captions "Risk
     Factors"  and  "Description  of Capital  Stock,"  Item 15 of Part II of the
     Registration Statement, and in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for
     the year  ended  December  31,  2002  under  Item 1,  "Business,"  Item 11,
     "Executive  Compensation"  and Item 13, "Certain  Relationships and Related
     Transactions,"  to the extent that they  constitute  summaries of documents
     referred  to  therein or  matters  of law or legal  conclusions,  have been
     reviewed by such counsel and are accurate  summaries and fairly present the
     information disclosed therein.

          (xiii) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is, or with the
     giving of notice or lapse of time or both would be, in default or violation
     with respect to its Charter,  or bylaws,  partnership  agreements  or other
     governing  documents,  as the case may be. To the knowledge of such counsel
     after due inquiry,  neither the Company nor any of its  subsidiaries is, or
     with the  giving of notice or lapse of time or both would be, in default in
     the  performance  or  observance  of any  material  obligation,  agreement,
     covenant or condition contained in any indenture,  mortgage, deed of trust,
     loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company
     or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its
     subsidiaries  is bound or to which any of the  properties  or assets of the
     Company or any of its  subsidiaries  is  subject,  or in  violation  of any
     statutes,  laws,  ordinances or  governmental  rules or  regulations or any
     orders or decrees to which it is subject,  including,  without  limitation,
     Section  13 of the  1934  Act,  and  neither  the  Company  nor  any of its
     subsidiaries  has failed to obtain any other  license,  permit,  franchise,
     easement,  consent,  or other governmental  authorization  necessary to the
     ownership, leasing and operation of its properties or to the conduct of its

                                    Page 18



     business,  which  default,  violation  or failure,  individually  or in the
     aggregate, would have a Material Adverse Effect.

          (xiv) To the  knowledge of such counsel  after due inquiry,  (A) there
     are no material (individually,  or in the aggregate) legal, governmental or
     regulatory proceedings pending or threatened to which the Company or any of
     its  subsidiaries  is a party or of which the business or properties of the
     Company or any of its  subsidiaries  is the subject which are not disclosed
     in the Registration Statement and Prospectus; (B) there are no contracts or
     documents  of a character  required  to be  described  in the  Registration
     Statement  or  the  Prospectus  or  to  be  filed  as  an  exhibit  to  the
     Registration  Statement  which are not described or filed as required;  and
     (C) there are no statutes,  ordinances, laws, rules or regulations required
     to be described in the  Registration  Statement or Prospectus which are not
     described as required.

          (xv) The Company is not and,  after giving  effect to the offering and
     sale of the  Shares,  will not be a  "holding  company,"  or a  "subsidiary
     company" of a "holding  company," or an "affiliate" of a "holding  company"
     or of a "subsidiary company," as such terms are defined in the 1935 Act.

          (xvi) The Company is not and,  after giving effect to the offering and
     sale of the  Shares,  will  not be an  "investment  company"  or an  entity
     "controlled"  by an "investment  company," as such terms are defined in the
     1940 Act.

          (xvii) All the shares of capital stock of the Company have been issued
     and sold in compliance  with all  applicable  federal and state  securities
     laws.

          (xviii) To the  knowledge of such counsel after due inquiry and except
     as  disclosed in the  Prospectus,  no holder of any security of the Company
     has any right to  require  registration  of  shares of Common  Stock or any
     other  security  of the Company  because of the filing of the  Registration
     Statement or the consummation of the transactions  contemplated hereby and,
     except to the extent such rights have been waived with  respect to the sale
     of the  Shares no person has the right to  require  registration  under the
     1933 Act of any shares of Common Stock or other securities of the Company.

          (xviv) The Company has been  organized  and has operated in conformity
     with the requirements for  qualification and taxation as a REIT for each of
     its taxable years  beginning  with the taxable year ended December 31, 1997
     through December 31, 2002, and its current organization and proposed method
     of  operation  will  enable it to  continue  to meet the  requirements  for
     qualification  and  taxation  as a REIT  for  the  taxable  year  2003  and
     thereafter.

          (xx) The statements under the captions "Risk Factors--Other  Risks--We
     May Fail to Qualify as a REIT" and "Material  United States  Federal Income
     Tax  Consequences"  in the Prospectus have been reviewed by counsel and, to
     the  extent  they

                                    Page 19



     constitute descriptions of legal matters or legal conclusions, are accurate
     in all material respects.

     Such counsel shall confirm that during the preparation of the  Registration
Statement and  Prospectus,  such counsel  participated  in conferences  with the
Placement  Agent and its counsel and with  officers and  representatives  of the
Company and its independent  accountants,  at which  conferences the contents of
the  Registration  Statement and the Prospectus  (including all documents  filed
under the 1934 Act and deemed incorporated by reference therein) were discussed,
reviewed and revised. On the basis of the information which was developed in the
course  thereof,   considered  in  light  of  such  counsel's  understanding  of
applicable law and the experience  gained by such counsel through their practice
thereunder,  without such counsel assuming  responsibility  for the accuracy and
completeness of such statements  except to the extent expressly  provided above,
such counsel shall confirm that nothing came to their  attention that would lead
them to believe  that (i) the  Registration  Statement  (including  any document
filed under the 1934 Act and deemed  incorporated by reference  therein),  as of
the Effective Date,  contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted
to state a material fact required to be stated  therein or necessary to make the
statements  therein not  misleading,  or (ii) the Prospectus or any amendment or
supplement  thereto  (including any document filed under the 1934 Act and deemed
incorporated by reference therein) as of its respective issue date and as of the
Closing Date,  contained or contains any untrue  statement of a material fact or
omitted  or omits to state a  material  fact  required  to be stated  therein or
necessary  to make the  statements  therein,  in the light of the  circumstances
under which they were made, not misleading (other than the financial  statements
and schedules, or other financial data, as to which such counsel need express no
opinion).

