UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2018
Commission File Number: 001-37597
NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
Maryland
(State or Other Jurisdiction of
Incorporation or
Organization)
32-0468861
(IRS Employer
Identification No.)
590 Madison Avenue, 34th Floor, New York, NY 10022
(Address of Principal Executive Offices, Including Zip Code)
(212) 547-2600
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes  x     No  o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes  x     No  o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large accelerated filer o
 
Accelerated filer x
 
Non-accelerated filer o
  (Do not check if a
smaller reporting company)
 
Smaller reporting company o

Emerging growth company x

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. x
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes  o     No  x
Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date:
The Company has one class of common stock, $0.01 par value per share, 52,189,114 shares outstanding as of May 7, 2018 .
 





NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP.
FORM 10- Q
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Index
 
Page
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 








2


FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Quarterly Report on Form  10-Q contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or Exchange Act. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “potential,” “intend,” “expect,” “seek,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “could,” “project,” “predict,” “continue,” “future” or other similar words or expressions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance and are based on certain assumptions, discuss future expectations, describe plans and strategies, contain projections of results of operations or of financial condition or state other forward-looking information. Such statements include, but are not limited to, those relating to the operating performance of our investments, our liquidity and financing needs, the effects of our current strategies and investment activities, our ability to grow our business, our expected leverage, our expected cost of capital, our ability to divest non-strategic properties, our management’s track record and our ability to raise and effectively deploy capital. Our ability to predict results or the actual effect of plans or strategies is inherently uncertain, particularly given the economic environment. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, our actual results and performance could differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements and you should not unduly rely on these statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results in future periods to differ materially from those forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to:
the effect of economic conditions, particularly in Europe, on the valuation of our investments and on the tenants of the real property that we own;
the effect of the Mergers (as defined in Note 1 to the financial statements included in Part I Item I) on our business;
the ability of Colony NorthStar Inc., or CLNS, to scale its operations in Europe to effectively manage our company;
the unknown impact of the exit of the United Kingdom, or Brexit, or one or more other countries from the European Union, or EU, or the potential default of one or more countries in the EU or the potential break-up of the EU;
our ability to qualify and remain qualified as a real estate investment trust, or REIT;
adverse domestic or international economic geopolitical conditions and the impact on the commercial real estate industry;
volatility, disruption or uncertainty in the financial markets;
access to debt and equity capital and our liquidity;
our substantial use of leverage and our ability to comply with the terms of our borrowing arrangements;
the impact that rising interest rates may have on our floating rate financing;
our ability to monetize our assets on favorable terms or at all;
our ability to obtain mortgage financing on our real estate portfolio on favorable terms or at all;
our ability to acquire attractive investment opportunities and the impact of competition for attractive investment opportunities;
the effect of an increased number of activist stockholders owning our stock and stockholder activism generally;
the effects of being an externally-managed company, including our reliance on CLNS and its affiliates and sub-advisors/co-venturers in providing management services to us, the payment of substantial base management and incentive fees to our manager, the allocation of investments by CLNS among us and CLNS’s other sponsored or managed companies and strategic vehicles and various conflicts of interest in our relationship with CLNS;
performance of our investments relative to our expectations and the impact on our actual return on invested equity, as well as the cash provided by these investments and available for distribution;
restrictions on our ability to engage in certain activities and the requirement that we may be required to access capital at inopportune times as a result of our borrowings;
our ability to make borrowings under our credit facility;
the impact of adverse conditions affecting office properties;
illiquidity of properties in our portfolio;
our ability to realize current and expected return over the life of our investments;

3


tenant defaults or bankruptcy;
any failure in our due diligence to identify all relevant facts in our underwriting process or otherwise;
the impact of terrorism or hostilities involving Europe;
our ability to manage our costs in line with our expectations and the impact on our cash available for distribution, or CAD, and net operating income, or NOI, of our properties;
our ability to satisfy and manage our capital requirements;
environmental and regulatory requirements, compliance costs and liabilities relating to owning and operating properties in our portfolio and to our business in general;
effect of regulatory actions, litigation and contractual claims against us and our affiliates, including the potential settlement and litigation of such claims;
changes in European, international and domestic laws or regulations governing various aspects of our business;
future changes in foreign, federal, state and local tax law that may have an adverse impact on the cash flow and value of our investments;
potential devaluation of foreign currencies, predominately the Euro and U.K. Pound Sterling, relative to the U.S. dollar due to quantitative easing in Europe, Brexit and/or other factors which could cause the U.S. dollar value of our investments to decline;
general foreign exchange risk associated with properties located in European countries located outside of the Euro Area, including the United Kingdom;
the loss of our exemption from the definition of an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended;
CLNS’ ability to hire and retain qualified personnel and potential changes to key personnel providing management services to us;
the lack of historical financial statements for properties we have acquired and may acquire in compliance with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, requirements and U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or U.S. GAAP, as well as the lack of familiarity of our tenants and third-party service providers with such requirements;
the potential failure to maintain effective internal controls and disclosure controls and procedures;
the historical consolidated financial statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q not providing an accurate indication of our performance in the future or reflecting what our financial position, results of operations or cash flow would have been had we operated as an independent public company during the periods presented;
our status as an emerging growth company; and
compliance with the rules governing REITs.
The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. All forward-looking statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are based on information available to us on the date hereof and we are under no duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this report to conform these statements to actual results.
Factors that could have a material adverse effect on our operations and future prospects are set forth in our filings with the SEC included in Part I, Item 1A. of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, as amended, for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017 under “Risk Factors.” The risk factors set forth in our filings with the SEC could cause our actual results to differ significantly from those contained in any forward-looking statement contained in this report.



4


PART I
Item 1.    Financial Statements
NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Dollars in Thousands)
(Unaudited)
    
 
March 31, 2018
 
December 31, 2017
Assets
 
 

Operating real estate, gross
$
1,658,623


$
1,606,890

Less: accumulated depreciation
(107,538
)

(95,356
)
Operating real estate, net
1,551,085


1,511,534

Preferred equity investments
36,770


35,347

Cash and cash equivalents
50,204


64,665

Restricted cash
8,470


6,917

Receivables, net of allowance of $673 and $747 as of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively
6,093


9,048

Assets held for sale
176,088


169,082

Derivative assets, at fair value
7,100


7,024

Intangible assets, net
114,558


114,185

Other assets, net
29,296


23,115

Total assets
$
1,979,664


$
1,940,917

Liabilities
 

 
Mortgage and other notes payable, net
$
1,262,115


$
1,223,443

Accounts payable and accrued expenses
24,584


27,240

Due to related party (refer to Note 6)
4,436


3,590

Derivative liabilities, at fair value
6,342


5,270

Intangible liabilities, net
28,677


28,632

Liabilities related to assets held for sale
1,022


648

Other liabilities
29,261


25,757

Total liabilities
1,356,437


1,314,580

Commitments and contingencies



Redeemable non controlling interest (refer to Note 9)
2,049


1,992

Equity
 

 
NorthStar Realty Europe Corp. Stockholders’ Equity
 

 
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, 200,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017



Common stock, $0.01 par value, 1,000,000,000 shares authorized, 54,572,348 and 55,402,259 shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively
546


555

Additional paid-in capital
927,836


940,579

Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)
(356,666
)

(347,053
)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
45,489


25,618

Total NorthStar Realty Europe Corp. stockholders’ equity
617,205


619,699

Non-controlling interests
3,973


4,646

Total equity
621,178


624,345

Total liabilities, redeemable non controlling interest and equity
$
1,979,664


$
1,940,917

    


Refer to accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.


5


NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Dollars in Thousands, Except Per Share Data)
(Unaudited)
 
Three Months Ended March 31,

2018
 
2017
Revenues

 
 
Rental income
$
27,224

 
$
25,536

Escalation income
5,341

 
5,161

Interest income
729

 

Other income
278

 
29

Total revenues
33,572

 
30,726

Expenses

 
 
Properties - operating expenses
6,802

 
7,322

Interest expense
6,107

 
6,383

Transaction costs
481

 
260

Management fee, related party
4,157

 
3,559

Other expenses
1,424

 
2,000

General and administrative expenses
1,878

 
2,597

Compensation expense (1)
573

 
15,870

Depreciation and amortization
11,651

 
12,563

Total expenses
33,073

 
50,554

Other income (loss)


 
 
Unrealized gain (loss) on derivatives and other (refer to Note 10)
(1,189
)
 
(941
)
Realized gain (loss) on sales and other
(548
)
 
4,970

Income (loss) before income tax benefit (expense)
(1,238
)

(15,799
)
Income tax benefit (expense)
(39
)
 
273

Net income (loss)
(1,277
)

(15,526
)
Net (income) loss attributable to non controlling interests
(4
)
 
176

Net income (loss) attributable to NorthStar Realty Europe Corp. common stockholders
$
(1,281
)

$
(15,350
)
Earnings (loss) per share:


 
 
Basic
$
(0.02
)
 
$
(0.28
)
Diluted
$
(0.02
)
 
$
(0.28
)
Weighted average number of shares:
 
 
 
Basic
55,192,762

 
54,832,136

Diluted
55,603,500

 
55,504,981

Dividends per share of common stock
$
0.15

 
$
0.15

____________________________
(1)
Compensation expense for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 is comprised of equity-based compensation expenses. For the three months ended March 31, 2017, compensation expense includes the impact of substantially all time based and certain performance based awards vesting in connection with the change of control of the Manager (refer to Note 7).











Refer to accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

6


NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
(Dollars in Thousands)
(Unaudited)
 
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
2018
 
2017
Net income (loss)
$
(1,277
)
 
$
(15,526
)
Other comprehensive income (loss):
 
 
 
Foreign currency translation adjustment, net
20,001

 
9,244

Total other comprehensive income (loss)
20,001

 
9,244

Comprehensive income (loss)
18,724

 
(6,282
)
Comprehensive (income) loss attributable to non-controlling interests
(134
)
 
54

Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to NorthStar Realty Europe Corp. common stockholders
$
18,590

 
$
(6,228
)























Refer to accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

7


NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EQUITY
(Dollars and Shares in Thousands)
 
Common Stock
 
Additional
Paid-in
Capital
 
Retained
Earnings
(Accumulated
Deficit)
 
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
 
Total NorthStar Stockholders’ Equity
 
Non-controlling
Interests
 
Total
Equity
 
 
Shares
 
Amount
 
Balance as of December 31, 2016
55,395

 
$
554

 
$
925,473

 
$
(282,769
)
 
$
(51,424
)
 
$
591,834

 
$
8,073

 
$
599,907

Reallocation of interest in Operating Partnership (refer to Note 9)

 

 
2,879

 

 

 
2,879

 
(2,879
)
 

Conversion of Common Units to common stock (refer to Note 9)
97

 
1

 
331

 

 

 
332

 
(332
)
 

Amortization of equity-based compensation (refer to Note 7)

 

 
13,683

 

 

 
13,683

 
2,174

 
15,857

Issuance and vesting of restricted stock, net of tax withholding
365

 
4

 
(4
)
 

 

 

 

 

Tax withholding related to vesting of equity-based compensation
(861
)
 
(9
)
 
(10,985
)
 

 

 
(10,994
)
 

 
(10,994
)
Other comprehensive income (loss)

 

 

 

 
9,122

 
9,122

 
122

 
9,244

Dividends on common stock and equity-based compensation

 

 

 
(8,341
)
 

 
(8,341
)
 
(88
)
 
(8,429
)
Net income (loss)

 

 

 
(15,350
)
 

 
(15,350
)
 
(176
)
 
(15,526
)
Balance as of March 31, 2017 (Unaudited)
54,996

 
$
550

 
$
931,377

 
$
(306,460
)
 
$
(42,302
)
 
$
583,165

 
$
6,894

 
$
590,059

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Balance as of December 31, 2017
55,402

 
$
555

 
$
940,579

 
$
(347,053
)
 
$
25,618

 
$
619,699

 
$
4,646

 
$
624,345

Reallocation of interest in Operating Partnership (refer to Note 9)

 

 
(20
)
 

 

 
(20
)
 
20

 

Conversion of Common Units to common stock (refer to Note 9)
23

 

 
216

 

 

 
216

 
(216
)
 

Redemption of Common Units

 

 

 

 

 

 
(551
)
 
(551
)
Amortization of equity-based compensation (refer to Note 7)

 

 
402

 

 

 
402

 

 
402

Issuance and vesting of restricted stock, net of tax withholding
198

 
2

 
(2
)
 

 

 

 

 

Retirement of shares of common stock
(1,051
)
 
(11
)
 
(13,339
)
 

 

 
(13,350
)
 

 
(13,350
)
Other comprehensive income (loss)

 

 

 

 
19,871

 
19,871

 
130

 
20,001

Dividends on common stock and equity-based compensation

 

 

 
(8,332
)
 

 
(8,332
)
 
(60
)
 
(8,392
)
Net income (loss)

 

 

 
(1,281
)
 

 
(1,281
)
 
4

 
(1,277
)
Balance as of March 31, 2018 (Unaudited)
54,572


$
546


$
927,836


$
(356,666
)

$
45,489


$
617,205


$
3,973


$
621,178


























Refer to accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

8


NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Dollars in Thousands)
(Unaudited)
 
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
2018
 
2017
Cash flows from operating activities:
 
 
 
Net income (loss)
$
(1,277
)
 
$
(15,526
)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
 
 
 
Depreciation and amortization
11,651

 
12,563

Amortization of deferred financing costs
717

 
857

Amortization of equity-based compensation
573

 
15,857

Allowance for uncollectible accounts
124

 
144

Unrealized (gain) loss on derivatives and other
1,189

 
941

Realized (gain) loss on sales and other
548

 
(4,970
)
Amortization of capitalized above/below market leases
137

 
280

Straight line rental income
(3,600
)
 
(1,314
)
Deferred income taxes, net
(151
)
 
(263
)
Changes in assets and liabilities:
 
 
 
Receivables
2,765

 
192

Other assets
(2,636
)
 
(963
)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
(2,337
)
 
(4,166
)
Due to related party
839

 
(1,232
)
Other liabilities
2,252

 
1,988

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities
10,794


4,388

Cash flows from investing activities:
 
 
 
Improvements of operating real estate
(4,285
)
 
(2,266
)
Payment relating to sale of operating real estate
(260
)
 
20,893

Other assets
154

 
(288
)
Change in receivable

 
2,243

Deferred leasing costs
(398
)
 

Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities
(4,789
)

20,582

Cash flows from financing activities:
 
 
 
Borrowings from credit facility

 
15,000

Repayment of credit facility

 
(15,000
)
Payment of financing costs
(445
)
 

Settlement of derivatives
(1,740
)
 
817

Tax withholding related to vesting of equity-based compensation

 
(10,994
)
Repurchase of common stock
(10,662
)
 

Dividends
(8,392
)
 
(8,429
)
Distributions to non-controlling interest
18

 

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities
(21,221
)

(18,606
)
Effect of foreign currency translation on cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash
2,308

 
1,147

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash
(12,908
)

7,511

Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period
71,582

 
76,550

Cash and cash equivalents—end of period
$
58,674


$
84,061













Refer to accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

9


NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Dollars in Thousands) (Continued)
(Unaudited)
 
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
2018
 
2017
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:
 
 
 
Reclassification of operating real estate to assets held for sale
$

 
$
5,929

Conversion of Common Units to common stock
216

 

Reclassification of intangibles to assets and liabilities held for sale

 
890

Redemption of Common Units
551

 

Reclassification of other assets and liabilities to assets held for sale
823

 
289

Retirement of shares of common stock
2,677

 

Reallocation of interest in Operating Partnership
20

 
2,879

Accrued capital expenditures and deferred assets
91

 
681











































Refer to accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

10


NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
1.
Formation and Organization
NorthStar Realty Europe Corp. (“NorthStar Europe” or the “Company”) (NYSE: NRE), a publicly-traded real estate investment trust (“REIT”), is a European focused commercial real estate company with predominantly prime office properties in key cities within Germany, the United Kingdom and France. The Company commenced operations on November 1, 2015 following the spin-off by NorthStar Realty Finance Corp. (“NorthStar Realty”) of its European real estate business (excluding its European healthcare properties) into a separate publicly-traded company, NorthStar Realty Europe Corp., a Maryland corporation (the “Spin-off”). The Company’s objective is to provide its stockholders with stable and recurring cash flow supplemented by capital growth over time.
The Company is externally managed and advised by an affiliate of the Manager. References to “the Manager” refer to NorthStar Asset Management Group Inc. (“NSAM”) for the period prior to the Mergers (refer below) and Colony NorthStar, Inc. (“Colony NorthStar” or “CLNS”), for the period subsequent to the Mergers. As part of the Mergers, NSAM changed its name to Colony NorthStar, Inc.
Substantially all of the Company’s assets, directly or indirectly, are held by, and the Company conducts its operations, directly or indirectly, through NorthStar Realty Europe Limited Partnership, a Delaware limited partnership and the operating partnership of the Company (the “Operating Partnership”). The Company has elected to be taxed, and will continue to conduct its operations so as to continue to qualify, as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
All references herein to the Company refer to NorthStar Realty Europe Corp. and its consolidated subsidiaries, including the Operating Partnership, collectively, unless the context otherwise requires.
Merger Agreements among NSAM, NorthStar Realty and Colony Capital, Inc.
On January 10, 2017, the Company’s external manager, NSAM, completed a tri-party merger with NorthStar Realty and Colony Capital, Inc. (“Colony”), pursuant to which the companies combined in an all-stock merger (“the Mergers”) of equals transaction to create a diversified real estate and investment management company. Under the terms of the merger agreement, NSAM, Colony and NorthStar Realty, through a series of transactions, merged with and into NSAM, which was renamed Colony NorthStar (NYSE: CLNS). Colony NorthStar is a leading global equity REIT with an embedded investment management platform.
Amended and Restated Management Agreement
On November 9, 2017, the Company entered into an amended and restated management agreement (the “Amended and Restated Management Agreement”) with an affiliate of the Manager, effective as of January 1, 2018. Refer to Note 6 “Related Party Arrangements” for a description of the terms of the Amended and Restated Management Agreement.
2.
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Quarterly Presentation
The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements and related notes of the Company have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial reporting and the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, certain information and note disclosures normally included in the consolidated financial statements prepared under U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair statement of the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows have been included and are of a normal and recurring nature. The operating results presented for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any other interim period or for the entire year. These consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, as amended, for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017 , which was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).
Principles of Consolidation
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company, the Operating Partnership and their consolidated subsidiaries. The Company consolidates variable interest entities (“VIE”) where the Company is the primary beneficiary and voting interest entities which are generally majority owned or otherwise controlled by the Company. All significant intercompany balances are eliminated in consolidation.

