Investors Real Estate Trust Reports Third Quarter 2013 Financial and Operating Results

MINOT, ND – Investors Real Estate Trust (NYSE:IRET; NYSE: IRET PR; NYSE: IRET PRB) (“IRET” or the “Company”), today reported its financial and operating results for the three months ended January 31, 2013.

A complete financial and operating results earnings release is accessible on the main page of IRET’s website at http://www.iret.com under the heading, “Recent Financial News”. This release is also available at the following web page:

www.iret.com/3rdQtrFY2013.pdf

 (Note: If clicking on the above links does not open up a new web page, you may need to cut and paste the above urls into your browser’s address bar.)

The Company will host a conference call on Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 9:00 a.m. Central Daylight Time to discuss these results. Conference Call access information is as follows:

USA Toll Free Number: 1-888-317-6016

International Toll Free Number: 1-412-317-6016

Canada Toll Free Number: 1-855-669-9657

Company management will take questions during the conference call, following prepared remarks. The call will be limited to one hour, including questions and answers.  A webcast and transcript of the call will be archived on the “Investors/Presentations & Events” page of IRET’s website, http://www.iret.com for one year. Questions regarding the conference call should be directed to IRET’s Investor Relations at landerson@iret.com.

Investors Real Estate Trust is a self-advised equity real estate investment trust. Its business consists of owning and operating income-producing multi-family residential and commercial properties located primarily in the upper Midwest states of Minnesota and North Dakota. Investors Real Estate Trust is based in Minot, North Dakota, and has additional offices in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Omaha, Nebraska.

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Investors Real Estate Trust Declares Regular Quarterly Common Share Distribution, and Declares Series A and Series B Preferred Share Distributions

MINOT, N.D., March 6, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Investors Real Estate Trust (NYSE:IRET) announced today that its Board of Trustees has declared a regular quarterly distribution of $0.1300 per share/unit payable on April 1, 2013 to common shareholders and unitholders of record at the close of business on March 18, 2013.

This $0.1300 per common share/unit distribution will be the 168th consecutive quarterly distribution paid by IRET since its inception in 1970. The previous regular quarterly distribution, also of $0.1300 per common share/unit, was paid January 15, 2013.

Investors Real Estate Trust’s Board of Trustees also declared on March 6, 2013 a distribution of $0.515625 cents per share on the Company’s Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares (NYSE:IRET PR). This distribution will be payable April 1, 2013 to Series A preferred shareholders of record at the close of business on March 18, 2013. Series A preferred share distributions are cumulative and payable quarterly in arrears at an annual rate of $2.0625 per share.

Also on March 6, 2013, the Board of Trustees declared a distribution of $0.496875 per share on the Company’s 7.95% Series B Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares (NYSE:IRET PRB), payable April 1, 2013 to Series B preferred shareholders of record at the close of business on March 18, 2013. Series B preferred share distributions are cumulative and payable quarterly in arrears at an annual rate of $1.9875 per share.

About Investors Real Estate Trust

Investors Real Estate Trust is an equity real estate investment trust. Its business consists of owning and operating income-producing multi-family residential and commercial properties located primarily in the upper Midwest. Investors Real Estate Trust is based in Minot, North Dakota, and has additional offices in Minneapolis and St. Cloud, Minnesota.

CONTACT: Lindsey Knoop Anderson
         Director of Investor Relations
         1400 31st Ave SW, Suite 60
         PO Box 1988
         Minot, North Dakota 58702-1988
         phone: 701.837.4738
         fax: 701.838.7785
         email:landerson@iret.com