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GNL US Equity

Global Net Lease, Inc.Real Estate · Real Estate Investment Trusts · CIK 1526113 · FY ends Dec 31
$9.04
-0.05 (-0.55%)
USD · as of 2026-08-21 · marketstack

GNL · 10-K · period ended 2021-12-31

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filed 2022-02-24 · EDGAR original ↗

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Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the accompanying financial statements. The following information contains forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Please see “Forward-Looking Statements” elsewhere in this report for a description of these risks and uncertainties.

Overview

We are an externally managed REIT that focuses on acquiring and managing a globally diversified portfolio of strategically-located commercial real estate properties, which are crucial to the success of our roster of primarily “Investment Grade” (defined herein) tenants. We invest in commercial properties, with an emphasis on sale-leaseback transactions and mission-critical, single tenant net-lease assets.

As of December 31, 2021, we owned 309 properties consisting of 39.3 million rentable square feet, which were 99.0% leased, with a weighted-average remaining lease term of 8.3 years. Based on the percentage of rental income on a straight-line basis as of December 31, 2021, 60% of our properties were located in the U.S. and Canada and 40% of our properties were located in Europe. In addition, our portfolio was comprised of 54% industrial/distribution properties, 42% office properties and 4% retail properties. These percentages are calculated using straight-line rent converted from local currency into USD as of December 31, 2021. The straight-line rent includes amounts for tenant concessions.

Substantially all of our business is conducted through the OP, a Delaware limited partnership, and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. Our Advisor manages our day-to-day business with the assistance of the Property Manager. Our Advisor and Property Manager are under common control with AR Global and these related parties receive compensation and fees for providing services to us. We also reimburse these entities for certain expenses they incur in providing these services to us.

Management Update on the Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 global pandemic has impacted and may continue to impact our business, including our future results of operations and our liquidity. The ultimate impact on our results of operations, our liquidity and the ability of our tenants to continue to pay us rent will depend on numerous factors including the overall length and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic. For a further discussion of the risks and uncertainties associated with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on us, see Item 1A. Risk Factors in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

We have taken several steps to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on our business. We have been in direct contact with our tenants since the crisis began, cultivating open dialogue and deepening the fundamental relationships that we have carefully developed through prior transactions and historic operations. Based on this approach and the overall financial strength and creditworthiness of our tenants, we believe that we have had positive results in our rent collections during this pandemic. As of January 31, 2022, we have collected approximately 100% of the original cash rent due for the fourth quarter of 2021 across our entire portfolio. This level of collection was consistent with our level of collections in the first, second and third quarters of 2021.

“Original cash rent” refers to contractual rents on a cash basis due from tenants as stipulated in their originally executed lease agreement at inception or as amended, prior to any rent deferral agreement. We calculate “original cash rent collections” by comparing the total amount of rent collected during the period to the original cash rent due. During 2020 in light of COVID-19 pandemic, we agreed with certain tenants to defer a certain portion of cash rent due in 2020 to instead be due during 2021. Total rent collected during the period includes both original cash rent due and payments made by tenants pursuant to rent deferral agreements. Eliminating the impact of deferred rent paid, we collected approximately 100% of original cash rent due in the third quarter of 2021 across our entire portfolio.

This information about rent collections may not be indicative of any future period. There is no assurance that we will be able to collect the cash rent that is due in future months. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our tenants and thus our ability to collect rents in future periods cannot be determined at present.

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Significant Accounting Estimates and Accounting Policies

Set forth below is a summary of the significant accounting estimates and accounting policies that management believes are important to the preparation of our financial statements. Certain of our accounting estimates are particularly important for an understanding of our financial position and results of operations, and require the application of significant judgment by our management. As a result, these estimates are subject to a degree of uncertainty. These significant accounting estimates and accounting policies include:

Update on the Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Accounting Policies

The financial stability and overall health of the Company’s tenants is critical to its business. The negative effects that the global COVID-19 pandemic has had on the economy did impact the ability of some of the Company’s tenants to pay their monthly rent during 2020. The Company has taken a proactive approach to seek mutually agreeable solutions with its tenants where necessary, and, in some cases, the Company executed rent deferral agreements on leases with several tenants. For accounting purposes, in accordance with ASC 842, normally a company would be required to assess the modification to determine if the modification should be treated as a separate lease and if not, modification accounting would be applied which would require a company to reassess the classification of the lease (i.e. operating, direct financing or sales-type). However, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic due to which many leases were modified, the FASB and SEC provided relief that allowed companies to make a policy election as to whether they treat COVID-19 related lease amendments as a provision included in the preconcession arrangement, and therefore, not a lease modification, or to treat a lease amendment as a modification. In order to qualify for the relief, the modifications must be COVID-19 related and cash flows must be substantially the same or less than those prior to the concession. The Company elected to use this relief where applicable during 2020. In those circumstances, the Company has accounted for these arrangements as if no changes to the lease contract were made. For those leases that do not qualify for the relief, the Company performs a lease modification analysis and if required, uses lease modification accounting.

Revenue Recognition

Our revenues, which are derived primarily from lease contracts, which include rents that each tenant pays in accordance with the terms of each lease agreement and are reported on a straight-line basis over the initial term of the lease. As of December 31, 2021, these leases had an weighted-average remaining lease term of 8.3 years. Because many of our leases provide for rental increases at specified intervals, straight-line basis accounting requires us to record a receivable for, and include in revenues, unbilled rent receivables that we will only receive if the tenant makes all rent payments required through the expiration of the initial term of the lease. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, our cumulative straight-line rents receivable in the consolidated balance sheets was $74.2 million, which includes amounts related to deferral agreements noted above, and $61.0 million, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, our revenue from tenants included the impact of unbilled rental revenue of $5.7 million, $7.9 million and $6.8 million, respectively, to adjust contractual rent to straight-line rent.

For new leases after acquisition of property, the commencement date is considered to be the date the lease modification is executed. We defer the revenue related to lease payments received from tenants in advance of their due dates. When we acquire a property, the acquisition date is considered to be the commencement date for purposes of this calculation, for all leases in place at the time of acquisition. In addition to base rent, our lease agreements generally require tenants to pay or reimburse us for all property operating expenses, which primarily reflect insurance costs and real estate taxes incurred by us and subsequently reimbursed by the tenant. However, some limited property operating expenses that are not the responsibility of the tenant are absorbed by us. Under ASC 842, we elected to report combined lease and non-lease components in a single line “Revenue from tenants.” For comparative purposes, we also elected to reflect prior revenue and reimbursements previously reported under ASC 840 on a single line as well. For expenses paid directly by the tenant, under both ASC 842 and 840, we reflected them on a net basis.

We continually review receivables related to rent and unbilled rent receivables and determine collectability by taking into consideration the tenant’s payment history, the financial condition of the tenant, business conditions in the industry in which the tenant operates and economic conditions in the area in which the property is located. Under the leasing standard adopted on January 1, 2019 (see Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Polices - Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements to our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on From 10-K), we are required to assess, based on credit risk only, if it is probable that we will collect virtually all of the lease payments at lease commencement date and we must continue to reassess collectability periodically thereafter based on new facts and circumstances affecting the credit risk of the tenant. Partial reserves, or the ability to assume partial recovery are no longer permitted. If we determine that it is probable that we will collect virtually all of the lease payments (rent and common area maintenance), the lease will continue to be accounted for on an accrual basis (i.e. straight-line). However, if we determine it is not probable that we will collect virtually all of the lease payments, the lease will be accounted for on a cash basis and a full reserve would be recorded on previously accrued amounts in cases where it was subsequently concluded that collection was not probable. Cost recoveries from tenants are included in Revenue from tenants on the accompanying consolidated statements of operations in the period the related costs are incurred, as applicable.

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Under ASC 842, uncollectible amounts are reflected as reductions in revenue. Under ASC 840, we recorded such amounts as bad debt expense as part of property operating expenses. Amounts recorded as reductions of revenue during the year ended December 31, 2021 totaled $1.1 million. We did not record any uncollectible amounts as reductions of revenue during the years ended December 31, 2020 or 2019.

Investments in Real Estate

Investments in real estate are recorded at cost. Improvements and replacements are capitalized when they extend the useful life of the asset. Costs of repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred.

At the time an asset is acquired, we evaluate the inputs, processes and outputs of the asset acquired to determine if the transaction is a business combination or asset acquisition. If an acquisition qualifies as a business combination, the related transaction costs are recorded as an expense in the consolidated statements of operations. If an acquisition qualifies as an asset acquisition, the related transaction costs are generally capitalized and subsequently amortized over the useful life of the acquired assets. See the Purchase Price Allocation section below for a discussion of the initial accounting for investments in real estate.

Disposal of real estate investments representing a strategic shift in operations that will have a major effect on our operations and financial results are required to be presented as discontinued operations in our consolidated statements of operations. No properties were presented as discontinued operations as of December 31, 2021 and 2020. Properties that are intended to be sold are designated as “held for sale” on our consolidated balance sheets at the lesser of carrying amount or fair value less estimated selling costs when they meet specific criteria to be presented as held for sale, most significantly that the sale is probable within one year. We evaluate probability of sale based on specific facts including whether a sales agreement is in place and the buyer has made significant non-refundable deposits. Properties are no longer depreciated when they are classified as held for sale. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, we did not have any properties designated as held for sale.

As more fully discussed in Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncement - ASU No. 2016-02 Leases to our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, all of our leases as lessor prior to the adoption of the new leasing standard on January 1, 2019 were accounted for as operating leases and we continued to account for them as operating leases under the transition guidance. We evaluate new leases originated after the adoption date (by us or by a predecessor lessor/owner) pursuant to the new guidance where a lease for some or all of a building is classified by a lessor as a sales-type lease if the significant risks and rewards of ownership reside with the tenant. This situation is met if, among other things, there is an automatic transfer of title during the lease, a bargain purchase option, the non-cancelable lease term is for more than major part of remaining economic useful life of the asset (e.g., equal to or greater than 75%), if the present value of the minimum lease payments represents substantially all (e.g., equal to or greater than 90%) of the leased property’s fair value at lease inception, or if the asset so specialized in nature that it provides no alternative use to the lessor (and therefore would not provide any future value to the lessor) after the lease term. Further, such new leases would be evaluated to consider whether they would be failed sale-leaseback transactions and accounted for as financing transactions by the lessor. During the three year period ended December 31, 2021, we had no leases as a lessor that would be considered as sales-type leases or financings under sale-leaseback rules.

We are also the lessee under certain land leases which were previously classified prior to adoption of lease accounting and will continue to be classified as operating leases under transition elections unless subsequently modified. These leases are reflected on the balance sheet and the rent expense is reflected on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

Purchase Price Allocation

In both a business combination and an asset acquisition, we allocate the purchase price of acquired properties to tangible and identifiable intangible assets or liabilities based on their respective fair values. Tangible assets may include land, land improvements, buildings, fixtures and tenant improvements on an as- if vacant basis. Intangible assets may include the value of in-place leases, and above- and below- market leases and other identifiable assets or liabilities based on lease or property specific characteristics. In addition, any assumed mortgages receivable or payable and any assumed or issued non-controlling interests (in a business combination) are recorded at their estimated fair values. In allocating the fair value to assumed mortgages, amounts are recorded to debt premiums or discounts based on the present value of the estimated cash flows, which is calculated to account for either above- or below-market interest rates. In a business combination, the difference between the purchase price and the fair value of identifiable net assets acquired is either recorded as goodwill or as a bargain purchase gain. In an asset acquisition, the difference between the acquisition price (including capitalized transaction costs) and the fair value of identifiable net assets acquired is allocated to the non-current assets. All acquisitions during the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 were asset acquisitions.

For acquired properties with leases classified as operating leases, we allocate the purchase price of acquired properties to tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed, based on their respective fair values. In making estimates of fair values for purposes of allocating purchase price, we utilize a number of sources, including independent appraisals that may be obtained in connection with the acquisition or financing of the respective property and other market data.

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We also consider information obtained about each property as a result of our pre-acquisition due diligence in estimating the fair value of the tangible and intangible assets acquired and intangible liabilities assumed.

We utilize various estimates, processes and information to determine the as-if vacant property value. Estimates of value are made using customary methods, including data from appraisals, comparable sales, discounted cash flow analysis and other methods. Fair value estimates are also made using significant assumptions such as capitalization rates, discount rates, fair market lease rates, and land values per square foot. Identifiable intangible assets include amounts allocated to acquire leases for above- and below-market lease rates, and the value of in-place leases, as applicable.

Factors considered in the analysis of the in-place lease intangibles include an estimate of carrying costs during the expected lease-up period for each property, taking into account current market conditions and costs to execute similar leases. In estimating carrying costs, we include real estate taxes, insurance and other operating expenses and estimates of lost rentals at contract rates during the expected lease-up period, which typically ranges from 12 to 18 months. We also estimate costs to execute similar leases including leasing commissions, legal and other related expenses.

