Nareit Announces Recipients of 2026 Leader in the Light Awards

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 25, 2026) - Nareit presented the 20th Leader in the Light^® Awards at its REITwise: 2026 Educational Conference in Hollywood, Fla. These awards recognize REITs that demonstrate leadership in responsible business practices that create value and positively impact communities within their portfolios and across the REIT industry.

In 2026, the awards were presented in three categories: Transparency, Operations, and Responsibility, reflecting leadership in corporate reporting and governance, property innovation and performance, and responsible business practices. Three REITs were honored in each category based on total enterprise values, specifically less than $5 billion, between $5-10 billion, and more than $10 billion.

The recipients are:

Transparency

• Prologis, Inc.(NYSE: PLD)
• Tanger Inc. (NYSE: SKT)
• DiamondRock Hospitality Company(NASDAQ: DRH)

Operations

• Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ: HST)
• Hudson Pacific Properties, Inc. (NYSE: HPP)
• KBS Real Estate Investment Trust III (non-listed)

Responsibility

• AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE: AVB)
• Kilroy Realty Corporation (NYSE: KRC)
• Veris Residential, Inc. (NYSE: VRE)

"This year's recipients are raising expectations through clearer reporting, innovative operations, and real accountability in how they do business," said Nareit President & CEO Steven A. Wechsler. "We're proud to recognize their leadership and the results they're delivering throughout the industry."

Submissions for the 2026 Nareit Leader in the Light Awards were evaluated by an independent panel of expert judges based on company strategy, measurable impact, innovation, and industry impact. This year's judges included:

• Chris Cayton, Code Green Solutions
• Jennifer Leitch, Ernst & Young LLP
• Brian Matt, New York Stock Exchange
• Brendan McCarthy, Calvert Research and Management
• Jeremy Porter, First Street
• Ryan Snow, U.S. Green Building Council
• Diane Wade, CBRE Investment Management
• Brenna Walraven, RE Tech Advisors
• Breana Wheeler, BREEAM USA
• Mike Zatz, Measurabl

"These awards showcase the depth of work happening across the REIT industry, and this year's honorees demonstrate how that work is integrated into their core business and translates into measurable impact across their portfolios," said Nareit Senior Vice President of Environmental Stewardship & Sustainability Jessica Long. "We're grateful to our independent judges for the time and expertise they brought to the review process and all of our members that participated."

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