     In  rendering  the  foregoing  opinion,  such  counsel may rely,  (1) as to
matters  involving laws of any jurisdiction  other than State of New York or the
United  States of America,  upon opinions  addressed to the  Placement  Agent of
other counsel  satisfactory  to it and Morrison & Foerster  LLP,  counsel to the
Placement  Agent,  and (2) as to all  matters  of fact,  upon  certificates  and
written  statements  of the  executive  officers  of, and  accountants  for, the
Company;  provided,  in either  case,  that such  counsel  shall  state in their
opinion that they and the Placement Agent are justified in relying thereon.

     (d) You shall have received on the Closing  Date,  from Morrison & Foerster
LLP, counsel to the Placement Agent, such opinion or opinions, dated the Closing
Date,  with  respect to such  matters  as you may  reasonably  require;  and the
Company shall have furnished to such counsel such  documents as they  reasonably
request  for the  purposes  of  enabling  them to review or pass on the  matters
referred  to  in  this  Section  5  and  in  order  to  evidence  the  accuracy,
completeness and satisfaction of the representations,  warranties and conditions
herein contained.

     (e) You shall have received at or prior to the Closing Date from Morrison &
Foerster LLP a memorandum or memoranda,  in form and substance  satisfactory  to
you, with respect to the  qualification  for offering and sale by the Company of
the Shares under state securities

                                    Page 20



or  Blue  Sky  laws  of such  jurisdictions  as the  Placement  Agent  may  have
designated to the Company.

     (f) On the business day  immediately  preceding the date of this  Agreement
and on the Closing Date, you shall have received from KPMG LLP,  letters,  dated
the respective  dates of delivery,  in form and substance  satisfactory  to you,
confirming  that they are  independent  public  accountants  with respect to the
Company within the meaning of the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Rules and  Regulations,
the 1934 Act, and the 1934 Act Rules and Regulations,  and stating to the effect
set forth in Schedule I hereto.

     (g) Except as contemplated  in the Prospectus,  (i) neither the Company nor
any of its  subsidiaries  shall  have  sustained  since  the date of the  latest
audited  financial  statements  included or  incorporated  by  reference  in the
Prospectus  any loss or  interference  with its business  from fire,  explosion,
flood or other calamity,  whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor
dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree; and (ii) subsequent to
the  respective  dates as of  which  information  is  given in the  Registration
Statement and the  Prospectus,  neither the Company nor any of its  subsidiaries
shall have  incurred  any  liability or  obligation,  direct or  contingent,  or
entered into any  transactions,  and there shall not have been any change in the
capital stock,  partnership interests or membership or similar interests, as the
case may be, or short-term or long-term debt of the Company and its subsidiaries
or any  change,  or any  development  involving  or which  might  reasonably  be
expected to involve a prospective change in the condition  (financial or other),
net worth, business, affairs,  management,  prospects,  results of operations or
cash flow of the Company or its  subsidiaries,  the effect of which, in any such
case  described in clause (i) or (ii), is in the Placement  Agent's  judgment so
material or adverse as to make it  impracticable  or inadvisable to proceed with
the Registered  Direct Offering or the delivery of the Shares being delivered on
such Closing Date on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus.

     (h) There shall not have occurred any of the following: (i) a suspension or
material  limitation  in trading in  securities  generally on the New York Stock
Exchange or the Nasdaq National Market or the establishment on such exchanges or
market by the SEC or by such  exchanges or markets of minimum or maximum  prices
which  are not in force and  effect on the date  hereof;  (ii) a  suspension  or
material limitation in trading in the Company's securities on the New York Stock
Exchange  or the  establishing  on such  market by the SEC or by such  market of
minimum or maximum  prices which are not in force and effect on the date hereof;
(iii) a general moratorium on commercial  banking activities  declared by either
federal or any state authorities; (iv) the outbreak or escalation of hostilities
involving  the  United  States  or the  declaration  by the  United  States of a
national  emergency or war,  which in your judgment  makes it  impracticable  or
inadvisable  to proceed with the Registered  Direct  Offering or the delivery of
the Shares in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus;  or (v) any calamity or
crisis,  change in national,  international or world affairs, act of God, change
in the international or domestic markets,  or change in the existing  financial,
political or economic  conditions in the United  States or  elsewhere,  which in
your  judgment  makes  it  impracticable  or  inadvisable  to  proceed  with the

                                    Page 21



Registered  Direct  Offering  or the  delivery  of  the  Shares  in  the  manner
contemplated in the Prospectus.

     (i) You shall have received certificates, dated the Closing Date and signed
by the  President  and the Chief  Financial  Officer  of the  Company,  in their
capacities as such, stating that:

          (i) the condition set forth in Section 5(a) has been fully satisfied;

          (ii) they have carefully  examined the Registration  Statement and the
     Prospectus as amended or  supplemented  and all documents  incorporated  by
     reference  therein and nothing has come to their  attention that would lead
     them to believe that either the  Registration  Statement or the Prospectus,
     or any amendment or supplement  thereto or any  documents  incorporated  by
     reference therein as of their respective effective,  issue or filing dates,
     contained,  and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented and all documents
     incorporated by reference therein and when read together with the documents
     incorporated  by  reference  therein,  at such Closing  Date,  contains any
     untrue  statement  of a material  fact,  or omits to state a material  fact
     required to be stated  therein or necessary in order to make the statements
     therein,  in light of the  circumstances  under  which they were made,  not
     misleading;