Above-market and below-market lease values for acquired properties are initially recorded based on the present value (using a discount rate which reflects the risks associated with the leases acquired) of the difference between (i) the contractual amounts to be paid pursuant to each in-place lease, and (ii) management’s estimate of fair market lease rates for each corresponding in-place lease, measured over a period equal to the remaining initial term of the lease for above-market leases and the remaining term plus the term of any below-market fixed rate renewal options for below-market leases.

The aggregate value of intangible assets related to customer relationships, as applicable, is measured based on our evaluation of the specific characteristics of each tenant’s lease and our overall relationship with the tenant. Characteristics considered by us in determining these values include the nature and extent of its existing business relationships with the tenant, growth prospects for developing new business with the tenant, the tenant’s credit quality and expectations of lease renewals, among other factors.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

If circumstances indicate the carrying value of a property may not be recoverable, we review the asset for impairment. This review is based on an estimate of the future undiscounted cash flows, excluding interest charges, expected to result from the property’s use and eventual disposition. These estimates consider factors such as expected future operating income, market and other applicable trends and residual value, as well as the effects of leasing demand, competition and other factors. If impairment exists due to the inability to recover the carrying value of a property, an impairment loss is recorded to the extent that the carrying value exceeds the estimated fair value of the property for properties to be held and used. For properties held for sale, the impairment loss is the adjustment to fair value less estimated cost to dispose of the asset. These assessments have a direct impact on net income because recording an impairment loss results in an immediate negative adjustment to net earnings.

Gains and Losses on Dispositions of Real Estate Investments

Gains on sales of rental real estate are not considered sales to customers and are generally recognized pursuant to the provisions included in ASC 610-20, Gains and Losses from the Derecognition of Nonfinancial Assets (“ASC 610-20”).

Goodwill

We evaluate goodwill for impairment at least annually or upon the occurrence of a triggering event. A triggering event is an event or circumstance that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying amount. We performed a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value. We determined that the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic represented a triggering event, and, as such, performed an updated goodwill assessment during the first quarter of 2021. Based on our assessment, we determined that the goodwill was not impaired at the time of the triggering event evaluation. We also evaluated goodwill impairment in the fourth quarter of 2021 and determined that the goodwill was not impaired as of December 31, 2021.

Depreciation and Amortization

We are required to make subjective assessments as to the useful lives of the components of our real estate investments for purposes of determining the amount of depreciation to record on an annual basis. These assessments have a direct impact on our results from operations because if we were to shorten the expected useful lives of our real estate investments, we would depreciate these investments over fewer years, resulting in more depreciation expense and lower earnings on an annual basis.

Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of up to 40 years for buildings, 15 years for land improvements, five years for fixtures and improvements and the shorter of the useful life or the remaining lease term for tenant improvements and leasehold interests.

The value of in-place leases, exclusive of the value of above-market and below-market in-place leases, is amortized to expense over the remaining periods of the respective leases.

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If the tenant termination its lease, the unamortized portion of the in-phase lease value and customer relationship intangibles is accelerated through the termination date or the date of the tenant vacates the space to expense.

Assumed mortgage premiums or discounts are amortized as an increase or reduction to interest expense over the remaining terms of the respective mortgages.

Deferred leasing commissions are recorded over the terms of the related leases. Amounts related to leasing commissions incurred from third parties are recorded in depreciation and amortization. Amounts related to leasing commissions incurred from the Advisor are recorded within operating fees to related parties in the consolidated statements of operations.

Above and Below-Market Lease Amortization

Capitalized above-market lease values are amortized as a reduction of revenue from tenants over the remaining terms of the respective leases and the capitalized below-market lease values are amortized as an increase to revenue from tenants over the remaining terms of the respected leases, not including any extension options.

Above-market intangibles and below-market intangibles will also be treated in the same way as in-place intangibles upon a lease termination.

If a tenant modifies its lease, the unamortized portion of the in-place lease value, customer relationship intangibles, above-market leases and below market leases are assessed to determine whether their useful lives need to be amended (generally accelerated). Generally, we would not extend the useful lives of their intangible values upon a modification that is an extension.

The amortization associated with our operating lease right-of-use asset (“ROU”) is recorded in property operating expenses on a straight-line basis over the terms of the leases. Upon adoption of ASC 842 effective January 1, 2019, intangible balances related to ground leases were reclassified to be included as part of the operating lease ROU presented on our consolidated balance sheet with no change to placement of the amortization expense of such balances.

Derivative Instruments

We may use derivative financial instruments, including interest rate swaps, caps, options, floors and other interest rate derivative contracts, to hedge all or a portion of the interest rate risk associated with its borrowings. In addition, all foreign currency denominated borrowings under our Credit Facility are designated as net investment hedges. Certain of our foreign operations expose us to fluctuations of foreign interest rates and exchange rates. These fluctuations may impact the value of our cash receipts and payments in our functional currency, the U.S. Dollar (“USD”). We enter into derivative financial instruments to protect the value or fix the amount of certain obligations in terms of its functional currency.

We record all derivatives on the consolidated balance sheets at fair value. The accounting for changes in the fair value of derivatives depends on the intended use of the derivative, whether we have elected to designate a derivative in a hedging relationship and apply hedge accounting and whether the hedging relationship has satisfied the criteria necessary to apply hedge accounting. Derivatives designated and qualifying as a hedge of the exposure to changes in the fair value of an asset, liability, or firm commitment attributable to a particular risk, such as interest rate risk, are considered fair value hedges. Derivatives designated and qualifying as a hedge of the exposure to variability in expected future cash flows, or other types of forecasted transactions, are considered cash flow hedges. Derivatives may also be designated as hedges of the foreign currency exposure of a net investment in foreign operations. Hedge accounting generally provides for the matching of the timing of gain or loss recognition on the hedging instrument with the recognition of the changes in the fair value of the hedged asset or liability that are attributable to the hedged risk in a fair value hedge or the earnings effect of the hedged forecasted transactions in a cash flow hedge. We may enter into derivative contracts that are intended to economically hedge certain risk, even though hedge accounting does not apply or we elect not to apply hedge accounting.

The accounting for subsequent changes in the fair value of these derivatives depends on whether each has been designed and qualifies for hedge accounting treatment. If we elect not to apply hedge accounting treatment (or for derivatives that do not qualify as hedges), any changes in the fair value of these derivative instruments is recognized immediately in gains (losses) on derivative instruments in the consolidated statements of operations. If a derivative is designated and qualifies for cash flow hedge accounting treatment, the change in the estimated fair value of the derivative is recorded in other comprehensive income (loss) in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss) to the extent that it is effective. Any ineffective portion of a change in derivative fair value is immediately recorded in earnings.

Equity-Based Compensation

We have a stock-based incentive plan under which our directors, officers and other employees of the Advisor, or its affiliates who are involved in providing services to us are eligible to receive awards. Awards granted thereunder are accounted for under the guidance for employee share based payments. The cost of services received in exchange for a stock award is measured at the grant date fair value of the award and the expense for such awards is included in equity-based compensation on consolidated statements of operations and is recognized over the vesting period or when the requirements for exercise of the award have been met (seeNote 13 — Equity-Based Compensation to our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.for additional information).

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Multi-Year Outperformance Agreements

Following the end of the performance period under the multi-year outperformance agreement with the Advisor entered into in July 2018 (the “2018 OPP”) on June 2, 2021, we entered into the multi-year outperformance agreement with the Advisor (the “2021 OPP”). Under the 2018 OPP, which became effective June 2, 2018, we recorded equity-based compensation evenly over the requisite service period of approximately 2.8 years from the grant date. Under the 2021 OPP, which became effective June 2, 2021, we are recording equity-based compensation evenly over the requisite service period of approximately 3.1 years from May 3, 2021, the date that our independent directors approved the award of long-term incentive plan units of limited partner interest in the OP (“LTIP Units”) under the 2021 OPP.

Under accounting guidance adopted by us on January 1, 2019, total equity-based compensation expense calculated as of the adoption of the new guidance is fixed and reflected as a charge to earnings over the remaining service period. Further, in the event of a modification, any incremental increase in the value of the instrument measured on the date of the modification both before and after the modification, will result in an incremental amount to be reflected prospectively as a charge to earnings over the remaining service period. The expense for these awards is included in the equity-based compensation line item of our consolidated statements of operations. For additional information, see Note 13 — Equity-based compensation to our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

SeeNote 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies — Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements to our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further discussion.

Results of Operations

Below is a discussion of our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020. Please see the “Results of Operations” section located on page 50 under Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 for a discussion of our results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2019 and year-to-year comparisons between 2020 and 2019.

In addition to the comparative year over year discussion below, please see the “Overview — Management Update on the Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic” section above for additional information on the risks and uncertainties associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and management’s action taken to mitigate those risks and uncertainties.

Leasing Activity

In 2021, we executed eleven lease extensions and expansions and one LOI that total 1.6 million square feet, or 4.1% of our total portfolio. The lease extensions increased the weighted average remaining lease term for these tenants to 8.9 years from 3.9 years at the time of signing and resulted in total net straight-line-rent increase for these leases of approximately $96 million over the new weighted-average remaining lease term.

Comparison of the Year Ended December 31, 2021 to the Year Ended December 31, 2020

Net (Loss) Income Attributable to Common Stockholders

Net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders was a loss of $8.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, as compared to net income attributable to common stockholders of $7.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The change in net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders is discussed in detail for each line item of the consolidated statements of operations in the sections that follow.

Revenue from Tenants

In addition to base rent, our lease agreements generally require tenants to pay or reimburse us for all property operating expenses, which primarily reflect insurance costs and real estate taxes incurred by us and subsequently reimbursed by the tenant. However, some limited property operating expenses that are not the responsibility of the tenant are absorbed by us.

Revenue from tenants was $391.2 million and $330.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The increase was primarily driven by the impact of our property acquisitions since December 31, 2020, changes in foreign exchange rates which favorably impacted revenues and receipt of a lease termination fee. During the year ended December 31, 2021 there were increases of 2.1% in the average exchange rate for British Pounds Sterling (“GBP”) to USD and a decrease of 4.1% in the average exchange rate for Euro (“EUR”) to USD, when compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. In addition, on September 3, 2021, we entered into a lease termination agreement with one of our tenants which required the tenant to pay us a termination fee of approximately £6.7 million ($9.0 million based on the exchange rate as of December 31, 2021) at the end of the lease term on January 4, 2022. This amount was received in January 2022 and recorded in revenue from tenants evenly over the period from September 3, 2021 through the end of the lease term, and as a result, we recorded approximately $6.5 million and $8.8 million in revenue from tenants during the three months and year ended December 31, 2021, respectively. See Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to our consolidated financial statements in this Yearly Report on Form 10-K for additional details.

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Property Operating Expenses

Property operating expenses were $32.7 million and $32.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. These costs primarily relate to insurance costs and real estate taxes on our properties, which are generally reimbursable by our tenants. The main exceptions are Government Services Administration (GSA) properties for which certain expenses are not reimbursable by tenants. The minor decrease was primarily due to the timing of our reimbursable costs, partially offset by increases during the year ended December 31, 2021, of 2.1% in the average exchange rate for GBP to USD and a decrease of 4.1% in the average exchange rate for EUR to USD, when compared to last year.

Operating Fees to Related Parties

Operating fees paid to related parties were $39.0 million and $35.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Operating fees to related parties consist of compensation to the Advisor for asset management services, as well as property management fees paid to the Property Manager. Our Advisory Agreement requires us to pay the Advisor a Base Management Fee of $18.0 million per annum ($4.5 million per quarter) plus a Variable Base Management Fee, both payable in cash, and Incentive Compensation (as defined in our Advisory Agreement), payable in cash and shares, if the applicable hurdles are met. The Advisor did not earn any Incentive Compensation during the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 respectively. The increase to operating fees between the periods in part results from an increase of $2.0 million in the Variable Base Management Fee resulting from the issuance of equity securities since December 2020. The Variable Base Management Fee increases in connection with other offerings or issuances of equity securities (seeNote 11 - Related Party Transactions to our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for details).

Our Property Manager is paid fees to manage our properties, which may include market-based leasing commissions. Property management fees are calculated as a percentage of our gross revenues generated by the applicable properties. For additional information on our property management agreement with the Property Manager, see Note 11 — Related Party Transactions to our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we paid property management fees of $7.3 million and $6.2 million, respectively. During the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2021, we incurred leasing commissions to the Property Manager of $1.5 million and $1.9 million, of which $0.2 million and $0.1 million was amortized to property management fee in operating fees to related parties in our consolidated statement of operations for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The remainder of the balance will be amortized over the terms of the leases to property managment fees.

