EXHIBIT 31.1

                      HEALTHCARE REALTY TRUST INCORPORATED
                              ANNUAL CERTIFICATION
            PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, David R. Emery, certify that:

     1.   I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Healthcare Realty
Trust Incorporated;

     2.   Based on my knowledge, this annual report does not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make
the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements
were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this annual
report;

     3.   Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
information included in this annual report, fairly present in all material
respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the
registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this annual report;

     4.   The registrant's other certifying officers and I are responsible for
establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14) for the registrant and we have:

               a)   designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure
          that material information relating to the registrant, including its
          consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those
          entities, particularly during the period in which this annual report
          is being prepared;

               b)   evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure
          controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to the
          filing date of this annual report (the "Evaluation Date"); and

               c)   presented in this annual report our conclusions about the
          effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on our
          evaluation as of the Evaluation Date;

     5.   The registrant's other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based
on our most recent evaluation, to the registrant's auditors and the audit
committee of registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the
equivalent function):

               a)   all significant deficiencies in the design or operation of
          internal controls which could adversely affect the registrant's
          ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data and
          have identified for the registrant's auditors any material weaknesses
          in internal controls; and

               b)   any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management
          or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's
          internal controls; and

     6.   The registrant's other certifying officers and I have indicated in
this annual report whether or not there were significant changes in internal
controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal controls
subsequent to the date of our most recent evaluation, including any corrective
actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses.

Date: February 24, 2004

                                    /s/ David R. Emery
                                    -----------------------------------------
                                    David R. Emery
                                    Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive
                                    Officer