This innovative program is designed to generate significant sales and revenue for SNAP Home Finance Dealers while changing the competitive landscape of the home renovation financing industry.

TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–SNAP Home Finance officially launches the SNAP All-Star Alliance – a proprietary program designed to generate significantly more leads, sales, and revenue for SNAP Home Finance dealers across various industry verticals. The SNAP All-Star Alliance is the first of its kind in Canada and represents a substantial advantage for participating Canadian dealers.

SNAP Home Finance generates thousands of new leads for All-Star Alliance members and the experience for them is effortless. Through an integrated marketing approach with highly engaging content, members receive qualified, pre-approved, leads from SNAP Home Finance.

Every prospect that enters the ecosystem is pre-screened according to a set of comprehensive criteria and receives a customized experience based on the needs of each All-Star Alliance member, including pricing, intake forms, questionnaires, and agent scripts. Pre-approved leads are then booked by SNAP Home Finance through an integrated management system.

“In my 16 years in the Home Improvement Finance industry, I haven’t seen a more innovative program. We’re focused on helping our dealers generate record-breaking growth, and the SNAP All-Star Alliance is a perfect example of a program designed to do exactly that. We’re already generating thousands of highly motivated prospects for All-Star Alliance members, without them having to put in any extra work,” said Kevin Stout, Senior Executive Vice President of Sales of SNAP Home Finance. “This is a groundbreaking program in the home renovation financing space and is a gamechanger for our dealer network.”

“This program represents a significant strategic shift for us,” added Stout. “We are laser-focused on transforming the B2C infrastructure that we have developed over time to generate exactly what our valued dealers want – more sales and revenue.”

The SNAP All-Star Alliance is exclusively brought to Canadian dealers by SNAP Home Finance. Dealers looking to learn more can contact their Business Development Manager or visit www.snap4home.com/all-star-alliance/.

With more than $1.7 billion home improvement loans to thousands of Canadians from coast to coast, SNAP Home Finance provides consumers with innovative financing solutions to modernize their residential properties, while proudly delivering industry-leading dealer experience and support. SNAP Home Finance knows that its dealers are its greatest asset.

Contacts

For more information about SNAP Home Finance or the All-Star Alliance, contact:

Jacob Watson

VP Marketing

(647) 296-5160

JWatson@snapfinancial.com

AUSTIN, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#agentcount—Keller Williams (“KW”), the world’s largest real estate technology franchise by agent count, reports Q4 ’21 and year-end results, having achieved significant growth, technology milestones, and topped franchise and corporate culture rankings.

“In the midst of a hypercompetitive market, 2021 was absolutely a record-breaking year for us,” said Carl Liebert, CEO of kwx. “With historically low inventory rates, finding a home has been really challenging in the last year.”

“And so we’re extremely pleased to report that our agents changed 1.3 million lives in 2021,” said Liebert. “We brought 1.3 million people home.”

Keller Williams is home to 173,274 agents in the United States and Canada and 14,847 agents operating outside of the United States and Canada, for a total of 188,121 agents worldwide, as of December 31, 2021.

“We track 42 measurements of production at KW and in 2021 we set all-time records in 21 of those metrics,” said Marc King, president, KW. “And, we’re very proud to report our gross commission income per agent reached $77.8 thousand in the fourth quarter of 2021, which is a 72% increase over the last decade.”

“Right now, the median agent gross income in our industry for real estate agents is $43,330,” said King. “When you’re doing the right things, everyone wins.”

Corporate and Industry Highlights

• In October, Forbes ranked KW on its annual list of World’s Best Employers 2021.
• In October, KW won an Inman Innovator award for ‘Podcast of the Year 2021.’
• In October, Franchise Times featured KW on its annual list of Top 400 Franchises 2021.
• In October, Franchise Business Review featured KW on its list of Best Franchises for Veterans 2021.
• In October, KW and Hergenrother Realty Group partnered to launch Livian, a people-first real estate platform for high-producing expansion teams.
• In October, KW announced a strategic collaboration with Sisu to power coaching dashboards within Command.
• In October, KW announced an expansion into Suriname.
• In November, KW unveiled the KW School of Real Estate (KSCORE), a national, first-of-its-kind, fully-digital real estate training program, in partnership with Kaplan.
• In November, KW unveiled KW Military, to recognize, honor and provide focused value to the U.S. military community via a robust suite of real estate and financial services.
• In November, Forbes ranked KW on its annual World’s Top Female-Friendly Companies 2021.
• In December, KW announced an expansion into São Paulo, Brazil, amid worldwide momentum.
• In December, KW announced a major expansion of its community-based business initiative.
• In December, KW launched the Command App for all KW agents.