Impairment Charges

The impairment charges recorded during the year ended December 31, 2021 of $17.5 million were recorded to adjust the carrying value of three properties to their estimated fair values based on the estimated selling prices of two of our assets located in Texas (sold in 2021) and one asset in the United Kingdom, which we began marketing for sale in the fourth quarter of 2021. The impairments were recorded in the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and quarter ended December 31, 2021 in the amounts of $7.9 million and $9.6 million, respectively.

Acquisition, Transaction and Other Costs

We recognized $0.1 million of acquisition, transaction and other costs during the year ended December 31, 2021, which were primarily related to costs for terminated acquisitions. We recognized $0.7 million of acquisition, transaction and other costs during the year ended December 31, 2020, which primarily related to costs for terminated acquisitions.

General and Administrative Expense

General and administrative expense was $17.2 million and $13.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, primarily consisting of professional fees including audit and taxation related services, board member compensation, and directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, and including expense reimbursements of approximately $1.3 million and $1.1 million, respectively, to the Advisor under the Advisory Agreement for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020. The increase for the year ended December 31, 2021, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, was primarily due to an increase in professional fees.

Equity-Based Compensation

During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we recognized equity-based compensation expense of $11.0 million and $10.1 million, respectively. Equity-based compensation consists of expense related to our 2018 OPP and 2021 OPP and amortization of restricted shares of Common Stock (“Restricted Shares”) granted to employees of the Advisor or its affiliates who are involved in providing services to us and restricted stock units (“RSUs”) in respect of shares of Common Stock granted to our independent directors.

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On June 2, 2021, the performance period under the 2018 OPP ended and all compensation expense related to the 2018 OPP had been fully recorded as of that date and, in May 2021, we began recording expense for the 2021 OPP. The increase in equity-based compensation expense was due to the higher straight-line expense recorded for the 2021 OPP compared to 2018 OPP due to the expense recorded for the 2021 OPP beginning in May 2021, higher expense recorded under the 2021 OPP due to the higher fair value of the LTIP Units granted under the 2021 OPP compared to 2018 OPP and the impact of additional amortization expense recorded for new grants of RSUs and Restricted Shares that occurred during the second quarter of 2021. For additional information, see Note 13 — Equity-Based Compensation to our consolidated financial statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Depreciation and Amortization

Depreciation and amortization expense was $163.1 million and $138.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The increase was primarily due to additional depreciation and amortization expense recorded as a result of the impact of our property acquisitions and dispositions since December 31, 2020 and increases during the year ended December 31, 2021 of 2.1% in the average exchange rate for GBP to USD and a decrease of 4.1% in the EUR to USD, when compared to 2020. In addition, we recorded approximately $2.0 million of additional amortization expense for acquired lease intangibles related to certain leases that were terminated during 2021. These increases were partially offset by dispositions since December 31, 2020.

Gain (Loss) on Dispositions of Real Estate Investments

During the year ended December 31, 2021, we sold one property located in Conroe, Texas, one property located in Houston, Texas, one property located in South Bend, Indiana and 18 properties located in Puerto Rico for a total contract sales price of $49.6 million for all 21 properties sold. These dispositions resulted in an aggregate net gain of $1.5 million, which is reflected in gain (loss) on dispositions of real estate investments in the consolidated statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 2021. During the year ended December 31, 2020 we did not sell any properties.

Interest Expense

Interest expense was $94.3 million and $71.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The increase was primarily related to interest expense on our Senior Notes which were issued in December 2020 and accrue interest at 3.750% per year, interest expense on the £101.0 million ($136.5 million as of December 31, 2021) mortgage loan entered into in April 2021 to finance the acquisition of the global headquarters of the McLaren Group, and interest expense on the £28.0 million ($37.8 million as of December 31, 2021) mortgage that funded in part, the acquisition of the Trafalgar Court property located in Guernsey, Channel Islands (see Note 4 — Mortgage Notes Payable, Net and Note 6 — Senior Notes, Net to our consolidated financial statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional details).

The amount of our total gross debt outstanding increased from $2.3 billion as of December 31, 2020 to $2.5 billion as of December 31, 2021, and the weighted-average effective interest rate of our total debt was 3.3% as of December 31, 2020 and 3.4% as of December 31, 2021. The increase in interest expense was also impacted by increases during the year ended December 31, 2021 of 2.1% in the average exchange rate for GBP to USD and a decrease of 4.1% in the average exchange rate for EUR to USD when compared to the same period last year. As of the year ended December 31, 2021, approximately 30% of our total debt outstanding was denominated in EUR and 20% of our total debt outstanding was denominated in GBP, and as of the year ended December 31, 2020, approximately 30% of our total debt outstanding was denominated in EUR and 10% of our total debt outstanding was denominated in GBP.

We view a combination of secured and unsecured financing sources as an efficient and accretive means to acquire properties and manage working capital. As of December 31, 2021, approximately 59% of our total debt outstanding was secured and 41% was unsecured. Our interest expense in future periods will vary based on interest rates as well as our level of future borrowings, which will depend on refinancing needs and acquisition activity.

Loss on Extinguishment of Debt

We did not record any loss on extinguishment of debt during the year ended December 31, 2021. Loss on extinguishment of debt was $3.6 million of the year ended December 31, 2020. The amount in 2020 is comprised of $2.0 million of expenses related to the repayment of the loan on our Whirlpool properties due to the write-off of deferred financing costs and costs related to the termination of interest rate swaps, $1.3 million of expenses related to the write-off of deferred financing costs related to the partial paydown of our Term Loan in December 31, 2020 and $0.3 million of expenses related to the refinancing of the mortgages on our properties located in France.

Foreign Currency and Interest Rate Impact on Operations

The gain of $5.8 million and loss of $2.3 million on derivative instruments for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, reflect the marked-to-market impact from foreign currency and interest rate derivative instruments used to hedge the investment portfolio from currency and interest rate movements, and was mainly impacted by currency rate changes in the GBP and EUR compared to the USD. The quarterly average GBP to USD exchange rate increased 2.1% and the quarterly

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average EUR to USD exchange rate decreased 4.1% during the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2020.

Unrealized (Loss) Income on Undesignated Foreign Currency Advances and Other Hedge Ineffectiveness

During the year ended December 31, 2021, we did not record any amounts due to currency changes on the undesignated excess foreign currency advances over the related net investments.

During the year ended December 31, 2020, we recorded losses of $6.0 million due to currency changes on the undesignated excess foreign currency advances over the related net investments. During the fourth quarter of 2020, we identified certain historical errors in the second and third quarters of 2020 related to the recording of the impact of foreign currency changes on the over-hedged portion of our net investment hedges, which is the portion considered to be ineffective. The amounts, which totaled $1.3 million and $2.6 million for the second and third quarters of 2020, respectively, were incorrectly recorded as a currency translation adjustment in AOCI as opposed to being recorded as losses in unrealized (loss) income on undesignated foreign currency advances and other hedge ineffectiveness in the consolidated statement of operations. We concluded that the errors were not material for any prior quarterly periods presented and we adjusted the amounts on a cumulative basis in the fourth quarter of 2020. As a result, we recorded $3.9 million in unrealized (loss) on undesignated foreign currency advances and other hedge ineffectiveness in the fourth quarter of 2020 in order to correct these errors. For additional information on the above or on our derivative accounting policies and derivatives and hedging activities, see the Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Note 8 — Derivatives and Hedging Activities to our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

As a result of our foreign investments in Europe, and, to a lesser extent, our investments in Canada, we are subject to risk from the effects of exchange rate movements in the EUR, GBP and, to a lesser extent, the CAD, which may affect costs and cash flows in our functional currency, the USD. We generally manage foreign currency exchange rate movements by matching our debt service obligation to the lender and the tenant’s rental obligation to us in the same currency. This reduces our overall exposure to currency fluctuations. In addition, we may use currency hedging to further reduce the exposure to our net cash flow. We are generally a net receiver of these currencies (we receive more cash than we pay out), and therefore our results of operations of our foreign properties benefit from a weaker USD, and are adversely affected by a stronger USD, relative to the foreign currency. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the average exchange rate for GBP to USD increased by 2.1%, and the average exchange rate for EUR to USD decreased by 4.1%, when compared to the year ended December 31, 2020.

Income Tax Expense

Although as a REIT we generally do not pay U.S. federal income taxes, we recognize income tax (expense) benefit domestically for state taxes and local income taxes incurred, if any, and also in foreign jurisdictions in which we own properties. In addition, we perform an analysis of potential deferred tax or future tax benefit and expense as a result of book and tax differences and timing differences in taxes across jurisdictions. Income tax expense was $12.2 million and $5.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The increase in the fourth quarter 2021 was driven by a $1.9 million return to provision adjustment related to the filing of the UK 2020 tax return. For additional information, see Note 15 — Income Taxes to our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Cash Flows from Operating Activities

During the year ended December 31, 2021, net cash provided by operating activities was $192.5 million. The level of cash flows provided by operating activities is driven by, among other things, rental income received, operating fees paid to related parties for asset and property management, and interest payments on outstanding borrowings. Cash flows provided by operating activities during the year ended December 31, 2021 reflect net income of $11.4 million, adjusted for non-cash items of $183.6 million (primarily depreciation, amortization of intangibles, amortization of deferred financing costs, amortization of mortgage premium/discount, amortization of above- and below-market lease and ground lease assets and liabilities, unbilled straight-line rent (including the effect of adjustments due to rent deferrals), equity-based compensation, unrealized (gains) losses on foreign currency transactions, derivatives and other, and impairment charges). In addition, operating cash flow increased by $8.4 million due to working capital items and decreased by $9.4 million due to lease incentive and commission payments.

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During the year ended December 31, 2020, net cash provided by operating activities was $176.9 million. The level of cash flows provided by operating activities is driven by, among other things, rental income received, operating fees paid to related parties for asset and property management, and interest payments on outstanding borrowings. Cash flows provided by operating activities during the year ended December 31, 2020 reflect net income of $10.8 million, adjusted for non-cash items of $149.6 million (primarily depreciation, amortization of intangibles, amortization of deferred financing costs, amortization of mortgage premium/discount, amortization of above- and below-market lease and ground lease assets and liabilities, bad debt expense, unbilled straight-line rent (including the effect of adjustments due to rent deferrals), and equity-based compensation). In addition, operating cash flow increased by $4.6 million due to working capital items, which was partially offset by a lease incentive payment made by us of $4.7 million related to the signing of lease extensions for four properties leased to Finnair during the year ended December 31, 2020. The incentive was negotiated in exchange for extending the weighted-average remaining lease term on the properties from 4.7 years to 11.0 years.

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Cash Flows from Investing Activities

Net cash used in investing activities during the year ended December 31, 2021 of $436.6 million was primarily driven by property acquisitions of $477.4 million and capital expenditures of $7.9 million, partially offset by proceeds from the disposition of real estate of $48.7 million.

Net cash used in investing activities during the year ended December 31, 2020 of $470.5 million was primarily driven by property acquisitions of $464.1 million, and capital expenditures of $6.4 million.

Cash Flows from Financing Activities

Net cash provided by financing activities of $218.3 million during the year ended December 31, 2021 was a result of net borrowings under our Revolving Credit Facility of $115.9 million, net proceeds from mortgage notes payable of $66.1 million, net proceeds from the issuance of Common Stock of $214.0 million and net proceeds from the issuance of Series B Preferred Stock of $15.9 million. These cash inflows were offset primarily by dividends paid to common stockholders of $156.2 million, dividends paid on Series A Preferred Stock of $12.3 million, dividends paid on Series B Preferred Stock of $7.5 million, distributions to non-controlling interest holders of $11.0 million and payments of financing costs of $6.5 million.

Net cash provided by financing activities of $140.7 million during the year ended December 31, 2020 was a result of net proceeds from the issuance of our Senior Notes of $500.0 million, net proceeds from mortgage borrowings and repayments of $46.0 million and net proceeds from the issuance of Series B Preferred Stock of $10.2 million. These cash inflows were offset primarily by net payments under our Revolving Credit Facility of $90.6 million, payments of principal on our Term Loan of $136.7 million, dividends paid to common stockholders of $155.1 million, dividends paid on Series A Preferred Stock of $12.3 million, dividends paid on Series B Preferred Stock of $5.1 million and payments of financing costs of $14.2 million.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

The negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused and may continue to cause certain of our tenants to be unable to make rent payments to us timely, or at all, which impacts the amount of cash we generate from our operations. During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2021, we took proactive steps to collect rent and to otherwise mitigate the impact on our business and liquidity. The future impact of the pandemic on our results of operations, our liquidity and the ability of our tenants to continue to pay us rent will depend on numerous factors including the overall length and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic. Management is unable to predict the nature and scope of any of these factors. Because substantially all of our income is derived from rentals of commercial real property, our business, income, cash flow, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, prospects our ability to service our debt obligations, our ability to consummate future property acquisitions and our ability to pay dividends, and other distributions to our stockholders would be adversely affected if a significant number of tenants are unable to meet their obligations to us.

