Stock-Based Compensation Plans and Employee Benefits

Stock-Based Compensation—The Company recorded stock-based compensation expense for Performance Incentive Plans, Long-Term Incentive Plans and Directors' Awards of $2.9 million and $10.1 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, respectively, and $3.3 million and $8.5 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, respectively, in "General and administrative" in the Company's consolidated statements of operations. As of September 30, 2015, there was $2.4 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to all unvested restricted stock units ("Units") that are expected to be recognized over a weighted average remaining vesting/service period of 1.09 years. As of September 30, 2015, approximately $16.1 million of stock-based compensation was included in "Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities" on the Company's consolidated balance sheets.

As of September 30, 2015, an aggregate of 3.7 million shares remain available for issuance pursuant to future awards under the Company's 2006 and 2009 Long-Term Incentive Plans.

Performance Incentive Plans—The Company's Performance Incentive Plan ("iPIP") is designed to provide, primarily to senior executives and select professionals engaged in the Company's investment activities, long-term compensation which has a direct relationship to the realized returns on investments included in the plan. In May 2014, the Company granted 73 iPIP points for the initial 2013-2014 investment pool and in February 2015, the Company granted an additional 10 points for the 2013-2014 investment pool and 34 iPIP points for the 2015-2016 investment pool. The fair value of points are determined using a model that forecasts the Company's projected investment performance. iPIP is a liability-classified award which will be remeasured each reporting period at fair value until the awards are settled.

Long-Term Incentive Plans—During the nine months ended September 30, 2015, the Company granted 318,482 shares of common stock to certain employees as part of annual incentive awards that included a mix of cash and equity awards. The shares are fully-vested and 189,241 shares were issued net of statutory minimum required tax withholdings. The employees are restricted from selling these shares for up to two years from the date of grant.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2015, the Company granted new stock-based compensation awards to certain employees in the form of long-term incentive awards, comprised of the following:

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4,751 service-based Units were granted on various dates to certain employees, representing the right to receive an equivalent number of shares of the Company's common stock (after deducting shares for minimum required statutory withholdings) if and when the Units vest. The Units will cliff vest in one installment on the third anniversary of the grant date of the award, if the employee remains employed by the Company on the vesting date, subject to certain accelerated vesting rights. Dividends will accrue as and when dividends are declared by the Company on shares of its common stock, but will not be paid unless and until the Units vest and are settled. As of September 30, 2015, 4,751 of such service-based Units were outstanding.

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64,196 service-based Units were granted on January 30, 2015, representing the right to receive an equivalent number of shares of the Company's common stock (after deducting shares for minimum required statutory withholdings) if and when the Units vest. The Units will cliff vest in one installment on December 31, 2017, if the employee remains employed by the Company on the vesting date, subject to certain accelerated vesting rights. Dividends will accrue as and when dividends are declared by the Company on shares of its common stock, but will not be paid unless and until the Units vest and are settled. As of September 30, 2015, 61,557 of such service-based Units were outstanding.

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49,650 target amount of performance-based Units were granted on January 30, 2015, representing the right to receive an equivalent number of shares of the Company's common stock (after deducting shares for minimum required statutory withholdings) if and when the Units vest. The performance is based on the Company's total shareholder return ("TSR"), measured over a performance period ending on December 31, 2017, which is the date the awards cliff vest. Vesting will range from 0% to 200% of the target amount of the awards, depending on the Company’s TSR performance relative to the NAREIT All REITs Index (one-half of the target amount of the award) and the Russell 2000 Index (one-half of the target amount of the award) during the performance period. The Company, as well as any companies not included in each index at the beginning and end of the performance period, are excluded from calculation of the performance of such index. To the extent Units vest based on the Company's TSR performance, holders will receive an equivalent number of shares of common stock (after deducting shares for minimum required statutory withholdings), if the employee remains employed by the Company on the vesting date, subject to certain accelerated vesting rights. Dividends will accrue as and when dividends are declared by the Company on shares of its common stock, but will not be paid unless and until the Units vest and are settled. The fair values of the performance-based Units were determined by utilizing a Monte Carlo model to simulate a range of possible future stock prices for the Company's common stock. The assumptions used to estimate the fair value of these performance-based awards were 0.75% for risk-free interest rate and 28.14% for expected stock price volatility. As of September 30, 2015, 48,519 of such performance-based Units were outstanding.

As of September 30, 2015, the Company had the following additional stock-based compensation awards outstanding:

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62,662 service-based Units, granted on January 10, 2014, representing the right to receive an equivalent number of shares of the Company's common stock (after deducting shares for minimum required statutory withholdings) if and when the Units vest. The Units will cliff vest in one installment on December 31, 2016, if the employee remains employed by the Company on the vesting date, subject to certain accelerated vesting rights. Dividends will accrue as and when dividends are declared by the Company on shares of its common stock, but will not be paid unless and until the Units vest and are settled.

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49,434 target amount of performance-based Units, granted on January 10, 2014, representing the right to receive an equivalent number of shares of the Company's common stock (after deducting shares for minimum required statutory withholdings) if and when the Units vest based on the Company’s TSR measured over a performance period ending on December 31, 2016, which is the date the awards cliff vest. The other terms of these performance-based Units are identical to the terms described above for the performance-based Units granted in 2015. The fair values of the performance-based Units were determined by utilizing a Monte Carlo model to simulate a range of possible future stock prices for the Company's common stock. The assumptions used to estimate the fair value of these performance-based awards were 0.76% for risk-free interest rate and 44.84% for expected stock price volatility.

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194,526 service-based Units, granted on February 1, 2013, representing the right to receive an equivalent number of shares of the Company's common stock (after deducting shares for minimum required statutory withholdings) if and when the Units vest. The Units will cliff vest in one installment on February 1, 2016, if the employee remains employed by the Company on the vesting date, subject to certain accelerated vesting rights. Dividends will accrue as and when dividends are declared by the Company on shares of its common stock, but will not be paid unless and until the Units vest and are settled.

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10,666 service-based Units granted on various dates, representing the right to receive an equivalent number of shares of the Company's common stock (after deducting shares for minimum required statutory withholdings) if and when the Units vest. The Units have an original vesting term of three years. Upon vesting of these Units, holders will receive shares of the Company's common stock in the amount of the vested Units, net of statutory minimum required tax withholdings. Dividends will accrue as and when dividends are declared by the Company on shares of its common stock, but will not be paid unless and until the Units vest and are settled.

Directors' Awards—During the nine months ended September 30, 2015, the Company awarded to non-employee Directors a combined 50,360 common stock equivalents ("CSEs") and restricted shares at a fair value per share of $14.40 at the time of grant. These CSEs and restricted shares have a one year vesting period and pay dividends, if any, in an amount equal to the dividends paid on the equivalent number of shares of the Company's common stock from the date of grant, as and when dividends are paid on common stock. As of September 30, 2015, a combined total of 289,261 CSEs and restricted shares of common stock granted to members of the Company's Board of Directors remained outstanding under the Company's Non-Employee Directors Deferral Plan, with an aggregate intrinsic value of $3.6 million.

401(k) Plan—The Company made gross contributions of $0.1 million and $1.0 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, respectively, and $0.1 million and $0.8 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, respectively.