“We continue to aggressively innovate on behalf of our market centers, agents and consumers,” said Chris Cox, chief technology and digital officer, kwx, the holding company of KW. “With the release of Command App in December, we’re again seeking to further empower our agents with real-time actionable insights to drive their businesses’ growth.”

“In the 75 days since launch, we’ve seen incredible adoption from our agents,” said Cox.

United States and Canada (production in Q4 ’21)

• Agents closed 331.9 thousand transactions in Q4 ’21, down 5.4% over Q4 ’20.
• Agents closed almost $138.9 billion in sales volume, up 11.5% from Q4 last year.
• Agents took 147.8 thousand new listings (new market inventory), down 5.8% over Q4 ’20.
• Agents wrote 337.9 thousand contracts (projected closings), down 4.2% over Q4 ’20.
• Contracts written volume was $141.3 billion, up 13.1% over Q4 ’20.

United States and Canada (production year-end 2021)

• As of December 31, agents closed more than 1.3 million transactions, up 9.9% over YTD ’20.
• Agents closed $532.2 billion in sales volume, up 30.6% over YTD ’20.
• Agents took 728.9 thousand new listings (new market inventory), up 2.2% over YTD ’20.
• Agents wrote 1.5 million contracts (projected closings), up 7.8% over YTD ’20.
• Contracts written volume was $576.6 billion, up 28.1% over YTD ’20.

“We are very proud of our continuing market share gains in the U.S. and Canada, while we declined slightly in transactions and new listings – that’s more indicative of the base effect of Q4 ’20,” said Jason Abrams, head of industry, kwx. “The COVID shutdowns in early 2020 allowed for a significant influx of pent-up housing demand to hit our agents in Q4 of 2020.”

“As a result, our ongoing market share gains can best be seen in our year-end results and by comparing our Q4 ’21 to our Q4 ’19 benchmarks,” said Abrams. “Compared to Q4 ’19, across the U.S. and Canada, our agents increased our homes sold and new listings up 21.8% and 2.2%, respectively.”

Keller Williams Worldwide (KWW) Momentum (production outside U.S. and Canada in Q4 ’21)

• As of December 31, agent count outside the U.S. and Canada was 14,847, up 23.0% from Q4 ’20.
• Agents closed 18.9 thousand transactions in Q4 ’21, up 35.9% over Q4 ’20.
• Agents closed $3.6 billion in sales volume, up 48.2% from Q4 ’20.
• Agents took 24.5 thousand new listings (new market inventory), up 4.4% over Q4 ’20.
• Agents wrote 21.4 thousand contracts (projected closings), up 25.5% over Q4 ’20.
• Contracts written volume was $3.0 billion, up 40.6% over Q4 ’20.

KWW Momentum (production outside U.S. and Canada year-end 2021)

• As of December 31, agents closed 63.6 thousand transactions, up 57.8% over YTD ’20.
• Agents closed $12.1 billion in sales volume, up 88.7% over YTD ’20.
• Agents took 107.8 thousand new listings (new market inventory), up 17.6% over YTD ’20.
• Agents wrote 74.6 thousand contracts (projected closings), up 46.6% over YTD ’20.
• Contracts written volume was $10.9 billion, up 69.9% over YTD ’20.

“No one predicted the challenges of 2021, yet our international operations are thriving and we’re growing at a faster clip than ever,” said William E. Soteroff, president, KWW. “And, that’s due to a steadfast commitment to our values and principles and to providing the industry’s best agent training.”

Outside of the U.S. and Canada, KWW’s regions include: Albania; Argentina; Aruba; Belgium; Belize; Bermuda; Cambodia; Chile; Colombia; Costa Rica; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Dominican Republic; Dubai, UAE; France; Greece; Honduras; Indonesia; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Jamaica; Japan; Luxembourg; Malaysia; Mexico; Monaco; Mongolia; Morocco; Nicaragua; Northern Cyprus; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Philippines; Poland; Portugal; Puerto Rico; Romania; São Paulo, Brazil; Serbia; Sint Maarten; Slovenia; Southern Africa; Spain; Suriname; Thailand; Turkey; Turks and Caicos; United Kingdom; Uruguay; and Vietnam.