In addition to the discussion below, please see the “Overview — Management Update on the Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic” section above for additional information on the risks and uncertainties associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and management’s actions taken to mitigate those risks and uncertainties.

Our principal future needs for use of our cash and cash equivalents will include the purchase of additional properties or other investments in accordance with our investment strategy, payment of related acquisition costs, improvement costs, operating and administrative expenses, continuing debt service obligations and dividends to holders of our Common Stock, Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock, as well as to any future class or series of preferred stock we may issue. As of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, we had cash and cash equivalents of $89.7 million and $124.2 million, respectively. See discussion above our how our cash flows from various sources impacted our cash. We are required to maintain unrestricted cash and cash equivalents (or amounts available for future borrowings under credit facility, such as the Credit Facility) in an amount sufficient to meet our actual and contingent liabilities under a limited unsecured corporate guaranty by us of £20.0 million (approximately $27.0 million as of December 31, 2021) of the obligations under a mortgage loan secured by 42 of the properties located in the United Kingdom. See “— Covenants —United Kingdom Properties – Bulk Loan” section below for additional information on this guaranty.

Management expects that operating income from our existing properties supplemented by our existing cash will be sufficient to fund operating expenses, and the payment of quarterly dividends to our common stockholders and holders of our Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock and interest payments on debt as well as anticipated capital expenditures. Our other sources of capital, which we have used and may use in the future, include proceeds received from our Revolving Credit Facility, proceeds from secured or unsecured financings (which may include note issuances), proceeds from our offerings of equity securities (including Common Stock and preferred stock), proceeds from any future sales of properties and undistributed funds from operations, if any. During the year ended December 31, 2021, cash used to pay 100.0% of our dividends was generated from cash flows provided by operations.

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Acquisitions and Dispositions

We are in the business of acquiring real estate properties and leasing the properties to tenants. Generally, we fund our acquisitions through a combination of cash and cash equivalents, proceeds from offerings of equity securities (including Common Stock and preferred stock), borrowings under our Revolving Credit Facility and proceeds from mortgage or other debt secured by the acquired or other assets at the time of acquisition or at some later point (see Note 4 — Mortgage Notes Payable, Net and Note 5— Credit Facilities to our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further discussion). In addition, to the extent we dispose of properties, we have used and may continue to use the net proceeds from the dispositions (after repayment of any mortgage debt, if any) for future acquisitions or other general corporate purposes.

Acquisitions and Dispositions — Year Ended December 31, 2021

During the year ended December 31, 2021, we acquired 25 properties for $477.4 million (net of a mortgage assumed of $38.56 million), including capitalized acquisition costs. The acquisition of 19 of these properties for $174.4 million, including capitalized acquisition costs, was completed during the three months ended December 31, 2021. During the three months and year ended December 31, 2021, our acquisitions were primarily funded by additional net borrowings of approximately $84.0 million and $115.9 million under the Revolving Credit Facility, a mortgage note payable of $137.6 million (as of the date of the McLaren acquisition) and cash on hand, consisting primarily of proceeds from our ATM programs and proceeds from dispositions.

During the three months and year ended December 31, 2021, we sold one property in Conroe, Texas, one property in Houston, Texas, one property in South Bend, Indiana and 18 properties in Puerto Rico for an aggregate contract sales price of $49.6 million for all 21 properties sold. The property in Conroe, Texas was not encumbered by any mortgage debt and was not part of the borrowing base under our Revolving Credit Facility. The property in Houston, Texas had been encumbered by mortgage debt of $24.4 million, which was repaid at closing, and was not part of the borrowing base under our Revolving Credit Facility. The properties in South Bend, Indiana and Puerto Rico were not encumbered by any mortgage debt, however, they were part of the borrowing base under our Revolving Credit Facility.

The largest of the acquisition during the year ended December 31, 2021 was the acquisition of the global headquarters of the McLaren Group located in close proximity to central London, England and Heathrow Airport. We acquired these properties for £170.0 million ($236.3 million on the date of acquisition) in a sale-leaseback transaction with the McLaren Group. The leases have a term of 20 years with annual rent escalators linked to the consumer price index subject to a cap of 4% and a collar of 1.25%. The annual base rent is subject to a one-time contingent adjustment which only occurs upon a McLaren Holdings Limited corporate credit rating enhancement to B- (or equivalent) from one of S&P, Moody’s or Fitch by May 2023 and if we refinance the debt incurred to acquire the property secured by October 2024 after such upgrade occurs. Since closing the sale leaseback transaction, McLaren closed on a $620.0 million bond issuance and McLaren Holdings Limited received the applicable credit rating. We are under no obligation to complete a refinancing of this loan prior to its maturity date in April 2024, and we have no immediate plans to do so. If these conditions are not met, the adjustment will not occur and the initial rent will not decrease. We funded this acquisition with the £101.0 million ($140.6 million on the date of incurrence) loan, £52.0 million ($72.2 million on the date of acquisition) in additional borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility and cash on hand consisting primarily of proceeds from our ATM programs. The maturity date of the loan is April 23, 2024 and it bears interest at 6% per annum. The loan is interest-only with the principal due at maturity. For additional information on activity related to the Revolving Credit Facility, see “Borrowings” section below.

Acquisitions and Dispositions Subsequent to December 31, 2021 and Pending Transactions

Subsequent to December 31, 2021, we did not acquire or dispose of any properties. We have signed one non-binding letter of intent (“LOIs”) to acquire one net lease property, located in the United States, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $6.4 million.

We have signed one LOI to sell a net lease property in San Jose, California for a sales price of $52.5 million. The property in San Jose, California is currently encumbered by mortgage debt and not part of the borrowing base under our Revolving Credit Facility.

The LOIs may not lead to a definitive agreement. There can be no assurance we will complete these transactions, or any future acquisitions or other investments, on a timely basis or on acceptable terms and conditions, if at all.

Equity Offerings

Common Stock

We have an “at the market” equity offering program (the “Common Stock ATM Program”), pursuant to which we may raise aggregate sales proceeds of $500.0 million through sales of Common Stock from time to time through our sales agents.

For the year ended December 31, 2021, we sold 11,944,017 shares of Common Stock through the Common Stock ATM Program for gross proceeds of $217.5 million, before commissions paid of $3.3 million and additional issuance costs of $0.3 million.

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Preferred Stock

We have established an “at the market” equity offering program for our Series B Preferred Stock (the “Series B Preferred Stock ATM Program”) pursuant to which we may raise aggregate sales proceeds of up to $200.0 million through sales of shares of Series B Preferred Stock from time to time through our sales agents. During the year ended December 31, 2021, we sold 641,940 shares of Series B Preferred Stock through the Series B Preferred Stock ATM Program for gross proceeds of $16.2 million, before commissions paid of approximately$0.2 million and nominal additional issuance costs.

The timing differences between when we raise equity proceeds or receive proceeds from dispositions and when we invest those proceeds in acquisitions or other investments that increase our operating cash flows have affected, and may continue to affect, our results of operations.

Borrowings

As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, we had total debt outstanding of $2.4 billion and $2.3 billion, respectively, bearing interest at a weighted-average interest rate per annum equal to 3.4% and 3.3%, respectively.

As of December 31, 2021, 89% of our total debt outstanding either bore interest at fixed rates, or was swapped to a fixed rate, which bore interest at a weighted-average interest rate of 3.5% per annum. As of December 31, 2021, 11% of our total debt outstanding was variable-rate debt, which bore interest at a weighted- average interest rate of 2.6% per annum. The total gross carrying value of unencumbered assets as of December 31, 2021 was $1.5 billionno, of which approximately $1.1 billion was included in the unencumbered asset pool comprising the borrowing base under the Revolving Credit Facility and therefore is not available to serve as collateral for future borrowings.

Our debt leverage ratio (total debt as a percentage of total purchase price of real estate investments, based on the exchange rate at the time of purchase) was 56.8% as of December 31, 2021. SeeNote 7 — Fair Value of Financial Instruments to our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a discussion of fair value of such debt as of December 31, 2021. As of December 31, 2021 the weighted-average maturity of our indebtedness was 4.2 years. We believe we have the ability to service our debt obligations as they come due.

Senior Notes

On December 16, 2020, we and the OP issued $500.0 million aggregate principal amount of 3.750% Senior Notes due 2027. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the amount of the Senior Notes outstanding totaled $491.7 million and $490.3 million, respectively, which is net of $8.3 million and $9.7 million of deferred financing costs, respectively. The Senior Notes require payment of interest-only with the principal due to maturity. See Note 6 — Senior Notes, Net to our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further discussion on the Senior Notes and related covenants.

Mortgage Notes Payable

As of December 31, 2021, we had secured mortgage notes payable of $1.4 billion, net of mortgage discounts and deferred financing costs. Repayments of principal under the mortgage loan secured by all of our properties located in the United Kingdom (the “United Kingdom Properties - Bulk Loan”) began in October 2020. All of our other mortgage loans require payment of interest-only with the principal due at maturity.

During the year ended December 31, 2021, approximately $47.0 million, in principal was repaid, respectively, on the United Kingdom Properties - Bulk Loan. These payments were made in accordance with the terms of this mortgage note payable and certain modifications of the terms of this mortgage note (for additional information on the modification of this mortgage, see Note 4 — Mortgage Notes Payable, Net to our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K). As of December 31, 2021, this mortgage note had a balance of £186.8 million ($252.4 million as of December 31, 2021).

In April 2021, we partially funded our acquisition of the McLaren properties with a mortgage in the amount of £101.0 million ($136.5 million as of December 31, 2021). The maturity date of the loan is April 23, 2024 and it bears interest at 6.0% per annum. The loan is interest-only with the principal due at maturity. We recorded a discount of approximately $3.1 million related to this mortgage.

In September 2021, we assumed a £28.0 million ($38.6 million as of the date assumed of September 2, 2021 and $37.8 million as of December 31, 2021) mortgage in connection with our acquisition of Trafalgar Court located in Guernsey, Channel Islands. The loan matures on September 22, 2022, and bore interest at a rate of GBP LIBOR plus 2.0% per year through October 20, 2021. The rate changed to the Sterling Overnight Index Average plus 2.0% per year after October 21, 2021, continuing through the maturity date of the loan. The loan is interest-only with the principal due at maturity. The effective interest rate as of December 31, 2021 was 2.1%.

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Credit Facility

As of December 31, 2021, outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility were $225.6 million and the total outstanding balance on our term loan was $278.6 million, net of deferred financing costs. During the year ended December 31, 2021, we borrowed an additional $194.4 million and repaid approximately $78.4 million under the Revolving Credit Facility.

As of December 31, 2021, the aggregate total commitments under the Credit Facility were approximately $1.1 billion, based on the USD equivalent on December 31, 2021. On February 24, 2021, lender commitments under the Credit Facility were increased by $50.0 million with all of the increase allocated to the Revolving Credit Facility, and the total commitments were approximately $1.2 billion based on prevailing exchange rates on that date. We may request, subject to the lenders sole discretion, future additional increases to total commitments of approximately $565.0 million, based on prevailing exchange rates on that date, allocable to either or both components of the Credit Facility. The increase in lender commitments did not impact the amount available for future borrowings under the Credit Facility, which is based on the value of a pool of eligible unencumbered real estate assets owned by us and compliance with various ratios related to those assets.

The Credit Facility consists of two components, a Revolving Credit Facility and a Term Loan, both of which require payment of interest-only. The Revolving Credit Facility matures on August 1, 2023, subject to two six-month extensions at our option subject to certain conditions, and the Term Loan matures on August 1, 2024. Borrowings under the Credit Facility bear interest at a variable rate per annum based on an applicable margin that varies based on the ratio of consolidated total indebtedness and our consolidated total asset value including our subsidiaries plus either (i) LIBOR, as applicable to the currency being borrowed, or (ii) a “base rate” equal to the greatest of (a) KeyBank’s “prime rate,” (b) 0.5% above the Federal Funds Effective Rate or (c) 1.0% above one-month LIBOR. The applicable interest rate margin is based on a range from 0.45% to 1.05% per annum with respect to base rate borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility, 1.45% to 2.05% per annum with respect to LIBOR borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility, 0.4% to 1.00% per annum with respect to base rate borrowings under the Term Loan and 1.40% to 2.00% per annum with respect to LIBOR borrowings under the Term Loan. As of December 31, 2021, the Credit Facility had a weighted-average effective interest rate of 2.7% after giving effect to interest rate swaps in place.

While we expect LIBOR to be available in substantially its current form until at least the end of 2023, it is possible that LIBOR will become unavailable prior to that time. The Credit Facility contains terms governing the establishment of a replacement index to serve as an alternative to LIBOR, if necessary. To transition from LIBOR under the Credit Facility, we anticipate that we will either utilize the Base Rate or negotiate a replacement reference rate for LIBOR with the lenders.

