UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

S QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2013

OR

£ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from   to  

Commission file number: 33-92990; 333-187309

TIAA REAL ESTATE ACCOUNT
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

NEW YORK
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation or organization)

NOT APPLICABLE
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

C/O TEACHERS INSURANCE AND
ANNUITY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
730 THIRD AVENUE
NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10017-3206
(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (212) 490-9000

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: None

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

YES £  NO S

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act:

YES £  NO S

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

YES S  NO £

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 or regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-Q or any amendment to this Form 10-Q: Not Applicable

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

YES S  NO £

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

YES £  NO S

Aggregate market value of voting stock held by non-affiliates: Not Applicable

Documents Incorporated by Reference: None

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

ITEM 1. UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.

INDEX TO UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
TIAA REAL ESTATE ACCOUNT
MARCH 31, 2013

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TIAA REAL ESTATE ACCOUNT
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
(In millions, except per accumulation unit amounts)

See notes to the consolidated financial statements

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TIAA REAL ESTATE ACCOUNT
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(In millions)
(Unaudited)

See notes to the consolidated financial statements

4

TIAA REAL ESTATE ACCOUNT
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
(In millions)
(Unaudited)

See notes to the consolidated financial statements

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TIAA REAL ESTATE ACCOUNT
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In millions)
(Unaudited)

See notes to the consolidated financial statements

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TIAA REAL ESTATE ACCOUNT
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Note 1—Organization and Significant Accounting Policies

Business: The TIAA Real Estate Account (“Account”) is a segregated investment account of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (“TIAA”) and was established by resolution of TIAA’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”) on February 22, 1995, under the insurance laws of the State of New York, for the purpose of funding variable annuity contracts issued by TIAA. The Account offers individual and group accumulating annuity contracts (with contributions made on a pre-tax or after-tax basis), as well as individual lifetime and term-certain variable payout annuity contracts (including the payment of death benefits to beneficiaries). Investors are entitled to transfer funds to or from the Account and make withdrawals from the Account on a daily basis under certain circumstances. Funds invested in the Account for each category of contract are expressed in terms of units, and unit values will fluctuate depending on the Account’s performance.

The investment objective of the Account is to seek favorable long-term returns primarily through rental income and capital appreciation from real estate and real estate-related investments owned by the Account. The Account holds real estate properties directly and through subsidiaries wholly owned by TIAA for the benefit of the Account. The Account also holds interests in real estate joint ventures and limited partnerships in which the Account does not hold a controlling interest; such interests are not consolidated into these consolidated financial statements. The Account also has invested in mortgage loans receivable collateralized by commercial real estate properties. Additionally, the Account invests in real estate-related and non-real estate-related publicly-traded securities, cash and other instruments to maintain adequate liquidity levels for operating expenses, capital expenditures and to fund benefit payments (withdrawals, transfers and related transactions).

Basis of Presentation: These unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. (“GAAP”) for interim financial information. These unaudited consolidated financial statements, in the opinion of management, reflect all normal recurring adjustments that are, in the opinion of management, necessary to fairly present the financial position and results of operations of the Account.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the Account and those subsidiaries wholly owned by TIAA for the benefit of the Account. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions between the Account and such subsidiaries have been eliminated.

The preparation of financial statements that conform to GAAP requires the use of estimates by management. Actual results may vary from those estimates and such differences may be material. The following is a summary of the significant accounting policies of the Account.

The Accumulation Unit Value (“AUV”) used for financial reporting purposes may differ from the AUV used for processing transactions. The AUV used for financial reporting purposes includes security and participant transactions effective through the date of the report.

Determination of Investments at Fair Value: The Account reports all investments at fair value in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 946, Financial Services—Investment Companies. Further in accordance with the adoption of the fair value option allowed under ASC 825, Financial Instruments, and at the election of Account management, mortgage loans payable are reported at fair value. The FASB has defined fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants.

The following is a description of the valuation methodologies used to determine the fair value of the Account’s investments and investment related mortgage loans payable.

