Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Orion Office REIT, Fair Value Measures

v3.22.1
Orion Office REIT, Fair Value Measures
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]  
Fair Value Measures
Note 5 – Fair Value Measures
The Company determines fair value based on quoted prices when available or through the use of alternative approaches, such as discounting the expected cash flows using market interest rates commensurate with the credit quality and duration of the investment. U.S. GAAP guidance defines three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:
Level 1 – Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities that the reporting entity has the ability to access at the measurement date.
Level 2 – Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset and liability or can be corroborated with observable market data for substantially the entire contractual term of the asset or liability.
Level 3 – Unobservable inputs reflect the entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in the pricing of the asset or liability and are consequently not based on market activity, but rather through particular valuation techniques.
The determination of where an asset or liability falls in the hierarchy requires significant judgment and considers factors specific to the asset or liability. In instances where the determination of the fair value measurement is based on inputs from different levels of the fair value hierarchy, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the entire fair value measurement falls is based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The Company evaluates its hierarchy disclosures each quarter and depending on various factors, it is possible that an asset or liability may be classified differently from quarter to quarter. Changes in the type of inputs may result in a reclassification for certain assets. The Company does not expect that changes in classifications between levels will be frequent.
Items Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis
The following tables present information about the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2021, aggregated by the level in the fair value hierarchy within which those instruments fall (in thousands):
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Balance as of December 31, 2021
Assets:
Derivative assets $ —  $ 299  $ —  $ 299 
Derivative Assets – The Company’s derivative financial instruments relate to interest rate swaps. The valuation of derivative instruments is determined using a discounted cash flow analysis on the expected cash flows of each derivative. This analysis reflects the contractual terms of the derivatives, including the period to maturity, as well as observable market-based inputs, including interest rate curves and implied volatilities. In addition, credit valuation adjustments are incorporated into the fair values to account for the Company’s potential nonperformance risk and the performance risk of the counterparties.
Although the Company determined that the majority of the inputs used to value its derivatives fall within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, the credit valuation adjustments associated with those derivatives utilize Level 3 inputs, such as estimates of current credit spreads to evaluate the likelihood of default by the Company and its counterparties. However, as of December 31, 2021, the Company assessed the significance of the impact of the credit valuation adjustments on the overall valuation of its derivative positions and determined that the credit valuation adjustments are not significant to the overall valuation of the Company’s derivatives. As a result, the Company determined that its derivative valuations in their entirety are classified in Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.
Items Measured at Fair Value on a Non-Recurring Basis
Certain financial and nonfinancial assets and liabilities are measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis and are subject to fair value adjustments in certain circumstances, such as when there is evidence of impairment.
Real Estate and Other Investments – The Company performs quarterly impairment review procedures for real estate investments, leasehold improvements and property and equipment, right of use assets and its investment in the unconsolidated entity, primarily through continuous monitoring of events and changes in circumstances that could indicate the carrying value of such assets may not be recoverable.
As part of the Company’s impairment review procedures, net real estate assets representing ten properties were deemed to be impaired resulting in impairment charges of $49.9 million during the year ended December 31, 2021 that relate to certain non-core assets which were identified by management for potential sale.
During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company analyzed a unique triggering event related to one property that had a near term lease expiration, combined with a mortgage loan maturity. The estimated future undiscounted cash flows of this property indicated that carrying amounts were not expected to be recovered, and after estimating the fair value, an impairment charge of $18.7 million was recorded for the year ended December 31, 2020. The fair value measurement for this property was determined by applying a sales price based on market comparable sales provided by a third party. This input is categorized as level two on the valuation hierarchy. The Company also identified the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as an impairment triggering event. However, after performing review procedures, the Company did not identity additional carrying values of properties impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic during the year ended December 31, 2020.
There were no impairment charges recorded during the year ended December 31, 2019.
The following table summarizes our provisions for impairment during the periods indicated below (dollars in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
2021 2020
Number of properties 10  1 
Carrying value of impaired properties $ 109,197  $ 29,129 
Provisions for impairment (49,859) (18,671)
Estimated fair value $ 59,338  $ 10,458 

The Company estimates fair values using Level 2 and Level 3 inputs and uses a combined income and market approach, specifically using discounted cash flow analysis and/or recent comparable sales transactions. The evaluation of real estate assets for potential impairment requires the Company’s management to exercise significant judgment and make certain key assumptions, including, but not limited to, the following: (1) capitalization rate; (2) discount rates; (3) number of years property will be held; (4) property operating expenses; and (5) re-leasing assumptions including number of months to re-lease, market rental revenue and required tenant improvements. There are inherent uncertainties in making these estimates such as market conditions and performance and sustainability of the Company’s tenants. For the Company’s impairment tests for the real estate assets during the year ended December 31, 2021, the fair value measurement for its impaired properties was primarily determined by applying a sales price based on market data and, where applicable, the Company used a weighted-average discount rate of 8.9%.
Real Estate and Other Investments – Separation Fair Value Assessment – Following the Mergers, Realty Income performed a purchase price allocation assessing the value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the date of acquisition of VEREIT. The assessment of fair value is preliminary and is based on information that was available to Realty Income management at the time the consolidated and combined statements were prepared. Measurement period adjustments, if any, will be recorded in the period in which they are determined, as if they had been completed at the acquisition date. The finalization of Realty Income’s purchase accounting assessment could result in changes in the valuation of real estate assets and liabilities up to one year after the date of the Mergers, and these changes could be material.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The fair value of short-term financial instruments such as cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable, and accounts payable approximate their carrying value in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets due to their short-term nature. The fair values of the Company’s financial instruments are reported below (dollar amounts in thousands):
Level Carrying Amount at December 31, 2021 Fair Value at December 31, 2021 Carrying Amount at December 31, 2020 Fair Value at December 31, 2020
Liabilities (1):
Bridge facility, net 2 355,000  355,000  $ —  $ — 
Credit facility term loan, net 2 175,000  175,000  —  — 
Credit facility revolver 2 90,000  90,000  —  — 
Mortgages payable assumed in connection with acquisitions 2 —  —  36,476  37,095 
Total $ 620,000  $ 620,000  $ 36,476  $ 37,095 
_______________________________________________
(1)Current and prior period liabilities’ carrying and fair values exclude net deferred financing costs.
Debt – The fair value is estimated by an independent third party using a discounted cash flow analysis, based on management’s estimates of credit spreads and observable market interest rates, representing level 2 on the fair value hierarchy.