Our Credit Facility requires us, through the OP, to pay an unused fee per annum of 0.25% of the unused balance of the Revolving Credit Facility if the unused balance exceeds or is equal to 50% of the total commitment or a fee per annum of 0.15% of the unused balance of the Revolving Credit Facility if the unused balance is less than 50% of the total commitment. From and after the time we obtain an investment grade credit rating, the unused fee will be replaced with a facility fee based on the total commitment under the Revolving Credit Facility multiplied by 0.30%, decreasing if our credit rating increases.

The availability of borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility is based on the value of a pool of eligible unencumbered real estate assets owned by us and compliance with various ratios related to those assets. We intend to add certain of these unencumbered assets to the borrowing base under the Revolving Credit Facility to increase the amount available for future borrowings thereunder. As of December 31, 2021, approximately $49.8 million was available for future borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility. We are required to maintain unrestricted cash and cash equivalents (or amounts available for future borrowings under credit facility, such as the Credit Facility) in an amount sufficient to meet our actual and contingent liabilities under a limited unsecured corporate guaranty by us of £20.0 million (approximately $27.0 million as of December 31, 2021) of the obligations under a mortgage loan secured by 42 of the properties located in the United Kingdom. See “— Covenants —United Kingdom Properties – Bulk Loan” section below for additional information on this guaranty. Also, we have a $7.4 million letter of credit held by a lender which was put in place to cure a cash trap sweep event under one of our mortgages (see “— Covenants — Multi-Tenant Mortgage Loan III” section below for additional information on this letter of credit). This letter of credit reduces the availability for future borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility.

Any future borrowings may, at our option be denominated in USD, EUR, Canadian Dollars, GBP or Swiss Francs. Amounts borrowed may not, however, be converted to, or repaid in, another currency once borrowed. The Term Loan is denominated in EUR.

During the fourth quarter 2021, the Company amended the credit facility with Keybank with changes made around LIBOR successor rate provision, claw back provisions related to any payments made erroneously to a participating bank, adding new permissible jurisdictions where properties can be located to the borrowing base and removing certain borrowing periods for loans bearing USD LIBOR

Covenants

As of December 31, 2021, we were in compliance with the covenants under the Indenture governing the Senior Notes and the Credit Facility (see Note 5 — Revolving Credit Facility and Term Loan, Net and Note 6 — Senior Notes, Net to our

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consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further discussion on the Credit Facility and Senior Notes and the related covenants).

Our mortgage notes payable agreements require compliance with certain property-level financial covenants including debt service coverage ratios. As of December 31, 2021, we were in compliance with all of the financial covenants under our mortgage notes payable agreements.

United Kingdom Properties — Bulk Loan

During the three months ended September 30, 2020, the borrower entities under the mortgage loan with a balance of £186.8 million (approximately $252.4 million as of December 31, 2021), which is secured by 42 of our properties located in the United Kingdom, did not maintain the required loan-to-value ratios. As a result, a cash trap event under the loan occurred which was immediately cured when we executed, a limited unsecured corporate guaranty of the obligations under the loan of £20.0 million (approximately $27.0 million as of December 31, 2021). The guaranty remains in effect as of December 31, 2021 and contains a covenant that requires us to maintain unrestricted cash and cash equivalents (or amounts available for future borrowings under credit facility, such as the Credit Facility) in an amount sufficient to meet its actual and contingent liabilities under the guaranty.

During the three months ended December 31, 2020, the borrower entities under the same mortgage loan did not maintain the same loan-to-value ratio and another cash trap event under the loan occurred. This did not constitute a breach of the covenant and was not an event of default under the loan. On July 8, 2021, the loan agreement was amended to cure the cash trap by applying £11.4 million (approximately $15.7 million as of July 8, 2021) of the cash trapped to partially pay down the principal on the loan. Following the cure of the cash trap event, the lender released approximately £10.7 million (approximately $14.8 million as of July 8, 2021) of previously trapped cash to us.

Subsequent to September 30, 2021, after the annual lender valuation, the borrower entities under the same mortgage loan did not maintain the loan-to-value ratio and another cash trap event under the loan occurred. This did not constitute a breach of the covenant and was not an event of default under the loan. In December 2021, we cured the cash trap with a voluntary paydown of £11.6 million (approximately $15.6 million as of the payment date of December 29, 2021), which used £7.2 million of previously trapped cash. As a result of this payment, no cash is trapped as of December 31, 2021 and the cash trap event has been cured.

Multi-Tenant Mortgage Loan III

During the three months ended December 31, 2020, a major tenant failed to renew its lease triggering a cash sweep event under one of the our mortgage loans secured by seven of our properties with a balance of $98.5 million as of December 31, 2021. The event triggering the cash sweep was not, however, an event of default. During the first quarter of 2021, we cured the cash sweep event through one of the available options under the loan by putting a $3.2 million letter of credit in place (subject to future increase under the terms of the loan agreement, to a maximum amount of $7.4 million). During the third quarter of 2021, the amount of the letter of credit was increased by an additional $4.2 million, resulting in the lender holding the $7.4 million maximum amount in respect to this obligation as of December 31, 2021. This $7.4 million letter of credit will be held by the lender until such time we are able to find a suitable replacement tenant and it reduces the availability for future borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility.

France Properties

During the second and third quarters of 2021, we also triggered a cash sweep under one of our loans with a balance of €70.0 million ($79.4 million) as of December 31, 2021 because the aggregate weighted average unexpired lease term (“WAULT”) of the collateral portfolio was less than three years. This was not an event of default and instead triggered a cash sweep event. For so long as the cash sweep is in effect, the lender will sweep 30% of excess cash flow and retain such amount in an excess cash collateral account. As of December 31, 2021, the amount of cash swept was €1.8 million ($2.1 million) and is recorded in restricted cash on the consolidated balance sheet.

If and when the aggregate WAULT of the loan collateral again exceeds three years the cash sweep will cease (so long as the aggregate WAULT of the loan collateral thereafter continues to exceed three years). The lender will be required to release all funds retained by lender in the excess cash flow account in respect of this WAULT cash sweep upon the loan collateral achieving an aggregate WAULT of not less than four years. Per the terms of the applicable loan agreement, the funds held in the excess cash flow account are included for purposes of the calculation of the loan to value ratio.

Multi-Tenant Mortgage Loan IV

During the three months ended September 30, 2021, a tenant exercised its right to terminate its lease effective December 31, 2022. Notice of the termination triggered a lease sweep event, which began in the fourth quarter of 2021, under one of our mortgage loans. This was not, however, an event of default. The mortgage loan had a balance of $97.5 million as of December 31, 2021 and encumbers 16 properties, one of which is leased by the tenant that exercised its right to terminate its lease. Pursuant to the terms of the loan agreement, the lender will sweep all cash flow attributable to the lease that triggered the lease

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sweep event into a rollover reserve account in an amount up to, but not to exceed, an aggregate cap of $0.8 million. The reserve will be held by the lender who is required to make the reserve funds available to us to fund re-tenanting expenses for the property. The lease sweep event will be cured under the loan agreement if and when we lease the space to a new tenant approved by the lender and, at such time, any amounts remaining in the rollover reserve account in respect of the lease sweep event will be released to us.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This section discusses the non-GAAP financial measures we use to evaluate our performance including Funds from Operations (“FFO”), Core Funds from Operations (“Core FFO”) and Adjusted Funds from Operations (“AFFO”). A description of these non-GAAP measures and reconciliations to the most directly comparable GAAP measure, which is net income, is provided below.

Use of Non-GAAP Measures

FFO, Core FFO, and AFFO should not be construed to be more relevant or accurate than the current GAAP methodology in calculating net income or in its applicability in evaluating our operating performance. The method utilized to evaluate the value and performance of real estate under GAAP should be construed as a more relevant measure of operational performance and considered more prominently than the non-GAAP FFO, Core FFO and AFFO measures. Other REITs may not define FFO in accordance with the current NAREIT definition (as we do), or may interpret the current NAREIT definition differently than we do, or may calculate Core FFO or AFFO differently than we do. Consequently, our presentation of FFO, Core FFO and AFFO may not be comparable to other similarly-titled measures presented by other REITs.

We consider FFO, Core FFO and AFFO useful indicators of our performance. Because FFO, Core FFO and AFFO calculations exclude such factors as depreciation and amortization of real estate assets and gain or loss from sales of operating real estate assets (which can vary among owners of identical assets in similar conditions based on historical cost accounting and useful-life estimates), FFO, Core FFO and AFFO presentations facilitate comparisons of operating performance between periods and between other REITs.

As a result, we believe that the use of FFO, Core FFO and AFFO, together with the required GAAP presentations, provide a more complete understanding of our operating performance including relative to our peers and a more informed and appropriate basis on which to make decisions involving operating, financing, and investing activities. However, FFO, Core FFO and AFFO are not indicative of cash available to fund ongoing cash needs, including the ability to make cash distributions. Investors are cautioned that FFO, Core FFO and AFFO should only be used to assess the sustainability of our operating performance excluding these activities, as they exclude certain costs that have a negative effect on our operating performance during the periods in which these costs are incurred.

Funds from Operations, Core Funds from Operations and Adjusted Funds from Operations

Funds from Operations

Due to certain unique operating characteristics of real estate companies, as discussed below, the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (“NAREIT”), an industry trade group, has promulgated a measure known as FFO, which we believe to be an appropriate supplemental measure to reflect the operating performance of a REIT. FFO is not equivalent to net income or loss as determined under GAAP.

We calculate FFO, a non-GAAP measure, consistent with the standards established over time by the Board of Governors of NAREIT, as restated in a White Paper approved by the Board of Governors of NAREIT effective in December 2018 (the “White Paper”). The White Paper defines FFO as net income or loss computed in accordance with GAAP, excluding depreciation and amortization related to real estate, gain and loss from the sale of certain real estate assets, gain and loss from change in control and impairment write-downs of certain real estate assets and investments in entities when the impairment is directly attributable to decreases in the value of depreciable real estate held by the entity. Our FFO calculation complies with NAREIT’s definition.

The historical accounting convention used for real estate assets requires straight-line depreciation of buildings and improvements, and straight-line amortization of intangibles, which implies that the value of a real estate asset diminishes predictably over time. We believe that, because real estate values historically rise and fall with market conditions, including inflation, interest rates, unemployment and consumer spending, presentations of operating results for a REIT using historical accounting for depreciation and certain other items may be less informative. Historical accounting for real estate involves the use of GAAP. Any other method of accounting for real estate such as the fair value method cannot be construed to be any more accurate or relevant than the comparable methodologies of real estate valuation found in GAAP. Nevertheless, we believe that the use of FFO, which excludes the impact of real estate related depreciation and amortization, among other things, provides a more complete understanding of our performance to investors and to management, and, when compared year over year, reflects the impact on our operations from trends in occupancy rates, rental rates, operating costs, general and administrative expenses, and interest costs, which may not be immediately apparent from net income.

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Core Funds from Operations

In calculating Core FFO, we start with FFO, then we exclude certain non-core items such as acquisition, transaction and other costs, as well as certain other costs that are considered to be non-core, such as debt extinguishment costs, fire loss and other costs related to damages at our properties. The purchase of properties, and the corresponding expenses associated with that process, is a key operational feature of our core business plan to generate operational income and cash flows in order to make dividend payments to stockholders. In evaluating investments in real estate, we differentiate the costs to acquire the investment from the subsequent operations of the investment. We also add back non-cash write-offs of deferred financing costs and prepayment penalties incurred with the early extinguishment of debt which are included in net income but are considered financing cash flows when paid in the statement of cash flows. We consider these write-offs and prepayment penalties to be capital transactions and not indicative of operations. By excluding expensed acquisition, transaction and other costs as well as non-core costs, we believe Core FFO provides useful supplemental information that is comparable for each type of real estate investment and is consistent with management’s analysis of the investing and operating performance of our properties.

Adjusted Funds from Operations

In calculating AFFO, we start with Core FFO, then we exclude certain income or expense items from AFFO that we consider more reflective of investing activities, other non-cash income and expense items and the income and expense effects of other activities that are not a fundamental attribute of our business plan. These items include early extinguishment of debt and other items excluded in Core FFO as well as unrealized gain and loss, which may not ultimately be realized, such as gain or loss on derivative instruments, gain or loss on foreign currency transactions, and gain or loss on investments. In addition, by excluding non-cash income and expense items such as amortization of above-market and below-market leases intangibles, amortization of deferred financing costs, straight-line rent and equity-based compensation from AFFO, we believe we provide useful information regarding income and expense items which have a direct impact on our ongoing operating performance. We also exclude revenue attributable to the reimbursement by third parties of financing costs that we originally incurred because these revenues are not, in our view, related to operating performance. We also include the realized gain or loss on foreign currency exchange contracts for AFFO as such items are part of our ongoing operations and affect our current operating performance.