Valuation of Real Estate Properties—Investments in real estate properties are stated at fair value, as determined in accordance with policies and procedures reviewed by the Investment Committee of the Board and in accordance with the responsibilities of the Board as a whole. Accordingly, the Account does not record depreciation. Determination of fair value involves significant levels of judgment because the actual fair value of real estate can be determined only by negotiation between the parties in a sales transaction. The

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Account’s primary objective when valuing its real estate investments will be to produce a valuation that represents a reasonable estimate of the fair value of its investments. Implicit in the Account’s definition of fair value are the consummation of a sale as of a specified date and the passing of title from seller to buyer under conditions whereby:

Property and investment values are affected by, among other things, the availability of capital, occupancy rates, rental rates, and interest and inflation rates. As a result, determining real estate and investment values involves many assumptions. Key inputs and assumptions include rental income and expense amounts, related rental income and expense growth rates, discount rates and capitalization rates. Valuation techniques include discounted cash flow analysis, prevailing market capitalization rates or multiples applied to earnings from the property, analysis of recent comparable sales transactions, actual sale negotiations and bona fide purchase offers received from third parties. Amounts ultimately realized from each investment may vary significantly from the fair value presented.

Real estate properties owned by the Account are initially valued based on an independent third party appraisal, as reviewed by TIAA’s internal appraisal staff and as applicable the Account’s independent fiduciary at the time of the closing of the purchase, which may result in a potential unrealized gain or loss reflecting the difference between an investment’s fair value (i.e., exit price) and its cost basis (which is inclusive of transaction costs).

Subsequently, each property is appraised each quarter by an independent third party appraiser, reviewed by TIAA’s internal appraisal staff and, as applicable, the Account’s independent fiduciary. In general, the Account obtains appraisals of its real estate properties spread out throughout the quarter, which is intended to result in appraisal adjustments, and thus, adjustments to the valuations of its holdings (to the extent such adjustments are made) that happen regularly throughout each quarter and not on one specific day or month in each period.

Further, management reserves the right to order an appraisal and/or conduct another valuation outside of the normal quarterly process when facts or circumstances at a specific property change. For example, under certain circumstances a valuation adjustment could be made when the account receives a bona fide bid for the sale of a property held within the Account or one of the Account’s joint ventures. In addition, adjustments may be made for events or circumstances indicating an impairment of a tenant’s ability to pay amounts due to the Account under a lease (including due to a bankruptcy filing of that tenant). Alternatively, adjustments may be made to reflect the execution or renewal of a significant lease. Also, adjustments may be made to reflect factors (such as sales values for comparable properties or local employment rate) bearing uniquely on a particular region in which the Account holds properties. TIAA’s internal appraisal staff oversees the entire appraisal process, in conjunction with the Account’s independent fiduciary (the independent fiduciary is more fully described in the paragraph below). Any differences in the conclusions of TIAA’s internal appraisal staff and the independent appraiser will be reviewed by the independent fiduciary, which will make a final determination on the matter (which may include ordering a subsequent independent appraisal).

The independent fiduciary, Real Estate Research Corporation, has been appointed by a special subcommittee of the Investment Committee of the Board to, among other things, oversee the appraisal process. The independent fiduciary must approve all independent appraisers used by the Account. All appraisals are performed in accordance with Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practices, the real estate appraisal industry standards created by The Appraisal Foundation. Real estate appraisals are estimates of property values based on a professional’s opinion. Appraisals of properties held outside of the U.S. are performed in accordance with industry standards commonly applied in the applicable jurisdiction. These

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independent appraisers are always expected to be MAI-designated members of the Appraisal Institute (or its European equivalent, Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) and state certified appraisers from national or regional firms with relevant property type experience and market knowledge. Under the Account’s current procedures, each independent appraisal firm will be rotated off of a particular property at least every three years, although such appraisal firm may perform appraisals of other Account properties subsequent to such rotation.

Also, the independent fiduciary can require additional appraisals if factors or events have occurred that could materially change a property’s value (including those identified above) and such change is not reflected in the quarterly valuation review, or otherwise to ensure that the Account is valued appropriately. The independent fiduciary must also approve any valuation change of real estate-related assets where a property’s value changed by more than 6% from the most recent independent annual appraisal, or if the value of the Account would change by more than 4% within any calendar quarter or more than 2% since the prior calendar month. When a real estate property is subject to a mortgage, the property is valued independently of the mortgage and the property and mortgage fair values are reported separately (see Valuation of Mortgage Loans Payable below). The independent fiduciary reviews and approves all mortgage valuation adjustments before such adjustments are recorded by the Account. The Account continues to use the revised value for each real estate property and mortgage loan payable to calculate the Account’s daily net asset value until the next valuation review or appraisal.