          (iii) since the Effective  Date,  there has occurred no event required
     to be set forth in an amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement
     or the  Prospectus  which  has not been so set  forth and there has been no
     document required to be filed under the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Rules and
     Regulations  that upon such filing  would be deemed to be  incorporated  by
     reference into the Prospectus that has not been so filed;

          (iv) all representations and warranties made herein by the Company are
     true and correct at such Closing  Date,  with the same effect as if made on
     and as of such Closing Date, and all  agreements  herein to be performed or
     complied  with by the  Company on or prior to such  Closing  Date have been
     duly performed and complied with by the Company;

          (v)  neither the Company  nor any of its  subsidiaries  has  sustained
     since the date of the  latest  audited  financial  statements  included  or
     incorporated   by  reference  in  the   Prospectus  any  material  loss  or
     interference  with  its  business  from  fire,  explosion,  flood  or other
     calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or
     court or governmental action, order or decree;

          (vi)  except  as  disclosed  in  the  Prospectus,  subsequent  to  the
     respective  dates as of  which  information  is  given in the  Registration
     Statement  and  the  Prospectus,   neither  the  Company  nor  any  of  its
     subsidiaries  has  incurred  any  liabilities  or  obligations,  direct  or
     contingent,  other than in the ordinary course of business, or entered into
     any  transactions  not in the ordinary course of business,  which in either
     case are material to the

                                    Page 22



     Company  or such  subsidiary;  and  there  has not been any  change  in the
     capital stock, partnership interests or membership or similar interests, as
     the case may be, or material  increase in the short-term  debt or long-term
     debt of the  Company or any of its  subsidiaries  or any  material  adverse
     change or any development  involving or which may reasonably be expected to
     involve a prospective  material adverse change, in the condition (financial
     or other), net worth, business, affairs, management,  prospects, results of
     operations  or cash flow of the  Company  and its  subsidiaries  taken as a
     whole;  and there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind, paid or
     made by the Company on any class of its capital stock;

          (vii) there has not been any change or decrease of the kind  specified
     in paragraph 6 of the letter or letters  delivered to the  Placement  Agent
     referred to in Section 5(f) above,  except those changes and decreases that
     are disclosed therein; and

          (viii) covering such other matters as you may reasonably request.

     (j) The  Company  shall  have  furnished  to you at the  Closing  Date such
further information,  opinions,  certificates,  letters and documents as you may
have reasonably requested.

     (k) The Shares shall have been approved for trading upon official notice of
issuance on the New York Stock Exchange.

     All  such  opinions,  certificates,   letters  and  documents  will  be  in
compliance with the provisions  hereof only if they are satisfactory in form and
substance  to you and to  Morrison & Foerster  LLP,  counsel  for the  Placement
Agent.  The Company  will furnish you with such signed and  conformed  copies of
such opinions, certificates, letters and documents as you may request.

     If any of the conditions  specified  above in this Section 5 shall not have
been satisfied at or prior to the Closing Date or waived by you in writing, this
Agreement  may be  terminated  by you on notice to the  Company,  whereupon  the
Company shall not issue or sell the Shares.

     6. Indemnification and Contribution.

     (a) The Company will  indemnify and hold harmless the Placement  Agent from
and against any losses,  damages or liabilities,  joint or several, to which the
Placement  Agent  may  become  subject,  under  the  1933  Act,  the 1934 Act or
otherwise,  insofar as such losses, damages or liabilities (or actions or claims
in respect  thereof)  arise out of or are based upon (i) an untrue  statement or
alleged  untrue  statement  of a material  fact  contained  in the  Registration
Statement, the Prospectus or any other prospectus relating to the Shares, or any
amendment  or  supplement  thereto,  or in any  blue  sky  application  or other
document  executed  by the  Company  or based on any  information  furnished  in
writing by the  Company,  filed in any state or other  jurisdiction  in order to
qualify any or all of the Shares  under the  securities  laws thereof (the "Blue
Sky  Application"),  or (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state therein a
material fact required to be stated  therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading,  and will reimburse

                                    Page 23



the Placement  Agent for any legal or other  expenses  incurred by the Placement
Agent in connection with investigating, preparing, pursuing or defending against
or appearing as a third party witness in connection with any such loss,  damage,
liability or action or claim, including,  without limitation,  any investigation
or  proceeding  by any  governmental  agency or body,  commenced or  threatened,
including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel to the indemnified  party,
as such expenses are incurred  (including such losses,  damages,  liabilities or
expenses to the extent of the  aggregate  amount paid in  settlement of any such
action or claim,  provided  that  (subject  to  Section  6(c)  hereof)  any such
settlement  is effected  with the  written  consent of the  Company);  provided,
however,  that the  Company  shall not be liable in any such case to the extent,
but only to the extent, that any such loss, damage or liability arises out of or
is based upon an untrue  statement  or alleged  untrue  statement or omission or
alleged omission made in any Prospectus  relating to the Shares in reliance upon
and in  conformity  with written  information  relating to the  Placement  Agent
furnished  to the  Company  by the  Placement  Agent  expressly  for  use in the
preparation thereof (as provided in Section 12 hereof).