In calculating AFFO, we exclude certain expenses which under GAAP are characterized as operating expenses in determining operating net income. All paid and accrued acquisition, transaction and other costs (including prepayment penalties for debt extinguishments) and certain other expenses negatively impact our operating performance during the period in which expenses are incurred or properties are acquired will also have negative effects on returns to investors, but are not reflective of on-going performance. Further, under GAAP, certain contemplated non-cash fair value and other non-cash adjustments are considered operating non-cash adjustments to net income. In addition, as discussed above, we view gain and loss from fair value adjustments as items which are unrealized and may not ultimately be realized and not reflective of ongoing operations and are therefore typically adjusted for when assessing operating performance. Excluding income and expense items detailed above from our calculation of AFFO provides information consistent with management’s analysis of our operating performance. Additionally, fair value adjustments, which are based on the impact of current market fluctuations and underlying assessments of general market conditions, but can also result from operational factors such as rental and occupancy rates, may not be directly related or attributable to our current operating performance. By excluding such changes that may reflect anticipated and unrealized gain or loss, we believe AFFO provides useful supplemental information. By providing AFFO, we believe we are presenting useful information that can be used to, among other things, assess our performance without the impact of transactions or other items that are not related to our portfolio of properties. AFFO presented by us may not be comparable to AFFO reported by other REITs that define AFFO differently. Furthermore, we believe that in order to facilitate a clear understanding of our operating results, AFFO should be examined in conjunction with net income (loss) as presented in our consolidated financial statements. AFFO should not be considered as an alternative to net income (loss) as an indication of our performance or to cash flows as a measure of our liquidity or ability to make distributions.

Accounting Treatment of Rent Deferrals

All of the concessions granted to our tenants as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic are rent deferrals with the original lease term unchanged and collection of deferred rent deemed probable (see the Overview - Management Update on the Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic section of this Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations for additional information on second quarter rent deferrals). As a result of relief granted by the FASB and SEC related to lease modification accounting, rental revenue used to calculate net income and NAREIT FFO has not, and we do not expect we will be, significantly impacted by the deferrals we have entered into. In addition, since we currently believe that these deferral amounts are collectable, we have excluded from the increase in straight-line rent for AFFO purposes the amounts recognized under GAAP relating to rent deferrals. For a detailed discussion of our revenue recognition policy, including details related to the relief granted by the FASB and SEC, seeNote 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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The table below reflects the items deducted from or added to net income attributable to common stockholders in our calculation of FFO, Core FFO and AFFO for the periods indicated. Adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures are calculated to reflect the proportionate share of adjustments for non-controlling interest to arrive at FFO, Core FFO and AFFO, as applicable.

Year Ended December 31,

Impairment charges 17,525 —

(Gain) loss on dispositions of real estate investments (1,484) 153

Acquisition, transaction and other costs 141 663

Loss on extinguishment of debt — 3,601

Non-cash portion of incentive fee — —

Non-cash portion of interest expense 9,878 7,809

Straight-line rent (rent deferral agreements) (2) (1,689) 1,808

Amortization of mortgage discounts 708 13

Reimbursement of financing costs from McLaren loan (4) (5,234) —

Summary

Core FFO attributable to common stockholders $ 170,560 $ 135,185

_____

(1)FFO, Core FFO and AFFO for the year ended December 31, 2021 includes income from a lease termination fee of $8.8 million, which is recorded in Revenue from tenants in the consolidated statements of operations. While such termination payments occur infrequently, they represent cash income for accounting and tax purposes and as such management believes they should be included in both FFO and AFFO. The termination fee of approximately $9.0 million was payable by the tenant at the end of the lease term on January 4, 2022 was earned and recorded as income evenly over the period from September 3, 2021 through January 4, 2022, however, we did not receive the cash payment until January 4, 2022. Therefore, the cash payment is not part of our cash flows for the period ended December 31, 2021.

(2)Represents amounts related to deferred rent pursuant to lease negotiations which qualify for FASB relief for which rent was deferred but not reduced. These amounts are included in the straight-line rent receivable on our balance sheet but are considered to be earned revenue attributed to the current period for rent that was deferred, for purposes of AFFO, as they are expected to be collected. Accordingly, when the deferred amounts are collected, the amounts reduce AFFO.

(3)For AFFO purposes, we adjust for unrealized gains and losses. For the year ended December 31, 2021, gains on derivative instruments were $5.8 million which consisted of unrealized gains of $6.3 million and realized losses of $0.5 million. For the year ended December 31, 2020, losses on derivative instruments were $2.3 million which consisted of unrealized losses of $6.8 million and realized gains of $4.5 million.

(4)Amount represents a receivable recorded for financing costs we incurred in connection with the mortgage loan that financed the acquisition of the global headquarters of the McLaren Group that the McLaren Group is required to reimburse. For accounting purposes, the receivable for these reimbursable costs is included in prepaid expenses and other assets on the consolidated balance sheet and in revenue from tenants in the consolidated statements of operations since the receivable is considered to be earned revenue attributed to the current year-to date period.

Dividends

The amount of dividends payable to our common stockholders is determined by our board of directors and is dependent on a number of factors, including funds available for dividends, our financial condition, provisions in our Credit Facility or other agreements that may restrict our ability to pay dividends, capital expenditure requirements, as applicable, requirements of Maryland law and annual distribution requirements needed to maintain our status as a REIT.

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Through March 31, 2020, we paid dividends on Common Stock at an annualized rate of $2.13 per share or $0.5325 per share on a quarterly basis. In March 2020, our board of directors approved a change in the dividend to an annual rate of $1.60 per share or $0.40 per share on a quarterly basis, which became effective in the second quarter of 2020 with our April 1, 2020 dividend declaration. Dividends authorized by our board of directors and declared by us are paid on a quarterly basis in arrears on the 15th day of the first month following the end of each fiscal quarter (unless otherwise specified) to common stockholders of record on the record date for such payment.

Dividends on our Series A Preferred Stock accrue in an amount equal to $0.453125 per share per quarter to Series A Preferred Stock holders, which is equivalent to 7.25% of the $25.00 liquidation preference per share of Series A Preferred Stock per annum. Dividends on our Series B Preferred Stock accrue in an amount equal to $0.429688 per share per quarter to Series B Preferred Stock holders, which is equivalent to 6.875% of the $25.00 liquidation preference per share of Series B Preferred Stock per annum. Dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock are payable quarterly in arrears on the 15th day of January, April, July and October of each year (or, if not on a business day, on the next succeeding business day) to holders of record on the close of business on the record date set by our board of directors. Any accrued and unpaid dividends payable with respect to the Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock become part of the liquidation preference thereof.

In June 2021, we paid a $10.6 million catch-up distribution to the Advisor in respect of the 2,135,496 LTIP Units that were earned under the 2018 OPP.

Pursuant to the Credit Facility, we may not pay distributions, including cash dividends payable with respect to Common Stock, Series A Preferred Stock, Series B Preferred Stock, or any other class or series of stock we may issue in the future, or redeem or otherwise repurchase shares of Common Stock, Series A Preferred Stock, Series B Preferred Stock, or any other class or series of stock we may issue in the future that exceed 100% of our Adjusted FFO as defined in the Credit Facility (which is different from AFFO disclosed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K) for any period of four consecutive fiscal quarters, except in limited circumstances, including that for one fiscal quarter in each calendar year, we may pay cash dividends and other distributions and make redemptions and other repurchases in an aggregate amount equal to no more than 105% of our Adjusted FFO. We used the exception to pay dividends that were between 100% of Adjusted FFO to 105% of Adjusted FFO during the quarter ended on June 30, 2020, and may use this exception in the future.

Our ability to pay dividends in the future and maintain compliance with the restrictions on the payment of dividends in our Credit Facility depends on our ability to operate profitably and to generate sufficient cash flows from the operations of our existing properties and any properties we may acquire. There can be no assurance that we will complete acquisitions on a timely basis or on acceptable terms and conditions, if at all. If we fail to do so (and we are not otherwise able to increase the amount of cash we have available to pay dividends and other distributions), our ability to comply with the restrictions on the payment of dividends in our Credit Facility may be adversely affected, and we might be required to further reduce the amount of dividends we pay. In the past, the lenders under our Credit Facility have consented to increase the maximum amount of our Adjusted FFO we may use to pay cash dividends and other distributions and make redemptions and other repurchases in certain periods, most recently in connection with the amendment and restatement of our Credit Facility in August 2019. There can be no assurance that they will do so again in the future.

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Cash used to pay dividends and distributions during the year ended December 31, 2021 was generated from cash flows from operations and cash on hand, consisting of proceeds from borrowings. The following table shows the sources for the payment of dividends to holders of Common Stock, Series A Preferred Stock, Series B Preferred Stock, and distributions to holders of LTIP Units for the periods indicated:

Three Months Ended Year Ended

Dividends and Distributions:

Source of dividend coverage:

_____

(1) Year-to-date totals do may equal the sum of the quarters. Each quarter and year-to-date period is evaluated separately for purposes of this table.

Foreign Currency Translation

Our reporting currency is the USD. The functional currency of our foreign investments is the applicable local currency for each foreign location in which we invest. Assets and liabilities in these foreign locations (including intercompany balances for which settlement is not anticipated in the foreseeable future) are translated at the spot rate in effect at the applicable reporting date. The amounts reported in the consolidated statements of operations are translated at the average exchange rates in effect during the applicable period. The resulting unrealized cumulative translation adjustment is recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in the consolidated statements of equity. We are exposed to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates on property investments in foreign countries which pay rental income, incur property related expenses and borrow in currencies other than our functional currency, the USD. We have used and may continue to use foreign currency derivatives including options, currency forward and cross currency swap agreements to manage our exposure to fluctuations in GBP-USD and EUR-USD exchange rates (seeNote 8 — Derivatives and Hedging Activities to the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further discussion).

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Election as a REIT

We elected to be taxed as a REIT under Sections 856 through 860 of the Code, effective for our taxable year ended December 31, 2013. We believe that, commencing with such taxable year, we have been organized and have operated in a manner so that we qualify for taxation as a REIT under the Code. We intend to continue to operate in such a manner to qualify for taxation as a REIT, but can provide no assurances that we will operate in a manner so as to remain qualified as a REIT. To continue to qualify for taxation as a REIT, we must distribute annually at least 90% of our REIT taxable income (which does not equal net income as calculated in accordance with GAAP), determined without regard for the deduction for dividends paid and excluding net capital gains, and must comply with a number of other organizational and operational requirements. If we continue to qualify for taxation as a REIT, we generally will not be subject to federal corporate income tax on the portion of our REIT taxable income that we distribute to our stockholders. Even if we qualify for taxation as a REIT, we may be subject to certain state and local taxes on our income and properties, as well as federal income and excise taxes on our undistributed income.

In addition, our international assets and operations, including those owned through direct or indirect subsidiaries that are disregarded entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes, continue to be subject to taxation in the foreign jurisdictions where those assets are held or those operations are conducted.

Inflation

We may be adversely impacted by inflation on the leases that do not contain indexed escalation provisions, or those leases which have escalations at rates which do not exceed or approximate current inflation rates. To help mitigate the adverse impact of inflation, approximately 93.7% of our leases with our tenants contain rent escalation provisions which average 1.1% per year. These provisions generally increase rental rates during the terms of the leases either at fixed rates or indexed escalations (based on the Consumer Price Index or other measures). Approximately 58.5% based on straight line rent are fixed-rate, 28.0% are based on the Consumer Price Index, 7.2% are based on other measures and 6.3% do not contain any escalation provisions.

In addition, we may be required to pay costs for maintenance and operation of properties which may adversely impact our results of operations due to potential increases in costs and operating expenses resulting from inflation. However, our net leases require the tenant to pay its allocable share of operating expenses, which may include common area maintenance costs, real estate taxes and insurance. This may reduce our exposure to increases in costs and operating expenses resulting from inflation. As the costs of general goods and services continue to rise, we may be adversely impacted by increases in general and administrative costs due to overall inflation.

Related-Party Transactions and Agreements

Please see Note 11 — Related Party Transactions to our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a discussion of the various related party transactions, agreements and fees.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We have no off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources that are material to investors.

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.

Market Risk

Market risk is the exposure to loss resulting from changes in interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates, and equity prices. The primary risks to which we are exposed are interest rate risk and foreign currency exchange risk, and we are also exposed to further market risk as a result of concentrations of tenants in certain industries and/or geographic regions. Adverse market factors can affect the ability of tenants in a particular industry/region to meet their respective lease obligations. In order to manage this risk, we view our collective tenant roster as a portfolio, and in our investment decisions we attempt to diversify our portfolio so that we are not overexposed to a particular industry or geographic region.