Valuation of Real Estate Joint Ventures—Real estate joint ventures are stated at the fair value of the Account’s ownership interests of the underlying entities. The Account’s ownership interests are valued based on the fair value of the underlying real estate, any related mortgage loans payable, and other factors, such as ownership percentage, ownership rights, buy/sell agreements, distribution provisions and capital call obligations. Upon the disposition of all real estate investments by an investee entity, the Account will continue to state its equity in the remaining net assets of the investee entity during the wind down period, if any, which occurs prior to the dissolution of the investee entity.

Valuation of Real Estate Limited Partnerships—Limited partnership interests are stated at the fair value of the Account’s ownership in the partnership which are recorded based upon the changes in the net asset values of the limited partnerships as determined from the financial statements of the limited partnerships when received by the Account. Prior to the receipt of the financial statements from the limited partnerships, the Account estimates the value of its interest in good faith and will from time to time seek input from the issuer or the sponsor of the investments. Since market quotations are not readily available, the limited partnership interests are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by management under the direction of the Investment Committee of the Board and in accordance with the responsibilities of the Board as a whole.

Valuation of Marketable Securities—Equity securities listed or traded on any national market or exchange are valued at the last sale price as of the close of the principal securities market or exchange on which such securities are traded or, if there is no sale, at the mean of the last bid and asked prices on such market or exchange, exclusive of transaction costs.

Debt securities (excluding money market instruments) for which market quotations are readily available are valued based on the most recent bid price or the equivalent quoted yield for such securities (or those of comparable maturity, quality and type). Debt securities for which market quotations are not readily available are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Investment Committee of the Board and in accordance with the responsibilities of the Board as a whole.

Short-term investments with maturities of 60 days or less (excluding money market instruments) are valued at amortized cost. Short-term investments with maturities in excess of 60 days (excluding money market instruments) are valued in the same manner as debt securities, as described above.

Money market instruments are valued at amortized cost.

Equity and fixed income securities traded on a foreign exchange or in foreign markets are valued using their closing values under the valuation methods generally accepted in the country where traded, as of the valuation date. This value is converted to U.S. dollars at the exchange rate in effect on the valuation day. Under certain circumstances (for example, if there are significant movements in the United States markets and there is an expectation the securities traded on foreign markets will adjust based on such movements

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when the foreign markets open the next day), the Account may adjust the value of equity or fixed income securities that trade on a foreign exchange or market after the foreign exchange or market has closed.

Valuation of Mortgage Loans Payable—Mortgage loans payable are stated at fair value. The estimated fair values of mortgage loans payable are based on the amount at which the liability could be transferred to a third party exclusive of transaction costs. Mortgage loans payable are valued internally by TIAA’s internal valuation department, as reviewed by the Account’s independent fiduciary, at least quarterly based on market factors, such as market interest rates and spreads for comparable loans, the performance of the underlying collateral (such as the loan-to-value ratio and the cash flow of the underlying collateral), the liquidity for mortgage loans of similar characteristics, the maturity date of the loan, and the return demands of the market.

See Note 5—Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis for further discussion and disclosure regarding the determination of the fair value of the Account’s investments.

Foreign Currency Transactions and Translation: Portfolio investments and other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at the exchange rates prevailing at the end of the period. Purchases and sales of securities, income receipts and expense payments made in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at the exchange rates prevailing on the respective dates of the transactions. The effect of any changes in foreign currency exchange rates on portfolio investments and mortgage loans payable are included in net realized and unrealized gains and losses on real estate properties and mortgage loans payable. Net realized gains and losses on foreign currency transactions include disposition of foreign currencies, and currency gains and losses between the accrual and receipt dates of portfolio investment income and between the trade and settlement dates of portfolio investment transactions.

Accumulation and Annuity Funds: The accumulation fund represents the net assets attributable to participants in the accumulation phase of their investment (“Accumulation Fund”). The annuity fund represents the net assets attributable to the participants currently receiving annuity payments (“Annuity Fund”). The net increase or decrease in net assets from investment operations is apportioned between the accounts based upon their relative daily net asset values. Once an Account participant begins receiving lifetime annuity income benefits, payment levels cannot be reduced as a result of the Account’s actual mortality experience. In addition, the contracts pursuant to which the Account is offered are required to stipulate the maximum expense charge for all Account level expenses that can be assessed, which is not to exceed 2.5% of average net assets per year. The Account pays a fee to TIAA to assume mortality and expense risks.