11

NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(Unaudited)

Variable Interest Entities
A VIE is an entity that lacks one or more of the characteristics of a voting interest entity. A VIE is defined as an entity in which equity investors do not have the characteristics of a controlling financial interest or do not have sufficient equity at risk for the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support from other parties. The determination of whether an entity is a VIE includes both a qualitative and quantitative analysis. The Company bases its qualitative analysis on its review of the design of the entity, its organizational structure including decision-making ability and relevant financial agreements and the quantitative analysis on the forecasted cash flow of the entity. The Company reassesses its initial evaluation of an entity as a VIE upon the occurrence of certain reconsideration events.
A VIE must be consolidated only by its primary beneficiary, which is defined as the party who, along with its affiliates and agents has both the: (i) power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance; and (ii) obligation to absorb the losses of the VIE or the right to receive the benefits from the VIE, which could be significant to the VIE. The Company determines whether it is the primary beneficiary of a VIE by considering qualitative and quantitative factors, including, but not limited to: which activities most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and which party controls such activities; the amount and characteristics of its investment; the obligation or likelihood for the Company or other interests to provide financial support; consideration of the VIE’s purpose and design, including the risks the VIE was designed to create and pass through to its variable interest holders and the similarity with and significance to the business activities of the Company and the other interests. The Company reassesses its determination of whether it is the primary beneficiary of a VIE each reporting period. Significant judgments related to these determinations include estimates about the current and future fair value and performance of investments held by these VIEs and general market conditions.
The Company will evaluate its investments to determine whether they are a VIE. The Company analyzes new investments and financings, as well as reconsideration events for existing investments and financings, which vary depending on type of investment or financing.
Voting Interest Entities
A voting interest entity is an entity in which the total equity investment at risk is sufficient to enable it to finance its activities independently and the equity holders have the power to direct the activities of the entity that most significantly impact its economic performance, the obligation to absorb the losses of the entity and the right to receive the residual returns of the entity. The usual condition for a controlling financial interest in a voting interest entity is ownership of a majority voting interest. If the Company has a majority voting interest in a voting interest entity, the entity will generally be consolidated. The Company does not consolidate a voting interest entity if there are substantive participating rights by other parties and/or kick-out rights by a single party or through a simple majority vote.
The Company performs on-going reassessments of whether entities previously evaluated under the voting interest framework have become VIEs, based on certain events, and therefore subject to the VIE consolidation framework.
Non-controlling Interests
A non-controlling interest in a consolidated subsidiary is defined as the portion of the equity (net assets) in a subsidiary not attributable, directly or indirectly, to the Company. A non-controlling interest is required to be presented as a separate component of equity on the consolidated balance sheets and presented separately as net income (loss) and other comprehensive income (loss) (“OCI”) attributable to non-controlling interests. An allocation to a non-controlling interest may differ from the stated ownership percentage interest in such entity as a result of a preferred return and allocation formula, if any, as described in such governing documents.
Estimates
The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that could affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates and assumptions.
Comprehensive Income (Loss)
The Company reports consolidated comprehensive income (loss) in separate statements following the consolidated statements of operations. Comprehensive income (loss) is defined as the change in equity resulting from net income (loss) and OCI. The components of OCI principally include the foreign currency translation adjustment, net.

12

NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(Unaudited)

Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all highly-liquid investments with an original maturity date of three months or less and deposits held with third parties that are readily convertible to cash to be cash equivalents. Cash, including amounts restricted at certain banks and financial institutions, may at times exceed insurable amounts. The Company seeks to mitigate credit risk by placing cash and cash equivalents with major financial institutions. To date, the Company has not experienced any losses on cash and cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents exclude escrow arrangements entered into for specific warranties in relation to the real estate sales which are recorded in other assets in the consolidated financial statements.
Restricted Cash
Restricted cash primarily consists of amounts related to operating real estate such as escrows for taxes, insurance, capital expenditures, tenant security deposits and payments required under certain lease agreements and amounts related to the Company’s borrowings.
Operating Real Estate
Operating real estate is carried at historical cost less accumulated depreciation. Ordinary repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred. Major replacements and improvements which extend the life of the asset are capitalized and depreciated over their useful life. Operating real estate is depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets.
The Company accounts for purchases of operating real estate using the acquisition method, where the purchase price is allocated to tangible assets such as land, building, tenant and land improvements and other identified intangibles, such as in-place leases, above/below-market leases and goodwill to the extent the acquisition is a business combination. Costs directly related to an acquisition deemed to be a business combination are expensed and included in transaction costs in the consolidated statements of operations.
Operating real estate is depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, summarized as follows:
Category:
 
Term:
Building
 
40 years
Building improvements
 
Lesser of the useful life or remaining life of the building
Building leasehold interests
 
Lesser of 40 years or remaining term of the lease
Tenant improvements
 
Lesser of the useful life or remaining term of the lease
Preferred Equity Investments
Preferred equity investments are generally intended to be held to maturity and, accordingly, are carried at cost, net of unamortized loan fees, premium, discount and unfunded commitments, if any. Preferred equity investments that are deemed to be impaired are carried at amortized cost less a loan loss reserve, if deemed appropriate, which approximates fair value. Preferred equity investments where the Company does not intend to hold the investment for the foreseeable future or until its expected payoff are classified as held for sale and recorded at the lower of cost or fair value.
Assets and Related Liabilities Held For Sale
Operating real estate which has met the criteria to be classified as held for sale is separately presented on the consolidated balance sheets. Such operating real estate is recorded at the lower of its carrying value or its estimated fair value less the cost to sell, net of the intangible assets associated with the asset, with any write-down to fair value less cost to sell recorded as an impairment loss. Once a property is determined to be held for sale, depreciation and amortization is no longer recorded. The Company records a gain or loss on sale of real estate when title is conveyed to the buyer and the Company has no substantial economic involvement with the property. If the sales criteria for the full accrual method are not met, the Company defers some or all of the gain or loss recognition by applying the finance, leasing, profit sharing, deposit, installment or cost recovery method, as appropriate, until the sales criteria are met.

13

NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(Unaudited)

Deferred Costs
Deferred costs primarily include deferred financing costs and deferred lease costs. Deferred financing costs represent commitment fees, legal and other third-party costs associated with obtaining financing. Costs related to revolving credit facilities are recorded in other assets and are amortized to interest expense using the straight-line basis over the term of the facility. Costs related to other borrowings are recorded net against the carrying value of such borrowings and are amortized into interest expense using the effective interest method or straight-line method depending on the type of financing. Unamortized deferred financing costs are expensed when the associated borrowing is repaid before maturity to realized gain (loss) on sales and other. Costs incurred in seeking financing transactions, which do not close, are expensed in the period in which it is determined that the financing will not occur. Deferred lease costs consist of fees incurred to initiate and renew operating leases, which are amortized on a straight-line basis over the remaining lease term and are recorded to depreciation and amortization in the consolidated statements of operations.
Intangible Assets and Intangible Liabilities
The Company records acquired identified intangibles, which includes intangible assets (such as value of the above-market leases, in-place leases, below-market ground leases, goodwill and other intangibles) and intangible liabilities (such as the value of below-market leases), based on estimated fair value. The value allocated to the above or below-market leases is amortized net to rental income, the value of below-market ground leases is amortized into properties - operating expense and in-place leases is amortized into depreciation and amortization expense, respectively, in the consolidated statements of operations on a straight-line basis over the respective remaining lease term.
Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of net tangible and intangible assets acquired in a business combination and is not amortized. The Company analyzes goodwill for impairment on an annual basis and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of goodwill may not be fully recoverable. The Company assesses qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit, related to such goodwill, is less than the carrying amount. If the carrying amount exceeds fair value an impairment is recorded for the difference.
The following table presents identified intangibles as of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017 (dollars in thousands):
 
March 31, 2018 (Unaudited)
 
December 31, 2017
 
Gross Amount
 
Accumulated Amortization
 
Net
 
Gross Amount
 
Accumulated Amortization
 
Net
Intangible assets:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In-place lease
$
66,787

 
$
(28,097
)
 
$
38,690

 
$
64,427

 
$
(24,290
)
 
$
40,137

Above-market lease
36,145

 
(11,469
)
 
24,676

 
34,882

 
(9,919
)
 
24,963

Below-market ground lease
36,801

 
(1,754
)
 
35,047

 
34,497

 
(1,109
)
 
33,388

Goodwill (1)
16,145

 
N/A

 
16,145

 
15,697

 
 N/A

 
15,697

Total
$
155,878


$
(41,320
)

$
114,558


$
149,503


$
(35,318
)
 
$
114,185

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Intangible liabilities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Below-market lease
$
34,244

 
$
(11,029
)
 
$
23,215

 
$
32,267

 
$
(8,964
)
 
$
23,303

Above-market ground lease
5,670

 
(208
)
 
5,462

 
5,513

 
(184
)
 
5,329

Total
$
39,914

 
$
(11,237
)
 
$
28,677

 
$
37,780

 
$
(9,148
)
 
$
28,632

_____________________________
(1)
Represents goodwill associated with certain acquisitions in exchange for shares in the underlying portfolios. The goodwill and a corresponding deferred tax liability was recorded at acquisition based on tax basis differences.

14

NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(Unaudited)

Other Assets and Other Liabilities
The following tables present a summary of other assets and other liabilities as of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017 (dollars in thousands):
 
March 31, 2018 (Unaudited)
 
December 31, 2017
Other assets:
 
 
 
Prepaid expenses
$
4,246

 
$
1,936

Deferred leasing and other costs, net
6,756

 
6,019

Deferred tax assets, net
435

 

Straight-line rent, net
13,939

 
10,969

Escrow receivable
3,209

 
3,286

Other
711

 
905

Total
$
29,296

 
$
23,115

 
 
 
 
 
March 31, 2018 (Unaudited)
 
December 31, 2017
Other liabilities:

 
 
Deferred tax liabilities
$
8,837

 
$
8,548

Prepaid rent received and unearned revenue
13,290

 
8,406

Tenant security deposits
4,482

 
4,435

Prepaid escalation and other income
2,143

 
3,982

Other
509

 
386

Total
$
29,261

 
$
25,757

Revenue Recognition
Operating Real Estate
Rental and escalation income from operating real estate is derived from leasing of space to various types of tenants. Rental revenue recognition commences when the tenant takes possession of the leased space and the leased space is substantially ready for its intended use. The leases are for fixed terms of varying length and generally provide for annual rentals, subject to indexation, and expense reimbursements to be paid in quarterly or monthly installments. Rental income from leases is recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the respective leases. The excess of rents recognized over amounts contractually due pursuant to the underlying leases are included in other assets, net on the consolidated balance sheets. The Company amortizes any tenant inducements as a reduction of revenue utilizing the straight-line method over the term of the lease. Escalation income represents revenue from tenant leases which provide for the recovery of all or a portion of the operating expenses and real estate taxes paid by the Company on behalf of the respective property. This revenue is accrued in the same period as the expenses are incurred.
In a situation in which a lease or leases associated with a significant tenant have been, or are expected to be, terminated early, the Company evaluates the remaining useful life of depreciable or amortizable assets in the asset group related to the lease that will be terminated (i.e., tenant improvements, above and below market lease intangibles, in-place lease value and leasing commissions). Based upon consideration of the facts and circumstances surrounding the termination, the Company may write-off or accelerate the depreciation and amortization associated with the asset group. Such amounts are included within depreciation and amortization in the consolidated statements of operations.
Preferred Equity Investments
Interest income is recognized on an accrual basis and any related premium, discount, origination costs and fees are amortized over the life of the investment using the effective interest method. The amortization is reflected as an adjustment to interest income in the consolidated statements of operations. The amortization of a premium or accretion of a discount is discontinued if such investment is reclassified to held for sale.

15

NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(Unaudited)

Impairment on Investments
Operating Real Estate
The Company’s real estate portfolio is reviewed on a quarterly basis, or more frequently as necessary, to assess whether there are any indicators that the value of its operating real estate may be impaired or that its carrying value may not be recoverable. A property’s value is considered impaired if the Company’s estimate of the aggregate expected future undiscounted cash flow to be generated by the property is less than the carrying value of the property. In conducting this review, the Company considers global macroeconomic factors, real estate sector conditions, together with investment specific and other factors. To the extent an impairment has occurred, the loss is measured as the excess of the carrying value of the property over the estimated fair value of the property and recorded in impairment losses in the consolidated statements of operations. For the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017, the Company did not recognize any impairment losses.
An allowance for a doubtful account for a tenant receivable is established based on a periodic review of aged receivables resulting from estimated losses due to the inability of a tenant to make required rent and other payments contractually due. Additionally, the Company establishes, on a current basis, an allowance for future tenant credit losses on unbilled rent receivable based on an evaluation of the collectability of such amounts.
Preferred Equity Investments
Preferred equity investments are considered impaired when, based on current information and events, it is probable that the Company will not be able to collect all principal and interest amounts due according to the contractual terms. The Company assesses the credit quality of the portfolio and adequacy of investment loss reserves on an annual basis or more frequently as necessary. Significant judgment of the Company is required in this analysis. The Company considers the estimated net recoverable value of the investment as well as other factors, including but not limited to the fair value of any collateral, the amount and the status of any senior debt, the quality and financial condition of the borrower and the competitive situation of the area where the underlying collateral is located. Because this determination is based on projections of future economic events, which are inherently subjective, the amount ultimately realized may differ materially from the carrying value as of the balance sheet date. If upon completion of the assessment, the estimated fair value of the underlying collateral is less than the net carrying value of the investment, an investment loss reserve is recorded with a corresponding charge to provision for investment losses. The investment loss reserve for each investment is maintained at a level that is determined to be adequate by management to absorb probable losses.
Income recognition is suspended for an investment when, in the opinion of the Company, a full recovery of income and principal becomes doubtful. When the ultimate collectability of the principal of an impaired investment is in doubt, all payments are applied to principal under the cost recovery method. When the ultimate collectability of the principal of an impaired investment is not in doubt, contractual interest is recorded as interest income when received, under the cash basis method until an accrual is resumed when the investment becomes contractually current and performance is demonstrated to be resumed. Interest accrued and not collected will be reversed against interest income. An investment is written off when it is no longer realizable and/or legally discharged. As of March 31, 2018 , the Company did not have any impaired preferred equity investments.
Equity-Based Compensation
The Company accounts for equity-based compensation awards using the fair value method, which requires an estimate of fair value of the award. Awards may be based on a variety of measures such as time, performance, market or a combination thereof. For time-based awards, fair value is determined based on the stock price on the grant date. The Company recognizes compensation expense over the vesting period on a straight-line basis or the attribution method depending if the grant is to an employee or non-employee. For performance-based awards, fair value is determined based on the stock price at the date of grant and an estimate of the probable achievement of such measure. The Company recognizes compensation expense over the requisite service period, net of estimated forfeitures, using the accelerated attribution expense method. For market-based measures, fair value is determined using a Monte Carlo analysis under a risk-neutral premise using a risk-free interest rate. The Company recognizes compensation expense, over the requisite service period, net of estimated forfeitures, on a straight-line basis. For awards with a combination of performance or market measures, the Company estimates the fair value as if it were two separate awards. First, the Company estimates the probability of achieving the performance measure. If it is not probable the performance condition will be met, the Company records the compensation expense based on the fair value of the market measure, as described above. This expense is recorded even if the market-based measure is never met. If the performance-based measure is subsequently estimated to be achieved, the Company records compensation expense based on the performance-based measure. The Company would then record a cumulative catch-up adjustment for any additional compensation expense.

16

NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(Unaudited)

Equity-based compensation issued to non-employees is accounted for using the fair value of the award at the earlier of the performance commitment date or performance completion date. Time-based awards are remeasured every quarter based on the stock price as of the end of the reporting period until such awards vest, if any.
Derivatives
The Company seeks to use derivative instruments to manage exposure to interest rate risk and foreign currency exchange rate risk. The change in fair value for a derivative is recorded in unrealized gain (loss) on derivatives and other in the consolidated statements of operations.
The Company’s derivative instruments are recorded on the consolidated balance sheets at fair value and do not qualify as hedges under U.S. GAAP.
Foreign Currency
Assets and liabilities denominated in a foreign currency for which the functional currency is a foreign currency are translated using the currency exchange rate in effect at the end of the period presented and the results of operations for such entities are translated into U.S. dollars using the average currency exchange rate in effect during the period. The resulting foreign currency translation adjustment (“CTA”), net, is recorded as a component of accumulated OCI in the consolidated statements of equity. For the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 , the Company reclassified $0.3 million and $(0.4) million , respectively, of CTA to realized gain (loss) on sales and other in the consolidated statements of operations due to the sale of certain real estate assets (refer to Note 3).
Assets and liabilities denominated in a foreign currency for which the functional currency is the U.S. dollar are remeasured using the currency exchange rate in effect at the end of the period presented and the results of operations for such entities are remeasured into U.S. dollars using the average currency exchange rate in effect during the period. The resulting foreign currency remeasurement adjustment is recorded in unrealized gain (loss) on derivatives and other in the consolidated statements of operations.
Earnings Per Share
The Company’s basic earnings per share (“EPS”) is calculated by dividing net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common stock outstanding. Diluted EPS includes restricted stock and the potential dilution that could occur if outstanding restricted stock units (“RSUs”) or other contracts to issue common stock, assuming performance hurdles have been met, were converted to common stock (including limited partnership interests in the Operating Partnership owned by holders other than the Company (“Common Units”) and Common Units which are structured as profits interests (“LTIP Units” collectively referred to as Unit Holders) (refer to Note 8), where such exercise or conversion would result in a lower EPS. The dilutive effect of such RSUs and Unit Holders is calculated assuming all units are converted to common stock.
Income Taxes
The Company has elected to be taxed as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes with the initial filing of its 2015 U.S. federal tax return and will continue to comply with the related provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, the (“Internal Revenue Code”). Accordingly, the Company generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax to the extent of its distributions to stockholders and as long as certain asset, income and share ownership tests are met. To maintain its qualification as a REIT, the Company must annually distribute at least 90% of its REIT taxable income to its stockholders and meet certain other requirements. Under certain circumstances, federal income and excise taxes may be due on its undistributed taxable income. The Company distributes to its stockholders 100% of its taxable income and therefore no provision for U.S. federal income taxes has been included in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 .
The Company conducts its business through foreign subsidiaries which may be subject to local level income tax in the European jurisdictions it operates. The Company has also elected taxable REIT subsidiary (“TRS”) status on certain subsidiaries. This enables the Company to provide services that would otherwise be considered impermissible for REITs and participate in activities that do not qualify as “rents from real property.” The TRS that is not resident in the U.S. (“foreign TRS”) and, as such, not subject to U.S. taxation but is subject to foreign income taxes only. In addition, the REIT will not generally be subject to any additional U.S. taxes on the repatriation of foreign TRS earnings.
For the Company’s foreign subsidiaries, including the Company’s foreign TRS, deferred tax assets and liabilities are established for temporary differences between the financial reporting basis and the foreign tax basis of assets and liabilities at the enacted tax rates expected to be in effect when the temporary differences reverse. The Company evaluates the realizability of its deferred tax assets (e.g. net operating loss) and recognizes a valuation allowance if, based on the available evidence, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of its deferred tax assets will not be realized. When evaluating the realizability of its deferred tax assets,