About Keller Williams

Austin, Texas-based Keller Williams, the world’s largest real estate technology franchise by agent count, has more than 1,100 offices and 200,000 associates. The franchise is also No. 1 in units and sales volume in the United States. kwx is the holding company of Keller Williams.

In 2020, Keller Williams initially began the formation of kwx. kwx is composed of Keller Williams, Keller Williams Worldwide and Keller Home Financial Services, consisting of Keller Mortgage, Keller Offers, Keller Covered, Keller Title and The Partnership Program.

Since 1983, the company has cultivated an agent-centric, technology-driven and education-based culture that rewards agents as stakeholders. For more information, visit kwx.kw.com.

Contacts

Media Contact:

Darryl G. Frost

Director of Public Relations and Media Relations

darryl.frost@kw.com / 254-466-3627

MIAMI–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#CapitalCommitments–H.I.G. Capital (“H.I.G.”), a leading global alternative asset management firm with over $47 billion of equity capital under management, is pleased to announce the closing of its fourth U.S. Realty Partners fund, H.I.G. Realty Partners IV (the “Fund”). The Fund closed with aggregate capital commitments of $838 million, exceeding its target.* The Fund will continue to pursue the successful investment strategy employed by its predecessor funds and target mid-cap assets with gross asset values (“GAV”) typically less than $200 million, primarily in the major markets of the U.S. The Fund has already made nine investments.

Sami Mnaymneh and Tony Tamer, H.I.G. Co-Founders and Co-CEOs, commented: “We are very proud of the continued success of the H.I.G. Realty team and their differentiated, value-add strategy focused on the mid-cap segment of the U.S. real estate market. The support from our limited partners validates our conviction in the team’s ability to execute on the Fund’s investment strategy.”

David Hirschberg and Ira Weidhorn, Co-Heads of H.I.G. Realty Partners, added: “We are excited to expand upon H.I.G.’s successful value-add real estate strategy with the closing of H.I.G. Realty Partners IV. We continue to source unique investment opportunities across the real estate asset class spectrum, benefiting from H.I.G.’s scale and operational synergies, and creating a meaningful competitive advantage for us.”

Jordan Peer Griffin, Executive Managing Director and Global Head of H.I.G. Capital Formation, added: “The Fund received tremendous support from our global investor base, allowing us to complete a mostly virtual fundraising process. The Fund is comprised of a diverse group of leading real estate investors including foundations, endowments, public and corporate pensions, consultants, sovereign wealth funds, and family offices in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.”

About H.I.G. Capital

H.I.G. is a leading global alternative assets investment firm with over $47 billion of equity capital under management.** Based in Miami, and with offices in New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Atlanta in the U.S., as well as international affiliate offices in London, Hamburg, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Bogotá, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, H.I.G. specializes in providing both debt and equity capital to small and mid-sized companies, utilizing a flexible and operationally focused/ value-added approach:

	1.	H.I.G.’s equity funds invest in management buyouts, recapitalizations and corporate carve-outs of both profitable as well as underperforming manufacturing and service businesses.
	2.	H.I.G.’s debt funds invest in senior, unitranche and junior debt financing to companies across the size spectrum, both on a primary (direct origination) basis, as well as in the secondary markets. H.I.G. is also a leading CLO manager, through its WhiteHorse family of vehicles, and manages a publicly traded BDC, WhiteHorse Finance.
	3.	H.I.G.’s real estate funds invest in value-added properties, which can benefit from improved asset management practices.
	4.	H.I.G. Infrastructure focuses on making value-add and core plus investments in the infrastructure sector.

Since its founding in 1993, H.I.G. has invested in and managed more than 300 companies worldwide. The firm’s current portfolio includes more than 100 companies with combined sales in excess of $30 billion. For more information, please refer to the H.I.G. website at www.higcapital.com.

* Aggregate capital commitments include co-investment capital.

** Based on total capital commitments managed by H.I.G. Capital and affiliates.

 

Contacts

David Hirschberg

Co-Head of H.I.G. Realty Partners

dhirschberg@higcapital.com

Ira Weidhorn

Co-Head of H.I.G. Realty Partners

iweidhorn@higcapital.com

Jordan Peer Griffin

Executive Managing Director

jpeer@higcapital.com

www.higcapital.com

TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Slate Office REIT (TSX: SOT.UN) (the “REIT”), an owner and operator of office real estate, announced today that the Q4 2021 earnings call transcript and investor update are now available on the REIT’s website and can be accessed by visiting the following links:

• Slate Office REIT – Q4 2021 earnings call transcript
• Slate Office REIT – Q4 2021 investor update

About Slate Office REIT (TSX: SOT.UN)

Slate Office REIT is an owner and operator of office real estate. The REIT owns interests in and operates a portfolio of strategic and well-located real estate assets in North America and Europe. A majority of the REIT’s portfolio is comprised of government or high-quality credit tenants. The REIT acquires quality assets at a discount to replacement cost and creates value for unitholders by applying hands-on asset management strategies to grow rental revenue, extend lease term and increase occupancy. Visit slateofficereit.com to learn more.

