Item 1. Business

General

Formed on May 25, 1993, Camden Property Trust, a Texas real estate investment trust (“REIT”), and all its consolidated subsidiaries are primarily engaged in the ownership, management, development, redevelopment, acquisition, and construction of multifamily apartment communities. Unless the context requires otherwise, “we,” “our,” “us,” and the “Company” refer to Camden Property Trust and its consolidated subsidiaries. Our multifamily apartment communities are referred to as “communities,” “multifamily communities,” “properties,” or “multifamily properties” in the following discussion.

Our website is located at www.camdenliving.com. We make available free of charge through our website, our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to such reports, filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). We also make available, free of charge on our website, our Guidelines on Governance, Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, Code of Ethical Conduct for Senior Financial Officers, and the charters of each of our Audit, Compensation, and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees. Copies are also available, without charge, from Investor Relations, 11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 2400, Houston, Texas 77046. References to our website in this report are provided as a convenience and do not constitute, and should not be viewed as, an incorporation by reference of the information contained on, or available through our website, and therefore such information should not be considered part of this report.

Our annual, quarterly, and current reports, proxy statements, and other information are electronically filed with the SEC. The SEC maintains a website (http://www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy, and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.

Narrative Description of Business

As of December 31, 2020, we owned interests in, operated, or were developing 174 multifamily properties comprised of 59,104 apartment homes across the United States. Of the 174 properties, seven properties were under construction and will consist of a total of 2,254 apartment homes when completed. We also own land holdings which we may develop into multifamily communities in the future.

Operating and Business Strategy

We believe producing consistent earnings growth through property operations, development and acquisitions, achieving market balance, and recycling capital are crucial factors to our success. We rely heavily on our sophisticated property management capabilities and innovative operating strategies to help us maximize the earnings potential of our communities.

Real Estate Investments and Market Balance. We believe we are well positioned in our current markets and have the expertise to take advantage of new opportunities as they arise. These capabilities, combined with what we believe is a conservative financial structure, should allow us to concentrate our growth efforts toward selective opportunities to enhance our strategy of having a geographically diverse portfolio of assets which meet the requirements of our residents.

We continue to operate in our core markets which we believe provides an advantage due to economies of scale. We believe, where possible, it is best to operate with a strong base of properties in order to benefit from the personnel allocation and the market strength associated with managing multiple properties in the same market. However, consistent with our goal of generating sustained earnings growth, we intend to selectively dispose of properties and redeploy capital for various strategic reasons, including if we determine a property cannot meet our long-term earnings growth expectations.

We try to maximize capital appreciation of our properties by investing in markets characterized by conditions favorable to multifamily property appreciation. These markets generally feature the following:

• Strong economic growth leading to household formation and job growth, which in turn should support higher demand for our apartments; and

• An attractive quality of life, which may lead to higher demand and retention for our apartments and allow us to more readily increase rents.

Subject to market conditions, we intend to continue to seek opportunities to develop new communities, and to redevelop, reposition and acquire existing communities. We also intend to evaluate our operating property and land development portfolio and plan to continue our practice of selective dispositions as market conditions warrant and opportunities arise.

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We expect to maintain a strong balance sheet and preserve our financial flexibility by continuing to focus on our core fundamentals which currently are generating positive cash flows from operations, maintaining appropriate debt levels and leverage ratios, and controlling overhead costs. We intend to meet our near-term liquidity requirements through a combination of one or more of the following: cash and cash equivalents, cash flows generated from operations, draws on our unsecured credit facility, the use of debt and equity offerings under our automatic shelf registration statement, proceeds from property dispositions, equity issued from our at-the-market ("ATM") share offering programs, other unsecured borrowings, or secured mortgages.

Sophisticated Property Management. We believe the depth of our organization enables us to deliver quality services, promote resident satisfaction, and retain residents, thereby increasing our operating revenues and reducing our operating expenses. We manage our properties utilizing a staff of professionals and support personnel, including certified property managers, experienced apartment managers and leasing agents, and trained apartment maintenance technicians. Our on-site personnel are trained to deliver high-quality services to our residents, and we strive to motivate our on-site employees through incentive compensation arrangements based upon property operational results, rental rate increases, occupancy levels, and level of new leases and lease renewals achieved.

Operations. We believe an intense focus on operations is necessary to realize consistent, sustained earnings growth. Ensuring resident satisfaction, increasing rents as market conditions allow, maximizing rent collections (subject to restrictions of applicable law), maintaining property occupancy at optimal levels, and controlling operating costs comprise our principal strategies to maximize property financial results. We believe our web-based property management and revenue management systems strengthen on-site operations and allow us to quickly adjust rental rates as local market conditions change. Lease terms are generally staggered based on vacancy exposure by apartment type such that lease expirations are matched to each property's seasonal rental patterns. We generally offer average lease terms of approximately fourteen months with individual property marketing plans structured to respond to local market conditions. In addition, we conduct ongoing customer service surveys to help ensure timely response to residents' changing needs and a high level of satisfaction.