17

NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(Unaudited)

the Company considers estimates of expected future taxable income, existing and projected book/tax differences, tax planning strategies available and the general and industry specific economic outlook. This realizability analysis is inherently subjective, as it requires the Company to forecast its business and general economic environment in future periods. Due to past and projected losses in certain local jurisdictions where the Company does not have carryback potential and/or cannot sufficiently forecast future taxable income, the Company recognized net cumulative valuation allowances against the Company’s deferred tax assets. The Company will continue to review its deferred tax assets in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The Company recorded an income tax expense of $0.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and an income tax benefit of $0.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2017.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements: Accounting Standards Adopted in 2018
Revenue Recognition - In May 2014, FASB issued an accounting update (ASU No. 2014-09) requiring a company to recognize as revenue the amount of consideration it expects to be entitled to in connection with the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. The Company has adopted the standard on its required effective date of January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective approach and has applied the guidance to contracts not yet completed as of the date of adoption. The new revenue standard specifically excludes revenue streams for which specific guidance is stipulated in other sections of the codification and therefore it will not impact rental income or interest income generated on financial instruments such as preferred equity investments. The Company is the lessor for triple net and gross leases classified as operating leases in which rental income and tenant reimbursements are recorded. The revenue from these leases are scoped out of the new revenue recognition guidance. All leases are accounted for under ASC 840 until the adoption of the new leasing guidance within ASC 842. There were no significant changes as a result of the new revenue recognition standard. In addition, the Company expects to adopt the practical expedient which allows lessors to consider lease and non-lease components as a single performance obligation to the extent that the timing and pattern of transfer is the same and the lease is classified an operating lease.
Cash Flow Classification - In August 2016, the FASB issued guidance (ASU No. 2016-15) that makes eight targeted changes to how cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. The new guidance requires adoption on a retrospective basis unless it is impracticable to apply, in which case the Company would be required to apply the amendments prospectively as of the earliest date practicable. The Company has adopted this guidance on January 1, 2018 and it did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
Restricted Cash - In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows: Restricted Cash, which requires that cash and cash equivalent balances in the statement of cash flows include restricted cash and restricted cash equivalent amounts, and therefore, changes in restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents be presented in the statement of cash flows. This will eliminate the presentation of transfers between cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows. When cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents are presented in more than one line item of the balance sheet, this ASU requires disclosure of a reconciliation between the totals in the statement of cash flows and the related captions on the balance sheet. The new guidance also requires disclosure of the nature of the restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents, similar to the existing requirements under Regulation S-X, however, it does not define restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents. The Company adopted this guidance on January 1, 2018 and the required retrospective application of this new standard resulted in changes to the previously reported statement of cash flows as follows (dollars in thousands):
 
 
As of March 31, 2017
Cash flow provided by (used in):
 
As Previously Reported
 
After Adoption of ASU 2016-18
Operating activities
 
$
5,707

 
$
4,388

Investing activities
 
20,582

 
20,582

Financing activities
 
(18,606
)
 
(18,606
)
Business Combination - In January 2017, the FASB issued guidance (ASU No. 2017-01) to clarify the definition of a business under ASC 805. This new standard clarifies the definition of a business and provides a screen to determine when an integrated set of assets and activities is not a business. The screen requires that when substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired (or disposed of) is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets, the set is not a business. The Company expects that acquisitions of real estate or in-substance real estate will not meet the revised definition of a business because substantially all of the fair value is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or group of similar identifiable assets (i.e. land, buildings, and related intangible assets). A significant difference between the accounting for an asset acquisition and a business combination is that transaction costs are capitalized for an asset acquisition, rather than expensed for a business

18

NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(Unaudited)

combination. The Company adopted the standard on its required effective date of January 1, 2018. This guidance did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
Derecognition and Partial Sales of Nonfinancial Assets - In February 2017, the FASB issued an accounting update (ASU No. 2017-05) which clarifies the scope of recently established guidance on nonfinancial asset derecognition, which applies to the derecognition of all nonfinancial assets and in-substance nonfinancial assets.  In addition, the guidance clarifies the accounting for partial sales of nonfinancial assets and in-substance nonfinancial assets to align with the new revenue recognition standard to be more consistent with the accounting for sale of a business. Specifically, in a partial sale to a noncustomer, when a noncontrolling interest is received or retained, the latter is considered a noncash consideration and measured at fair value, which would result in full gain or loss recognized upon sale. The Company has adopted this guidance on January 1, 2018 and it did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures as there were no such sales for the three months ended March 31, 2018.
Goodwill Impairment - In January 2017, the FASB issued guidance (ASU No. 2017-04) which removes Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. The Company has adopted this guidance on January 1, 2018 and it did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
Share-based Payments - In May 2017, the FASB issued guidance (ASU No. 2017-09) clarifying when to account for a change to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award as a modification. The Company has adopted this guidance on January 1, 2018 and it did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements: Future Application of Accounting Standards
Leases - In February 2016, the FASB issued an accounting update (ASU No. 2016-02) which sets out the principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases for both parties to a contract (i.e., lessees and lessors). The update requires lessees to apply a dual approach, classifying leases as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether or not the lease is effectively a financed purchase of the leased asset by the lessee. This classification will determine whether the lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest method or on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. A lessee is also required to record a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases with a term of greater than 12 months regardless of their classification. Leases with a term of 12 months or less will be accounted for similar to existing guidance for operating leases today. The update is expected to result in the recognition of a right-to-use asset and related liability to account for the Company’s future obligations under its ground lease arrangements for which it is the lessee. The update will require that lessees and lessors capitalize, as initial direct costs, only those costs that are incurred due to the execution of a lease. Under this guidance, allocated payroll costs and other costs that are incurred regardless of whether the lease is obtained will no longer be capitalized as initial direct costs and instead will be expensed as incurred. Lessors will continue to account for leases using an approach that is substantially equivalent to existing guidance for sales-type leases, direct financing leases and operating leases. The Company expects to adopt the package of practical expedients under the guidance and the Company will not need to reassess whether any expired or expiring contracts contain leases; will not need to revisit lease classification for any expired or expiring leases; and will not need to reassess initial direct costs for any existing leases. In addition, the Company expects to adopt the practical expedient which allows lessors to consider lease and non-lease components as a single performance obligation to the extent that the timing and pattern of transfer is the same and the lease is classified an operating lease. As of March 31, 2018, the Company has  two  ground lease agreements with annual payments of  $0.7 million . The new guidance is to be applied using a modified retrospective approach at the beginning of the earliest comparative period in the financial statements and is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is evaluating the impact, if any, that this guidance will have on its consolidated financial position, results of operations and financial statement disclosures.
Financial Instruments - In June 2016, the FASB issued guidance (ASU No. 2016-13) that changes the impairment model for most financial instruments by requiring companies to recognize an allowance for expected losses, rather than incurred losses as required currently by the other-than-temporary impairment model. The guidance will apply to most financial assets measured at amortized cost and certain other instruments, including trade and other receivables, loans, held-to-maturity debt securities, net investments in leases and off-balance-sheet credit exposures (e.g., loan commitments). The new guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and will be applied as a cumulative adjustment to retained earnings as of the effective date. The Company continues to assess the potential effect the adoption of this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

19

NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(Unaudited)

3.
Operating Real Estate
The following table presents operating real estate, net as of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017 (dollars in thousands):
 
 
March 31, 2018 (Unaudited)
 
December 31, 2017
Land
 
$
405,248

 
$
393,691

Buildings and improvements
 
983,350

 
954,314

Building, leasehold interests and improvements
 
204,131

 
195,929

Furniture, fixtures and equipment
 
1,774

 
1,653

Tenant improvements
 
64,120

 
61,303

Operating real estate, gross
 
1,658,623

 
1,606,890

Less: accumulated depreciation
 
(107,538
)
 
(95,356
)
Operating real estate, net
 
$
1,551,085

 
$
1,511,534

Real Estate Held for Sale
The following table summarizes the Company’s operating real estate held for sale as of March 31, 2018 (dollars in thousands):
 
 
 
 
 
 
Assets (1)(2)
 
Liabilities (1)(2)
Location
 
Type
 
Properties
 
Operating Real Estate, Net
 
Intangible Assets, Net
 
Other Assets
 
Total
 
Intangible Liabilities, Net
 
Other Liabilities
 
Total
Lisbon, Portugal
 
Office
 
1
 
$
12,250

 
$
64

 
$
1,175

 
$
13,489

 
$

 
$
355

 
$
355

Rotterdam, Netherlands (3)
 
Office
 
1
 
152,988

 
5,217

 
4,394

 
162,599

 
667

 

 
667

Total
 
 
 
2

$
165,238


$
5,281


$
5,569

 
$
176,088

 
$
667

 
$
355

 
$
1,022

_____________________________
(1)
The assets and liabilities classified as held for sale are expected to be sold on the open market as an asset sale for the asset in Rotterdam and as a share sale for the asset in Lisbon subject to standard industry terms and conditions. The assets together contributed $3.5 million and $3.6 million of revenue and $(0.1) million and $(1.3) million of income (loss) before income tax benefit (expense) for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 , respectively.
(2)
Represents operating real estate and intangible assets, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization of $20.3 million prior to being reclassified into held for sale.
(3)
In April 2018, the Company completed the sale of the Maastoren property in Rotterdam, our largest non-core asset, for approximately $195 million .
Real Estate Sales
During the first quarter 2018, the Company did not sell any properties. During the first quarter 2017, the Company sold  one  non-core asset for  $20.6 million and received $19.9 million  of proceeds, net of sales costs. In connection with this sale, for the three months ended March 31, 2017, the Company recorded a  $3.4 million  realized gain in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.
Certain escrow accounts are not held by the Company and are expected to be released within the next 12 months and to the extent this cash has not been released to purchasers to satisfy claims, the Company will recognize an additional gain on the sale at the earlier of the time of the cash receipt or when collection can be reasonably assured. As of March 31, 2018 , there were $1.2 million in certain escrow accounts that were not held by the Company which the Company could potentially record as a realized gain. The Company recorded a realized gain of  $0.6 million and $1.7 million  for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, related to the release of an escrow account from a prior disposal.
4.
Preferred Equity Investments
In May 2017, the Company partnered with a property developer in China to acquire 20 Gresham Street, a Class A office building in London, United Kingdom and the Company invested $36.8 million ( £26.2 million ) of preferred equity , which the Company accounts for as a debt investment.

20

NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(Unaudited)

The following table presents one preferred equity investment as of March 31, 2018 (dollars in thousands):
 
 
March 31, 2018
 
 
 
 
Asset Type
 
Principal Amount
 
Carrying Value
 
Fixed Rate
 
Mandatory Redemption
Preferred equity investment
 
$
36,770

 
$
36,770

 
8.00
%
 
May 2020
Credit Quality Monitoring
The Company’s preferred equity investment is secured by interests in entities that directly own real estate properties, which serve as the primary source of cash for the payment of principal and interest. The Company evaluates its preferred equity investment at least quarterly and determines the relative credit quality principally based on: (i) whether the borrower is currently paying debt service in accordance with its contractual terms; and (ii) whether the Company believes the borrower will be able to perform under its contractual terms in the future, as well as the Company’s expectations as to the ultimate recovery of principal at maturity. The Company categorizes a preferred equity investment for which it expects to receive full payment of contractual principal and interest payments as “performing.” The Company will categorize a weaker credit quality preferred equity investment that is currently performing, but for which it believes future collection of all or some portion of principal and interest is in doubt, into a category called “performing with a loan loss reserve.” The Company will categorize a weaker credit quality preferred equity investment that is not performing, which the Company defines as a loan in maturity default and/or past due on its contractual debt service payments and deemed not to be collectible, as a non-performing loan (“NPL”).
As of March 31, 2018 , the Company’s preferred equity investment was performing in accordance with the contractual terms of its governing documents, in all material respects, and was categorized as a performing loan. For the three months ended March 31, 2018 , the preferred equity investment contributed all interest income recorded on the consolidated statement of operations.
5.
Borrowings
The following table presents borrowings as of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017 (dollars in thousands):
 
 
 
 
 
 
March 31, 2018 (Unaudited)
 
December 31, 2017
 
 
Final
Maturity
 
Contractual
Interest Rate
(2)
 
Principal
Amount
 
Carrying
Value
 
Principal
Amount
 
Carrying
Value
Mortgage and other notes payable: (1)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Trias Portfolio 1 (3)(5)
 
Apr-20
 
EURIBOR + 2.70%
 
$
10,674

 
$
10,437

 
$
10,378

 
$
10,116

Trias Portfolio 2 (3)(5)(7)
 
Dec-20
 
EURIBOR + 1.55%
 
94,188

 
93,552

 
91,577

 
90,880

Trias Portfolio 3 (3)(5)
 
Apr-20
 
EURIBOR + 1.65%
 
46,092

 
45,069

 
44,814

 
43,684

Trias Portfolio 4 (3)(5)
 
Apr-20
 
GBP LIBOR + 2.70%
 
18,023

 
17,816

 
17,326

 
17,123

SEB Portfolio 1 (5)
 
Jul-24
 
EURIBOR + 1.55% (8)
 
326,365

 
322,275

 
317,317

 
313,153

SEB Portfolio 2 (5)
 
Jul-24
 
GBP LIBOR + 1.55% (8)
 
260,924

 
258,022

 
250,825

 
247,902

SEB Portfolio - Preferred (4)
 
Apr-60
 
2.30%  
 
105,484

 
105,204

 
102,560

 
102,271

Trianon Tower (5)
 
Jul-23
 
EURIBOR + 1.30%
 
406,567

 
405,059

 
395,294

 
393,763

Other - Preferred (6)
 
Oct-45
 
1.00%
 
4,681

 
4,681

 
4,551

 
4,551

Total mortgage and other notes payable
 
 
 
 
 
$
1,272,998


$
1,262,115


$
1,234,642


$
1,223,443

_____________________________
(1)
All mortgage notes and other notes payable are denominated in local currencies, and as such, the principal amount generally increased from 2017 to 2018 due to the change in the Euro or U.K. Pound Sterling compared to the U.S. dollar. All borrowings are non-recourse and are interest-only through maturity, subject to compliance with covenants of the respective borrowing, and denominated in the same currency as the assets securing the borrowing.
(2)
All floating rate debt is subject to interest rate caps of 0.5% for EURIBOR and 2.0% for GBP LIBOR which are used to manage interest rate exposure.
(3)
Trias Portfolio represents the cross-collateralized borrowings among the IVG Portfolio, Internos Portfolio and Deka Portfolio.
(4)
Represents preferred equity certificates with a contractual interest rate of 2.3% through May 2019, which increases to EURIBOR plus 12.0% through May 2022 and subsequently to EURIBOR plus 15.0% through final maturity. Certain prepayments prior to May 2019 are subject to the payment of the unpaid coupon on outstanding principal amount through May 2019.
(5)
Prepayment provisions include a fee based on principal amount ranging from 0.25% to 1.0% through December 2019 for the Trias Portfolio borrowings and 1.0% to 2.0% through July 2020 for the SEB Portfolio borrowings and 0.60% through June 30, 2018 and 0.30% through June 30, 2019 for Trianon Tower borrowings.
(6)
Represents preferred equity certificates each with a fixed contractual interest rate of 1.0% per annum plus variable interest based on specified income levels associated with the German property companies of the Trias Portfolio which can be prepaid at any time without penalty through final maturity, which is thirty years from the issuance date.
(7)
In June 2017, the Company amended and restated the agreement to increase the loan amount by $5.9 million and reduce future minimum capital expenditure spending requirements.

21

NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(Unaudited)

(8)
In September 2017, the Company amended and restated the agreement to reduce the margin from 1.80% to 1.55% and extended the maturity date from April 1, 2022 to July 20, 2024.
The following table presents a reconciliation of principal amount to carrying value of the Company’s mortgage and other notes payable as of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017 (dollars in thousands):
 
 
 
March 31, 2018 (Unaudited)
 
December 31, 2017
 
 
Principal amount
 
$
1,272,998

 
$
1,234,642

 
Deferred financing costs, net
 
(10,883
)
 
(11,199
)
 
Carrying value
 
$
1,262,115

 
$
1,223,443

The following table presents scheduled principal on borrowings, based on final maturity as of March 31, 2018 (dollars in thousands):
 
 
Mortgage
and Other Notes
Payable
Remaining 2018
 
$

Years ending December 31:
 
 
2019
 

2020
 
168,977

2021
 

2022
 

2023
 
406,567

2024 and thereafter
 
697,454

Total
 
$
1,272,998

As of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017 , the Company was in compliance with all of its financial covenants.
Credit Facility
In May 2016, the Company entered into a $75.0 million corporate revolving credit facility (the “Credit Facility”) with certain commercial bank lenders, with an initial one year term. The Credit Facility was secured by collateral relating to a borrowing base at that time and guarantees by certain subsidiaries of the Company. In October 2016, the Company permanently reduced the aggregate commitments under the Credit Facility to $35.0 million . In April 2017, the Company amended and restated the Credit Facility with aggregate commitments of $35.0 million and an initial two year term. The Credit Facility no longer contains a limitation on availability based on a borrowing base and the interest rate remains the same. The Credit Facility has an accordion feature, allowing the total facility to increase to $70 million . In March 2018, the Company amended the Credit Facility, increasing the size to $70 million and extending the term until April 2020 with one year extension option. The Credit Facility includes an accordion feature, providing for the ability to increase the facility to $105 million . As of March 31, 2018 , there was no outstanding balance on the Credit Facility.
6.    Related Party Arrangements
Colony NorthStar, Inc.
The Company entered into a management agreement with an affiliate of the Manager in November 2015 (the “Original Management Agreement”). On November 9, 2017, the Company entered into an Amended and Restated Management Agreement with an affiliate of the Manager, effective as of January 1, 2018 (the “Amended and Restated Management Agreement”). As asset manager, the Manager is responsible for the Company’s day-to-day operations, subject to supervision and management of the Company’s board of directors (the “Board”). Through its global network of subsidiaries and branch offices, the Manager performs services and engages in activities relating to, among other things, investments and financing, portfolio management and other administrative services, such as accounting and investor relations, to the Company and its subsidiaries. The management agreement with the Manager provides for a base management fee, incentive fee and expense reimbursement.
Term: Renewals
The Amended and Restated Management Agreement provides for an initial term (beginning January 1, 2018) of five years (the “Initial Term”), with subsequent automatic renewals for additional three year terms, unless either party provides notice to the other