     (b) The Placement  Agent will  indemnify and hold harmless the Company from
and against any losses,  damages or  liabilities to which the Company may become
subject, under the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act or otherwise,  insofar as such losses,
damages or liabilities (or actions or claims in respect thereof) arise out of or
are based upon an untrue  statement  or alleged  untrue  statement of a material
fact  contained in any  Prospectus  relating to the Shares,  or arise out of are
based upon the  omission or alleged  omission to state  therein a material  fact
required to be stated  therein or necessary to make the  statements  therein not
misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue
statement or alleged untrue  statement or omission or alleged  omission was made
in any Prospectus relating to the Shares in reliance upon and in conformity with
written information  relating to the Placement Agent furnished to the Company by
the Placement Agent expressly for use in the preparation thereof (as provided in
Section  12  hereof),  and will  reimburse  the  Company  for any legal or other
expenses  incurred by the Company in connection with  investigating or defending
any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred  (including  such losses,
damages,  liabilities or expenses to the extent of the aggregate  amount paid in
settlement  of any such action or claim,  provided that (subject to Section 6(c)
hereof)  any such  settlement  is  effected  with  the  written  consent  of the
Placement Agent).

     (c) Promptly  after receipt by an  indemnified  party under Section 6(a) or
6(b) hereof of notice of the commencement of any action,  such indemnified party
shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party
under  Section  6(a) or 6(b)  hereof,  notify  each such  indemnifying  party in
writing  of  the  commencement  thereof,  but  the  failure  to so  notify  such
indemnifying  party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability
except to the extent that it has been prejudiced in any material respect by such
failure or from any  liability  that it may have to any such  indemnified  party
otherwise than under Section 6(a) or 6(b) hereof.  In case any such action shall
be  brought  against  any  such  indemnified  party  and it  shall  notify  each
indemnifying  party of the commencement  thereof,  each such indemnifying  party
shall be entitled to participate  therein and, to the extent that it shall wish,
jointly  with any other  indemnifying  party under  Section  6(a) or 6(b) hereof
similarly notified,  to assume the

                                    Page 24



defense thereof,  with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall
not,  except  with the  consent of such  indemnified  party,  be counsel to such
indemnifying  party),  and,  after notice from such  indemnifying  party to such
indemnified  party of its  election  so to  assume  the  defense  thereof,  such
indemnifying  party shall not be liable to such indemnified  party under Section
6(a) or 6(b)  hereof  for any  legal  expenses  of other  counsel  or any  other
expenses,  in each case  subsequently  incurred by such  indemnified  party,  in
connection   with  the  defense   thereof   other  than   reasonable   costs  of
investigation.  The  indemnified  party  shall  have the right to employ its own
counsel in any such action,  but the fees and expenses of such counsel  shall be
at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the employment of counsel by
such  indemnified  party  at the  expense  of the  indemnifying  party  has been
authorized by the indemnifying party, (ii) the indemnified party shall have been
advised by such  counsel  that there may be a conflict of  interest  between the
indemnifying  party and the indemnified party in the conduct of the defense,  or
certain aspects of the defense,  of such action (in which case the  indemnifying
party shall not have the right to direct the defense of such action with respect
to those  matters or aspects  of the  defense on which a conflict  exists or may
exist on behalf of the indemnified  party) or (iii) the indemnifying party shall
not in  fact  have  timely  employed  counsel  reasonably  satisfactory  to such
indemnified  party to assume the defense of such action,  in any of which events
such fees and  expenses to the extent  applicable  shall be borne,  and shall be
paid as incurred,  by the  indemnifying  party. If at any time such  indemnified
party shall have  requested such  indemnifying  party under Section 6(a) or 6(b)
hereof to  reimburse  such  indemnified  party for fees and expenses of counsel,
such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the
nature  contemplated by Section 6(a) or 6(b) hereof effected without its written
consent if (A) such  settlement  is entered into more than 45 days after receipt
by  such  indemnifying  party  of  such  request  for  reimbursement,  (B)  such
indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at
least  30  days  prior  to such  settlement  being  entered  into  and (C)  such
indemnifying   party  shall  not  have  reimbursed  such  indemnified  party  in
accordance  with  such  request  for  reimbursement  prior  to the  date of such
settlement.  No such  indemnifying  party shall,  without the written consent of
such  indemnified  party,  effect the settlement or compromise of, or consent to
the entry of any judgment with respect to, any pending or  threatened  action or
claim  in  respect  of  which  indemnification  or  contribution  may be  sought
hereunder (whether or not such indemnified party is an actual or potential party
to such action or claim)  unless such  settlement,  compromise  or judgment  (1)
includes an unconditional  release of such indemnified  party from all liability
arising out of such  action or claim and (2) does not include a statement  as to
or an  admission of fault,  culpability  or a failure to act, by or on behalf of
any such  indemnified  party.  In no event  shall such  indemnifying  parties be
liable for the fees and expenses of more than one counsel,  including  any local
counsel,  for all such indemnified  parties in connection with any one action or
separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction  arising out of
the same general allegations or circumstances.

     (d) If the  indemnification  provided for in this Section 6 is by its terms
due and owing but is unavailable or  insufficient  to indemnify or hold harmless
an indemnified party under Section 6(a) or 6(b) hereof in respect of any losses,
damages or  liabilities  (or actions or claims in respect  thereof)  referred to
therein,  then each  indemnifying  party under Section 6(a) or 6(b)

