Whitestone REIT Announces First Quarter 2012 Dividend

HOUSTON--()--The Board of Trustees of Whitestone REIT (NYSE-AMEX: WSR – “Whitestone”), a fully integrated real estate company that owns, operates and re-develops Community Centered PropertiesTM, which are visibly located properties in established or developing culturally diverse neighborhoods, announced today that it authorized its quarterly cash dividend of $0.285 per Class A and Class B common share and Operating Partnership (“OP”) unit. The dividend is unchanged from the previous six quarters.

Whitestone declares quarterly distributions to holders of its common shares and OP units, which are payable monthly in three installments of $0.095 per Class A and Class B common share and OP unit. The record and payment dates for the first quarter 2012 period are shown in the following table:

Month         Record Date         Payment Date
January 1/2/12 1/9/12
February 2/1/12 2/8/12
March 3/1/12 3/8/12

About Whitestone REIT

Whitestone REIT is a fully integrated real estate company that owns, operates and re-develops Community Centered PropertiesTM, which are visibly located properties in established or developing culturally diverse neighborhoods. Whitestone focuses on value-creation in its Centers, as it markets, leases and manages its Centers to match tenants with the shared needs of surrounding neighborhoods. Operations are structured for providing cost-effective service to local service-oriented smaller space tenants (less than 3,000 square feet). Whitestone has a diversified tenant base concentrated on service offerings such as medical, education, and casual dining. The largest of its over 800 tenants comprises less than 2% of its rental revenues. Headquartered in Houston, Texas and founded in 1998, the Company is internally managed with a portfolio of commercial properties in Texas, Arizona, and Illinois. For additional information about the Company, please visit www.whitestonereit.com. The investor section of the Company's website has links to SEC filings, news releases, financial reports and investor newsletters.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements included herein that state the Company's or management's intentions, hopes, beliefs, expectations or predictions of the future are "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which by their nature, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. The Company's actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed or implied by these statements. Reference is made to the Company's regulatory filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for information or factors that may impact the Company's performance.

Contacts

Whitestone REIT
Anne Gregory, 713-435-2221
Vice President Marketing & Investor Relations
ir@whitestonereit.com

Release Summary

Whitestone REIT announced that it authorized its quarterly cash dividend of $0.285 per Class A and Class B common share and Operating Partnership ("OP") unit, unchanged from the previous six quarters.

Contacts

Whitestone REIT
Anne Gregory, 713-435-2221
Vice President Marketing & Investor Relations
ir@whitestonereit.com