22

NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(Unaudited)

party of its intention to decline to renew the agreement at least six months prior to the expiration of the then-current term. During the Initial Term, the Amended and Restated Management Agreement is terminable only for cause (as described in the Amended and Restated Management Agreement).
If the Company elects not to renew the Amended and Restated Management Agreement at the end of a term, it will be obligated to pay the Manager a termination fee (the “Termination Fee”) equal to three times the amount of the base management fees earned by the Manager over the four most recent quarters immediately preceding the non-renewal. In addition, if at any time after the Initial Term, the Company undergoes a “change of control” (as described in the Amended and Restated Management Agreement), the Company may elect to terminate the agreement but upon any such termination it will be obligated to pay the Termination Fee to the Manager.
Assignment
The Amended and Restated Management Agreement provides that in the event of a change of control of the Manager or other event that could be deemed an assignment of the Amended and Restated Management Agreement, the Company will consider such assignment in good faith and not unreasonably withhold, condition or delay the Company’s consent. The Amended and Restated Management Agreement further provides that the Company anticipates consent would be granted for an assignment or deemed assignment to a party with expertise in commercial real estate and over $ 10 billion of assets under management. The Amended and Restated Management Agreement also provides that, notwithstanding anything in the agreement to the contrary, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, rules and regulations, in connection with any merger, sale of all or substantially all of the assets, change of control, reorganization, consolidation or any similar transaction by the Company or the Manager, directly or indirectly, the surviving entity will succeed to the terms of the Amended and Restated Management Agreement.
Base Management Fee
Pursuant to the Amended and Restated Management Agreement, beginning January 1, 2018, the Company is obligated to pay quarterly, in arrears, in cash, the Manager a base management fee per annum equal to:
1.50% of the Company’s reported EPRA NAV (as described in the Amended and Restated Management Agreement) for EPRA NAV amounts up to and including $2.0 billion ; plus
1.25% of the Company’s reported EPRA NAV on any EPRA NAV amount exceeding $2.0 billion .
EPRA NAV is based on a U.S. GAAP balance sheet adjusted based on the Company’s interpretation of the European Public Real Estate Association (“EPRA”) guidelines, and similar as prior practices, including adjustments such as fair value of operating real estate, straight-line rent and deferred taxes and additional adjustments to be determined by the Company in good faith based on any changes to U.S. GAAP, international accounting standards or EPRA guidelines. In calculating EPRA NAV, the liquidation preference of preferred securities outstanding shall not be included as a liability of the Company and shall not reduce EPRA NAV.
For the three months ended March 31, 2018, the Company incurred $4.2 million related to the base management fee.
Under the Original Management Agreement, for the three months ended March 31, 2017, the Company incurred $3.6 million , related to the base management fee. The Original Management Agreement base management fee to the Manager was calculated as 1.5% per annum of the sum of:
any equity the Company issues in exchange or conversion of exchangeable or stock-settlable notes;
any other issuances by the Company of common equity, preferred equity or other forms of equity, including but not limited to LTIP Units in the Operating Partnership (excluding units issued to the Company and equity-based compensation, but including issuances related to an acquisition, investment, joint venture or partnership); and
cumulative cash available for distribution (“CAD”), if any, of the Company in excess of cumulative distributions paid on common stock, LTIP Units or other equity awards which began with the Company’s fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2016.
Incentive Fee
In addition to the base management fees, the Company is obligated to pay the Manager an incentive fee, if any (the “Incentive Fee”), with respect to each measurement period equal to twenty percent ( 20% ) of: (i) the excess of (a) the Company’s Total Stockholder Return (as defined in the Amended and Restated Management Agreement, which includes stock price appreciation and dividends received and is subject to a high watermark price established when a prior incentive fee is realized) for the relevant measurement period above (b) a 10% cumulative annual hurdle rate, multiplied by (ii) the Company’s Weighted Average Shares (as defined in the Amended and Restated Management Agreement) during the measurement period. The first measurement period for the incentive fee will begin January 1, 2018 (based on an initial price of $13.67 ) and end on December 31 of the applicable

23

NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(Unaudited)

calendar year and subsequent measurement periods will begin on January 1 of the subsequent calendar year. Subject to the conditions set forth in Section 4(d) of the Amended and Restated Management Agreement for common stock payments, the Company may elect to pay the Incentive Fee, if any, in cash or in shares of restricted common stock or shares of unrestricted common stock repurchased by the Company in the open market or a combination thereof. Any shares of common stock delivered by the Company will be subject to lock-up restrictions that will be released in equal one-third increments on each anniversary of the end of the measurement period with respect to which such incentive fee was earned. In calculating the value of the shares of the Company’s common stock paid in satisfaction of the Incentive Fee obligation, the shares of restricted common stock will be valued at the higher of: (i) the volume weighted average trading price per share for the ten consecutive trading days (as defined in the Amended and Restated Management Agreement) ending on the trading day prior to the date the payment is due and (ii) the Company’s EPRA NAV per share, based on the Company’s most recently published EPRA NAV and the Weighted Average Shares as of the end of the period with respect to which such EPRA NAV was published. For the three months ended March 31, 2018, the Company did not record an incentive fee.
Under the Original Management Agreement, for the three months ended March 31, 2017, the Company did not incur an incentive fee. The incentive fee under the Original Management Agreement was calculated and was payable quarterly in arrears in cash, equal to:
the product of: (a) 15.0% and (b) the Company’s CAD before such incentive fee, divided by the weighted average shares outstanding for the calendar quarter, of any amount in excess of $0.30 per share and up to $0.36 per share; plus
the product of: (a) 25.0% and (b) the Company’s CAD before such incentive fee, divided by the weighted average shares outstanding for the calendar quarter, of any amount in excess of $0.36 per share;
multiplied by the Company’s Weighted Average Shares outstanding for the calendar quarter.
Weighted Average Shares represents the number of shares of the Company’s common stock, LTIP Units or other equity-based awards (with some exclusions), outstanding on a daily weighted average basis. With respect to the base management fee under the Original Management Agreement, all equity issuances are allocated on a daily weighted average basis during the fiscal quarter of issuance. With respect to the incentive fee under the Original Management Agreement, such amounts will be appropriately adjusted from time to time to take into account the effect of any stock split, reverse stock split, stock dividend, reclassification, recapitalization or other similar transaction.
Costs and Expenses
The Company is responsible to pay (or reimburse the Manager) for all of the Company’s direct, out of pocket costs and expenses of the Company as a stand alone company incurred by or on behalf of the Company and its subsidiaries, all of which must be reasonable, customary and documented. Internalized Service Costs (as defined below) are not intended to be covered costs and expenses under this provision and are subject to the limits described in the next paragraph.
The Company is obligated to reimburse the Manager for (i) all direct, reasonable, customary and documented costs and expenses incurred by the Manager for salaries, wages, bonuses, payroll taxes and employee benefits for personnel employed by the Manager: (a) who solely provide services to the Company which prior to January 1, 2018 were provided by unaffiliated third parties, including accounting and treasury services or (b) who were hired by the Manager after January 1, 2018 but who solely provide services to the Company in respect of one of the categories of services previously internalized pursuant to clause (a) and who were not hired in connection with any event which otherwise resulted in an increase to the Company’s net asset value (such costs and expenses set forth in clauses (i) and (ii), the “Internalized Service Costs”), plus (ii) 20% of the amount calculated under clause (i) to cover reasonable overhead charges with respect to such personnel, provided that the Company shall not be obligated to reimburse the Manager for such costs and expenses to the extent they exceed the following quarterly limits:
0.0375% of the Company’s aggregate gross asset value as of the end of the prior calendar quarter (excluding cash and cash equivalents and certain other exclusions) as calculated for purposes of determining EPRA NAV (“GAV”), for GAV amounts to and including $2.5 billion , plus
0.0313% of GAV amounts between $2.5 billion and $5.0 billion , plus
0.025% of GAV amounts exceeding $5.0 billion .
If the Manager’s actual Internalized Service Costs during any quarter exceed the quarterly limit described in the preceding paragraph (the cumulative excess amounts, if any, in respect of each quarter during a calendar year, the (“Quarterly Cap Excess Amount”), the Company is obligated to reimburse the Manager on an annual basis for an amount equal to the lesser of (i) the Quarterly Cap Excess Amount and (ii) the sum of the amounts, if any, determined for each quarter within such calendar year by which Internalized Services Costs in respect of such quarter were less than the quarterly limits described in the prior paragraph.

24

NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(Unaudited)

For the three months ended March 31, 2018, the Manager allocated $0.3 million of Internalized Service Costs to the Company which is recorded in general and administration expenses in the consolidation statements of operations.
Equity Based Compensation
In addition, the Company expects to make annual equity compensation grants to management of the Company and other employees of the Manager, provided that the aggregate annual grant amount, type and other terms of such equity compensation must be approved by the Company’s compensation committee. The Manager will have discretion in allocating the aggregate grant among the Company’s management and other employees of the Manager.
Under the Amended and Restated Management Agreement, beginning with the Company’s 2018 annual stockholders’ meeting, the Manager will have the right to nominate one director (who is expected to be one of the Company’s current directors employed by the Manager) to the Company’s board of directors.
Colony NorthStar Ownership Waiver and Voting Agreement
In connection with the entry into the Amended and Restated Management Agreement, the Company provided Colony NorthStar with an ownership waiver under the Company’s Articles of Amendment and Restatement, allowing Colony NorthStar to purchase up to 45% of the Company’s stock. The waiver provides that if the Amended and Restated Management Agreement is terminated, Colony NorthStar may not purchase any shares of the Company’s common stock to the extent Colony NorthStar owns (or would own as a result of such purchase) more than 9.8% of the Company’s capital stock. In connection with the waiver, Colony NorthStar also agreed that for all matters submitted to a vote of the Company’s stockholders, to the extent Colony NorthStar owns more than 25% of the Company’s common stock (such shares owned by Colony NorthStar in excess of the 25% threshold, the “Excess Shares”), it will vote the Excess Shares in the same proportion that the remaining shares of the Company not owned by Colony NorthStar or its affiliates are voted. If the Amended and Restated Management Agreement is terminated, then beginning on the third anniversary of such termination, the threshold described in the prior sentence will be reduced from 25% to 9.8% .
Manager Ownership of Common Stock
As of March 31, 2018 , Colony NorthStar and its subsidiaries owned 5.6 million shares of the Company’s common stock, or approximately 10.3% of the total outstanding common stock.
7.
Compensation Expense
The following summarizes the equity-based compensation for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 :
For the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 , the Company recorded $0.6 million and $15.9 million respectively, of equity-based compensation expense which is recorded in compensation expenses on the consolidated statements of operations. As of March 31, 2018 , equity-based compensation expense to be recognized over the remaining vesting period through March 2021 is $7.6 million , provided there are no additional forfeitures.
2015 Omnibus Stock Incentive Plan
Pursuant to the NorthStar Realty Europe Corp. 2015 Omnibus Stock Incentive Plan (the “2015 Plan”), the Company may issue equity awards to directors, officers, employees, co-employees, consultants and advisors of the Company, the Manager or of any parent or subsidiary who provides services to the Company. The number of shares that may be issued under the 2015 Plan equals 10 million shares of common stock, plus on January 1, 2017 and each January 1 thereafter, an additional 2% of the number of shares of common stock issued and outstanding on the immediately preceding December 31. In addition, shares of common stock underlying any awards that are forfeited, canceled, held back upon exercise of a stock option or settlement of an award to cover the exercise price or tax withholding, reacquired by the Company prior to vesting, satisfied without the issuance of common stock or otherwise terminated (other than by exercise) will be added back to the shares of common stock available for issuance under the 2015 Plan. As of March 31, 2018 , under the 2015 Plan, a total of 1.4 million shares of common stock had been issued (net of forfeitures and shares held back for tax withholding), 1.6 million shares were reserved for issuance pursuant to outstanding equity awards (including 0.4 million reserved for issuance upon conversion of outstanding LTIP Units and Common Units and 1.2 million reserved for issuance pursuant to the outstanding Absolute RSUs and Relative RSUs) and 9.2 million otherwise unreserved shares remained available for issuance.
All of the equity awards issued by the Company since the spin-off from NorthStar Realty on November 1, 2015 have been issued under the 2015 Plan. During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company issued 500,642 restricted shares of common stock under the 2015 Plan to employees of the Manager or its subsidiaries in accordance with the terms of the management agreement described above in Note 6, of which 379,594 vested in connection with the Mergers.

25

NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(Unaudited)

In March 2016, as contemplated in connection with the Spin-off, the Company granted an aggregate of 995,698 restricted shares of common stock and 1,493,551 RSUs to employees of the Manager or one of its subsidiaries under the 2015 Plan. The restricted shares of common stock were subject to vesting over the approximately four year period ending December 31, 2019, subject to continued employment with the Manager or one of its subsidiaries and the RSUs were market-based awards subject to the achievement of performance-based vesting conditions and continued employment with the Manager or one of its subsidiaries. Approximately one-half of these RSUs are subject to the achievement of performance-based hurdles relating to the Company’s absolute total stockholder return and continued employment with the Manager or one of its subsidiaries over the approximately four year period from the grant date through December 31, 2019 (the “Absolute RSUs”). The other approximately one-half of these RSUs are subject to the achievement of performance-based hurdles based on the Company’s total stockholder return relative to the MSCI US REIT Index and continued employment with the Manager or one of its subsidiaries over the approximately four year period from the grant date through December 31, 2019 (the “Relative RSUs”). Award recipients may earn up to 100% of the Absolute RSUs that were granted and up to 125% of the Relative RSUs that were granted. Upon vesting pursuant to the terms of the Absolute RSUs and Relative RSUs, the RSUs that vest will be settled in shares of common stock and the recipients will be entitled to receive the distributions that would have been paid with respect to a share of common stock (for each share that vests) on or after the date the RSUs were initially granted. In accordance with their terms, all of these restricted shares of common stock that remained outstanding vested in connection with the Mergers. The Absolute and Relative RSUs were not affected by the Mergers and remain outstanding, subject to forfeitures occurring in connection with termination of employment with the Manager or one of its subsidiaries. During the three months ended March 31, 2018, 170,454 Absolute RSUs and 170,453 Relative RSUs that had previously been granted to key employees of the Manager who are no longer providing services to the Company were forfeited. Subsequent to March 31, 2018, in order to assist in the retention of employees of the Manager who are continuing to provide services to the Company, the Company’s compensation committee utilized 300,000 of these forfeited RSUs to make retention grants consisting of 150,000 restricted shares of common stock that are subject to vesting based on continued service and established a retention pool consisting of an additional 150,000 shares of common stock or RSUs that will be allocated prior to May 2019 to employees of the Manager who are providing services to the Company as designated by the compensation committee, in its discretion.  
In March 2018, as contemplated by the Amended and Restated Management Agreement, the Company established an annual equity compensation pool under the 2015 Plan to be allocated among members of management of the Company and other employees of the Manager consisting of an aggregate of 198,000 restricted shares of common stock and 132,000 performance based RSUs. This annual equity compensation pool was then allocated to individual award recipients by the Manager, and individual grants were made. The restricted shares of common stock are subject to vesting in approximately equal annual installments over the three -year period ending March 1, 2021, subject to the Manager continuing to serve as our manager and the recipient’s continued employment with the Manager or Colony NorthStar or one of its subsidiaries. The RSUs are market-based awards subject to the achievement of performance-based vesting conditions. Approximately one-half of these RSUs are subject to the achievement of performance-based hurdles relating to the Company’s absolute total stockholder return over the three -year period from the grant date through February 28, 2021 (the “2018 Absolute RSUs”). The other approximately one-half of these RSUs are subject to the achievement of performance-based hurdles based on the Company’s total stockholder return relative to the MSCI US REIT Index over the three -year period from the grant date through February 28, 2021 (the “2018 Relative RSUs”). Award recipients may earn up to 200% of the 2018 Absolute RSUs and Relative RSUs that were granted. Vesting of the 2018 Absolute and Relative RSUs are also subject to the Manager continuing to serve as our manager and the recipient’s continued employment with the Manager or Colony NorthStar or one of its subsidiaries through the end of the performance period. The RSUs that vest will be settled in shares of common stock and the recipients will be entitled to receive the distributions that would have been paid with respect to a share of common stock (for each share that vests) on or after the date the RSUs were initially granted.
Pre-Spin-off NorthStar Realty Equity Awards
In addition to equity awards issued under the 2015 Plan, the Company also had equity subject to outstanding equity-based awards granted by NorthStar Realty prior to the Spin-Off. In connection with the Spin-Off, holders of shares of common stock of NorthStar Realty and LTIP units of NorthStar Realty’s operating partnership subject to outstanding equity awards received one share of the Company’s common stock or one Common Unit in the Operating Partnership, respectively, for every six shares of common stock of NorthStar Realty or LTIP units of NorthStar Realty’s operating partnership held. Other equity and equity-based awards relating to NorthStar Realty’s common stock, such as RSUs, were adjusted to also relate to one-sixth of a share of the Company’s common stock, but otherwise generally remained subject to the same vesting and other terms that applied prior to the Spin-off. Performance-based vesting conditions based on total stockholder return of NorthStar Realty or NorthStar Realty and NSAM were adjusted to refer to combined total stockholder return of NorthStar Realty and the Company or NorthStar Realty, NSAM and the Company, respectively, with respect to periods after the Spin-Off and references to a change of control or similar term in outstanding awards, which referred to a change of control of either NorthStar Realty or NSAM, were adjusted, to the extent such awards relate to

26

NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(Unaudited)

common stock of the Company or Common Units in the Operating Partnership, to refer to a change of control of either the Company or NSAM.
Following the Spin-off, NorthStar Realty and the compensation committee of its Board continued to administer all awards granted by NorthStar Realty prior to the Spin-off, but the Company was obligated to issue shares of the Company’s common stock or other equity awards of its subsidiaries or make cash payments in lieu thereof or with respect to dividend or distribution equivalent obligations to the extent required by these awards. These awards continued to be governed by the NorthStar Realty equity plans, as applicable, and shares of the Company’s common stock issued pursuant to these awards were not be issued pursuant to, and did not reduce availability under, the 2015 Plan. In connection with the Mergers, all of these outstanding equity-based awards vested or were forfeited.
The following table presents activity related to the issuance, vesting, redemption, conversion and forfeitures of restricted stock, Common Units and performance RSUs. The balance as of March 31, 2018 represents vested Common Units and unvested restricted stock and performance RSUs (grants in thousands):
 
Three Months Ended March 31, 2018
 
Restricted Stock (1)
 
Common Units
 
Performance RSUs (2)
 
Total Grants
 
Weighted
Average
Grant Price
December 31, 2017
121

 
420

 
1,453

 
1,994

 
$
11.95

Granted
198

 

 
132

 
330

 
12.65

Redeemed

 
(43
)
 

 
(43
)
 
12.67

Converted

 
(23
)
 

 
(23
)
 
11.92

Forfeited

 

 
(341
)
 
(341
)
 
12.60

March 31, 2018 (Unaudited)
319

 
354

 
1,244

 
1,917

 
$
11.94

_____________________________
(1)
Represents restricted stock included in common stock.
(2)
As of March 31, 2018 , represented outstanding Absolute and Relative RSUs.
8.
Stockholders’ Equity
Share Repurchase
In March 2018, the Company’s board of directors authorized the repurchase of up to $100 million of its outstanding common stock. The authorization expires in March 2019, unless otherwise extended by the Company’s board of directors.
The following table presents the number of share repurchased by the Company, the average price paid per share and the gross amount paid for the repurchased shares for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and the period subsequent to quarter end, from April 1, 2018 through May 7, 2018 (dollars and shares in thousands, except per share data):
Period
 
Shares
 
Average Price Paid per Share
 
Gross
January 1 - March 31 (1)
 
1,051

 
$
12.70

 
$
13,350

April 1 - May 7
 
2,383

 
13.81

 
32,918

Total
 
3,434

 
$
13.47

 
$
46,268

_____________________________
(1)
The authorization for the repurchases was approved by the Company’s board of directors in March 2018. For the three months ended March 31, 2017, the Company did not repurchase any shares of its common stock.