                                    Page 25



hereof shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified  party
as a result of such  losses,  damages or  liabilities  (or  actions or claims in
respect  thereof) in such  proportion as is  appropriate to reflect the relative
benefits  received by the Company,  on the one hand, and the Placement Agent, on
the other hand,  from the offering of the Shares.  If,  however,  the allocation
provided by the  immediately  preceding  sentence is not permitted by applicable
law or if the indemnified party failed to give the notice required under Section
6(c) hereof and such indemnifying  party was prejudiced in a material respect by
such failure,  then each such indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount
paid or payable by such  indemnified  party in such proportion as is appropriate
to reflect not only such  relative  benefits  but also the  relative  fault,  as
applicable,  of the Company,  on the one hand, and the Placement  Agent,  on the
other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such
losses,  damages or liabilities  (or actions or claims in respect  thereof),  as
well as any other  relevant  equitable  considerations.  The  relative  benefits
received by, as  applicable,  the Company,  on the one hand,  and the  Placement
Agent,  on the other hand,  shall be deemed to be in the same  proportion as the
total net proceeds from such offering (before  deducting  expenses)  received by
the Company  bear to the  portion of the total  Placement  Fee  received by each
Placement Agent. The relative fault, as applicable,  of the Company,  on the one
hand,  and the  Placement  Agent,  on the other  hand,  shall be  determined  by
reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement
of a material fact or the omission or alleged  omission to state a material fact
relates  to  information  supplied  by the  Company,  on the  one  hand,  or the
Placement Agent, on the other hand, and the parties' relative intent, knowledge,
access to  information  and  opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or
omission.  The Company and the  Placement  Agent agree that it would not be just
and equitable if  contribution  pursuant to this Section 6(d) were determined by
pro rata  allocation  or by any other  method of  allocation  that does not take
account of the equitable  considerations referred to above in this Section 6(d).
The  amount  paid or  payable  by such an  indemnified  party as a result of the
losses,  damages  or  liabilities  (or  actions  or claims in  respect  thereof)
referred to above in this  Section  6(d) shall be deemed to include any legal or
other  expenses   incurred  by  such   indemnified   party  in  connection  with
investigating  or  defending  any such  action  or  claim.  Notwithstanding  the
provisions  of this Section 6(d),  the Placement  Agent shall not be required to
contribute  any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which
the Shares were sold to the Investors exceeds the amount of any damages that the
Placement  Agent has otherwise  been required to pay by reason of such untrue or
alleged untrue  statement or omission or alleged  omission.  No person guilty of
fraudulent  misrepresentation  (within the meaning of Section  11(f) of the 1933
Act) shall be  entitled  to  contribution  from any person who was not guilty of
such fraudulent misrepresentation.

     (e) The  obligations  of the  Company  under  this  Section  6 shall  be in
addition to any liability  that the Company may otherwise have and shall extend,
upon the same terms and conditions, to each officer,  director,  employee, agent
or other  representative  and to each person, if any, who controls the Placement
Agent within the meaning of the 1933 Act; and the  obligations  of the Placement
Agent  under  this  Section 6 shall be in  addition  to any  liability  that the
Placement  Agent may otherwise  have and shall  extend,  upon the same terms and
conditions,

                                    Page 26



to each  officer  and  director  of the  Company  who  signed  the  Registration
Statement  and to each  person,  if any,  who  controls  the Company  within the
meaning of the 1933 Act.

     (f)  The  parties  to this  Agreement  hereby  acknowledge  that  they  are
sophisticated  business  persons  who were  represented  by  counsel  during the
negotiations regarding the provisions hereof, including, without limitation, the
provisions of this Section 6, and are fully informed  regarding such provisions.
They further  acknowledge  that the provisions of this Section 6 fairly allocate
the risks in light of the ability of the parties to investigate  the Company and
its  business  in  order  to  assure  that  adequate  disclosure  is made in the
Registration  Statement,  any Preliminary  Prospectus,  the Prospectus,  and any
supplement or amendment thereof, as required by the 1933 Act.

     7.  Representations  and  Agreements to Survive  Delivery.  The  respective
representations,  warranties,  agreements  and statements of the Company and the
Placement Agent, as set forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them,
respectively,  pursuant to this  Agreement,  shall remain  operative and in full
force and effect  regardless  of any  investigation  (or any statement as to the
results  thereof) made by or on behalf of the Placement Agent or any controlling
person of the Placement Agent, the Company or any of its officers,  directors or
any controlling persons, and shall survive the Closing.

     8. Engagement  Period.  Pursuant to the Engagement  Letter,  if the Company
sells or agrees to sell any shares of Common Stock to the  Investors  during the
Term or within six months after the end of the Term either (i) privately  (i.e.,
in a transaction not registered under federal  securities laws) or (ii) publicly
pursuant to a shelf registration,  the Company shall pay to the Placement Agent,
upon the closing of each such sale, a placement  fee. The placement fee shall be
equal to 1.75% of the  aggregate  gross  purchase  price of the shares of Common
Stock sold. The terms  "Investors"  and "term" used in this paragraph shall have
the same meaning as used and defined in the Engagement Letter.

     9. Effective Date and Termination.

     (a) This  Agreement may be terminated (i) by you at any time at or prior to
the Closing Date if any  condition  specified in Section 5 hereof shall not have
been  satisfied  on or prior to the Closing  Date or (ii) by either party if the
Closing has not occurred on or before November 20, 2003; provided, however, that
the  provisions  of this  Section 9 and of Section 6,  Section 8 and  Section 10
hereof shall at all times be effective.  Any such  termination  shall be without
liability  of any party to any other  party  except as  provided  in  Section 6,
Section 8 or Section 10 hereof.

     (b) If either party  terminates this Agreement as provided in Section 9(a),
such party shall so notify the other party by telephone,  facsimile or telegram,
confirmed by letter.

