NEW YORK - Tuesday, April 28th 2015 [ME NewsWire]

Accelerates growth of company’s global real estate platform

Demonstrates long-term commitment to asset class

Further strengthens company’s ability to enhance customer returns

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- TIAA-CREF, a leading financial services provider, today announced an agreement to acquire the remaining ownership interest in TIAA Henderson Real Estate (“TH Real Estate”) from its joint venture partner, Henderson Global Investors (“Henderson”) for 80 million pounds sterling. The acquisition increases TIAA-CREF’s ownership stake in the joint venture established in April 2014 from its current 60 percent to 100 percent.

TH Real Estate is a global real estate investment management company that pursues core and value-add investment in all major sectors of commercial real estate. It will operate as a stand-alone subsidiary within TIAA-CREF’s Asset Management multi-boutique platform. TH Real Estate will have independent executive leadership and investment teams.

Real estate has been a key part of TIAA-CREF’s investment platform since 1934 and represents $82 billion in assets under management, as of March 31, 2015. TIAA-CREF believes that direct access to real estate strategies offers individual and institutional investors access to attractive long-term investment opportunities. In addition, TH Real Estate strengthens and further diversifies the TIAA General Account, which serves as a foundation for the savings and lifetime income payments for millions of clients.

“This investment is an exciting step in our long-term plan to expand our asset management business,” said Robert G. Leary, executive vice president and president of asset management, TIAA-CREF. “TH Real Estate offers our clients expanded investment opportunities through a flexible, well-capitalized and integrated global platform.”

TH Real Estate has approximately $26 billion in assets under management, including assets in Europe, Asia and North America.1 Since its launch, TH Real Estate has made 67 acquisitions worth more than $3.7 billion. The venture also established itself as an independent, successful global real estate investment manager, raising more than $1.3 billion of new equity mandates and securing $3.6 billion in capital recommitments from closed-end fund investors.

“Today’s news underscores our long-term commitment to real estate, an asset class that has served our clients well for many years,” said Tom Garbutt, head of TIAA-CREF global real estate and chairman of TH Real Estate. “We are well-positioned to capitalize on the many attractive opportunities we see through our world-class investment platform.”

Andrew Formica, chief executive of Henderson, said, “Our decision to sell our 40 percent holding in TH Real Estate to TIAA-CREF will give them the best possible opportunity to grow their business. We will retain a strong commercial relationship with TH Real Estate, as they will continue to sub-advise our highly successful Henderson UK Property OEIC.”

“We have created a truly global offering by entering new markets and geographies, launching new funds and investing alongside clients and partners,” said James Darkins, chief executive at TH Real Estate. “Clients will benefit from our streamlined structure as we continue to provide unwavering service and access to excellent real estate investment opportunities.”

The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2015, pending regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

About TIAA-CREF

TIAA-CREF (www.tiaa-cref.org) is a national financial services organization with $866 billion in assets under management (as of 3/31/2015) and is the leading provider of retirement services in the academic, research, medical and cultural fields.

Investment, insurance and annuity products are not FDIC insured, are not bank guaranteed, are not deposits, are not insured by any federal government agency, are not a condition to any banking service or activity, and may lose value.

TH Real Estate securities products distributed in North America are advised by UK regulated subsidiaries or TIAA-CREF Alternatives Advisors, LLC, a registered investment advisor and wholly owned subsidiary of TIAA, and distributed by Teachers Personal Investors Services, Inc., member FINRA.

TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, Teachers Personal Investors Services, Inc., and Nuveen Securities, LLC, Members FINRA and SIPC, distribute securities products.

TIAA-CREF products may be subject to market and other risk factors. See the applicable product literature, for details. Past performance does not guarantee future results. You cannot directly invest in the TIAA General Account.

©2015 Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association-College Retirement Equities Fund, New York, NY 10017

1 As of April 2015.

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Contacts

TIAA-CREF

Stewart Lewack or

Chad Peterson

888-200-4062

media@tiaa-cref.org

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