About Slate Asset Management

Slate Asset Management is a global alternative investment platform targeting real assets. We focus on fundamentals with the objective of creating long-term value for our investors and partners. Slate’s platform has a range of real estate and infrastructure investment strategies, including opportunistic, value add, core plus, and debt investments. We are supported by exceptional people and flexible capital, which enable us to originate and execute on a wide range of compelling investment opportunities. Visit slateam.com to learn more.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information herein constitutes “forward-looking information” as defined under Canadian securities laws which reflect management’s expectations regarding objectives, plans, goals, strategies, future growth, results of operations, performance, business prospects and opportunities of the REIT. The words “plans”, “expects”, “does not expect”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “intends”, “anticipates”, “does not anticipate”, “projects”, “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases or statements to the effect that certain actions, events or results “may”, “will”, “could”, “would”, “might”, “occur”, “be achieved”, or “continue” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management as of the date hereof, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. When relying on forward-looking statements to make decisions, the REIT cautions readers not to place undue reliance on these statements, as forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties and should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or not the times at or by which such performance or results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ, possibly materially, from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Additional information about risks and uncertainties is contained in the filings of the REIT with securities regulators.

SOT-FR

Contacts

Investor Relations

+1 416 644 4264

ir@slateam.com

TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Slate Grocery REIT (TSX: SGR.U) (TSX: SGR.UN) (the “REIT”), an owner and operator of U.S. grocery-anchored real estate, announced today that the Q4 2021 earnings call transcript and investor update are now available on the REIT’s website and can be accessed by visiting the following links:

• Slate Grocery REIT – Q4 2021 earnings call transcript
• Slate Grocery REIT – Q4 2021 investor update

About Slate Grocery REIT (TSX: SGR.U / SGR.UN)

Slate Grocery REIT is an owner and operator of U.S. grocery-anchored real estate. The REIT owns and operates approximately U.S. $1.9 billion of critical real estate infrastructure across major U.S. metro markets that communities rely upon for their everyday needs. The REIT’s resilient grocery-anchored portfolio and strong credit tenants provide unitholders with durable cash flows and the potential for capital appreciation over the longer term. Visit slategroceryreit.com to learn more about the REIT.

About Slate Asset Management

Slate Asset Management is a global alternative investment platform targeting real assets. We focus on fundamentals with the objective of creating long-term value for our investors and partners. Slate’s platform has a range of real estate and infrastructure investment strategies, including opportunistic, value add, core plus, and debt investments. We are supported by exceptional people and flexible capital, which enable us to originate and execute on a wide range of compelling investment opportunities. Visit slateam.com to learn more.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information herein constitutes “forward-looking information” as defined under Canadian securities laws which reflect management’s expectations regarding objectives, plans, goals, strategies, future growth, results of operations, performance, business prospects and opportunities of the REIT. The words “plans”, “expects”, “does not expect”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “intends”, “anticipates”, “does not anticipate”, “projects”, “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases or statements to the effect that certain actions, events or results “may”, “will”, “could”, “would”, “might”, “occur”, “be achieved”, or “continue” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management as of the date hereof, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. When relying on forward-looking statements to make decisions, the REIT cautions readers not to place undue reliance on these statements, as forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties and should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or not the times at or by which such performance or results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ, possibly materially, from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Additional information about risks and uncertainties is contained in the filings of the REIT with securities regulators.

SGR-FR

Contacts

Investor Relations

+1 416 644 4264

ir@slateam.com

LADERA RANCH, CALIF.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc. (“SmartStop” or the “Company”), a self-managed and fully-integrated self storage company, and Strategic Storage Growth Trust II, Inc. (“SSGT II”), a private REIT sponsored by an indirect subsidiary of SmartStop, announced today that the companies have entered into a definitive agreement to merge in an all-stock transaction, in which SSGT II will merge into a newly-formed subsidiary of SmartStop. The combined company will have a combined portfolio of 150 wholly-owned operating properties, representing approximately 11.5 million net rentable square feet and 100,500 units. This transaction will allow the combined company to, among other things, achieve further economies of scale and potentially create greater value as it takes advantage of the benefits of a larger aggregate portfolio.