Accounting for Investments: The investments held by the Account are accounted for as follows:

Real Estate Properties—Rent from real estate properties consists of all amounts earned under tenant operating leases, including base rent, recoveries of real estate taxes and other expenses and charges for miscellaneous services provided to tenants. Rental income is recognized in accordance with the billing terms of the lease agreements. The Account bears the direct expenses of the real estate properties owned. These expenses include, but are not limited to, fees to local property management companies, property taxes, utilities, maintenance, repairs, insurance, and other operating and administrative costs. An estimate of the net operating income earned from each real estate property is accrued by the Account on a daily basis and such estimates are adjusted when actual operating results are determined.

Real Estate Joint Ventures—The Account has limited ownership interests in various real estate joint ventures (collectively, the “joint ventures”). The Account records its contributions as increases to its investments in the joint ventures, and distributions from the joint ventures are treated as income within income from real estate joint ventures and limited partnerships in the Account’s consolidated statements of operations. Distributions that are identified as returns of capital are recorded as a reduction to the cost basis of the investment, whereas distributions identified as capital gains or losses are recorded as realized gains or losses. Income from the joint ventures is recorded based on the Account’s proportional interest of the income distributed by the joint ventures. Income earned but not yet distributed to the Account by the joint ventures is recorded as unrealized gains and losses.

Limited Partnerships—The Account has limited ownership interests in various private real estate funds (primarily limited partnerships) and a private real estate investment trust (collectively, the “limited partnerships”). The Account records its contributions as increases to the investments, and distributions from

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the investments are treated as income within income from real estate joint ventures and limited partnerships in the Account’s consolidated statements of operations. Distributions that are identified as returns of capital are recorded as a reduction to the cost basis of the investment, whereas distributions identified as capital gains or losses are recorded as realized gains or losses. Unrealized gains and losses are recorded based upon the changes in the net asset values of the limited partnerships as determined from the financial statements of the limited partnerships when received by the Account. Prior to the receipt of the financial statements from the limited partnerships, the Account estimates the value of its interest in good faith and will from time to time seek input from the issuer or the sponsor of the investments. Changes in value based on such estimates are recorded by the Account as unrealized gains and losses.

Marketable Securities—Transactions in marketable securities are accounted for as of the date the securities are purchased or sold (trade date). Interest income is recorded as earned. Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date within dividend income. Dividends that are identified as returns of capital are recorded as a reduction to the cost basis of the investment, whereas dividends identified as capital gains or losses are recorded as realized gains or losses. Realized gains and losses on securities transactions are accounted for on the specific identification method.

Realized and Unrealized Gains and Losses—Realized gains and losses are recorded at the time an investment is sold or a distribution is received in relation to an investment sale from a joint venture or limited partnership. Real estate transactions are accounted for as of the date on which the purchase or sale transactions for the real estate properties close (settlement date). The Account recognizes a realized gain on the sale of a real estate property to the extent that the contract sales price exceeds the cost-to-date of the property being sold. A realized loss occurs when the cost-to-date exceeds the sales price.

Unrealized gains and losses are recorded as the fair values of the Account’s investments are adjusted, and as discussed within the Real Estate Joint Ventures and Limited Partnerships sections above.

Net Assets—The Account’s net assets as of the close of each valuation day are valued by taking the sum of:

and then reducing the sum by liabilities held within the Account, including the daily investment management fee, administration and distribution fees, mortality and expense fee, and liquidity guarantee fee, and certain other expenses attributable to operating the Account. Daily estimates of net operating income are adjusted to reflect actual net operating income on a monthly basis, at which time such adjustments (if any) are reflected in the Account’s unit value.

After the end of every quarter, the Account reconciles the amount of expenses deducted from the Account (which is established in order to approximate the costs that the Account will incur) with the expenses the Account actually incurred. If there is a difference, the Account adds it to or deducts it from the Account in equal daily installments over the remaining days of the following quarter. Material differences may be repaid in the current calendar quarter. The Account’s at-cost deductions are based on projections of Account assets and overall expenses, and the size of any adjusting payments will be directly affected by the difference between management’s projections and the Account’s actual assets or expenses.