Generally, we do not use derivative instruments to hedge credit risks or for speculative purposes. However, from time to time, we have entered and may continue to enter into foreign currency forward contracts to hedge our foreign currency cash flow exposures.

Interest Rate Risk

The values of our real estate and related fixed-rate debt obligations are subject to fluctuations based on changes in interest rates. The value of our real estate is also subject to fluctuations based on local and regional economic conditions and changes in the creditworthiness of lessees, all of which may affect our ability to refinance property-level mortgage debt when balloon payments are scheduled, or otherwise if we do not choose to repay the debt when due. Interest rates are highly sensitive to many

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factors, including governmental monetary and tax policies, domestic and international economic and political conditions, and other factors beyond our control. Increases in interest rates may have an impact on the credit profile of certain tenants.

We are exposed to the impact of interest rate changes primarily through our borrowing activities. We have obtained, and may in the future obtain, variable-rate, non-recourse mortgage loans, and as a result, we have entered into, and may continue to enter into, interest rate swap agreements or interest rate cap agreements with lenders. Interest rate swap agreements effectively convert the variable-rate debt service obligations of the loan to a fixed rate, while interest rate cap agreements limit the underlying interest rate from exceeding a specified strike rate. Interest rate swaps are agreements in which one party exchanges a stream of interest payments for a counterparty’s stream of cash flows over a specific period, and interest rate caps limit the effective borrowing rate of variable-rate debt obligations while allowing participants to share in downward shifts in interest rates. These interest rate swaps and caps are derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges on the interest payments on the debt obligation. The face amounts on which the swaps or caps, are based are not exchanged. Our objective in using these derivatives is to limit our exposure to interest rate movements. We estimated that the total fair value of our interest rate swaps, which are included in Derivative assets, at fair value and Derivative liabilities, at fair value in the consolidated financial statements, fully offset each other at December 31, 2021 (seeNote 8 — Derivatives and Hedging Activities to our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K).

As of December 31, 2021, our total consolidated debt, which includes borrowings under the Credit Facility and secured mortgage financings, had a total carrying value of $2.5 billion, an estimated fair value of $2.5 billion and a weighted-average effective interest rate per annum of 3.4%. At December 31, 2021, a significant portion (approximately 89%) of our long-term debt either bore interest at fixed rates, or was swapped to a fixed rate.

The annual interest rates on our fixed-rate debt mortgage debt at December 31, 2021 ranged from 1.4% to 4.9% and the fixed interest rate on our Senior Notes is 3.75%. In the aggregate, these fixed rate instruments had a weighted-average interest rate of 3.5%.

The contractual annual interest rates on our variable-rate debt at December 31, 2021 ranged from 1.4% to 4.9% and had a weighted-average interest rate of 2.6%. Our interest expense in future periods will vary based on our level of future borrowings, which will depend on our refinancing needs and acquisition activity. In addition, our interest expense will vary based on movements in interest rates, including LIBOR rates. Our debt obligations are more fully described in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Contractual Obligations above.

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The following table presents future principal cash flows based upon expected maturity dates of our debt obligations outstanding at December 31, 2021:

(In thousands) Fixed-rate debt (1) (2) Variable-rate debt (1) Total Debt

____________________

(1)Assumes exchange rates of £1.00 to $1.35 for GBP and €1.00 to $1.13 for EUR as of December 31, 2021, for illustrative purposes, as applicable.

(2)Fixed-rate debt includes variable debt that bears interest at margin plus a floating rate which is fixed through our interest rate swap agreements.

The estimated fair value of our fixed-rate debt and our variable-rate debt that currently bears interest at fixed rates or has effectively been converted to a fixed rate through the use of interest rate swaps is affected by changes in interest rates. A decrease or increase in interest rates of 1% would change the estimated fair value of this debt at December 31, 2021 by an aggregate increase of $110.0 million or an aggregate decrease of $92.7 million, respectively.

Annual interest expense on our unhedged variable-rate debt that does not bear interest at fixed rates at December 31, 2021 would increase by $1.1 million and decrease by $0.6 million, respectively for each respective 1% change in annual interest rates.

Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Risk

We own foreign investments, primarily in Europe but also in Canada and as a result are subject to risk from the effects of exchange rate movements in the Euro, the GBP and the CAD which may affect future costs and cash flows, in our functional currency, the USD. We generally manage foreign currency exchange rate movements by matching our debt service obligation to the lender and the tenant’s rental obligation to us in the same currency. This reduces our overall exposure to currency fluctuations. In addition, we have used and may continue to use currency hedging to further reduce the exposure to our net cash flow. We are generally a net receiver of the Euro, the GBP and the CAD (we receive more cash than we pay out), and therefore our results of operations of our foreign properties benefit from a weaker USD, and are adversely affected by a stronger USD, relative to the foreign currency subject to any impacts from our hedging activity.

We have designated all current foreign currency draws under the Credit Facility as net investment hedges to the extent of our net investment in foreign subsidiaries. To the extent foreign draws in each currency exceed the net investment, we reflect the effects of changes in currency on such excess in earnings. As of December 31, 2021, we did not have any draws in excess of our net investments (seeNote 8 — Derivatives and Hedging Activities to our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K).

We enter into foreign currency forward contracts and put options to hedge certain of our foreign currency cash flow exposures. A foreign currency forward contract is a commitment to deliver a certain amount of foreign currency at a certain price on a specific date in the future. By entering into forward contracts and holding them to maturity, we are locked into a future currency exchange rate for the term of the contract. A foreign currency put option contract consists of a right, but not the obligation, to sell a specified amount of foreign currency for a specified amount of another currency at a specific date. If the exchange rate of the currency fluctuates favorably beyond the strike rate of the put at maturity, the option would be considered “in-the-money” and exercised accordingly. The total estimated fair value of our foreign currency forward contracts and put options, which are included in derivatives, at fair value on the consolidated balance sheets, was in a net asset position of $1.7 million at December 31, 2021 (see Note 7 — Fair Value of Financial Instruments to our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K). We have obtained, and may in the future obtain, non-recourse mortgage financing in a foreign currency. To the extent that currency fluctuations increase or decrease rental revenues as translated to USD, the change in debt service, as translated to USD, will partially offset the effect of fluctuations in revenue and, to some extent, mitigate the risk from changes in foreign currency exchange rates.

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Scheduled future minimum rents, exclusive of renewals, under non-cancelable operating leases, for our foreign operations as of December 31, 2021, during each of the next five calendar years and thereafter, are as follows:

Future Minimum Base Rent Payments (1)

(In thousands) EUR GBP CAD Total

______

(1)Assumes exchange rates of £1.00 to $1.35 for GBP, €1.00 to $1.13 for EUR and $1.00 CAD to $0.79 as of December 31, 2021 for illustrative purposes, as applicable.

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Scheduled debt service payments (principal and interest) for mortgage notes payable for our foreign operations and the portion of our Term Loan denominated in EUR as of December 31, 2021, during each of the next five calendar years and thereafter, are as follows:

Future Debt Service Payments (1) (2)

Mortgage Notes Payable

(In thousands) EUR GBP Total

Future Debt Service Payments (1) (2)

Credit Facility (Term Loan Portion)

(In thousands) EUR Total

Thereafter — —

____

(1)Assumes exchange rate of €1.00 to $1.13 for EUR as of December 31, 2021 for illustrative purposes, as applicable. Contractual rents and debt obligations are denominated in the functional currency of the country of each property.

(2)Interest on variable-rate debt not fixed through our interest rate swap agreements was calculated using the applicable annual interest rates and balances outstanding at December 31, 2021.

We currently anticipate that, by their respective due dates, we will have repaid or refinanced certain of these loans, or extended it, but there can be no assurance that we will be able to refinance these loans on favorable terms, if at all. If refinancing has not occurred, we would expect to use our cash resources, including unused capacity on our Credit Facility, to make these payments, if necessary.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Concentrations of credit risk arise when a number of tenants are engaged in similar business activities or have similar economic risks or conditions that could cause them to default on their lease obligations to us. We regularly monitor our portfolio to assess potential concentrations of credit risk. While we believe our portfolio is reasonably well diversified, it does contain concentrations in excess of 10%, based on the percentage of our annualized rental income as of December 31, 2021, in certain areas. See Item 2. Properties in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further discussion on distribution across countries and industries.

Based on our annualized rental income, the majority of our directly owned real estate properties and related loans are located in the U.S. and Canada (60%) and the remaining are in the United Kingdom (22%), The Netherlands (4%), Finland (4%), France (4%), Germany (3%), and the Channel Islands (2%). No individual tenant accounted for more than 10% of our annualized rental income at December 31, 2021. Based on annualized rental income, at December 31, 2021, our directly owned real estate properties contain significant concentrations in the following asset types: office (42%), industrial/distribution (54%), and retail (4%).

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Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

The information required by this Item 8 is hereby incorporated by reference to our consolidated financial statements beginning on page F-1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.

None.

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

In accordance with Rules 13a-15(b) and 15d-15(b) of the Exchange Act, we, under the supervision and with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Based on such evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded, as of December 31, 2021, the end of such period, that our disclosure controls and procedures are effective in recording, processing, summarizing and reporting, within the time periods specified in the SEC rules and forms, information required to be disclosed by us in our reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act, and in such information being accumulated and communicated to management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Management’s Annual Reporting on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) or 15d-15(f) promulgated under the Exchange Act.

Our management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021. In making that assessment, management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”) in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013).

Based on its assessment, our management concluded that, as of December 31, 2021, our internal control over financial reporting was effective.

The effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021 has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated on its report, which is included on page F-2 in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

During the three months ended December 31, 2021, there were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Item9B. Other Information.

None.

Item9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections.

Not applicable.

PART III

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.

We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to all of our executive officers and directors, including but not limited to, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer. A copy of our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics may be obtained, free of charge, by sending a written request to our executive office – 650 Fifth Avenue – 30th Floor, New York, NY 10019, attention Chief Financial Officer. Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is also available on our website, www.globalnetlease.com.

The information required by this Item will be set forth in our definitive proxy statement with respect to our 2022 annual meeting of stockholders to be filed not later than 120 days after the end of the 2021 fiscal year, and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 11. Executive Compensation.

The information required by this Item will be set forth in our definitive proxy statement with respect to our 2022 annual meeting of stockholders to be filed not later than 120 days after the end of the 2021 fiscal year, and is incorporated herein by reference.

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Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.

The information required by this Item will be set forth in our definitive proxy statement with respect to our 2022 annual meeting of stockholders to be filed not later than 120 days after the end of the 2021 fiscal year, and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.

The information required by this Item will be set forth in our definitive proxy statement with respect to our 2022 annual meeting of stockholders to be filed not later than 120 days after the end of the 2021 fiscal year, and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services.

The information required by this Item will be set forth in our definitive proxy statement with respect to our 2022 annual meeting of stockholders to be filed not later than 120 days after the end of the 2021 fiscal year, and is incorporated herein by reference.

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PART IV

Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.

(a) Financial Statement Schedules

See the Index to audited consolidated financial statements at page F-1 of this report.

The following financial statement schedule is included herein at page F-54 of this report:

Schedule III – Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation as of December 31, 2021 and for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.

(b) Exhibits

EXHIBITS INDEX

The following exhibits are included, or incorporated by reference, in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 (and are numbered in accordance with Item 601 of Regulation S-K).

Exhibit No. Description

3.2 (1) Amended and Restated Bylaws of Global Net Lease, Inc.

3.3 (2) Amendment to Amended and Restated Bylaws of Global Net Lease, Inc.

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Exhibit No. Description

10.19 (29) Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement.

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Exhibit No. Description

10.39 (19) Form of Indemnification Agreement.

10.40 (26) Form of Restricted Share Award Agreement.

10.41 (31) Form of Award Agreement (Advisor Plan).

10.42 (35) 2021 Omnibus Incentive Compensation Plan of Global Net Lease, Inc.

21.1 * List of Subsidiaries.

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Exhibit No. Description

23.1 * Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

101.SCH * Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document.

101.CAL * Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document.

101.DEF * Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document.

101.LAB * Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document.

101.PRE * Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document.

_________________

* Filed herewith

(1)Filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 3, 2015.

(2)Filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on April 9, 2020.

(3)Filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 2, 2015.

(4)Filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 17, 2020.

(5)Filed as an exhibit to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 filed with the SEC on March 11, 2013.

(6)Filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on April 9, 2015.

(7)Filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on September 11, 2017.

(8)Filed as an exhibit to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2017 filed with the SEC on November 7, 2017.

(9)Filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 18, 2017.

(10)Filed as an exhibit to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 filed with the SEC on February 28, 2018.

(11)Filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 23, 2018.

(12)Filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on July 23, 2018.

(13)Filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on August 14, 2018.

(14)Filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2018 filed with the SEC on November 7, 2018.

(15)Filed as an exhibit to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 filed with the SEC on May 7, 2020.