27

NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(Unaudited)

Dividends
The following table presents dividends declared (on a per share basis) with respect to the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 :
Common Stock
Declaration Date
 
Dividend Per Share
2018
 
 
May 7
 
$
0.15

2017
 
 
May 1
 
$
0.15

Earnings Per Share
The following table presents EPS for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 (dollars and shares in thousands, except per share data):
 
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
2018
 
2017
Numerator:
 
 
 
Net income (loss) attributable to NorthStar Realty Europe Corp. common stockholders
$
(1,281
)
 
$
(15,350
)
Net income (loss) attributable to Unit Holders non-controlling interest
(15
)
 
(193
)
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders and Unit Holders (1)
$
(1,296
)
 
$
(15,543
)
Denominator: (2)
 
 
 
Weighted average shares of common stock
55,193

 
54,832

Weighted average Unit Holders (1)
411

 
673

Weighted average shares of common stock and Unit Holders (2)
55,604

 
55,505

Earnings (loss) per share:
 
 
 
Basic
$
(0.02
)
 
$
(0.28
)
Diluted
$
(0.02
)
 
$
(0.28
)
_____________________________
(1)
The EPS calculation takes into account Unit Holders, which receive non-forfeitable dividends from the date of grant, share equally in the Company’s net income (loss) and convert on a one -for-one basis into common stock.
(2)
Excludes the effect of restricted stock and RSUs outstanding that were not dilutive as of March 31, 2018 . These instruments could potentially impact diluted EPS in future periods, depending on changes in the Company’s stock price and other factors.
9.
Non-controlling Interests
Operating Partnership
Non-controlling interests include the aggregate Unit Holders’ interest in the Operating Partnership. Net income (loss) attributable to the non-controlling interest is based on the weighted average Unit Holders’ ownership percentage of the Operating Partnership for the respective period. The issuance of additional common stock, Common Units or LTIP Units changes the percentage ownership of both the Unit Holders and the Company. Since a Common Unit or LTIP Unit is generally redeemable for cash or common stock at the option of the Company, it is deemed to be equivalent to common stock. Therefore, such transactions are treated as capital transactions and result in an allocation between stockholders’ equity and non-controlling interests on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets to account for the change in the ownership of the underlying equity in the Operating Partnership. On a quarterly basis, the carrying value of such non-controlling interest is reallocated based on the number of Unit Holders in total in proportion to the number of Units Holders plus the number of shares of common stock outstanding. As of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the Company allocated an immaterial amount and $1.8 million , respectively, from stockholders’ equity to non-controlling interest on the consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statement of equity.
As of March 31, 2018 , 353,817 Common Units and LTIP Units were outstanding, representing a 0.7% ownership and non-controlling interest in the Operating Partnership. Net income (loss) attributable to the Operating Partnership non-controlling interest for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 was a net loss of an immaterial amount and $0.2 million , respectively.

28

NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(Unaudited)

Redeemable Non-controlling Interest
In connection with the acquisition of the Trianon Tower in July 2015, the Company sold a 5.5% non-controlling interest in certain subsidiaries that own the Trianon Tower for $1.5 million . In conjunction with the sale, the Company entered into a put option whereby the holder may redeem its interest for cash at the greater of fair market value of such non-controlling interest or €2.1 million beginning in November 2020 through January 2021. The Company recorded the non-controlling interest at its acquisition date fair value as temporary equity due to the redemption option. The carrying amount of redeemable noncontrolling interests is adjusted to its redemption value at the end of each reporting period, but no less than its initial carrying value, with such adjustments recognized in additional paid-in capital.
10.
Risk Management and Derivative Activities
Derivatives
The Company uses derivative instruments primarily to manage interest rate and currency risk and such derivatives are not considered speculative. These derivative instruments are in the form of interest cap agreements where the primary objective is to minimize interest rate risks associated with investment and financing activities and foreign currency forward agreements where the primary objective is to minimize foreign currency exchange rate risks associated with operating activities. The counterparties of these arrangements are major financial institutions with which the Company may also have other financial relationships. The Company is exposed to credit risk in the event of non-performance by these counterparties and it monitors their financial condition; however, the Company currently does not anticipate that any of the counterparties will fail to meet their obligations.
The following tables present derivative instruments that were not designated as hedges under U.S. GAAP as of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017 (dollars in thousands):

Number (1)

Notional
Amount

Fair Value
Asset (Liability)

Range of
Fixed GBP LIBOR / EURIBOR

Range of Maturity
As of March 31, 2018 (Unaudited):
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest rate caps
26

 
$
1,211,087

 
$
7,100

 
(2)
 
April 2020 - July 2023
Foreign currency forwards (3)
7

 
105,559

 
(6,342
)
 
N/A
 
May 2018 - November 2019
    Total
33

 
$
1,316,646

 
$
758

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
As of December 31, 2017:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest rate caps
31

 
$
1,193,012

 
$
7,024

 
(2)
 
April 2020 - July 2023
Foreign currency forwards (3)
4

 
58,647

 
(5,270
)
 
N/A
 
February 2018 - November 2018
Total
35

 
$
1,251,659

 
$
1,754

 
 
 
 
_____________________________
(1)    Represents number of transactions.
(2)    Includes a range of interest rate caps of 0.5% for EURIBOR and 2.0% for GBP LIBOR.
(3)    Includes Euro currency forwards. The strike prices for the foreign currency forwards maturing in 2018 and 2019 are an average of $1.11 and 1.25 , respectively.
The following table presents the fair value of derivative instruments, as well as their classification on the consolidated balance sheets, as of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017 (dollars in thousands):
 
Balance Sheet
 
March 31, 2018 (Unaudited)
 
December 31,
2017

Location
 
 
Interest rate caps
Derivative assets
 
$
7,100

 
$
7,024

Foreign currency forwards
Derivative liabilities
 
$
6,342

 
$
5,270


29

NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(Unaudited)

The following table presents the effect of derivative instruments in the consolidated statements of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 (dollars in thousands):
 
 
 
Three Months Ended March 31,

 

2018
 
2017
Amount of gain (loss) recognized in earnings:
Statements of operations location:

 
 
 
Adjustment to fair value of interest rate caps
Unrealized gain (loss) on derivatives and other (1)

$
(119
)
 
$
319

Adjustment to fair value of foreign currency forwards held at the end of the reporting period
Unrealized gain (loss) on derivatives and other  (1)
 
(1,072
)
 
(1,264
)
Net cash receipt (payment) on derivatives
Realized gain (loss) on sales and other
 
(1,740
)
 
817

_____________________________
(1)    Excludes the unrealized gain (loss) relating to foreign currency remeasurement adjustments.
The Company’s counterparties held no cash margin as collateral against the Company’s derivative contracts as of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017 . The Company had no derivative financial instruments that were designated as hedges in qualifying hedging relationships as of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017 .
11.
Fair Value
Fair Value Measurement
The fair value of financial instruments is categorized based on the priority of the inputs to the valuation technique and categorized into a three-level fair value hierarchy. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). If the inputs used to measure the financial instruments fall within different levels of the hierarchy, the categorization is based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement of the instrument.
Financial assets and liabilities are recorded at fair value on the consolidated balance sheets and are categorized based on the inputs to the valuation techniques as follows:
Level 1.
Quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in an active market.
Level 2.
Financial assets and liabilities whose values are based on the following:
(a)
Quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets.
(b)
Quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in non-active markets.
(c)
Pricing models whose inputs are observable for substantially the full term of the asset or liability.
(d)
Pricing models whose inputs are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the asset or liability.
Level 3.
Prices or valuation techniques based on inputs that are both unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement.
Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis
The following is a description of the valuation techniques used to measure fair value of assets and liabilities accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis and the general classification of these instruments pursuant to the fair value hierarchy.
Derivative Instruments
Derivative instruments consist of interest rate caps and foreign currency exchange contracts that are traded over-the-counter, and are valued using a third-party service provider. These quotations are not adjusted and are generally based on valuation models with observable inputs such as contractual cash flow, yield curve, foreign currency rates and credit spreads and as such, are classified as Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. Derivative instruments are also assessed for credit valuation adjustments due to the risk of non-performance by the Company and derivative counterparties.

30

NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(Unaudited)

Fair Value of Financial Instruments
In addition to the above disclosures regarding financial assets or liabilities which are recorded at fair value, U.S. GAAP requires disclosure of fair value about all financial instruments. The following disclosure of estimated fair value of financial instruments was determined by the Company using available market information and appropriate valuation methodologies. Considerable judgment is necessary to interpret market data and develop estimated fair value. Accordingly, the estimates presented herein are not necessarily indicative of the amounts the Company could realize on disposition of the financial instruments. The use of different market assumptions and/or estimation methodologies may have a material effect on estimated fair value.
The following table presents the principal amount, carrying value and fair value of certain financial assets and liabilities as of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017 (dollars in thousands):
 
March 31, 2018
 
December 31, 2017
 
Principal/Notional
Amount
 
Carrying
Value
 
Fair
Value
 
Principal/Notional
Amount
 
Carrying
Value
 
Fair
Value
Financial assets: (1)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Derivative assets
$
1,211,087

 
$
7,100

 
$
7,100

 
$
1,193,012

 
$
7,024

 
$
7,024

Preferred equity investment
36,770

 
36,770

 
37,224

 
35,347

 
35,347

 
35,783

Financial liabilities: (1)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Mortgage and other notes payable, net
$
1,272,998

 
$
1,262,115

 
$
1,266,114

 
$
1,234,642

 
$
1,223,443

 
$
1,231,321

Derivative liabilities
105,559

 
6,342

 
6,342

 
58,647

 
5,270

 
5,270

_____________________________
(1)
The fair value of other financial instruments not included in this table is estimated to approximate their carrying value.
Disclosure about fair value of financial instruments is based on pertinent information available to management as of the reporting date. Although management is not aware of any factors that would significantly affect fair value, such amounts have not been comprehensively revalued for purposes of these consolidated financial statements since that date and current estimates of fair value may differ significantly from the amounts presented herein.
Mortgage and Other Notes Payable
For mortgage and other notes payable, the Company primarily uses rates currently available with similar terms and remaining maturities to estimate fair value. These measurements are determined using rates as of the end of the reporting period or market credit spreads over the rate payable on fixed rate of like maturities. These fair value measurements are based on observable inputs, and as such, are classified as Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.
Preferred Equity Investments
For preferred equity investments, fair value was computed by comparing the current yield to the estimated yield for newly originated loans with similar credit risk or the market yield at which a third party might expect to purchase such investment. Fair value was determined assuming fully-extended maturities regardless of structural or economic tests required to achieve such extended maturities. These fair value measurements are generally based on unobservable inputs and, as such, are classified as Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.
12.
Commitments and Contingencies
The Company is involved in various litigation matters arising in the ordinary course of its business. Although the Company is unable to predict with certainty the eventual outcome of any litigation, in the opinion of management, the current legal proceedings are not expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.
The Company engages third-party service providers for its portfolio who are remunerated based on either a fixed fee or a percentage of rental income. The contract terms vary by party and are subject to termination options. These costs are recorded in properties - operating expense and other expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.

31

NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(Unaudited)

As part of the terms of agreements relating to certain assets the Company disposed, as is customary for such transactions in Europe, the Company agreed to provide certain warranties to the buyer.
Risk Management
Concentrations of credit risk arise when a number of tenants related to the Company’s investments are engaged in similar business activities or located in the same geographic region to be similarly affected by changes in economic conditions. The Company monitors its portfolios to identify potential concentrations of credit risks. For the three months ended March 31, 2018,  one  tenant, DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale, accounted for more than 10% of the Company’s total revenues. This tenant has  6.2 years remaining on its lease. Otherwise, the Company has no other tenant that generates 10% or more of its total revenues. Additionally, for the three months ended March 31, 2018, Germany, France and the United Kingdom each accounted for more than 10% of the Company’s total revenues. The Company believes the remainder of its portfolio is well diversified and does not contain any unusual concentrations of credit risks.
13.
Segment Reporting
The Company currently conducts its business through the following three segments, based on how management reviews and manages its business:
Real Estate Equity- Focused on European prime office properties located in key cities within Germany, the United Kingdom and France.
Preferred Equity - Represents the Company’s preferred equity investment secured by interest in a United Kingdom prime office property.
Corporate - The corporate segment significantly includes corporate level interest expense, management fee and general and administrative expenses.

32

NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(Unaudited)

The following tables present segment reporting for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 (dollars in thousands):
 
Three Months Ended March 31, 2018
Statement of Operations:
Real Estate Equity
 
Preferred Equity
 
Corporate

Total
Revenues
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rental income
$
27,224

 
$

 
$

 
$
27,224

Escalation income
5,341

 

 

 
5,341

Interest income

 
729

 

 
729

Expenses
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest expense (1)
5,955

 

 
152

 
6,107

Management fee, related party

 

 
4,157

 
4,157

Transaction costs

 

 
481

 
481

Depreciation and amortization
11,651

 

 

 
11,651

Other, net
7,189

(2)  

 
4,947

(3)  
12,136

Income (loss) before income tax benefit (expense)
7,770


729


(9,737
)
 
(1,238
)
Income tax benefit (expense)
(39
)
 

 

 
(39
)
Net income (loss)
$
7,731


$
729


$
(9,737
)
 
$
(1,277
)
_____________________________
(1)
Includes $0.6 million and $0.1 million of amortization of deferred financing costs in the real estate equity and corporate segments, respectively.
(2)
Primarily relates to properties - operating expenses and unrealized loss on interest rate caps offset by other income and realized gain on sale adjustments.
(3)
Primarily relates to general and administrative expense, unrealized loss on foreign currency forwards and net realized loss related to the settlement of foreign currency derivatives.
 
Three Months Ended March 31, 2017 (1)
Statement of Operations:
Real Estate Equity
 
Corporate
 
Total
Revenues
 
 
 
 
 
Rental income
$
25,536


$

 
$
25,536

Escalation income
5,161



 
5,161

Expenses
 
 
 
 
 
Interest expense (2)
6,119

 
264

 
6,383

Management fee, related party

 
3,559

 
3,559

Transaction costs

 
260

 
260

Depreciation and amortization
12,563

 

 
12,563

Other, net
4,971

(3)  
18,760

(4)  
23,731

Income (loss) before income tax benefit (expense)
7,044


(22,843
)
 
(15,799
)
Income tax benefit (expense)
273

 

 
273

Net income (loss)
$
7,317


$
(22,843
)
 
$
(15,526
)
_____________________________
(1)
The Company did not have a preferred equity segment for the three months ended September 30, 2016.
(2)
Includes $0.7 million and 0.2 million of amortization of deferred financing costs in the real estate equity and corporate segments, respectively.
(3)
Primarily relates to properties - operating expenses and unrealized loss on interest rate caps offset by other income and realized gain on sales.
(4)
Primarily relates to general and administrative expense, compensation expense and unrealized loss on foreign currency forwards offset by the net realized gain related to the settlement of foreign currency derivatives.
The following table presents total assets by segment as of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017 (dollars in thousands):
Total Assets
Real Estate Equity
 
Preferred Equity
 
Corporate
 
Total
March 31, 2018 (Unaudited)
$
1,936,271

 
$
37,614

 
$
5,779

 
$
1,979,664

December 31, 2017
1,901,282

 
37,133

 
2,502

 
1,940,917





33

NORTHSTAR REALTY EUROPE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(Unaudited)

Geography
The following table presents geographic information about the Company’s total rental income for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 (in thousands):
 
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
2018
 
2017
Office
 
 
 
Germany
$
11,964

 
$
9,915

United Kingdom
6,146

 
6,791

France
4,931

 
4,234

Other office
2,871

(1)  
3,527

Subtotal
25,912


24,467

Other
1,312

 
1,069

Total
$
27,224

 
$
25,536

_____________________________
(1)
Includes an asset in Portugal and an asset in the Netherlands which are classified as held-for-sale as of March 31, 2018.
14.
Subsequent Events
Dividends
On May 7, 2018 , the Company declared a dividend of $0.15 per share of common stock. The common stock dividend is expected be paid on May 25, 2018 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on May 21, 2018 .
Share Repurchases
From the authorization in March 2018 through May 7, 2018 , the Company repurchased 3.4 million shares of its common stock for approximately $46.3 million (refer to Note 8 “Stockholders’ Equity”).
Disposals
In April 2018, the Company completed the sale of the Maastoren property, our largest non-core asset, for approximately  $195 million . The Company released approximately  $60 million  of net equity after repayment of financing (including release premium) and transaction costs.





34


Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in Item 1. “Financial Statements” of this report. References to “NorthStar Europe,” “we,” “us” or “our” refer to NorthStar Realty Europe Corp. and its subsidiaries unless the context specifically requires otherwise. References to “our Manager” refer to NorthStar Asset Management Group Inc., or NSAM, for the period prior to the Mergers (refer below) and Colony NorthStar, Inc., for the period subsequent to the Mergers. As part of the Mergers, NSAM changed its name to Colony NorthStar, Inc.
NorthStar Realty Europe Corp., a publicly-traded real estate investment trust, or REIT, (NYSE: NRE) is a European focused commercial real estate company with predominantly prime office properties in key cities within Germany, the United Kingdom and France. We commenced operations on November 1, 2015 following the spin-off by NorthStar Realty Finance Corp., or NorthStar Realty, of its European real estate business (excluding its European healthcare properties) into a separate publicly-traded company, NorthStar Realty Europe Corp., a Maryland corporation, or the Spin-off. Our objective is to provide our stockholders with stable and recurring cash flow supplemented by capital growth over time.
We are externally managed and advised by an affiliate of our Manager. Substantially all of our assets, directly or indirectly, are held by, and we conduct our operations, directly or indirectly, through NorthStar Realty Europe Limited Partnership, a Delaware limited partnership and our operating partnership, or our Operating Partnership. We have elected to be taxed and will continue to conduct our operations so as to continue to qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Significant Developments
Merger Agreement among NSAM, NorthStar Realty and Colony Capital, Inc.
On January 10, 2017, our external manager, NSAM completed a tri-party merger with NorthStar Realty and Colony Capital, Inc., or Colony, pursuant to which the companies combined in an all-stock merger, or the Mergers, of equals transaction to create a diversified real estate and investment management company. Under the terms of the merger agreement, NSAM, Colony and NorthStar Realty, through a series of transactions, merged with and into NSAM, which was renamed Colony NorthStar. Colony NorthStar is a leading global real estate and investment management firm.
Amended and Restated Management Agreement
On November 9, 2017, we entered into an amended and restated management agreement, or the Amended and Restated Management Agreement with an affiliate of our Manager, effective as of January 1, 2018. Refer to Note 6 “Related Party Arrangements” in our accompanying consolidated financial statements included in Part I “Financial Statements” for a description of the terms of the Amended and Restated Management Agreement.
Repurchases
In March 2018, the Company’s board of directors authorized the repurchase of up to $100 million of its outstanding common stock. The authorization expires in March 2019, unless otherwise extended by the Company’s board of directors. From the authorization in March 2018 through May 7, 2018 , the Company repurchased 3.4 million shares of its common stock for approximately $46.3 million .
Our Investments
Our primary business line is investing in European real estate. We are predominantly focused on real estate equity and preferred equity, refer to Note 13, “Segment Reporting” in Part I, Item 1. “Financial Statements” for further disclosure.
Real Estate Equity
Overview
Our real estate equity investment strategy is focused on European prime office properties located in key cities within Germany, the United Kingdom and France.