     10.  Costs and  Expenses.  The  Company,  whether  or not the  transactions
contemplated  hereby are consummated or this Agreement is terminated,  will bear
and pay the

                                    Page 27



costs and expenses  incident to the  registration  of the Shares and  Registered
Direct  Offering  thereof,  including,  without  limitation,  (a)  all  expenses
(including stock transfer taxes) incurred in connection with the delivery to the
Investors  of the Shares,  the filing fees of the SEC,  the fees and expenses of
the Company's counsel and accountants,  (b) the preparation,  printing,  filing,
delivery  and  shipping  of  the   Registration   Statement,   each  Preliminary
Prospectus,  the Prospectus  and any  amendments or supplements  thereto and the
printing,  delivery and shipping of this Agreement and other offering documents,
including the Blue Sky Memoranda,  and any  instruments or documents  related to
any of the  foregoing,  (c) the  furnishing  of copies of such  documents to the
Placement  Agent,  (d) the  registration  or  qualification  of the  Shares  for
offering  and sale under the  securities  laws of the  various  states and other
jurisdictions,  (e)  the  filing  fees  of  the  NASD  (if  any)  and  fees  and
disbursements  of counsel to the Placement  Agent  relating to any review of the
offering  by  the  NASD,  (f)  all  printing  and  engraving  costs  related  to
preparation of the  certificates  for the Shares,  including  transfer agent and
registrar fees, (g) all fees and expenses  relating to the  authorization of the
Shares  for  trading on the New York Stock  Exchange,  (h) all travel  expenses,
including air fare and accommodation expenses, of representatives of the Company
in  connection  with the offering of the Shares,  and (i) all of the other costs
and expenses  incident to the performance by the Company of the registration and
offering of the Shares; provided, that the Placement Agent will bear and pay any
advertising  costs and expenses  incurred by the Placement Agent incident to the
Registered Direct Offering of the Shares. The Placement Agent shall pay the fees
and expenses of its counsel.

     11.  Notices.  All notices or  communications  hereunder,  except as herein
otherwise  specifically  provided,  shall  be in  writing  and,  if  sent to the
Placement Agent, shall be mailed, delivered, sent by facsimile transmission,  or
telegraphed and confirmed,  to A.G.  Edwards & Sons, Inc. at One North Jefferson
Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63103,  Attention:  Albert F. Bender, III, facsimile
number (314) 955-6996, with a copy to Morrison & Foerster LLP, Attention: Justin
L. Bastian,  facsimile number (650) 494-0792; or if sent to the Company shall be
mailed, delivered, sent by facsimile transmission,  or telegraphed and confirmed
to the Company at 300 One Jackson Place, 188 East Capitol Street,  Jackson,  MS,
39201-2195, Attention N. Keith McKey, facsimile number (601) 352-1441.

     12. Information  Furnished by Placement Agent. The Company acknowledges and
agrees that the statements set forth under the caption "Plan of Distribution" in
the Prospectus  Supplement  constitute the only  information  furnished by or on
behalf of the Placement  Agent for use in the  preparation  of the Prospectus as
referred to in Section 3(a)(ii) and Section 6 hereof.

     13.  Parties.  This Agreement  shall inure to the benefit of and be binding
upon the Placement  Agent, the Company and, to the extent provided in Sections 6
and 7, the  officers  and  directors of the Company and each person who controls
the  Company  or the  Placement  Agent and their  respective  heirs,  executors,
administrators,  successors and assigns.  Nothing expressed or mentioned in this
Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person,  corporation  or
other entity any legal or equitable  right,  remedy or claim under or in respect
of this  Agreement or any provision  herein  contained;  this  Agreement and all
conditions and provisions hereof being

                                    Page 28



intended  to be and  being for the sole and  exclusive  benefit  of the  parties
hereto and their respective  successors and assigns and said controlling persons
and said  officers  and  directors,  and for the  benefit  of no  other  person,
corporation or other entity.

     14. Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the
parties hereto in any number of  counterparts,  each of which shall be deemed to
be an original,  but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the
same instrument.

     15. Pronouns. Whenever a pronoun of any gender or number is used herein, it
shall, where appropriate, be deemed to include any other gender and number.

     16. Time of Essence. Time shall be of the essence of this Agreement.

     17.  Applicable  Law. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in
accordance with, the laws of the State of Missouri, without giving effect to the
choice of law or conflict of laws principles thereof.

     If the  foregoing  is in  accordance  with  your  understanding,  please so
indicate in the space  provided  below for that purpose,  whereupon  this letter
shall  constitute  a binding  agreement  between the  Company and the  Placement
Agent.

                                         EASTGROUP PROPERTIES, INC.

                                         By:  /s/ N. Keith McKey

                                         Title:  Chief Financial Officer


Accepted in St. Louis,
Missouri as of the date
first above written.

A.G. EDWARDS & SONS, INC.

By: /s/ Fredrick Johnson

Title: Director - Investment Banking


                                    Page 29



                                   SCHEDULE I

     Pursuant to Section 5(f) of the Placement Agency Agreement,  KPMG LLP shall
furnish letters to the Placement Agent to the effect that:


     1. They are independent  certified  public  accountants with respect to the
Company within the meaning of the Act and the applicable  rules and  regulations
thereunder adopted by the SEC.

     2. In their opinion,  the Company's  consolidated  financial statements and
financial  statement  schedules audited by them and incorporated by reference in
the Registration  Statement comply as to form in all material  respects with the
applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 and the related rules and regulations adopted by the SEC.

