Company Description
CTO Realty Growth, Inc. (NYSE: CTO) is a real estate company that owns and operates high-quality, open-air retail centers and related income-producing properties. The company is classified in the real estate and rental and leasing sector and is described as a lessor of other real estate property. According to company disclosures and press releases, its properties are located primarily in higher-growth markets in the Southeast and Southwest regions of the United States and include open-air shopping centers, lifestyle centers, and other income properties.
Business focus and property portfolio
CTO Realty Growth states that it owns and operates open-air shopping centers and retail-focused properties in higher-growth markets in the Southeast and Southwest regions of the United States. Its portfolio includes high-traffic retail centers such as lifestyle centers and power centers, as well as at least one non-core office building. The company has also been described as owning income properties comprising millions of square feet in diversified markets in the United States and holding interests in an income properties portfolio, management services, and commercial loans and investments.
Examples of properties referenced in recent announcements include The Collection at Forsyth, a 561,000-square-foot outdoor lifestyle destination in the Atlanta, Georgia metro area; Marketplace at Seminole Towne Center, a retail power center in the Orlando, Florida area; Beaver Creek Crossings, a 322,000-square-foot retail center in the Raleigh-Durham metro area; and Pompano Citi Centre, a 509,000-square-foot open-air retail center in the Pompano Beach submarket of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The company has also referenced ownership or involvement with mixed-use lifestyle centers such as the Shops at Legacy North in Dallas, Texas, and an office building in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Geographic and tenant characteristics
CTO Realty Growth emphasizes that its retail centers are located in higher-growth markets in the Southeast and Southwest regions of the United States. Specific metropolitan areas mentioned in company communications include the Atlanta metro area, the Orlando area in Central Florida, the Raleigh-Durham metro area in North Carolina, the Dallas area in Texas, the Pompano Beach submarket of Fort Lauderdale in Florida, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. These properties are often described as being in high-traffic or strategically located areas, such as near major highways or in affluent and fast-growing counties.
The company’s centers are typically anchored or occupied by national and regional tenants. Examples cited in its press releases include retailers such as Target (shadow anchored), Burlington, Marshalls, Ross Dress for Less, Boot Barn, TJ Maxx, Nordstrom Rack, J.C. Penney, Dick’s Sporting Goods, HomeGoods, Old Navy, and various restaurants, fitness concepts, and entertainment venues. The company has also highlighted tenants such as One Life Fitness, Lime & Lemon Indian Grill & Bar, and The Picklr, as well as office tenants including Fidelity and the State of New Mexico at its Albuquerque office building.
Real estate investment and capital allocation
CTO Realty Growth engages in acquisition, disposition, and leasing activities as part of its real estate investment strategy. In its public announcements, the company has described acquiring open-air shopping centers in markets such as Atlanta, South Florida, and Pompano Beach, and selling properties such as the Shops at Legacy North in Dallas, Texas. The company has also referenced using Section 1031 like-kind exchanges in connection with property sales and acquisitions, and has reported year-to-date and full-year investment and disposition volumes in its communications.
Beyond direct property ownership, the company has disclosed that it originates structured investment commitments, including seller financing, and that it has commercial loan and investment activities. CTO Realty Growth has also reported entering into and amending credit agreements, including term loan facilities with bank syndicates. These agreements include facilities with specified aggregate principal amounts and interest rate structures tied to base rates or SOFR-based benchmarks, and they include restrictive and financial maintenance covenants.
REIT structure and external management activities
CTO Realty Growth is described in external data as a real estate investment trust (REIT). In addition to owning and operating its own properties, the company states that it externally manages Alpine Income Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE: PINE) through a wholly owned management subsidiary. Under a management agreement, the subsidiary manages, operates, and administers Alpine Income Property Trust’s day-to-day operations, business, and affairs in exchange for a base management fee calculated as a percentage of that company’s total equity. The company has also disclosed a waiver letter that adjusts the base management fee rate on certain incremental equity associated with a preferred stock offering by Alpine Income Property Trust.
CTO Realty Growth further notes that it owns a meaningful interest in Alpine Income Property Trust. This external management relationship and ownership interest provide the company with an additional source of income beyond its directly owned real estate portfolio.
Leasing, occupancy, and property operations
Company press releases highlight leasing activity and occupancy levels at several of its properties. For example, CTO Realty Growth has reported executing new leases at The Collection at Forsyth that increased leased occupancy at that center into the 90% range, signing an anchor lease at Marketplace at Seminole Towne Center that brought leased occupancy to 100%, and achieving 99% occupancy at Beaver Creek Crossings. The company has also reported that its last non-core office building in Albuquerque is 100% leased to two investment-grade tenants.
These disclosures illustrate the company’s focus on leasing vacant space, extending lease terms, and working with national and regional tenants across retail, fitness, dining, and office uses. The company has also described positive leasing spreads and mark-to-market releasing opportunities at certain centers, and it has highlighted the role of new tenants in diversifying merchandising mixes and enhancing the appeal of its properties.
Corporate information and stock listing
CTO Realty Growth, Inc. is incorporated in Maryland and files periodic and current reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The company’s common stock, with a par value of $0.01 per share, trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol CTO. The company also has 6.375% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, with a par value of $0.01 per share, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CTO-PA. The company’s principal offices are located in Winter Park, Florida.
CTO Realty Growth holds annual meetings of stockholders, where stockholders vote on matters such as the election of directors, ratification of the appointment of independent registered public accounting firms, and advisory votes on executive compensation. The company also declares quarterly cash dividends on its common stock and preferred stock, as disclosed in its press releases and SEC filings.
Key characteristics for investors and analysts
Investors and analysts reviewing CTO Realty Growth typically focus on its portfolio of open-air retail centers and related income properties, its geographic concentration in higher-growth markets in the Southeast and Southwest regions of the United States, its leasing performance and occupancy levels, and its capital allocation activities, including acquisitions, dispositions, and structured investments. The company’s role as external manager and significant stockholder of Alpine Income Property Trust, Inc. is also a notable aspect of its business model.
CTO Realty Growth’s SEC filings, earnings press releases, investor presentations, and supplemental disclosure packages provide further detail on its financial condition, results of operations, property-level performance, and capital structure. These materials, together with its public announcements on leasing and investment activity, form the primary sources of information for understanding the company’s operations and strategy.