Per the merger agreement, SmartStop will acquire all of the real estate owned by SSGT II, consisting of 10 wholly-owned operating self storage facilities located across seven states, an interest in one operating property held through an unconsolidated joint venture with an unaffiliated third party and two properties in various stages of development that are held through an unconsolidated joint venture with an unaffiliated third party. The total SSGT II operating portfolio, including the operating joint venture property, currently represents approximately 8,500 self storage units and 900,000 net rentable square feet. Additionally, the Company will obtain SSGT II’s interest in one parcel of land being developed into a self storage facility in an unconsolidated joint venture with an unaffiliated third party, as well as SSGT II’s rights to acquire a property located in Southern California.

“We are excited to announce this transaction and look forward to combining the high-quality assets in the SSGT II portfolio with SmartStop’s existing portfolio,” said H. Michael Schwartz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of SmartStop. “With this merger, the combined company will be better positioned to recognize expense efficiencies and aggregate size and scale for the future. Since all of the SSGT II portfolio is already branded as SmartStop® Self Storage, there will be total continuity of operations throughout the process.”

Under the terms of the agreement, SSGT II stockholders will receive 0.9118 shares of SmartStop common stock for each share of SSGT II common stock they own. This exchange ratio represents an increase of 37 percent above SSGT II’s most recent offering price, when using SmartStop’s most recent estimated NAV of $15.08 per share. The transaction values SSGT II’s real estate assets at approximately $280 million, based on September 30, 2021 share counts and debt principal balances outstanding, and using the agreed exchange ratio and SmartStop’s estimated NAV per share of $15.08. Upon completion of the transaction, existing SmartStop stockholders will own approximately 79% of the combined company, SSGT II stockholders will own approximately 11%, and management will own approximately 10%, based on SmartStop and SSGT II’s share and operating partnership unit counts as of September 30, 2021.

The merger is expected to close during the first half of 2022. The merger agreement provides SSGT II a 30-day go shop period, during which SSGT II (through the board of directors of SSGT II and its representatives and advisors) may solicit alternative acquisition proposals from third parties as described in the merger agreement. Additional information regarding the merger and the merger agreement can be found in the Form 8-K filed by SmartStop with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 24, 2022.

Suspension of Distribution Reinvestment Plan

In connection with the signing of the merger agreement, SSGT II temporarily suspended its distribution reinvestment plan (“DRP”), and will proceed paying all future distributions in cash, beginning with February’s declared distribution. There has been no change to the amount or frequency of SSGT II distributions.

Advisors

Robert A. Stanger & Company, Inc. serves as financial advisor and Venable LLP serves as legal counsel to the SmartStop special committee, while Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP serves as legal counsel to SmartStop. KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. serves as financial advisor and Bass, Berry & Sims PLC and Shapiro Sher Guinot & Sandler, P.A. serve as legal counsel to the SSGT II board of directors.

About SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc. (SmartStop)

SmartStop is a self-managed REIT with a fully integrated operations team of approximately 420 self storage professionals focused on growing the SmartStop® Self Storage brand. SmartStop, through its indirect subsidiary SmartStop REIT Advisors, LLC, also sponsors other self storage programs. As of February 23, 2022, SmartStop is one of the largest self storage companies in North America, with an owned and managed portfolio of 163 properties in 19 states and Ontario, Canada and comprising approximately 111,000 units and 12.6 million rentable square feet. SmartStop and its affiliates own or manage 19 operating self storage properties in the Greater Toronto Area, which total approximately 16,200 units and 1.7 million rentable square feet. Additional information regarding SmartStop is available at www.smartstopselfstorage.com.

About Strategic Storage Growth Trust II, Inc.