35


Our Portfolio
The following presents a summary of our portfolio as of March 31, 2018 :
 
 
 
Portfolio by Geographic Location
 
 
March 31, 2018 (5)
March 31, 2017 (5)
Gross Book Value (1)
$1.9 billion
PIECHARTQ118A01.JPG
PIECHARTQ117.JPG
Number of properties
25
Number of countries
5
Total square meters (2)
323,458
Weighted average occupancy
85%
Weighted average occupancy - Office
95%
Weighted average lease term
6.2 years
In-place rental income: (3)
 
Office portfolio
96%
Other (4)
4%
_____________________________
(1)
Represents gross operating real estate and intangibles as of March 31, 2018 and includes gross assets held-for-sale.
(2)
Based on contractual rentable area, located in many key European markets, including Frankfurt, Hamburg, Berlin, London and Paris.
(3)
In-place rental income represents contractual rent adjusted for vacancies based on the rent roll as of March 31, 2018 and is translated using exchange rates as of March 31, 2018 .
(4)
Other represents retail, industrial and hotel (net lease) assets.
(5)
Based on rental income for 25 assets owned as of March 31, 2018.
The following table presents significant tenants in our portfolio, based on in-place rental income as of March 31, 2018 :
Significant tenants:
 
Asset (Location)
 
Square Meters (1)
 
Percentage of In-Place Rental Income
 
Weighted Average Lease Term (in years)
DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale
 
Trianon (Frankfurt, Germany)
 
36,524
 
20.4%
 
6.2
BNP PARIBAS RE
 
Berges de Seine (Paris, France)
 
15,406
 
9.1%
 
1.8
Deutsche Bundesbank
 
Trianon (Frankfurt, Germany)
 
22,303
 
8.2%
 
8.8
Deloitte Holding B.V.
 
Maastoren (Rotterdam, Netherlands)
 
23,548
 
5.5%
 
9.1
Invesco UK Limited
 
Portman Square (London, UK)
 
4,406
 
5.3%
 
9.4
BNP PARIBAS SA
 
Mac Donald (Paris, France)
 
11,235
 
5.1%
 
3.1
Cushman & Wakefield LLP
 
Portman Square (London, UK)
 
5,150
 
4.9%
 
7.0
Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP
 
Condor House (London, UK)
 
4,848
 
3.8%
 
7.5
PAREXEL International GmbH
 
Parexel (Berlin, Germany)
 
18,254
 
3.2%
 
16.2
Moelis & Co UK LLP
 
Condor House (London, UK)
 
3,366
 
2.6%
 
7.0
 
 
 
 
145,040

68.1%
 
6.8
_____________________________
(1)
Based on contractual rentable area.


36


The following table presents gross book value, percentage of net operating income, or NOI, square meters and weighted average lease term concentration by country and type for our portfolio as of March 31, 2018 (dollars in millions):
Country
 
Number of Properties
 
Gross Book Value (1)
 
Percentage of NOI (2)
 
Square Meters (3)
 
Weighted Average Lease Term (in years)
Office
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Germany
 
9
 
$
914,105

 
48
%
 
143,357

 
7.0
United Kingdom
 
5
 
420,980

 
22
%
 
28,893

 
7.3
France
 
4
 
324,210

 
17
%
 
32,075

 
3.0
Other office (4)
 
2
 
189,048

 
11
%
 
42,078

 
6.7
Subtotal
 
20
 
1,848,343

 
98
%
 
246,403

 
6.3
Other Property Types
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
France/Germany (5)
 
5
 
99,149

 
2
%
 
77,055

 
5.4
Total
 
25
 
$
1,947,492

 
100
%
 
323,458

 
6.2
_____________________________
(1)
Represents gross operating real estate and intangibles as of March 31, 2018 and includes gross assets held-for-sale.
(2)
Based on annualized NOI, for the quarter ended March 31, 2018 (refer to “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a description of this metric).
(3)
Based on contractual rentable area.
(4)
Includes an asset in Portugal and an asset in the Netherlands which are both classified as held-for-sale as of March 31, 2018.
(5)
Represents retail, industrial and hotel (net lease) assets.
Preferred Equity
In May 2017, we partnered with a leading property developer in China to acquire a Class A office building in London United Kingdom with 22,557 square meters, 100% occupancy and a 6.0 year weighted average lease term to expiry. We invested approximately $36.8 million ( £26.2 million ) of preferred equity with a base yield of 8% plus equity participation rights.
Sources of Operating Revenues and Cash Flows
We primarily generate revenue from rental and other operating income from our properties and interest income from our preferred equity investment. Our income is primarily derived through the difference between the revenue and the operating and financing expenses of our investments. We may also continue to acquire investments that generate attractive returns without any leverage.
Profitability and Performance Metrics
We calculate cash available for distribution, or CAD, and NOI, as metrics to evaluate the profitability and performance of our business (refer to “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a description of these metrics).
Outlook and Recent Trends
Having posted another year of robust economic performance in 2017, the European economy slowed somewhat during the first quarter of 2018, with Gross Domestic Product, or GDP, in the European Union, or EU, and the Euro Area growing by 0.4% during the quarter compared to 0.7% during the fourth quarter of 2017. While there is no consensus opinion on the reason behind the slowdown, fears of a trade war with the U.S., the unusually cold weather In May 2018, the European Commission, or EC, published its 2018 GDP forecast of 2.3% for the Euro Area citing sound underlying fundamentals and improving labor markets. Unemployment in the EU continued to fall, reaching 7.1% in March 2018, down from 7.9% a year earlier and the lowest level recorded since September 2008. The EC projects that Euro Area inflation, which stood at 1.2% in April 2018, will increase at a gradual pace remaining at 1.5% and 1.6% in 2018 and 2019, respectively, below the European Central Bank’s target of 2%.
The European Central Bank, or ECB, continues to remain confident in the prospects for the Eurozone economy. The 19 country bloc has posted twenty consecutive quarters of economic expansion and, despite a slowdown in the pace of growth during the first quarter of 2018, the ECB expects growth to remain “solid and broad based.” Consequently, the ECB recently signaled its intention to begin tapering its asset purchase program while citing that, any tightening of monetary policy is likely to be gradual and subject to ongoing review based on the future economic performance and inflation outlook of the region. On April 26, 2018, the ECB confirmed its intention to maintain interest rates at zero percent and continue with its asset purchase program of €30 billion per month through September 2018, and beyond if necessary.
The U.K. has made some progress in the highly complex ongoing Brexit negotiations including agreement on a transitional period it’s beyond March 29, 2019, the country’s scheduled date of departure from the EU; however, many key issues remain subject to negotiation ranging from legal sovereignty to citizen’s rights and farming and fishing rights. The U.K. economy experienced a sharp slowdown in growth during the first quarter of 2017 posting a mere 0.1% growth, the lowest level since the fourth quarter of 2012. While adverse weather conditions was largely blamed for the slowdown, general Brexit uncertainty combined with elevated levels of inflation have also been cited as contributing factors. The EC forecasts 1.5% growth for the U.K. economy in 2018.

37


Having increased the base interest rate increase from 0.25% to 0.50% in November 2017, the Bank of England has signaled that any further increases are likely to be at a gradual pace and limited in number. This cautious tone is reflective of the outlook for the U.K. economy, which remains uncertain and likely to be dependent on the duration and perceived outcome of ongoing Brexit negotiations.
European commercial real estate investment volume totaled €57 billion in the first quarter of 2018, slightly below the first quarter 2017. Office remained the most sought after asset class, representing approximately 40% of first quarter 2018 transaction volume. Prime property yields in most asset classes and markets were stable during the quarter and continue to remain at a significant premium to sovereign yields.
European office take-up grew 5% year over year in the first quarter of 2018, underlining the strength of European occupier market. Robust office take-up coupled with limited new supply continues to apply pressure on vacancy rates and rent levels in major European cities. During the first quarter of 2018, rental growth in the European office markets reached its highest point since the beginning of 2012.
German real estate investment reached €12.1 billion in the first quarter of 2018, in line with the same period last year, driven by strong demand for office properties, which represented more than 55% of the total transaction volume (23% year over year increase). As new supply remains subdued, vacancy across the top six German cities reduced below 5% during the first quarter of 2018, the lowest level since 2003.
Total U.K. investment volume reached £12.7 billion in the first quarter of 2018, 11% below the same period last year due to lack of available stock. Central London office investment volume totaled £2.4 billion in the first quarter of 2018. Take-up in Central London slowed down in the beginning of 2018, however, the amount of space under offer rose and was 14% above the 10 year average. Central London rents remained stable during the first quarter of 2018.
Following record investment activity in the fourth quarter of 2017, French investment volume was €3.3 billion in the first quarter of 2018 (13% below the same period last year). Office investment volume represented 85% of total investments. The Paris occupational market continues to be robust with vacancy in Central Paris dropping to 2.5%, the lowest level since 2001.
Investing Strategy
We seek to provide our stockholders with a stable and recurring cash flow for distribution supplemented by capital growth over time. Our business is predominantly focused on prime office properties in key cities within Germany, the United Kingdom and France which are not only the largest economies in Europe, but are the most established, liquid and among the most stable office markets in Europe. We seek to utilize our established local networks to source suitable investment opportunities. We have a long term investment approach and expect to make equity investments, directly or indirectly through joint ventures.
Financing Strategy
We pursue a variety of financing arrangements such as mortgage notes and bank loans available from the commercial mortgage-backed securities market, finance companies and banks. However, we generally seek to limit our reliance on recourse borrowings. We target overall leverage of 40% to 50% over time, although there is no assurance that this will be the case. Borrowing levels for our investments may be dependent upon the nature of the investments and the related financing that is available.
Attractive long-term, non-recourse, non-mark-to-market, financing continues to be available in the European markets. We predominately use floating rate financing and we seek to mitigate the risk of interest rates rising through hedging arrangements including interest rate caps.
In addition, we may use corporate level financing such as credit facilities. In April 2017, we amended and restated our revolving credit facility, or Credit Facility, with a commitment of $35 million and with an initial two year term. The Credit Facility no longer contains a limitation on availability based on a borrowing base and the interest rate remains the same.
In March 2018, we amended the Credit Facility, increasing the size to $70 million and extending the term until April 2020 with one year extension option. The Credit Facility includes an accordion feature, providing for the ability to increase the facility to $105 million.
Risk Management
Risk management is a significant component of our strategy to deliver consistent risk-adjusted returns to our stockholders. Given our need to maintain our qualification as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we closely monitor our portfolio and actively seek to manage risks associated with, among other things, our assets, interest rates and foreign exchange rates. In addition, the audit committee of our board of directors, or the Board, in consultation with management, will periodically review our policies with respect to risk assessment and risk management, including key risks to which we are subject, such as credit risk, liquidity risk, financing risk, foreign currency risk and market risk, and the steps that management has taken to monitor and control such risks. The audit committee of the Board maintains oversight of financial reporting risk matters.

38


Underwriting
Prior to making any equity investments, our underwriting team, in conjunction with third-party providers, undertakes a rigorous asset-level due diligence process, involving intensive data collection and analysis, to seek to ensure that we understand fully the state of the market and the risk-reward profile of the asset. In addition, we evaluate material accounting, legal, financial and business matters in connection with such investment. These issues and risks are built into the valuation of an asset and ultimate pricing of an investment.
During the underwriting process, we review the following data, including, but not limited to: property financial data including historic and budgeted financial statements, liquidity and capital expenditure plans, property operating metrics (including occupancy, leasing activity, lease expirations, sales information, tenant credit review, tenant delinquency reports, operating expense efficiency and property management efficiency) and local real estate market conditions including vacancy rates, absorption, new supply, rent levels and comparable sale transactions, as applicable.
In addition to evaluating the merits of any proposed investment, we evaluate the diversification of our portfolio of assets. Prior to making a final investment decision, we determine whether a target asset will cause our portfolio of assets to be too heavily concentrated with, or cause too much exposure to, any one real estate sector, geographic region, source of cash flow such as tenants or borrowers, or other geopolitical issues. If we determine that a proposed investment presents excessive concentration risk, we may decide not to pursue an otherwise attractive investment.
Portfolio Management
Our Manager performs portfolio management services on our behalf. In addition, we rely on the services of local third-party service providers. The comprehensive portfolio management process includes day-to-day oversight by the portfolio management team, regular management meetings and a quarterly investment review process. These processes are designed to enable management to evaluate and proactively identify investment-specific matters and trends on a portfolio-wide basis. Nevertheless, we cannot be certain that such review will identify all potential issues within our portfolio due to, among other things, adverse economic conditions or events adversely affecting specific investments; therefore, potential future losses may also stem from investments that are not identified during these investment reviews.
Our Manager uses many methods to actively manage our risks to seek to preserve income and capital, which includes our ability to manage our investments and our tenants in a manner that preserves cost and income and minimizes credit losses that could decrease income and portfolio value. Frequent re-underwriting, dialogue with tenants/property managers and regular inspections of our properties have proven to be an effective process for identifying issues early. Monitoring tenant creditworthiness is an important component of our portfolio management process, which may include, to the extent available, a review of financial statements and operating statistics, delinquencies, third party ratings and market data. During the quarterly portfolio review, or more frequently if necessary, investments may be put on highly-monitored status and identified for possible asset impairment based upon several factors, including missed or late contractual payments, tenant rating downgrades (where applicable) and other data that may indicate a potential issue in our ability to recover our invested capital from an investment.
We may need to make unplanned capital expenditures in connection with changes in laws and governmental regulations in relation to real estate. Where properties are being repositioned or refurbished, we may also be exposed to unforeseen changes in scope and timing of capital expenditures.
Given our need to maintain our qualification as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and in order to maximize returns and manage portfolio risk, we may dispose of an asset earlier than anticipated or hold an asset longer than anticipated if we determine it to be appropriate depending upon prevailing market conditions or factors regarding a particular asset. We can provide no assurances, however, that we will be successful in identifying or managing all of the risks associated with acquiring, holding or disposing of a particular investment or that we will not realize losses on certain dispositions.
Interest Rate and Foreign Currency Hedging
Subject to maintaining our qualification as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we may mitigate the risk of interest rate volatility through the use of hedging instruments, such as interest rate swap agreements and interest rate cap agreements. The goal of our interest rate management strategy is to minimize or eliminate the effects of interest rate changes on the value of our assets, to improve risk-adjusted returns and, where possible, to lock in, on a long-term basis, a favorable spread between the yield on our assets and the cost of financing such assets.
In addition, because we are exposed to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, we employ foreign currency risk management strategies, including the use of, among others, currency hedges, and matched currency financing.
We can provide no assurances, however, that our efforts to manage interest rate and foreign currency exchange rate volatility will successfully mitigate the risks of such volatility on our portfolio.

39


Critical Accounting Policies
Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, or U.S. GAAP, which requires the use of estimates and assumptions that involve the exercise of judgment and that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Our significant accounting policies are described in Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” in our accompanying consolidated financial statements included in Part I Item 1. “Financial Statements.”
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
For recent accounting pronouncements that may potentially impact our business, refer to Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” in our accompanying consolidated financial statements included in Item 1. “Financial Statements.”


40


Results of Operations
Comparison of the Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 to March 31, 2017 (dollars in thousands):
 
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
Increase (Decrease)
 
2018
 
2017
 
Amount
 
%
Revenues
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rental income
$
27,224

 
$
25,536

 
$
1,688

 
6.6
 %
Escalation income
5,341

 
5,161

 
180

 
3.5
 %
Interest income
729

 

 
729

 
100.0
 %
Other income
278

 
29

 
249

 
858.6
 %
Total revenues
33,572

 
30,726

 
2,846

 
9.3
 %
Expenses
 
 
 
 
 
 

Properties - operating expenses
6,802

 
7,322

 
(520
)
 
(7.1
)%
Interest expense
6,107

 
6,383

 
(276
)
 
(4.3
)%
Transaction costs
481

 
260

 
221

 
85.0
 %
Management fee, related party
4,157

 
3,559

 
598

 
16.8
 %
Other expenses
1,424

 
2,000

 
(576
)
 
(28.8
)%
General and administrative expenses
1,878

 
2,597

 
(719
)
 
(27.7
)%
Compensation expense
573

 
15,870

 
(15,297
)
 
(96.4
)%
Depreciation and amortization
11,651

 
12,563

 
(912
)
 
(7.3
)%
Total expenses
33,073

 
50,554

 
(17,481
)
 
(34.6
)%
Other income (loss)
 
 
 
 
 
 


Unrealized gain (loss) on derivatives and other
(1,189
)
 
(941
)
 
(248
)
 
26.4
 %
Realized gain (loss) on sales and other
(548
)
 
4,970

 
(5,518
)
 
(111.0
)%
Income (loss) before income tax benefit (expense)
(1,238
)
 
(15,799
)
 
14,561

 
(92.2
)%
Income tax benefit (expense)
(39
)
 
273

 
(312
)
 
(114.3
)%
Net income (loss)
$
(1,277
)
 
$
(15,526
)
 
$
14,249

 
(91.8
)%
Revenues
Rental Income
Rental income consists of rental revenue in our real estate equity segment. Rental income increased $1.7 million , primarily due to leasing activity such as the completion of the Deutsche Bundesbank lease in the Trianon Tower and the strengthening of the Euro and U.K. Pounds Sterling against the dollar offset by the disposal of six properties during 2017 and by the first quarter of 2017 preceded the value enhancing lease extensions in the Maastoren property.
Escalation Income
Escalation income consists of tenant recoveries in our real estate equity segment. Escalation income increased $0.2 million , due to increased recoverability in connection with higher occupancy and the timing of certain recoverable expenses.
Interest Income
Interest income relates to our preferred equity investment originated in the second quarter 2017 in our preferred equity segment.
Other Income
Other income is principally related to lease surrender premiums, insurance refunds and termination fees in our real estate equity segment. Other income for the three months ended March 31, 2018 predominantly represents lease surrender premium payments.
Expenses
Properties - Operating Expenses
Properties - operating expenses decreased $0.5 million due to due to timing of certain non-recoverable operating expenses and by the disposal of six properties during 2017 in our real estate equity segment. A majority of these costs are recovered from our tenants.
Interest Expense
Interest expense decreased $0.3 million due to the disposal of six properties during 2017 and corresponding repayments of certain mortgage notes and due to the refinancing of certain mortgage notes in our real estate equity segment in the third quarter 2017.