(16)Filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on August 16, 2018.

(17)Filed as an exhibit to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 filed with the SEC on February 28, 2019.

(18)Filed as an exhibit to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2019 filed with the SEC on May 10, 2019.

(19)Filed as an exhibit to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the SEC on February 28, 2020.

(20)Filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 21, 2019.

(21)Filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on August 6, 2019.

(22)Filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on September 18, 2019.

(23)Filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on November 12, 2019.

(24)Filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on November 22, 2019.

(25)Filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 13, 2019.

(26)Filed as an exhibit to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 filed with the SEC on November 6, 2020.

(27)Filed as an exhibit to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the SEC on February 26, 2021.

(28)Filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 19, 2021.

(29)Filed as an exhibit to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 filed with the SEC on May 7, 2021.

(30)Filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 4, 2021.

(31)Filed as an exhibit to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2021 filed with the SEC on August 5, 2021.

(32)Filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on August 6, 2021.

(33)Filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on November 8, 2021.

(34)Filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 6, 2021.

(35)Filed as Annex A to the Company’s definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A filed with the SEC on February 26, 2021.

(36)Filed as Annex B to the Company’s definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A filed with the SEC on February 26, 2021.

Item 16. Form 10-K Summary.

None.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) 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 this 24th day of February, 2022.

GLOBAL NET LEASE, INC.

By: /s/ James L. Nelson

James L. Nelson

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND PRESIDENT

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, this Annual Report on Form 10-K has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Name Capacity Date

P. Sue Perrotty

/s/ Edward M. Weil, Jr. Director February 24, 2022

Edward M. Weil, Jr.

James L. Nelson

Christopher J. Masterson

M. Therese Antone

Edward G. Rendell

Lee M. Elman

/s/ Abby M. Wenzel Independent Director February 24, 2022

Abby M. Wenzel

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GLOBAL NET LEASE, INC.

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Page

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID 238) F-2

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 F-4

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements F-10

Financial Statement Schedule:

Financial statement schedules other than those listed above are omitted because the required information is given in the financial statements, including the notes thereto, or because the conditions requiring their filing do not exist.

F-1

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To theBoard of Directors and Stockholders of Global Net Lease, Inc.

Opinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Global Net Lease, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the related consolidated statements of operations, of comprehensive (loss) income, of equity and of cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2021, including the related notes and financial statement schedule listed in the accompanying index (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”).We also have audited the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework(2013)issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).

In our opinion, the consolidatedfinancial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the results of itsoperations and itscash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2021 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework(2013)issued by the COSO.

Basis for Opinions

The Company's management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in Management's Annual Reporting on Internal Control over Financial Reporting appearing under Item 9A.Our responsibility is to express opinions on the Company’s consolidatedfinancial statements and on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidatedfinancial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.

Our audits of the consolidatedfinancial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidatedfinancial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidatedfinancial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidatedfinancial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

F-2

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Critical Audit Matters

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (i) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to theconsolidatedfinancial statements and (ii) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidatedfinancial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.

Purchase Price Allocations for Property Acquisitions

As described in Notes 2 and 3 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company completed property acquisitions with cash paid for acquired real estate investments, net of liabilities assumed, of $477.4 million during the year ended December 31, 2021. For acquired properties with leases classified as operating leases, management allocates the purchase price of acquired properties to tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their respective fair values. Tangible assets include land, land improvements, buildings, fixtures and tenant improvements on an as-if vacant basis. Management utilizes various estimates, processes and information to determine the as-if vacant property value. Estimates of value are made by management using customary methods, including data from appraisals, comparable sales, discounted cash flow analysis and other methods. Fair value estimates are also made using significant assumptions such as capitalization rates, discount rates, fair market lease rates, and land values per square foot. Identifiable intangible assets include amounts allocated to acquire leases for above- and below-market lease rates, and the value of in-place leases, as applicable. Above-market and below-market lease values for acquired properties are initially recorded based on the present value (using a discount rate which reflects the risks associated with the leases acquired) of the difference between (i) the contractual amounts to be paid pursuant to each in-place lease, and (ii) management’s estimate of fair market lease rates for each corresponding in-place lease, measured over a period equal to the remaining term of the lease for above-market leases and the remaining initial term plus the term of any below-market fixed rate renewal options for below-market leases.

The principal considerations for our determination that performing procedures relating to purchase price allocations for property acquisitions is a critical audit matter are the significant judgment by management to develop the fair value estimates of tangible and intangible assets and liabilities. This in turn led to a high degree of auditor judgment and subjectivity in applying procedures and evaluating audit evidence relating to these fair value estimates. In addition, significant audit effort was required in evaluating the significant assumptions relating to the discounted cash flows of tangible and intangible assets and liabilities and capitalization rates, discount rates, fair market lease rates, and land values per square foot. The audit effort involved the use of professionals with specialized skill and knowledge to assist in performing these procedures and evaluating the audit evidence obtained.

Addressing the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with forming our overall opinion on the consolidated financial statements. These procedures included testing the effectiveness of controls relating to purchase price allocations for property acquisitions, including controls over management’s valuation of tangible and intangible assets and liabilities and controls over developing the assumptions used in the discounted cash flow model, related to capitalization rates, discount rates, fair market lease rates, and land values per square foot. Audit procedures also included, among others, (i) reading the executed purchase agreements and lease documents; (ii) testing management’s process for estimating the fair value of tangible and intangible assets and liabilities; (iii) testing management’s projected cash flows used to estimate the fair value of tangible and intangible assets and liabilities, using professionals with specialized skill and knowledge to assist in doing so; and (iv) evaluating the accuracy of discounted cash flow model outputs, using professionals with specialized skill and knowledge to assist in doing so. Testing management’s process included evaluating the appropriateness of the valuation methods and the reasonableness of the significant assumptions used in the discounted cash flow model, related to capitalization rates, discount rates, fair market lease rates, and land values per square foot. Evaluating the reasonableness of the significant assumptions included considering whether these assumptions were consistent with external market data, comparable transactions, and evidence obtained in other areas of the audit.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

New York, New York

February 24, 2022

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2015.

F-3

GLOBAL NET LEASE, INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands, except share and per share data)

December 31,

ASSETS

Real estate investments, at cost (Note 3):

Less accumulated depreciation and amortization (810,686) (675,200)

Assets held for sale — —

Derivative assets, at fair value (Note 8) 4,260 525

Due from related parties — 377

Goodwill and other intangible assets, net 22,060 23,089

Deferred financing costs, net 4,925 7,878

LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

Acquired intangible lease liabilities, net 29,345 32,970

Derivative liabilities, at fair value (Note 8) 4,259 19,984

Accounts payable and accrued expenses 25,887 28,310

Commitments and contingencies (Note 10) — —

Stockholders’ Equity (Note 9):

Accumulated other comprehensive income 15,546 8,073

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

F-4

GLOBAL NET LEASE, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(In thousands, except share and per share data)

Year Ended December 31,

Expenses (income):

Acquisition, transaction and other costs 141 663 1,320

Gain (loss) on dispositions of real estate investments 1,484 (153) 23,616

Other income (expense):

Loss on extinguishment of debt — (3,601) (949)

Basic and Diluted (Loss) Earnings Per Common Share:

Weighted average common shares outstanding:

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

F-5

GLOBAL NET LEASE, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS) INCOME

(In thousands)

Year Ended December 31,

Other comprehensive income (loss)

Designated derivatives, fair value adjustments 13,185 (8,856) (7,430)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

F-6

GLOBAL NET LEASE, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EQUITY

Years Ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019

(In thousands, except share data)

Series A Preferred Stock Series B Preferred Stock Common Stock

Dividends declared:

Series B Preferred Stock, $0.17 per share — — — — — — — — (588) (588) — (588)

Issuance of Common Stock, net — — — — — — (345) — — (345) — (345)

Issuance of Series A Preferred Stock, net — — — — — — (125) — — (125) — (125)

Dividends declared:

Cumulative translation adjustment — — — — — — — (3,266) — (3,266) — (3,266)

Dividends declared:

Cumulative translation adjustment — — — — — — — (5,712) — (5,712) — (5,712)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

F-7

GLOBAL NET LEASE, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In thousands)

Year Ended December 31,

Cash flows from operating activities:

Amortization of mortgage discounts and premiums, net 708 13 260

Amortization of below-market lease liabilities (4,358) (3,444) (3,518)

Amortization related to right-of-use assets 944 863 845

Amortization of lease incentive and commissions 761 341 —

Bad debt expense 1,131 — —

Termination fee - unbilled (8,753) — —

Payments for settlement of derivatives — — (1,879)

Loss on extinguishment of debt — 3,601 949

(Gain) loss on dispositions of real estate investments (1,484) 153 (23,616)

Lease incentive and commission payments (9,419) (4,676) —

Impairment charges and related lease intangible write-offs 17,525 — 6,375

Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net:

Cash flows from investing activities:

Deposits for real estate investments — — (2,795)

Proceeds from dispositions of real estate investments 48,747 — 288,398

Cash flows from financing activities:

Proceeds from term loan — — 125,019

Payments on term loan — (136,702) —

Proceeds from issuance of Senior Notes — 500,000 —

Payments on early extinguishment of debt charges — (548) (137)

Common shares repurchased upon vesting of restricted stock (156) — —

Series A Preferred Stock issuance (costs) proceeds, net — (125) 34,604

Dividends paid on Series B Preferred Stock (7,507) (5,105) —

Distributions to non-controlling interest holders (10,999) (441) (542)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

F-8

GLOBAL NET LEASE, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In thousands)

Year Ended December 31,

Supplemental Disclosures:

Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities:

Loss on extinguishment of debt $ — $ 3,053 $ 812

Assumed mortgage used to acquire real estate $ 38,562 $ — $ —

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

F-9

GLOBAL NET LEASE, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

December 31, 2021

Note 1 — Organization

Global Net Lease, Inc. (the “Company”) is an externally managed real estate investment trust for United States (“U.S.”) federal income tax purposes (“REIT”) that focuses on acquiring and managing a globally diversified portfolio of strategically-located commercial real estate properties, which consist primarily of “Investment Grade” (defined below). The Company invests in commercial properties, with an emphasis on sale-leaseback transactions and mission-critical, single tenant net-lease assets.

As of December 31, 2021, the Company owned 309 properties (all references to number of properties, square footage and industry types are unaudited) consisting of 39.3 million rentable square feet, which were 99.0% leased, with a weighted-average remaining lease term of 8.3 years. Based on the percentage of annualized rental income on a straight-line basis as of December 31, 2021, approximately 60% of the Company’s properties were located in the U.S. and Canada and approximately 40% were located in Europe. In addition, the Company’s portfolio was comprised of 54% industrial/distribution properties, 42% office properties and 4% retail properties. These percentages are calculated using annualized straight-line rent converted from local currency into the U.S. Dollar (“USD”) as of December 31, 2021. The straight-line rent includes amounts for tenant concessions.

Substantially all of the Company’s business is conducted through the Global Net Lease Operating Partnership, L.P. (the “OP”), a Delaware limited partnership. The Company has retained Global Net Lease Advisors, LLC (the “Advisor”) to manage the Company’s affairs on a day-to-day basis. The Company’s properties are managed and leased to third parties by Global Net Lease Properties, LLC (the “Property Manager”). The Advisor and the Property Manager are under common control with AR Global Investments, LLC (“AR Global”), and these related parties receive compensation and fees for various services provided to the Company.

“Investment Grade” includes both actual investment grade ratings of the tenant or guarantor, if available, or implied investment grade. Implied investment grade may include actual ratings of the tenant parent, guarantor parent (regardless of whether or not the parent has guaranteed the tenant’s obligation under the lease) or tenants that are identified as investment grade by using a proprietary Moody’s analytical tool, which generates an implied rating by measuring an entity’s probability of default.

Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Accounting

The accompanying consolidated financial statements of the Company are prepared on the accrual basis of accounting in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”).

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company, the OP and its subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated in consolidation. In determining whether the Company has a controlling financial interest in a joint venture and the requirement to consolidate the accounts of that entity, management considers factors such as ownership interest, authority to make decisions and contractual and substantive participating rights of the other partners or members as well as whether the entity is a variable interest entity (“VIE”) for which the Company is the primary beneficiary. Substantially all of the Company’s assets and liabilities are held by the OP.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Management makes significant estimates regarding revenue recognition, purchase price allocations to record investments in real estate, income taxes, derivative financial instruments, hedging activities, equity-based compensation expenses related to multi-year outperformance agreements entered into with the Advisor in 2018 (the “2018 OPP”) and 2021 (the “2021 OPP”) and fair value measurements, as applicable.

F-10

GLOBAL NET LEASE, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Source: SEC EDGAR (public domain) · 10-K for the period ended 2021-12-31, filed 2022-02-24 · accession 0001526113-22-000005

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