     3. They have not audited any financial  statements of the Company as of any
date or for any period  subsequent  to December  31,  2002;  although  they have
conducted  an audit for the year ended  December  31,  2002,  the  purpose  (and
therefore the scope) of the audit was to enable them to express their opinion on
the consolidated  financial statements as of December 31, 2002, and for the year
then ended,  but not on the financial  statements  for any interim period within
that year.  Therefore,  they are unable to and do not express any opinion on the
unaudited  consolidated  balance sheets as of March 31, 2003, June 30, 2003, and
September 30, 2003, and the unaudited consolidated statements of income, changes
in stockholders'  equity and cash flows for the three-month  periods ended March
31, 2003 and 2002, the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2003 and
2002, and the  three-month  and nine-month  periods ended September 30, 2003 and
2002,  included in the Company's quarterly reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters
ended March 31, 2003,  June 30, 2003,  and September 30, 2003,  incorporated  by
reference in the Registration Statement,  or on the financial position,  results
of  operations,  or cash  flows as of any date or for any period  subsequent  to
December 31, 2002.

     4. They have read the 2003  minutes of  meetings of the  stockholders,  the
board of directors,  the investment  committee,  and the audit  committee of the
Company and its  subsidiaries,  as set forth in the minute books at November 11,
2003,  officials of the Company having advised them that the minutes of all such
meetings  through that date were set forth therein;  they have carried out other
procedures  to November 11, 2003,  as follows  (their work did not extend to the
period from November 12, 2003 to November 13, 2003,  inclusive).  The minutes of
the investment  committee meeting,  dated October 7, 2003, are in draft form and
have not yet  been  approved.  Also,  the  minutes  of the  board  of  directors
meetings,  dated September 4, 2003, and November 10, 2003, are in draft form and
have not yet been approved.

                                    Page 30



          a. With respect to the nine-month periods ended September 30, 2003 and
     2002, they have:

                    (i)  Performed  the  procedures  specified  by the  American
               Institute of Certified Public Accountants for a review of interim
               financial  information  as  described  in SAS  Nos.  100  and 71,
               Interim  Financial  Information,  on the  unaudited  consolidated
               financial statements for these periods,  described in 3, included
               in the  Company's  quarterly  report on Form 10-Q for the quarter
               ended  September  30,  2003,  incorporated  by  reference  in the
               Registration Statement.

                    (ii)  Inquired of certain  officials of the Company who have
               responsibility  for financial and  accounting  matters  regarding
               whether the unaudited  consolidated financial statements referred
               to in 4a(i) comply as to form in all material  respects  with the
               applicable accounting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act
               of 1934 as it  applies  to Form  10-Q and the  related  rules and
               regulations adopted by the SEC.

          b. With  respect to the period from  October 1, 2003 to  November  11,
     2003,  they  have  been  advised  by  officials  of  the  Company  that  no
     consolidated  financial  statements  as of  any  date  or  for  any  period
     subsequent to September 30, 2003 were available.

     The foregoing procedures do not constitute an audit conducted in accordance
with  auditing  standards  generally  accepted in the United  States of America.
Also, they would not necessarily  reveal matters of significance with respect to
the   comments  in  the   following   paragraph.   Accordingly,   they  make  no
representations  regarding  the  sufficiency  of the  foregoing  procedures  for
purposes of the Placement Agency Agreement.

     5. Nothing came to their attention as a result of the foregoing procedures,
however, that caused them to believe that:

          a.  Any  material   modification  should  be  made  to  the  unaudited
     consolidated financial statements described in 3, incorporated by reference
     in the Registration Statement, for them to be in conformity with accounting
     principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

          b. The unaudited  consolidated  financial statements described in 3 do
     not  comply  as to  form  in all  material  respects  with  the  applicable
     accounting  requirements  of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934  as it
     applies to Form 10-Q and the related rules and  regulations  adopted by the
     SEC.

     6.  As  mentioned  in 4b,  Company  officials  have  advised  them  that no
consolidated financial statements as of any date or for any period subsequent to
September 30, 2003 are available;  accordingly,  the  procedures  carried out by
them with respect to changes in financial

                                    Page 31



statement  items after  September 30, 2003 have,  of  necessity,  been even more
limited  than those with  respect to the  periods  referred  to in 4a. They have
inquired  of  certain  officials  of the  Company  who have  responsibility  for
financial  and  accounting  matters  whether at November  11, 2003 there was any
change in the capital stock,  increase in debt or any decreases in  consolidated
stockholders'  equity of the  consolidated  companies  as compared  with amounts
shown  on  the  September  30,  2003   unaudited   consolidated   balance  sheet
incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, except in all instances
for changes,  increases,  or decreases that the Registration Statement discloses
have occurred or may occur. On the basis of these inquiries and their reading of
the minutes as described in 4, nothing came to their  attention that caused them
to believe that there was any such change,  increase,  or decrease,  except that
those officials  advised them that the number of shares of the Company's  common
stock  increased by 629,270 shares  between  September 30, 2003 and November 11,
2003 due to the issuance of 4,250 shares  related to the Company's  stock option
plan and  625,020  shares  related to the  conversion  of 550,000  shares of the
Company's Series B Preferred Stock. In addition, the Company's debt increased by
approximately $2,000,000 between September 30, 2003 and November 11, 2003 due to
advances on the Company's revolving credit facilities.

     7.  They have also read the  items  identified  by the  Placement  Agent on
certain  pages  of the  Company's  2002  annual  report  on Form  10-K,  and the
Company's  September 30, 2003 quarterly  report on Form 10-Q, and have performed
the following  procedures,  which were applied as indicated  with respect to the
symbols  explained  below.  With respect to the disclosure by the Company of any
non-GAAP  financial measures as defined in Regulation G, they make no comment as
to  whether  such  measures  or  the  resulting   disclosures  comply  with  the
requirements  of Regulation G or Item 10 of  Regulation  S-K. For the purpose of
reporting  their  findings,  in  those  instances  in  which  one or both of the
compared or  recalculated  amounts were rounded to some degree,  and the amounts
were in agreement or recalculated  except that they were not rounded to the same
degree,  or in those instances in which one or both of the compared amounts were
found to be within  $10,000  (except for per share data) and within 1,000 square
feet, they have  nevertheless  stated that they found the compared amounts to be
in agreement or that the amounts were recalculated.