Investments in Joint Ventures. We have entered into, and may continue in the future to enter into, joint ventures or partnerships, including limited liability companies, through which we own an indirect economic interest in less than 100% of the community or land owned by the joint venture or partnership. We account for three investment funds (collectively, the "Funds") utilizing the equity method of accounting. As of December 31, 2020, we had two discretionary investment funds, which are closed to future investments, and a third fund which we formed in March 2015 and, as amended, may be utilized for future multifamily investments of up to $360 million. See Note 8, “Investments in Joint Ventures,” and Note 14, “Commitments and Contingencies,” in the notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion of our investments in joint ventures.

Competition

There are numerous housing alternatives which compete with our communities in attracting residents. Our properties compete directly with other multifamily properties as well as condominiums, single-family homes, third-party providers of short-term rentals and serviced apartments, which are available for rent or purchase in the markets in which our communities are located. This competitive environment could have a material adverse effect on our ability to lease apartment homes or on the rents realized at our present properties or any newly developed or acquired property.

Human Capital Management

Purpose and Culture. We strive to differentiate ourselves by our culture and talent. How we manage our human capital is critical to how we deliver on our strategy and create sustained growth and value for our shareholders. Our purpose is to improve the lives of our team members, customers and shareholders, one experience at a time. We recognize a great culture is foundational to the success of this vision. Key components in managing our human capital are listed below.

Camden's Values. We care deeply about our employees, our residents, and the local communities in which we live, work, and play. We are committed to maintaining a high-trust work environment that attracts, retains, and rewards the best and brightest people. We believe our workplace reflects Camden’s nine core values: Customer Focused; People Driven; Team Players; Lead by Example; Results Oriented; Work Smart; Always Do the Right Thing; Act with Integrity; and Have Fun. We believe these values cultivate an environment of respect, fairness, diversity, and fun for all.

A Great Place to Work. In addition to our core values, we are committed to creating a great working environment which fosters the well-being, health and happiness of all associates. We believe our team members are given meaningful opportunities to provide feedback and effect change. We are proud of our culture and the recognition we have received as a great place to work, including being named on the list as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For® by FORTUNE magazine for 13 consecutive years, most recently ranking #18.

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Compensation and Benefits. We provide high-quality health benefits and compensation to competitively compensate all employees for their contributions to Camden. We are passionate about promoting a healthy lifestyle at Camden and are proud to offer valuable and inclusive benefits. We have formal programs intended to positively impact team members such as healthcare, rent discounts, education allowances, and scholarships for children of our employees.

Training and Development. Our mission, vision and values are also incorporated into our employee training and development programs. One of our most cherished mantras is “Never Stop Learning.” We encourage team members to discover their strengths and cultivate new interests. We offer tuition assistance to team members working to earn industry designations from various organizations. We also support team members who continue their education at an accredited educational institution through our Education Assistance Program. In addition to these programs, we also help employees improve their personal and professional lives through training, coaching and mentoring. CamdenU, our in-house learning center, is available to all employees and offers over 8,000 courses in subjects such as leadership, management, fair housing and compliance, and health and safety training. In addition to formal training, Camden’s mentoring program supports its newest employees by pairing them with an experienced employee to facilitate their on-boarding process and immerse them in Camden’s culture.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We believe a great workplace fosters an environment where all employees can thrive and grow, and where differences are both encouraged and celebrated. Each Camden team member brings unique skills, experiences and perspectives to Camden, and we continue to promote and encourage diversity, equity and inclusion throughout our organization. Our commitment is to promote a diverse organization which is reflective of our residents and communities. We believe these efforts are socially responsible, foundational to Camden’s success, and essential to delivering on our purpose to improve the lives of our team members, customers and shareholders, one experience at a time.

At December 31, 2020, we had approximately 1,700 employees, including executive, administrative, and community personnel. Camden embraces all team members as full and valued members of the organization. Together we innovate and collaborate with the goal of delivering consistently strong business results. Our continued commitment to furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives has resulted in our workforce at Camden reflecting a broad base of talent, with true diversity amongst our team members in aspects of gender, generation, and ethnicity.

Qualification as a Real Estate Investment Trust

As of December 31, 2020, we met the qualification of a REIT under Sections 856-860 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). As a result, with the exception of our taxable REIT subsidiaries, we will not be subject to federal income tax to the extent we continue to meet certain requirements of the Code.