Manulife US REIT - Annual Report 2021

ANNUAL REPORT 2021 71 Investor and Media Relations TheManager proactively engages the investment community with timely and transparent communication in order to create long-term value for its Unitholders. MUST was laser- focused on its two-pronged IR approach in 2021. The first goal was to be at the forefront of the growing ESGwave to attract more ESG investors, and the second was to entrench MUST’s leadership position through digital means to remain the REIT of choice. Expansion of Digital Toolbox For 2021, MUST embarked on a slewof new initiatives which included the launch of LinkedIn in September. This allowed the Manager to expand its reach and remain top-of-mind through innovative and relevant ways. With the long-drawn COVID-19 situation, most physical meetings and travelling were curtailed. Social distancing requirements remained stringent and senior management had to engage with the investment community virtually. Through a rigorous PR campaign,MUSTgarneredmore than1,000LinkedInfollowers in five months as at end February 2022. This added another platform toMUST’s IR toolkit – on top of existing tools such as press releases, presentation slides, website, webinars, meetings, conference calls, annual and sustainability reports, SGXNet announcements and newsletters. It also enables the Manager to interact withmedia, analysts and investors and keep themabreast of its business developments in this fast- changing digital and COVID-19 world. The Manager also leveraged on new platforms such as Smartkarma and new media formats such as podcasts to engage with potential and existing investors. Riding the ESG Wave In 2021, MUST witnessed a growing interest in ESG among its investors and analysts. The Manager was getting more questions on ESG in its IR meetings and was aware of new ESG funds being set up in Singapore andAsia. MUSTworked hard to attract these new investors by communicating its ESG strategies with them. Against this backdrop, MUST launched its inaugural ‘MUST Go Green’ event, a hybrid week-long thought leadership initiative to raise the understanding of ESG for the investment community through conferences and meetings. The events included noteworthy panel speakers from the Singapore Exchange, TCFD, AEWAsia as well as Endowus and RHB, and garnered participation from ~160 analysts, media and investors. The successful profiling of MUST’s sustainability efforts and accolades opened doors to more ESG-focused interviews, including podcast interviews as well as invitations to speak at other ESG conferences. Over the years, MUST also saw the number of ESG funds invested in the REIT increase to ~25 as at end 2021, up from only three in 2017. MUST’s proactive engagement with ESG rating agencies has also enabled it to improve its ESG ratings. More ESG information can be found in the Sustainability Report. Relentless Engagement in Pursuit of IR Excellence Another initiative in 2021was an investor perception survey conducted with ~50 institutional investors. The results of the survey, which covered investors’ feedback on future growth, concerns and ESG, were shared with the senior management and directors. The IR team’s proactive engagement with investors paid off during the REIT’s fund raising for its acquisition of three properties in Arizona and Oregon in November 2021. This was evident in the strong participation in its US$100.0 million private placement which was executed amid great market volatility and the emergence of the Omicron variant. During that period, there were also a few SREIT deals in the market that made investors wary. The placement was eventually close to 2.5X covered by new and existing institutional investors and private wealth clients. The acquisition also garnered positive coverage by media and analysts and was testament toMUST’s effective communication of its strategy to target growth markets since 2020. Collectively, these efforts enabled the Manager to engage andmeet with ~2,170 analysts, media and investors (+28.1% YoY). The success of MUST’s engagement efforts further resulted in a +37.9% increase in media coverage in 2021, while a total of 11 research houses continue to cover MUST. Media Coverage Analyst, Media, Investor Engagement 2020 203 2020 1,693 2021 2,169 2021 280 +28.1% +37.9%