Cash and Cash Equivalents: Cash and cash equivalents are balances held by the Account in bank deposit accounts which, at times, exceed federally insured limits. The Account’s management monitors these balances to mitigate the exposure of risk due to concentration and has not experienced any losses from such concentration.

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Other Assets and Other Liabilities: Other assets and other liabilities are comprised of operating assets and liabilities utilized and held at each individual real estate property investment. Other assets consist of, amongst other items, tenant receivables and prepaid expenses; whereas other liabilities primarily consist of security deposits.

Federal Income Taxes: Based on provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, Section 817, the Account is taxed as a segregated asset account of TIAA and as such, the Account incurs no material federal income tax attributable to the net investment activity of the Account. Management has analyzed the Account’s tax positions taken for all open federal income tax years (2007-2012) and has concluded no provisions for federal income tax are required as of March 31, 2013.

Restricted Cash: The Account held $55.9 million and $61.4 million as of March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively, in escrow accounts for property taxes, insurance, and various other property related matters as required by certain creditors related to outstanding mortgage loans payable collateralized by certain real estate investments. These amounts are recorded within other assets on the consolidated statements of assets and liabilities. See Note 8—Mortgage Loans Payable for additional information regarding the Account’s outstanding mortgage loans payable.

Changes in Net Assets: Premiums include premiums paid by existing accumulation unit holders in the Account and transfers into the Account. Withdrawals and death benefits include withdrawals out of the Account which include transfers out of the Account and required minimum distributions.

Due to/from Investment Manager: Due to/from investment manager represents amounts that are to be paid or received by TIAA on behalf of the Account. Amounts generally are paid or received by the Account within one or two business days and no interest is contractually charged on these amounts.

Note 2—Management Agreements and Arrangements

Investment advisory services for the Account are provided by TIAA employees, under the direction of the Board and its Investment Committee, pursuant to investment management procedures adopted by TIAA for the Account. TIAA’s investment management decisions for the Account are subject to review by the Account’s independent fiduciary. TIAA also provides various portfolio accounting and related services for the Account.

The Account is a party to the Distribution Agreement for the Contracts Funded by the TIAA Real Estate Account (the “Distribution Agreement”), dated January 1, 2008, by and among TIAA, for itself and on behalf of the Account, and TIAA-CREF Individual and Institutional Services, LLC (“Services”), a wholly owned subsidiary of TIAA, a registered broker-dealer and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, Services performs distribution services for the Account which include, among other things, (i) distribution of annuity contracts issued by TIAA and funded by the Account, (ii) advising existing annuity contract owners in connection with their accumulations and (iii) helping employers implement and manage retirement plans. In addition, TIAA performs administrative functions for the Account, which include, among other things, (i) maintaining accounting records and performing accounting services, (ii) receiving and allocating premiums, (iii) calculating and making annuity payments, (iv) processing withdrawal requests, (v) providing regulatory compliance and reporting services, (vi) maintaining the Account’s records of contract ownership and (vii) otherwise assisting generally in all aspects of the Account’s operations. Both distribution services (pursuant to the Distribution Agreement) and administrative services are provided to the Account by Services and TIAA, as applicable, on a cost basis.

The Distribution Agreement is terminable by either party upon 60 days written notice and terminates automatically upon any assignment thereof.

TIAA and Services provide investment management, administrative and distribution services at cost. TIAA and Services receive payments from the Account on a daily basis according to formulas established each year and adjusted periodically with the objective of keeping the payments as close as possible to the Account’s expenses actually incurred. Any differences between actual expenses and the amounts paid by the Account are adjusted quarterly.

TIAA also provides a liquidity guarantee to the Account, for a fee, to ensure that sufficient funds are available to meet participant transfer and cash withdrawal requests in the event that the Account’s cash flows

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and liquid investments are insufficient to fund such requests. TIAA ensures sufficient funds are available for such transfer and withdrawal requests by purchasing accumulation units of the Account. See Note 3—Related Party Transactions below.

To the extent TIAA owns accumulation units issued pursuant to the liquidity guarantee, the independent fiduciary monitors and oversees, among other things, TIAA’s ownership interest in the Account and may require TIAA to eventually redeem some of its units, particularly when the Account has uninvested cash or liquid investments available. TIAA also receives a fee for assuming certain mortality and expense risks.