41


Transaction Costs
Transaction costs for the three months ended March 31, 2018 were primarily related to costs associated with the strategic review committee which was established in 2017 in our corporate segment. Transaction costs for the three months ended March 31, 2017 were primarily related to the Mergers in our corporate segment.
Management Fee, Related Party
Management fee, related party relates to the management fee incurred to our Manager in our corporate segment (refer to “Related Party Arrangements” below for more information).
Other Expenses
Other expenses primarily represent third-party service provider fees such as asset management, accounting, tax, legal fees and other compliance related fees related to portfolio management of our real estate equity segment. The decrease of $0.6 million is due to our Manager’s internalization of certain third-party accounting, tax and asset management services.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses including external and internal audit, legal fees and other corporate expenses are incurred in our corporate segment. The decrease for the three months ended March 31, 2018 is due to the one-time payroll tax associated with the acceleration of substantially all of our equity awards due to the Mergers in the first quarter 2017. For the three months ended March 31, 2018 , our Manager allocated $0.3 million of Internalized Service Costs to us.
Compensation Expense
Compensation expense is comprised of non-cash amortization of time-based, market-based and performance-based awards in our corporate segment. The decrease for the three months ended March 31, 2018 , is mainly due to the acceleration of a material portion of our time-based equity awards due to the Mergers which occurred in the first quarter of 2017. Refer to Note 7 “Compensation Expense” and Note 8 “Stockholders’ Equity” in our accompanying consolidated financial statements included in Part I Item 1. “Financial Statements” for further information.
Depreciation and Amortization
Depreciation and amortization expense decreased due to the disposal of six properties during 2017 in our real estate equity segment.
Other Income (Loss)
Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivatives and Other
Unrealized gain (loss) on derivatives and other is primarily related to the non-cash change in fair value of derivative instruments. The loss related to foreign currency forwards used to hedge projected net property level cash flows in our corporate segment was primarily due to the strengthened Euro against the U.S. dollar. The decrease in the loss related to the interest rate caps in our real estate equity segment is due to the movement in European interest rate in 2018 compared to 2017.
The following table presents a summary of unrealized gain (loss) on derivatives and other for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 (dollars in thousands):
 
 
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
 
2018
 
2017
 
 
Real Estate Equity
 
Corporate
 
Total
 
Real Estate Equity
 
Corporate
 
Total
Change in fair value of:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Derivatives, at fair value
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest rate caps
 
$
(119
)
 
$

 
$
(119
)
 
$
319

 
$

 
$
319

Foreign currency forwards
 

 
(1,072
)
 
(1,072
)
 

 
(1,264
)
 
(1,264
)
Foreign currency remeasurement and other
 
2

 

 
2

 
12

 
(8
)
 
4

Total unrealized gain (loss) on derivatives and other
 
$
(117
)

$
(1,072
)

$
(1,189
)

$
331


$
(1,272
)

$
(941
)

42


Realized Gain (Loss) on Sales and Other
The following table presents a summary of realized gain (loss) on sales and other for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 (dollars in thousands):
 
 
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
 
2018
 
2017
 
 
Real Estate Equity
 
Corporate
 
Total
 
Real Estate Equity
 
Corporate
 
Total
Sale of real estate investments (1)
 
$

 
$

 
$

 
$
3,390

 
$

 
$
3,390

Foreign currency transactions (2)
 
322

 
(22
)
 
300

 
(409
)
 
(3
)
 
(412
)
Other (3)
 
892

 

 
892

 
1,175

 

 
1,175

Net cash payments (receipts) on derivatives
 

 
(1,740
)
 
(1,740
)
 

 
817

 
817

Total realized gain (loss) on sales and other
 
$
1,214


$
(1,762
)

$
(548
)

$
4,156


$
814


$
4,970

_____________________________
(1)
Excludes subsequent sale costs relating to 2017 and 2016 sales, respectively, and escrow arrangements entered into for specific indemnification obligations in relation to the sales.
(2)
Includes $0.3 million and ($0.4 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, relating to the reclassification of the currency translation adjustment from a component of accumulated other comprehensive income, or OCI, to realized gain (loss) due to the sale of certain real estate assets.
(3)
Includes the release of certain escrow arrangements for specific indemnification obligations in relation to the 2017 and 2016 sales, respectively, offset by subsequent costs relating to 2017 and 2016 sales, respectively.
Income Tax Benefit (Expense)
The income tax expense for the three months ended March 31, 2018 represents a net expense of $0.1 million related to our real estate equity segment. The income tax expense for the three months ended March 31, 2017 represents a net benefit of $0.3 million primarily related to deferred tax benefits for our assets in our real estate equity segment.

43


Same Store Analysis
The following table presents our same store analysis for the real estate equity segment which represents 25 properties ( 323,458 square meters) adjusted for currency movement and excludes properties that were acquired or sold at any time during the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 (dollars in thousands):
 
Same Store (4)
 
 
 
 
 
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
Increase (Decrease)
 
2018
 
2017 (1)
 
Amount
 
%
Occupancy (end of period)
85.5
%
 
83.2
%
 
 
 
 
Same store
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rental income (2)
$
27,360

 
$
27,197

 
$
163

 
 
Escalation income
5,243

 
4,838

 
405

 
 
Other income
242

 
29

 
213

 
 
Total revenues
32,845

 
32,064

 
781

 
2.4
 %
Utilities
1,467

 
1,675

 
(208
)
 


Real estate taxes and insurance
1,317

 
1,327

 
(10
)
 


Management fees
534

 
534

 

 


Repairs and maintenance
2,454

 
2,532

 
(78
)
 


Other (2)(3)
943

 
1,415

 
(472
)
 


Properties - operating expenses
6,715

 
7,483

 
(768
)
 
(10.3
)%
Same store net operating income
$
26,130

 
$
24,581

 
$
1,549

 
6.3
 %
_____________________________
(1)
Three months ended March 31, 2017 is translated using the average exchange rate for the three months ended March 31, 2018.
(2)
Adjusted to exclude amortization of above/below market leases and ground leases.
(3)
Includes bad debt expense, ground rent, administrative costs and other non-reimbursable expenses.
(4)
We believe same store net operating income, a non-GAAP metric, is a useful metric for evaluating the operating performance as it reflects the operating performance of the real estate portfolio excluding the effects of non-cash adjustments and provides a better measure of operational performance for a quarter-over-quarter comparison. Same store net operating income is presented for the same store portfolio, which represents all properties that were owned by us in the end of the reporting period. We define same store net operating income as NOI excluding (i) properties that were acquired or sold during the period, (ii) impact of foreign currency changes and (iii) amortization of above/below market leases. We consider same store net operating income to be an appropriate and useful supplemental performance measure. Same store net operating income should not be considered as an alternative to net income (loss), determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP, as an indicator of operating performance.  In addition, our methodology for calculating same store net operating income involves subjective judgment and discretion and may differ from the methodologies used by other comparable companies, including other REITs, when calculating the same or similar supplemental financial measures and may not be comparable with these companies.  Refer below for a reconciliation of same store NOI to net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
Same Store Revenue
Same store rental income increased driven primarily due to 2017 leasing activity and rent reviews completed during the year offset by the first quarter of 2017 preceded value enhancing lease extensions in the Maastoren property.
Same Store Expense
Same store properties - operating expenses decreased due to timing of certain non-recoverable operating expenses.

44


Reconciliation of Net Income to Same Store
The following table presents a reconciliation from net income (loss) to same store net operating income for the real estate equity segment for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 (dollars in thousands):
 
Same Store Reconciliation
 
 
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
 
2018
 
2017
 
Net income (loss)
$
(1,277
)
 
$
(15,526
)
 
Corporate segment net (income) loss (1)
9,737

 
22,844

 
Other (income) loss (2)
18,530

 
16,366

 
Net operating income
26,990

 
23,684

 
Sale of real estate investments and other (3)
(131
)
 
897

(5)  
Interest income (4)
(729
)
 

 
Same store net operating income
$
26,130

 
$
24,581

 
_____________________________
(1)
Includes management fees, general and administrative expense, compensation expense, corporate interest expense and corporate transaction costs.
(2)
Includes depreciation and amortization expense, unrealized loss on interest rate caps, and other expenses in the real estate equity segment.
(3)
Represents the impact of sold assets.
(4)
Represents interest income earned in the preferred equity segment.
(5)
Three months ended March 31, 2017 is translated using the average exchange rate for the three months ended March 31, 2018.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our financing strategy is to employ investment-level financing to prudently leverage our investments and deliver attractive risk-adjusted returns to our stockholders through a wide range of secured and unsecured debt and public and private equity capital sources to fund our investment activities. In addition to investment-specific financings, we may use and have used credit facilities and repaid facilities on a shorter term basis and public and private, secured and unsecured debt issuances on a longer term basis.
Our current primary liquidity needs are to fund:
our operating expenses and investment activities;
acquisitions of our target assets and related ongoing commitments;
capital improvements
distributions to our stockholders;
principal and interest payments on our borrowings; and
income tax liabilities of taxable REIT subsidiaries and we are subject to limitations as a REIT.
Our current primary sources of liquidity are:
cash flow generated from our investments, both from operations and return of capital
net proceeds from asset disposals;
financings secured by our assets such as mortgage notes, longer term senior and subordinate corporate capital such as revolving credit facilities; and
cash on hand.
We seek to meet our long-term liquidity requirements, including the repayment of borrowings and our investment funding needs, through existing cash resources, issuance of debt or equity capital, return of capital from investments and the liquidation or refinancing of assets. Nonetheless, our ability to meet a long-term (beyond one year) liquidity requirement may be subject to obtaining additional debt and equity financing. Any decision by our lenders and investors to provide us with financing will depend upon a number of factors, such as our compliance with the terms of our existing credit arrangements, our financial performance, industry or market trends, the general availability of and rates applicable to financing transactions, such lenders’ and investors’ resources and policies concerning the terms under which they make capital commitments and the relative attractiveness of alternative investment or lending opportunities.
As a REIT, we are required to distribute at least 90% of our annual REIT taxable income to our stockholders, including taxable income where we do not receive corresponding cash, and we intend to distribute all or substantially all of our REIT taxable income in order to comply with the REIT distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue Code and to avoid federal income tax and the

45


non-deductible excise tax. On a quarterly basis, our Board determines an appropriate common stock dividend based upon numerous factors, including CAD, REIT qualification requirements, availability of existing cash balances, borrowing capacity under existing credit agreements, access to cash in the capital markets and other financing sources, our view of our ability to realize gains in the future through appreciation in the value of our assets, general economic conditions and economic conditions that more specifically impact our business or prospects. Future dividend levels are subject to adjustment based upon our evaluation of the factors described above, as well as other factors that our Board may, from time-to-time, deem relevant to consider when determining an appropriate common stock dividend.
In November 2015, our Board authorized the repurchase of up to $100 million of our outstanding common stock. That authorization expired in November 2016 and at such time the Board authorized an additional repurchase of up to $100 million of our outstanding common stock through November 2017. In March 2018, our board of directors authorized the repurchase of up to $100 million of our outstanding common stock. The authorization expires in March 2019, unless otherwise extended by our board of directors. For the three months ended March 31, 2018 , the Company repurchased 1.1 million shares of its common stock for approximately $13.3 million . For the three months ended March 31, 2017 , the Company did not repurchase any of its shares of its common stock. From the authorization in March 2018 through May 7, 2018 , the Company repurchased 3.4 million shares of its common stock for approximately $46.3 million .
In March 2018, we amended the Credit Facility, increasing the size to $70 million and extending the term until April 2020 with one year extension option. The Credit Facility includes an accordion feature, providing for the ability to increase the facility to $105 million.
We believe that our existing sources of funds should be adequate for purposes of meeting our short-term liquidity needs. We expect our contractual rental income to be sufficient to meet our expected capital expenditures, interest expense, property operating and general and administrative expenses as well as common dividends declared by us. We may seek to raise additional capital in order to finance new acquisitions. As of May 7, 2018 , total liquidity was $150 million, comprised of $80 million of unrestricted cash and $70 million of availability under our Credit Facility.
Cash Flows
The following presents a summary of our activity for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 :
 
 
Three Months Ended March 31,
Cash flow provided by (used in):
 
2018
 
2017
Operating activities
 
$
10,794

 
$
4,388

Investing activities
 
(4,789
)
 
20,582

Financing activities
 
(21,221
)
 
(18,606
)
Effect of foreign currency translation on cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash
 
2,308

 
1,147

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash
 
$
(12,908
)
 
$
7,511

Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 Compared to March 31, 2017
Net cash provided by operating activities was $10.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2018 compared to $4.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2017 . The increase was primarily due to a decrease in the change in operating assets and liabilities due to the timing of payments and collection of receivables.
Net cash used in investing activities was $4.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2018 compared to net cash provided by $20.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2017 . Cash flow used in investing activities for the three months ended March 31, 2018 was primarily due to capital improvements of our operating real estate of $4.3 million and leasing costs of $0.4 million . Cash flow provided by the three months ended March 31, 2017 was primarily due to proceeds from sales of $20.9 million.
Net cash used in financing activities was $21.2 million three months ended March 31, 2018 compared to $18.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2017 . Cash flow used in financing activities for the three months ended March 31, 2018 was primarily due to retirement of shares of common stock of $10.7 million , dividend payments of $8.4 million and payment of financing costs of $0.4 million . Net cash flow used in financing activities for the three months ended March 31, 2017 was primarily due to the net cash payment on tax withholding of $11.0 million, repayment of the credit facility of $15.0 million and dividend payments of $8.4 million offset $15.0 million from the borrowing under the credit facility.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We currently do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements.

46


Related Party Arrangements
Colony NorthStar, Inc.
The Company entered into a management agreement with an affiliate of the Manager in November 2015, or the Original Management Agreement. On November 9, 2017, we entered into an amended and restated management agreement, or the Amended and Restated Management Agreement, with an affiliate of Colony NorthStar, effective as of January 1, 2018. As asset manager, the Manager is responsible for our day-to-day operations, subject to the supervision and management of our Board. Through its global network of subsidiaries and branch offices, the Manager performs services and engages in activities relating to, among other things, investments and financing, portfolio management and other administrative services, such as accounting and investor relations, to us and our subsidiaries. The management agreement with the Manager provides for a base management fee, incentive fee and expense reimbursement.
Term: Renewals
The Amended and Restated Management Agreement provides for an initial term (beginning January 1, 2018) of five years, or the Initial Term, with subsequent automatic renewals for additional three-year terms, unless either party provides notice to the other party of its intention to decline to renew the agreement at least six months prior to the expiration of the then-current term. During the Initial Term, the Amended and Restated Management Agreement is terminable only for cause (as defined in the Amended and Restated Management Agreement).
If we elect not to renew the Amended and Restated Management Agreement at the end of a term, we will be obligated to pay the Manager a termination fee, or the Termination Fee, equal to three times the amount of the base management fees earned by the Manager over the four most recent quarters immediately preceding the non-renewal. In addition, if at any time after the Initial Term, we undergo a “change of control” (as defined in the Amended and Restated Management Agreement), we may elect to terminate the agreement but upon any such termination it will be obligated to pay the Termination Fee to the Manager.
Assignment
The Amended and Restated Management Agreement provides that in the event of a change of control of the Manager or other event that could be deemed an assignment of the Amended and Restated Management Agreement, we will consider such assignment in good faith and not unreasonably withhold, condition or delay our consent. The Amended and Restated Management Agreement further provides that we anticipate consent would be granted for an assignment or deemed assignment to a party with expertise in commercial real estate and over $ 10 billion of assets under management. The Amended and Restated Management Agreement also provides that, notwithstanding anything in the agreement to the contrary, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, rules and regulations, in connection with any merger, sale of all or substantially all of the assets, change of control, reorganization, consolidation or any similar transaction by us or the Manager, directly or indirectly, the surviving entity will succeed to the terms of the Amended and Restated Management Agreement.
Base Management Fee
Pursuant to the Amended and Restated Management Agreement, beginning January 1, 2018, we are obligated to pay, quarterly, in arrears, in cash, the Manager a base management fee per annum equal to:
1.50% of our reported EPRA NAV (as defined in the Amended and Restated Management Agreement) for EPRA NAV amounts up to and including $2.0 billion; plus
1.25% of our reported EPRA NAV on any EPRA NAV amount exceeding $2.0 billion.
EPRA NAV is based on a U.S. GAAP balance sheet adjusted based on our interpretation of the European Public Real Estate Association, or EPRA, guidelines, and similar as prior practices, including adjustments such as fair value of operating real estate, straight-line rent and deferred taxes and additional adjustments to be determined by us in good faith based on any changes to U.S. GAAP, international accounting standards or EPRA guidelines. In calculating EPRA NAV, the liquidation preference of preferred securities outstanding shall not be included as a liability of us and shall not reduce EPRA NAV.
For the three months ended March 31, 2018, we incurred $4.2 million related to the base management fee.
Incentive Fee
In addition to the base management fees, we are obligated to pay the Manager an incentive fee, if any, or the Incentive Fee, with respect to each measurement period equal to twenty percent (20%) of: (i) the excess of (a) our Total Stockholder Return (as defined in the Amended and Restated Management Agreement, which includes stock price appreciation and dividends received and is subject to a high watermark price established when a prior incentive fee is realized) for the relevant measurement period above (b) a 10% cumulative annual hurdle rate, multiplied by (ii) our Weighted Average Shares (as defined in the Amended and Restated Management Agreement) during the measurement period. The first measurement period for the incentive fee will begin January 1, 2018 (based on an initial price of $13.67) and end on December 31 of the applicable calendar year and subsequent measurement

47


periods will begin on January 1 of the subsequent calendar year. Subject to the conditions set forth in Section 4(d) of the Amended and Restated Management Agreement for common stock payments, we may elect to pay the Incentive Fee, if any, in cash or in shares of restricted common stock or shares of unrestricted common stock repurchased by us in the open market or a combination thereof. Any shares of common stock delivered by us will be subject to lock-up restrictions that will be released in equal one-third increments on each anniversary of the end of the measurement period with respect to which such incentive fee was earned. In calculating the value of the shares of our common stock paid in satisfaction of the Incentive Fee obligation, the shares of restricted common stock will be valued at the higher of: (i) the volume weighted average trading price per share for the ten consecutive trading days (as defined in the Amended and Restated Management Agreement) ending on the trading day prior to the date the payment is due and (ii) our EPRA NAV per share, based on our most recently published EPRA NAV and the Weighted Average Shares as of the end of the period with respect to which such EPRA NAV was published.
Costs and Expenses
We are responsible to pay (or reimburse the Manager) for all of our direct, out of pocket costs and expenses as a stand alone company incurred by or on behalf of us and our subsidiaries, all of which must be reasonable, customary and documented. Internalized Service Costs (as defined below) are not intended to be covered costs and expenses under this provision and are subject to the limits described in the next paragraph.
We are obligated to reimburse the Manager for (i) all direct, reasonable, customary and documented costs and expenses incurred by the Manager for salaries, wages, bonuses, payroll taxes and employee benefits for personnel employed by the Manager: (a) who solely provide services to us which prior to January 1, 2018 were provided by unaffiliated third parties, including accounting and treasury services or (b) who were hired by the Manager after January 1, 2018 but who solely provide services to us in respect of one of the categories of services previously internalized pursuant to clause (a) and who were not hired in connection with any event which otherwise resulted in an increase to our net asset value (such costs and expenses set forth in clauses (i) and (ii), the “Internalized Service Costs”), plus (ii) 20% of the amount calculated under clause (i) to cover reasonable overhead charges with respect to such personnel, provided that we shall not be obligated to reimburse the Manager for such costs and expenses to the extent they exceed the following quarterly limits:
0.0375% of our aggregate gross asset value as of the end of the prior calendar quarter (excluding cash and cash equivalents and certain other exclusions) as calculated for purposes of determining EPRA NAV, or GAV, for GAV amounts to and including $2.5 billion, plus
0.0313% of GAV amounts between $2.5 billion and $5.0 billion, plus
0.025% of GAV amounts exceeding $5.0 billion.
If the Manager’s actual Internalized Service Costs during any quarter exceed the quarterly limit described in the preceding paragraph (the cumulative excess amounts, if any, in respect of each quarter during a calendar year, is referred to as the Quarterly Cap Excess Amount we are obligated to reimburse the Manager on an annual basis for an amount equal to the lesser of (i) the Quarterly Cap Excess Amount and (ii) the sum of the amounts, if any, determined for each quarter within such calendar year by which Internalized Services Costs in respect of such quarter were less than the quarterly limits described in the prior paragraph.
For the three months ended March 31, 2018, the Managed allocated $0.3 million of Internalized Service Costs to us.
Equity Based Compensation
In addition, we expect to make annual equity compensation grants to our management and other employees of the Manager, provided that the aggregate annual grant amount, type and other terms of such equity compensation must be approved by our compensation committee. The Manager will have discretion in allocating the aggregate grant among our management and other employees of the Manager.
Under the Amended and Restated Management Agreement, beginning with our 2018 annual stockholders’ meeting, the Manager will have the right to nominate one director (who is expected to be one of our current directors employed by the Manager) to our board of directors.
Colony NorthStar Ownership Waiver and Voting Agreement
In connection with the entry into the Amended and Restated Management Agreement, we provided Colony NorthStar with an ownership waiver under our Articles of Amendment and Restatement, allowing Colony NorthStar to purchase up to 45% of our stock. The waiver provides that if the Amended and Restated Management Agreement is terminated, Colony NorthStar may not purchase any shares of our common stock to the extent Colony NorthStar owns (or would own as a result of such purchase) more than 9.8% of our capital stock. In connection with the waiver, Colony NorthStar also agreed that for all matters submitted to a vote of our stockholders, to the extent Colony NorthStar owns more than 25% of our common stock (such shares owned by Colony NorthStar in excess of the 25% threshold, refer to as the Excess Shares, it will vote the Excess Shares in the same proportion that our remaining shares not owned by Colony NorthStar or its affiliates are voted. If the Amended and Restated Management