SSGT II focuses on opportunistic self storage properties. SSGT II wholly owns 10 self storage facilities comprising approximately 7,700 self storage units and 850,000 net rentable square feet of storage space, as well as one operating property in a joint venture in the Greater Toronto Area with SmartCentres REIT, one of the largest real estate investment trusts in Canada.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

In connection with the proposed Merger, SmartStop intends to file a registration statement on Form S-4 with the SEC that will include a proxy statement of SSGT II and will also constitute a prospectus of SmartStop. SSGT II intends to mail or otherwise provide to its stockholders the proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials, and hold a meeting of its stockholders to obtain the requisite stockholder approval of the Merger. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING DECISION, SSGT II’S STOCKHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS IN ITS ENTIRETY WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE AND ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED MERGER OR INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE THEREIN BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED MERGER AND THE PARTIES TO THE PROPOSED MERGER. Investors and security holders may obtain a free copy of the proxy statement/prospectus and other documents that SmartStop files with the SEC (when available) from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and SmartStop’s website at https://strategicreit.com/site/sst2. In addition, the proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed by SmartStop with the SEC (when available) may be obtained from SmartStop free of charge by directing a request to the following address: SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc., Attention: Nicholas M. Look, 10 Terrace Road, Ladera Ranch, California 92694, or by calling (877) 327-3485.

No Offer or Solicitation

This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities or a solicitation of a proxy or of any vote or approval. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. This communication may be deemed to be solicitation material in respect of the proposed Merger.

Participants in Solicitation Relating to the Merger

SmartStop and SSGT II and their respective directors and executive officers, as well as SS Growth Advisor II, LLC, may be deemed, under SEC rules, to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from SSGT II’s stockholders with respect to the proposed Merger. Security holders can obtain information regarding the names, affiliations and interests of such persons in SmartStop’s proxy statement filed with the SEC on April 15, 2021 or in the proxy statement/prospectus regarding the proposed Merger when it becomes available. Investors may obtain additional information regarding the interests of such participants by reading the proxy statement/prospectus regarding the proposed Merger when it becomes available.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements about the expected timing, completion and effects of the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and all other statements in this press release and any attachments provided with this press release, other than historical facts, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements can generally be identified by our use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “continue,” or other similar words. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and any such forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the following cautionary statements.

All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof and are based on current expectations and involve a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements. SmartStop and SSGT II may not be able to complete the proposed transaction on the terms described above or other acceptable terms or at all because of a number of factors, including without limitation, the following: (i) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the Merger Agreement; (ii) the failure to obtain the approval of SSGT II’s stockholders or the failure to satisfy the other closing conditions to the Merger; (iii) risks related to disruption of management’s attention from the parties’ ongoing business operations due to the transaction; and (iv) the effect of the announcement of the Merger on the ability of the parties to retain and hire key personnel, maintain relationships with their customers and suppliers, and maintain their operating results and business generally.

Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. In addition, the forward-looking statements represent SmartStop’s and SSGT II’s views as of the date on which such statements were made. SmartStop and SSGT II anticipate that subsequent events and developments may cause its views to change. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing SmartStop’s or SSGT II’s views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof. Additional factors that may affect the business or financial results of SmartStop are described in the risk factors included in SmartStop’s filings with the SEC, including SmartStop’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, copies of which are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. SmartStop and SSGT II expressly disclaim a duty to provide updates to forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or other occurrences.

Contacts

David Corak
VP of Corporate Finance

SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc.

949-542-3331

IR@smartstop.com

Canadian design-build development firm will use Procore to take on more projects, enhance safety processes and grow its team

TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Procore Technologies Inc. (NYSE: PCOR), a leading global provider of construction management software, today announced that Dexel has selected Procore as its construction management platform.

Dexel, a division of Lawen Group, is a design-build multi-family residential developer that operates exclusively in Halifax. The vision of the family-owned firm is to help shape the future of the Halifax Regional Municipality for generations. Dexel was an early adopter of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in the area and prides itself on using the best technology available.

Some of the point solutions Dexel was using were either no longer being updated or did not fully address the organization’s needs. It also needed a more sustainable way to store, manage, and distribute project documentation that was previously disjointed, difficult to access, and not centralized. Dexel decided to change to a single platform that could integrate with its remaining systems while meeting all of its remaining business, project, and construction requirements.

After a careful evaluation it chose Procore as its unified construction management platform. Dexel was impressed by the extensive and prompt customer support from the company. The thorough assessment period, guided by Procore’s Canadian team, helped demonstrate to Dexel how using a single platform could support its business.

Procore Project Management and Quality & Safety will integrate with some of Dexel’s existing tools, such as Instruction Site and MS Project. The platform will help Dexel share project information more quickly with contractors, enhance its safety processes and grow its 20-person team.