     FS  Compared  the amount for the period  indicated  with the  corresponding
amount in the  applicable  consolidated  financial  statements  incorporated  by
reference in the Registration Statement and found them to be in agreement.

     F  Compared  the amount for the  period  indicated  with the  corresponding
amount in the  applicable  consolidated  financial  statements  included  in the
Company's  annual  report on Form 10-K.  Certain 1999 and 1998 amounts have been
reclassified to conform with the  presentation of more recent periods.  In those
instances  they have compared the updated  amounts to schedules  prepared by the
Company  under the direction of the Chief  Financial  Officer of the Company and
found them to be in agreement.

     A  Compared  the amount for the  period  indicated  with the  corresponding
amount in the  Company's  general  accounting  records  and found  them to be in
agreement.

                                    Page 32



     C Compared  the amount for the  period  indicated  to a report or  schedule
prepared by the Company  under the direction of the Chief  Financial  Officer of
the Company and found them to be in agreement.

     CC  Compared  the amount for the period  indicated  to a report or schedule
prepared by the Company  under the direction of the Chief  Financial  Officer of
the Company and found them to be in agreement noting that the percentage  change
excluded the impact of straight-line rents.

     CA  Compared  the amount for the period  indicated  to a report or schedule
prepared by the Company  under the direction of the Chief  Financial  Officer of
the Company and found them to be in agreement noting that the percentage  change
included the impact of straight-line rents.

     R Proved the arithmetic  accuracy  (percentage or amount or ratio) based on
appropriate  amounts for the period indicated  included in either the applicable
consolidated financial statements  incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement or a report or schedule prepared by the Company under the direction of
the Chief Financial Officer of the Company and found them to be in agreement.

     They have also read the section captioned "Selected  Consolidated Financial
Data" included in the Company's  annual report on Form 10-K and  incorporated by
reference in the Registration Statement.  They compared the information included
under the heading "Selected  Consolidated  Financial Data" with the requirements
of item 301 of Regulation  S-K.  They also inquired of certain  officials of the
Company who have  responsibility  for financial and accounting  matters  whether
this  information   conforms  in  all  material  respects  with  the  disclosure
requirements of item 301 of Regulation S-K. Nothing came to their attention as a
result  of the  foregoing  procedures  that  caused  them to  believe  that this
information  does not  conform  in all  material  respects  with the  disclosure
requirements of item 301 of Regulation S-K.

     8. Their  audits of the  consolidated  financial  statements  for the years
ended  December 31, 2000,  2001 and 2002  comprised  audit tests and  procedures
deemed  necessary  for the purpose of  expressing  an opinion on such  financial
statements taken as a whole. For none of the periods referred to therein, or any
other  period,  did they perform  audit tests for the purpose of  expressing  an
opinion on individual balances of accounts or summaries of selected transactions
such as those  enumerated  above,  and,  accordingly,  they  express  no opinion
thereon.

     9. They make no representations regarding questions of legal interpretation
or regarding  the  sufficiency  of the  procedures  enumerated  in the preceding
paragraph for purposes of the Placement Agency Agreement;  also, such procedures
would not  necessarily  reveal  any  material  misstatement  of the  amounts  or
percentages referred to above. Further, they have addressed themselves solely to
the  foregoing  data as set  forth  in the  Registration  Statement  and make no
representations  regarding the adequacy of  disclosure or regarding  whether any
material facts have been omitted.

     10. Their letter is solely for the  information  of the  addressees  and to
assist the

                                    Page 33



underwriters in conducting and documenting their investigation of the affairs of
the Company in  connection  with the offering of the  securities  covered by the
Registration  Statement,  and it is  not  to be  used,  circulated,  quoted,  or
otherwise  referred  to within or without the  underwriting  group for any other
purpose,  including but not limited to the  registration,  purchase,  or sale of
securities, nor is it to be filed with or referred to in whole or in part in the
Registration Statement or any other document,  except that reference may be made
to it in  the  underwriting  agreement  or in  any  list  of  closing  documents
pertaining  to  the  offering  of the  securities  covered  by the  Registration
Statement.

                                    Page 34



                                   SCHEDULE II

                                  SUBSIDIARIES


100% Owned Subsidiaries of EastGroup Properties, Inc.:

     EastGroup Properties General Partners, Inc.
     EastGroup Properties Holdings, Inc.
     Nash IND Corporation
     EastGroup TRS, Inc.

Partnerships and LLC's with Partners and Members Indented:

     EastGroup Properties, LP
          99% EastGroup Properties Holdings, Inc.
           1% EastGroup Properties General Partners, Inc.
     M.O.R. XXXVI Associates Limited
          99% EastGroup Properties, Inc.
           1% EastGroup Properties LP
     Sample I-95 Associates
          99% EastGroup Properties LP
           1% EastGroup Properties General Partners, Inc.
     University Business Center Associates
          80% Profit interest EastGroup Properties, LP
          49% Capital interest EastGroup Properties, LP
          31% Capital interest EastGroup Properties, Inc.
          20% JCB Limited
     EastGroup Southbay, LLC
         100% EastGroup Properties, LP
     EastGroup Property Services, LLC
         100% EastGroup Properties, LP
     EastGroup Property Services of Florida, LLC
         100% EastGroup Property Services, LLC


                                    Page 35