48


Agreement is terminated, then beginning on the third anniversary of such termination, the threshold described in the prior sentence will be reduced from 25% to 9.8%.
Manager Ownership of Common Stock
As of March 31, 2018 , Colony NorthStar and its subsidiaries owned 5.6 million shares of our common stock, or approximately 10.3% of the total outstanding common stock.
Recent Developments
Dividends
On May 7, 2018 , we declared a dividend of $0.15 per share of common stock. The common stock dividend will be paid on May 25, 2018 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on May 21, 2018 .
Share Repurchases
From the authorization in March 2018 through May 7, 2018 , we repurchased 3.4 million shares of our common stock for approximately $46.3 million .
Disposals
In April 2018, we completed the sale of the Maastoren property, our largest non-core asset, for approximately $195 million. We released approximately $60 million of net equity after repayment of financing (including release premium) and transaction costs.
Inflation
Virtually all of our assets and liabilities are interest rate and foreign currency exchange rate sensitive in nature. As a result, interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates and other factors influence our performance significantly more than inflation does. A change in interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates may correlate with changes in inflation rates. With the exception of the United Kingdom, rent is generally adjusted annually based on local consumer price indices. In the United Kingdom, rent is typically subject to an upward only rent review approximately every three to five years.
Refer to Item 3. “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” for additional details.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
We use CAD and NOI, each a non-GAAP measure, to evaluate our profitability.
Cash Available for Distribution
We believe that CAD provides investors and management with a meaningful indicator of operating performance. We also believe that CAD is useful because it adjusts for a variety of items that are consistent with presenting a measure of operating performance (such as transaction costs, depreciation and amortization, equity-based compensation, realized gain (loss) on sales and other, asset impairment and non-recurring bad debt expense). We adjust for transaction costs because these costs are not a meaningful indicator of our operating performance. For instance, these transaction costs include costs such as professional fees associated with new investments, which are expenses related to specific transactions. Management also believes that quarterly distributions are principally based on operating performance and our board of directors includes CAD as one of several metrics it reviews to determine quarterly distributions to stockholders. The definition of CAD may be adjusted from time to time for our reporting purposes in our discretion, acting through our audit committee or otherwise. CAD may fluctuate from period to period based upon a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, the timing and amount of investments, new leases, repayments and asset sales, capital raised, use of leverage, changes in the expected yield of investments and the overall conditions in commercial real estate and the economy generally.
We calculate CAD by subtracting from or adding to net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders, non-controlling interests and the following items: depreciation and amortization items including straight-line rental income or expense (excluding amortization of rent free periods), amortization of above/below market leases, amortization of deferred financing costs, amortization of discount on financings and other and equity-based compensation; unrealized gain (loss) on derivatives and other; realized gain (loss) on sales and other (excluding any realized gain (loss) on the settlement on foreign currency derivatives); impairment on depreciable property; acquisition gains or losses; transaction costs; foreign currency gains (losses) related to sales; impairment on goodwill and other intangible assets; the incentive fee relating to the Amended and Restated Management Agreement and one-time events pursuant to changes in U.S. GAAP and certain other non-recurring items. These items, if applicable, include any adjustments for unconsolidated ventures.
CAD should not be considered as an alternative to net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders, determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP, as an indicator of operating performance. In addition, our methodology for calculating CAD involves subjective judgment and discretion and may differ from the methodologies used by other comparable companies, including other REITs, when calculating the same or similar supplemental financial measures and may not be comparable with these companies.

49


The following table presents a reconciliation of net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders to CAD for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 (dollars in thousands):
 
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
2018
 
2017
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders
$
(1,281
)
 
$
(15,350
)
Non-controlling interests
4

 
(176
)
 
 
 
 
Adjustments:
 
 
 
Depreciation and amortization items (1)(2)
13,160

 
29,571

Unrealized (gain) loss on derivatives and other
1,189

 
941

Realized (gain) loss on sales and other (3)(4)
(868
)
 
(4,153
)
Transaction costs and other (5)(6)
481

 
1,175

CAD
$
12,685

 
$
12,008

_____________________________
(1)
Three months ended March 31, 2018 represents an adjustment to exclude depreciation and amortization of $11.7 million , amortization expense of capitalized above/below market leases of $0.2 million , amortization of deferred financing costs of $0.7 million and amortization of equity-based compensation of $0.6 million .
(2)
Three months ended March 31, 2017 represents an adjustment to exclude depreciation and amortization of $12.6 million , amortization of above/below market leases of $0.3 million , amortization of deferred financing costs of $0.9 million and amortization of equity-based compensation of $15.9 million .
(3)
Three months ended March 31, 2018 CAD includes a $1.4 million net loss related to the settlement of foreign currency derivatives.
(4)
Three months ended March 31, 2017 CAD includes a $0.8 million net gain related to the settlement of foreign currency derivatives.
(5)
Three months ended March 31, 2018 represents an adjustment to exclude $0.5 million of transaction costs.
(6)
Three months ended March 31, 2017 represents an adjustment to exclude $0.3 million of transaction costs and $0.9 million of payroll taxes associated with the acceleration of equity awards due to the Mergers.
Net Operating Income (NOI)
We believe NOI is a useful metric for evaluating the operating performance of our real estate portfolio in the aggregate. Portfolio results and performance metrics represent 100% for all consolidated investments. Net operating income represents total property and related revenues, adjusted for: (i) amortization of above/below market leases; (ii) straight-line rent (except with respect to rent free period); (iii) other items such as adjustments related to joint ventures and non-recurring bad debt expense and less property operating expenses. However, the usefulness of NOI is limited because it excludes general and administrative costs, interest expense, transaction costs, depreciation and amortization expense, realized gains (losses) on sales and other and other items under U.S. GAAP and capital expenditures and leasing costs, all of which may be significant economic costs. NOI may fail to capture significant trends in these components of U.S. GAAP net income (loss) which further limits its usefulness.
NOI should not be considered as an alternative to net income (loss), determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP, as an indicator of operating performance. In addition, our methodology for calculating NOI involves subjective judgment and discretion and may differ from the methodologies used by other comparable companies, including other REITs, when calculating the same or similar supplemental financial measures and may not be comparable with these companies.

50


The following table presents a reconciliation of NOI of our real estate equity and preferred equity segments to property and other related revenues less property operating expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 (dollars in thousands):
 
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
2018
 
2017
Rental income
$
27,224

 
$
25,536

Escalation income
5,341

 
5,161

Other income
278

 
29

Total property and other income
32,843


30,726

Properties - operating expenses
6,802

 
7,322

Adjustments:
 
 
 
Interest income
729

 

Amortization and other items (1)(2)
220

 
280

NOI (3)
$
26,990


$
23,684

_____________________________
(1)
Three months ended March 31, 2018 primarily excludes $0.2 million of amortization of above/below market leases.
(2)
Three months ended March 31, 2017 primarily excludes $0.3 million of amortization of above/below market leases.
(3)
The following table presents a reconciliation of net income (loss) to NOI of our real estate equity segment for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 (dollars in thousands):
    
 
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
2018
 
2017
Net income (loss)
$
(1,277
)
 
$
(15,526
)
Remaining segments (i)
9,737

 
22,844

Real estate equity and preferred equity segment adjustments:
 
 
 
Interest expense
5,955

 
6,119

Other expenses
1,424

 
2,000

Depreciation and amortization
11,651

 
12,563

Unrealized (gain) loss on derivatives and other
117

 
(331
)
Realized (gain) loss on sales and other
(1,214
)
 
(4,156
)
Income tax (benefit) expense
39

 
(273
)
Other items
558

 
444

Total adjustments
18,530


16,366

NOI
$
26,990


$
23,684

_____________________________
(i)
Represents the net (income) loss in our corporate segment to reconcile to net operating income.

51


Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
We are primarily subject to interest rate risk, credit risk and foreign currency exchange rate risk. These risks are dependent on various factors beyond our control, including monetary and fiscal policies, domestic and international economic conditions and political considerations. Our market risk sensitive assets, liabilities and related derivative positions are held for investment and not for trading purposes.
Interest Rate Risk
Changes in interest rates affect our net income primarily related to the impact to interest expense incurred in connection with our borrowings and derivatives.
Substantially all of our investments are financed with non-recourse mortgage notes. We predominately use floating rate financing and we seek to generally mitigate the risk of interest rates rising through derivative instruments including interest rate caps. As of March 31, 2018 , a hypothetical 100 basis point increase in GBP LIBOR and EURIBOR applied to our liabilities would result in a decrease in net income of approximately $7.0 million annually.
A change in interest rates could affect the value of our properties, which may be influenced by changes in interest rates and credit spreads (as discussed below) because value is typically derived by discounting expected future cash flow generated by the property using interest rates plus a risk premium based on the property type and creditworthiness of the tenants. A lower risk-free rate generally results in a lower discount rate and, therefore, a higher valuation, and vice versa; however, an increase in the risk-free rate would not impact our net income.
As of March 31, 2018 , none of our derivatives qualified for hedge accounting treatment, therefore, gains (losses) resulting from their fair value measurement at the end of each reporting period are recognized as an increase or decrease in unrealized gain (loss) on derivatives and other in our consolidated statements of operations. In addition, we are, and may in the future be, subject to additional expense based on the notional amount of the derivative and a specified spread over the applicable index. Because the fair value of these instruments can vary significantly between periods, we may experience significant fluctuations in the amount of our unrealized gain (loss) in any given period.
The objective of our interest rate management strategy is to minimize or eliminate the effects of interest rate changes on the value of our assets, to improve risk-adjusted returns and, where possible, to lock in, on a long-term basis, a favorable spread between the yield on our assets and the cost of financing such assets.
We can provide no assurances, however, that our efforts to manage interest rate volatility will successfully mitigate the risks of such volatility on our portfolio.
Credit Risk
We are subject to the credit risk of the tenants of our properties. We seek to undertake a credit evaluation of each tenant prior to acquiring properties. This analysis includes due diligence of each tenant’s business as well as an assessment of the strategic importance of the underlying real estate to the tenant’s core business operations. Where appropriate, we may seek to augment the tenant’s commitment to the property by structuring various credit enhancement mechanisms into the underlying leases. These mechanisms could include security deposit requirements, letters of credit or guarantees from entities we deem creditworthy. Additionally, we perform ongoing monitoring of creditworthiness of our tenants which is an important component of our portfolio management process. Such monitoring may include, to the extent available, a review of financial statements and operating statistics, delinquencies, third party ratings and market data. In addition, our preferred equity investment is subject to credit risk based on the borrower’s ability to make required interest payments on scheduled due dates and value of collateral. We seek to manage credit risk through our Manager’s comprehensive credit analysis prior to making an investment, actively monitoring our investment and the underlying credit quality, including subordination and diversification of our investment. Our analysis is based on a broad range of real estate, financial, economic and borrower-related factors, which we believe are critical to the evaluation of credit risk inherent in a transaction. For the three months ended March 31, 2018 , our preferred equity investment contributed all of our interest income.
We are subject to the credit risk of the borrower when we originate preferred equity investments. We seek to undertake a rigorous credit evaluation of our borrower prior to making an investment. This analysis includes an extensive due diligence investigation of the borrower’s creditworthiness and business as well as an assessment of the strategic importance of the underlying real estate to the borrower’s core business operations.
Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Risk
We are subject to risks related to changes in foreign currency exchange rates as a result of our ownership of, or commitments to acquire, properties within Europe, predominantly the U.S. dollar/Euro and U.S. dollar/U.K. Pounds Sterling exchange rate. As a result, changes in exchange rate fluctuations may positively or negatively affect our consolidated revenues and expenses (as expressed in U.S. dollars) from our business.

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In addition, because we are exposed to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, we employ foreign currency risk management strategies, including the use of, among others, currency hedges, and matched currency financing.
The following chart represents the change in the Euro/U.S. dollar and U.K. Pounds Sterling/U.S. dollar exchange rate during the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 :
LINECHART.JPG
Source: Oanda
Our properties and the rent payments under our leases for these properties are denominated predominantly in Euro and U.K. Pounds Sterling and we expect substantially all of our future leases for properties we may acquire in Europe to be denominated in the local currency of the country in which the underlying property is located. Additionally, our non-recourse mortgage borrowings are denominated in the same currency as the assets securing the borrowing. A majority portion of our operating expenses and borrowings with respect to such European properties are also transacted in local currency, however we do have corporate expenses, such as our dividend, that are paid in U.S. dollar. We report our results of operations and consolidated financial information in the U.S. dollars. Consequently, our results of operations as reported in U.S. dollars are impacted by fluctuations in the value of the local currencies in which we conduct our European business.
In an effort to mitigate the risk of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, we, and our Operating Partnership, seek to actively manage our revenues and expenses so that we incur a significant portion of our expenses, including our operating costs and borrowings, in the same local currencies in which we receive our revenues. In addition, subject to satisfying the requirements for qualification as a REIT, we engage in various hedging strategies, which may include currency futures, swaps, forwards and options. We expect that these strategies and instruments may allow us to reduce, but not eliminate, the risk of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. The counterparties to these arrangements are major financial institutions with which we may also have other financial relationships. In January 2018, we entered into additional foreign currency forwards with respect to the projected net property level cash flows which are hedged for the Euro through November 2019.
Based on our portfolio, a hypothetical 10% appreciation or depreciation in the applicable exchange rate to the U.S dollar, adjusting for our foreign currency forwards, applied to our assets and liabilities would result in an increase or decrease of stockholders’ equity of approximately $62.9 million , respectively. Such amount would be recorded in OCI. In addition, we enter into derivative instruments to manage foreign currency exposure of our operating income. A hypothetical 10% increase or decrease in applicable exchange rate to the U.S dollar applied to our assets and liabilities, adjusting for foreign currency forwards would result in an increase or decrease of net operating income adjusted for interest and other expenses of approximately $2.6 million annually, respectively.
We can provide no assurances, however, that our efforts to manage foreign currency exchange rate volatility will successfully mitigate the risks of such volatility on our portfolio.


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Item 4.  Controls and Procedures
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
As of the end of the period covered by this report, management conducted an evaluation as required under Rules 13a-15(b) and 15d-15(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or Exchange Act, under the supervision and with the participation of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act).
Based on this evaluation, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of the end of the period covered by this report, the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that it will detect or uncover failures to disclose material information otherwise required to be set forth in the Company’s periodic reports.
Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Changes in internal control over financial reporting.
Our Manager has substantially completed the process of integrating the systems, processes and internal controls of Colony, NSAM and NorthStar Realty Finance. The Company leverages these systems, processes and internal controls to conduct its operations. We will continue to review our internal control practices, in conjunction with our Manager, in consideration of future integration and post merger activities.
Except as described above in the preceding paragraph, during the quarter ended March 31, 2018 , there was no change in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

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PART II
Item 1. Legal Proceedings
We are involved in various litigation matters arising in the ordinary course of our business. Although we are unable to predict with certainty the eventual outcome of any litigation, in the opinion of management, our current legal proceedings are not expected to have a material adverse effect on our financial position or results of operations. Refer to Note 12, “Commitments and Contingencies” in Part I, Item 1. “Financial Statements” for further disclosure regarding legal proceedings.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
There have been no material changes to the risk factors previously disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, as amended, for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017 .
You should carefully consider all information contained in this interim report on Form 10-Q, including our interim consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto before making a decision to purchase our securities. The risks and uncertainties described are not the only ones facing us. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us, or not presently deemed material by us, may also impair our operations and performance.
If any of the following risks actually occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected. If that happens, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.
Item 2. Purchases of Equity Securities by Issuer
The following table provides the information with respect to purchases made by us of our common stock during the three months ended March 31, 2018 :
Period
 
Total Number of Shares Purchased
 
Average Price Paid per Share
 
Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Program
 
Maximum Number of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs (1)
March 1 - March 31
 
1,051,029

 
$
12.70

 
1,051,029

 
$
86,650,987

__________________
(1)
In March 2018, we announced that our board of directors authorized the repurchase of up to $100 million of our outstanding common stock. The authorization expires in March 2019, unless otherwise extended by our board of directors. There were no repurchases made during January or February 2018.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
None.

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Item 5. Other Information
The 2018 Annual Meeting of stockholders of the Company will be held at 535 Madison Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, New York 10022, on August 3, 2018, beginning at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time.  The record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the 2018 Annual’ Meeting of stockholders of the Company will be the close of business on June 19, 2018.



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Item 6.   Exhibits
Exhibit
Number
 
Description of Exhibit
2.1

 
3.1

 
3.2

 
10.2

 
31.1

*
31.2

*
32.1

*
32.2

*
101.0

*
The following materials from the NorthStar Realty Europe Corp. Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2018, formatted in XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language): (i) Consolidated Balance Sheets as of March 31, 2018 (unaudited) and December 31, 2017; (ii) Consolidated Statements of Operations (unaudited) for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017; (iii) Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) (unaudited) for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017; (iv) Consolidated Statements of Equity (unaudited) for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017; (v) Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited) for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017; and (vi) Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (unaudited)
_____________________________
* Filed herewith.


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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
 
 
 
NorthStar Realty Europe Corp.
Date:
May 10, 2018
 
 
By:
/s/ MAHBOD NIA
 
 
 
 
 
Mahbod Nia
 
 
 
 
 
Chief Executive Officer and President
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
By:
/s/ KEITH A. FELDMAN
 
 
 
 
 
Keith A. Feldman
 
 
 
 
 
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer



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