“Procore will help us not just work better as a team but to also take on more projects than we could before,” said Kris Skiba, VP Design and Construction, Dexel. “We’re successful when we’re able to get our contractors the information they need. That’s how the building gets done.”

“Dexel is a local champion of technological innovation in the industry,” said Jas Saraw, Vice President, Canada at Procore. “Its decades-long record of quality developments in and around Halifax speaks for itself. We’re excited to partner with Dexel to continue to raise the bar in the multi-family residential space. As companies like Dexel look to the future, they are recognizing the power of a platform-based approach to technology. This strategy drives increased value from their existing technology footprint while continuing to level up the business with modern, all-encompassing platforms like Procore.”

About Dexel

Dexel, a division of the Lawen Group, is a family-owned design-build development firm located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Dexel oversees the operations of Dexel Developments Limited and Dexel Architecture, managing all aspects of project development from preliminary design to the final building commissioning and occupancy phase. Dexel’s sister company, Paramount Management (Paramount), provides full-service property management services for Dexel’s mixed-use residential projects throughout Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). This integrated approach to property development and management ensures that quality control is maintained at every level.

Dexel operates with the vision that their properties will help shape the future of HRM for generations to come. For more information, visit https://dexel.ca/.

About Procore

Procore is a leading global provider of construction management software. Over 1 million projects and more than $1 trillion USD in construction volume have run on Procore’s platform. Procore’s platform connects key project stakeholders to solutions Procore has built specifically for the construction industry—for the owner, the general contractor, and the specialty contractor. Procore’s App Marketplace has a multitude of partner solutions that integrate seamlessly with Procore’s platform, giving construction professionals the freedom to connect with what works best for them. Headquartered in Carpinteria, California, Procore has offices in the United States, Canada and around the globe. Learn more at Procore.com.

Contacts

Steve Gold/Anita Wong

StrategicAmpersand Inc. (on behalf of Procore)

ProcorePR@stratamp.com

TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Home Capital Group Inc. (“Home Capital”) (TSX:HCG) and its subsidiary Home Trust Company (“Home Trust” ) announce the closing of a previously disclosed private placement of residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”) issued by Classic RMBS Trust (the “Series 2022-1 Notes” or the “Notes”), a securitization vehicle sponsored by Home Trust. The Series 2022-1 Notes are backed by a portfolio of near-prime, uninsured, residential mortgages and are composed of A, B and Z tranches that aggregate to $500 million.

The A tranche of notes totaling $425 million was sold to accredited investors by a syndicate co-led by BofA Securities, BMO Capital Markets and RBC Capital Markets. The remaining $75 million of Notes, composed of the B and Z tranches, was retained by Home Trust.

The A Tranche is rated AAA(sf) by DBRS and Aaa(sf) by Moody’s. It was priced at a 105 basis point spread over the comparable term Government of Canada bond curve equating to an annual interest rate of 2.63%.

The Series 2022-1 Notes will not be qualified for distribution to the public under the securities laws of any province or territory of Canada and may not be offered or sold in Canada, directly or indirectly, other than pursuant to applicable private placement exemptions. The Notes have not and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The Notes are being offered in a private placement, solely to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers in reliance on Rule 144A under the Securities Act, or outside the United States to persons other than “U.S. persons” in compliance with Regulation S under the Securities Act. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the Notes in any jurisdiction, or an offer to purchase. The press release is being issued pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 135c under the Securities Act.

About Home Capital: Home Capital Group Inc. is a public company, traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (HCG), operating through its principal subsidiary, Home Trust Company. Home Trust is a federally regulated trust company offering residential and non-residential mortgage lending, securitization of residential mortgage products, consumer lending and credit card services. In addition, Home Trust and its wholly owned subsidiary, Home Bank, offer deposits via brokers and financial planners, and through a direct-to-consumer deposit brand, Oaken Financial. Licensed to conduct business across Canada, we have offices in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and Quebec.

Contacts

Jill MacRae

VP, Investor Relations and ESG

416-933-4991

investor.relations@hometrust.ca

CALGARY, Alberta–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#albertarealestate–Hope Street Real Estate Corporation, an industry leading tenancy management firm specializing in residential rental management releases Winter 2022 report on Alberta’s private rental markets showing early signs of drastic increases in residential rental rates, decreasing residential vacancy rates, and decreasing DOM (Days on Market).

According to Shamon Kureshi, Hope Street’s President & CEO:

Alberta’s rental markets have begun what appears to be a prolonged incline after nearly a decade of stagnant growth. A perfect storm of contributing factors are working in consort to drive up rental rates, investment property prices, and to drive down effective rental vacancy rates.

