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Equity Incentive Plan

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Note 11 – Equity Incentive Plan

In May 2020, the Company’s stockholders approved the Agree Realty Corporation 2020 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “2020 Plan”), which replaced the Agree Realty Corporation 2014 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan (the “2014 Plan”). The 2020 Plan provides for the award to employees, directors and consultants of the Company of options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, stock appreciation rights, performance awards (which may take the form of performance units or performance shares) and other awards to acquire up to an aggregate of 700,000 shares of the Company’s common stock. All subsequent awards of equity or equity rights will be granted under the 2020 Plan, and no further awards will be made under the 2014 Plan. As of December 31, 2020, 695,459 shares of common stock were available for issuance under the 2020 Plan.

Restricted Stock

Share of restricted common stock (“restricted shares”) has been granted to certain employees.

The holder of a restricted share award is generally entitled at all times on and after the date of issuance of the restricted shares to exercise the rights of a stockholder of the Company, including the right to vote the shares and the right to receive dividends on the shares. The restricted shares vest over a five-year period based on continued service to the Company.

The Company estimates the fair value of restricted share grants at the date of grant and amortizes those amounts into expense on a straight-line basis or amount vested, if greater, over the appropriate vesting period. During 2020, 2019 and 2018 the Company recognized $3.2 million, $3.0 million and $2.7 million, respectively, of expense relating to restricted stock grants.

As of December 31, 2020, there was $7.9 million of unrecognized compensation costs related to the outstanding restricted shares, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 3.2 years. The Company used 0% for the forfeiture rate for determining the fair value of restricted stock. The intrinsic value of restricted shares redeemed was $1.6 million, $1.4 million and $1.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Restricted share activity is summarized as follows:


	Shares	Weighted Average
	Outstanding	Grant Date
	(in thousands)	Fair Value
Unvested restricted stock at December 31, 2017	227	$	39.47

Restricted stock granted	57	$	48.85
Restricted stock vested	(71)	$	36.06
Restricted stock forfeited	(1)	$	48.28

Unvested restricted stock at December 31, 2018	212	$	42.74

Restricted stock granted	54	$	65.85
Restricted stock vested	(70)	$	39.55
Restricted stock forfeited	(2)	$	54.08

Unvested restricted stock at December 31, 2019	194	$	50.71

Restricted stock granted	52	$	78.43
Restricted stock vested	(68)	$	45.78
Restricted stock forfeited	(3)	$	63.80

Unvested restricted stock at December 31, 2020	175	$	60.53

Performance Units and Shares

Performance units were granted to certain executive officers during the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, while performance shares were granted prior to those years. Performance units or shares are subject to a three-year performance period, at the conclusion of which shares awarded are to be determined by the Company’s total shareholder return compared to the constituents of the MSCI US REIT Index and a defined peer group. 50% of the award is based upon the total shareholder return percentile rank versus the constituents in the MSCI US REIT index for the three-year performance period; and 50% of the award is based upon TSR percentile rank versus a specified net lease peer group for the three-year performance period. Vesting of the performance units and shares following their issuance will occur ratably over a three-year period, with the initial vesting occurring immediately following the conclusion of the performance period such that all units and shares vest within five years of the original award date.

The grant date fair value of these awards is determined using a Monte Carlo simulation pricing model and compensation expense is amortized on an attribution method over a five-year period. Compensation expense related to performance units or shares is determined at the grant date and is not adjusted throughout the measurement or vesting periods.

The Monte Carlo simulation pricing model for issued grants utilizes the following assumptions: (i) expected term (equal to the remaining performance measurement period at the grant date), (ii) volatility (based on historical volatility), (iii) dividend yield (based on the most recently paid dividend at the grant date) and (iv) risk-free rate (interpolated based on 2-and 3- year rates). During the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 the following assumptions were used:


Year Ended December 31,	2020		2019		2018

Expected term (years)	2.9		2.9		2.9
Volatility	18.4	%	19.7	%	19.1	%
Dividend yield	2.9	%	3.4	%	4.4	%
Risk-free rate	1.3	%	2.5	%	2.4	%

During the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, the Company recognized $1.5 million, $0.9 million and $0.3 million, respectively, of expense related to performance units and shares. As of December 31, 2020, there was $3.3 million of total unrecognized compensation costs related to the outstanding performance units and shares, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 3.1 years. The Company used 0% for the forfeiture rate for determining the fair value of performance shares.

Performance share and unit activity is summarized as follows:


	Target Number	Weighted Average
	of Awards	Grant Date
	(in thousands)	Fair Value
Performance shares at December 31, 2017	—	$	—

Performance shares granted	31	$	55.29

Performance shares at December 31, 2018	31	$	55.29

Performance shares granted	30	$	66.96

Performance units and shares at December 31, 2019	61	$	61.04

Performance units granted	26	$	90.17

Performance units and shares at December 31, 2020	87	$	69.61