The expenses for the services noted above that are provided to the Account by TIAA and Services are identified in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and are reflected in Note 9—Financial Highlights.

Note 3—Related Party Transactions

Pursuant to its existing liquidity guarantee obligation, the TIAA General Account purchased in multiple transactions an aggregate of 4.7 million accumulation units (which are generally referred to as “liquidity units”) in the Account between December 2008 and June 2009 for an aggregate amount of $1.2 billion. TIAA has not purchased additional liquidity units since June 2009.

In accordance with this liquidity guarantee obligation, TIAA guarantees that all participants in the Account may redeem their accumulation units at their accumulation unit value next determined after their transfer or cash withdrawal request is received in good order. Liquidity units owned by TIAA are valued in the same manner as accumulation units owned by the Account’s participants. Management believes that TIAA has the ability to meet its obligations under the liquidity guarantee.

As discussed in the Account’s prospectus and in accordance with a prohibited transaction exemption from the U.S. Department of Labor (PTE 96-76), the Account’s independent fiduciary, Real Estate Research Corporation, has certain responsibilities with respect to the Account that it has undertaken or is currently undertaking with respect to TIAA’s purchase of liquidity units, including among other things, reviewing the purchase and redemption of liquidity units by TIAA to ensure the Account uses the correct unit values. In addition, as set forth in PTE 96-76, the independent fiduciary’s responsibilities include:

The independent fiduciary, which has the right to adjust the trigger point, established the trigger point at 45% of the outstanding accumulation units in connection with TIAA’s ownership of liquidity units between December 2008 and March 2013.

As of March 31, 2013, the independent fiduciary has completed the systematic redemption of all of the liquidity units held by TIAA. Approximately one-quarter of such units were redeemed evenly over the business days in each of the months of June, September and December 2012, and March 2013, representing a total of $940.3 million and $325.4 million redeemed during 2012 and 2013, respectively.

As discussed in Note 2—Management Agreements and Arrangements, TIAA and Services provide certain services to the Account on an at cost basis. See Note 9—Financial Highlights for details of the expense charge and expense ratio.

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Note 4—Credit Risk Concentrations

Concentrations of credit risk may arise when a number of properties or tenants are located in a similar geographic region such that the economic conditions of that region could impact tenants’ obligations to meet their contractual obligations or cause the values of individual properties to decline. The Account has no significant concentrations of tenants as no single tenant has annual contract rent that makes up more than 2.4% of the rental income of the Account.

The substantial majority of the Account’s wholly owned real estate investments and investments in joint ventures are located in the United States. The following table represents the diversification of the Account’s portfolio by region and property type:

Properties in the “East” region are located in: CT, DC, DE, KY, MA, MD, ME, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, SC, VA, VT, WV

Properties in the “West” region are located in: AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY

Properties in the “South” region are located in: AL, AR, FL, GA, LA, MS, OK, TN, TX

Properties in the “Midwest” region are located in: IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI

Note 5—Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis

Valuation Hierarchy: The Account’s fair value measurements are grouped categorically into three levels, as defined by the FASB. The levels are defined as follows:

Level 1—Valuations using unadjusted quoted prices for assets traded in active markets, such as stocks listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Active markets are defined as having the following characteristics for the measured asset or liability: (i) many transactions, (ii) current prices, (iii) price quotes not varying substantially among market makers, (iv) narrow bid/ask spreads and (v) most information regarding the issuer is publicly available. Level 1 assets held by the Account are generally marketable equity securities.

Level 2—Valuations for assets and liabilities traded in less active, dealer or broker markets. Fair values are primarily obtained from third party pricing services for identical or comparable assets or liabilities. Level 2 inputs for fair value measurements are inputs, other than quoted prices included within Level 1, that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. Level 2 inputs include:

a. Quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets;

b. Quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active (that is, markets in which there are few transactions for the asset (or liability), the prices are not current, price quotations vary substantially either over time or among market makers (for example, some brokered markets), or in which little information is released publicly);

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c. Inputs other than quoted prices that are observable within the market for the asset (or liability) (for example, interest rates and yield curves, volatilities, prepayment speeds, loss severities, credit risks, and default rates that are observable at commonly quoted intervals); and

d. Inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means (for example, market-corroborated inputs).

Examples of securities which may be held by the Account and included in Level 2 include certificates of deposit, commercial paper, government agency notes, variable notes, United States Treasury securities, and debt securities.

Level 3—Valuations for assets and liabilities that are derived from other valuation methodologies, including pricing models, discounted cash flow models and similar techniques, and are not based on market exchange, dealer, or broker-traded transactions. Level 3 valuations incorporate certain assumptions and projections that are not observable in the market, and require significant professional judgment in determining the fair value assigned to such assets or liabilities. Examples of Level 3 assets and liabilities which may be held by the Account from time to time include investments in real estate, investments in joint ventures and limited partnerships, and mortgage loans receivable and payable.

An investment’s categorization within the valuation hierarchy described above is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

The Account’s determination of fair value is based upon quoted market prices, where available. If listed prices or quotes are not available, fair value is based upon vendor-provided, evaluated prices or internally-developed models that primarily use market-based or independently-sourced market data, including interest rate yield curves, market spreads, and currency rates. Valuation adjustments will be made to reflect changes in credit quality, counterparty’s creditworthiness, the Account’s creditworthiness, liquidity, and other observable and unobservable inputs that are applied consistently over time.

The methods described above are considered to produce fair values that represent a good faith estimate of what an unaffiliated buyer in the marketplace would pay to purchase the asset or would receive to transfer the liability. Since fair value calculations involve significant professional judgment in the application of both observable and unobservable attributes, actual realizable values or future fair values may differ from amounts reported. Furthermore, while the Account believes its valuation methods are appropriate and consistent with other market participants, the use of different methodologies or assumptions to determine the fair value of certain financial instruments, while reasonable, could result in different estimates of fair value at the reporting date. As discussed in Note 1—Organization and Significant Accounting Policies in more detail, the Account generally obtains independent third party appraisals on a quarterly basis; there may be circumstances in the interim in which the true realizable value of a property is not reflected in the Account’s daily net asset value calculation or in the Account’s periodic consolidated financial statements. This disparity may be more apparent when the commercial and/or residential real estate markets experience an overall and possibly dramatic decline (or increase) in property values in a relatively short period of time between appraisals.

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The following tables show the major categories of assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of March 31, 2013 (unaudited) and December 31, 2012, using unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1); significant other observable inputs (Level 2); and significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) (in millions):

The following tables show the reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) during the three months ended March 31, 2013 and March 31, 2012 (in millions, unaudited):

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		Real Estate Properties							Real Estate Joint Ventures							Limited Partnerships							Total Level 3 Investments							Mortgage Loans Payable
For the three months ended March 31, 2012
Beginning balance January 1, 2012			$		9,857.6					$		1,591.4					$		307.5					$		11,756.5					$		(2,028.2	)
Total realized and unrealized gains (losses) included in changes in net assets					187.2							84.6							7.2							279.0							(21.7	)
Purchases(1)					142.2							29.6							4.7							176.5							(90.0	)
Sales					(46.2	)						—							—							(46.2	)						—
Settlements(2)					—							(0.2	)						(1.1	)						(1.3	)						2.6
Ending balance March 31, 2012			$		10,140.8					$		1,705.4					$		318.3					$		12,164.5					$		(2,137.3	)

(1)				Includes purchases, contributions for joint ventures and limited partnerships, and capital expenditures.
(2)				Includes operating income for real estate joint ventures and limited partnerships, net of distributions and principal payments on mortgage loans payable.

The following table shows quantitative information about unobservable inputs related to the Level 3 fair value measurements as of March 31, 2013 (unaudited).

Real Estate Properties and Joint Ventures: The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement of the Account’s real estate properties and joint ventures are the selection of certain investment rates (Discount Rate, Terminal Capitalization Rate, and Overall Capitalization Rate). Significant increases (decreases) in any of those inputs in isolation would result in significantly lower (higher) fair value measurements, respectively.

Mortgage Loans Payable: The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement of the Account’s mortgage loans payable are the loan to value ratios and the selection of certain credit spreads and

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weighted average cost of capital risk premiums. Significant increases (decreases) in any of those inputs in isolation would result in a significantly lower (higher) fair value, respectively.

During the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012 there were no transfers between Levels 1, 2 or 3.

The amount of total net unrealized gains (losses) included in changes in net assets attributable to the change in net unrealized gains (losses) relating to Level 3 investments and mortgage loans payable using significant unobservable inputs still held as of the reporting date is as follows (in millions, unaudited):