No dominant single factor appears to be driving this shift in the rental real estate economy; instead – a perfect storm of smaller factors are working in consort to drive up prices and drive down vacancy rates.

Canadian cross city investors are creating increased demand on the province’s secondary resale markets. Real estate investors from other parts of the country, specifically Toronto and Vancouver are infusing demand and capital into Alberta. Agents within Hope Street’s sales team report that up to 50% of buyer clients reside in Canada’s large centres. House prices within the secondary market are in the midst of pronounced gains, notably a significant portion of recently sold homes had done so quickly, with multiple competing bids, often for $100,000+ above initial listing prices. Many such investor buyers have reported significant inflationary gains in equity within their primary residence from their home cities, but sky high prices for investment real estate in Canada’s larger centres make real estate investments out of reach for many big city homeowners. We believe this to be a leading indicator pointing to equally sizeable gains in the province’s rental markets in the months to come, allowing for existing fixed term lease agreements to mature, then renew at rates consistent with the new market realities.

A pronounced market correction appears to be taking place, further driving up real estate acquisition and rental prices. Notably, Alberta has not seen any significant change in rental rates for the past decade. Inflationary growth in secondary resale markets and rental rates throughout the past 10 years has been negligible at 0.6% gain in real estate sale prices, and -1.6% in rental rates. Notwithstanding; the past decade has seen significant upward pressure on building costs, labor, wood, property taxes, insurance, utilities, etc. which adversely affect Landlord’s expenses with no corresponding increase in rental rates.

We define Accidental Landlords as private homeowners who, after one or more unsuccessful attempts to sell their property, elect to rent it out until market conditions are more favourable for selling. At times in the past decade, as much as 40% of the province’s rental inventory has been provided by Accidental Landlords, who never intended to rent out their properties. The recent trend in the secondary resale market leads homes to sell quickly and often through competing bids which drive up prices, and many of those accidental landlords who have been waiting for the right time to list their rental property for sale are concluding that the right time is now. As a result, many Accidental Landlords are issuing non-renewal notices to their tenants as lease maturity dates approach, selling off their property and creating increased tightness in Alberta’s rental markets by removing inventory.

Looking Forward, the initial trends are clear and we do not anticipate any significant changes to the current market trajectory in the coming months. We believe that both rental rates and secondary resale prices are on an upward trend and today’s buyers of investment real estate stand to potentially enjoy significant gains in equity and cash flow in the coming months and years.

Hope Street Real Estate Corporation is an industry leading team of property management professionals serving the Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver markets. Hope Street has about 50 team members and directly manages the tenancies of nearly 3600 people in Alberta’s major centres or surrounding communities.

Contacts

For questions on this data or media availability:

Shamon Kureshi

President & CEO

Hope Street Management Corporation.

24/7 mobile: 403-462-6200

shamon@HopeStreet.ca

Alberta producers collaborate to reduce CO₂ in construction

EDMONTON, Alberta–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#CO2reduction–From the outside looking in, the Genesee Generating Station just west of Edmonton is a key provider for thousands of Albertans who need reliable power. But there’s more to the project, thanks to an industry-leading collaboration between the project’s constructor, PCL, and Lafarge Canada.

“Lafarge brought ECOPact to the table,” says Chris Pullen, vice president and general manager, Edmonton Industrial Management, at PCL. “We knew it was exactly what our client would want to see going into the project.”

ECOPact is Lafarge’s greenest and lowest-carbon concrete and is positioned to be a game-changer for construction across Canada. “It has the same performance and quality that we’ve always provided in our concretes,” explains Prez Skiba, vice president and general manager for Lafarge in Northern Alberta. “The difference is that now we can reduce the carbon emissions that go into its manufacturing.”

The partners in the project benefited with emissions reductions beyond their initial targets. “Lafarge understood the performance requirements our engineers had identified,” says Pullen. “A project this size had many specific requirements. So to hit the emissions reduction targets that Lafarge proposed, we needed to ensure that we didn’t compromise on any of them.”

“The original concrete proposed was already a low carbon design, with emissions lower than standard concrete, but we knew we could take it further,” says Skiba. “We brought in further emissions reductions with our ECOPact design, and we were able to reduce embodied CO2 by an additional 20%. That’s 20% over and above the original design, which already offered a 20% reduction. The combined 40% CO2 reduction is equivalent to the energy used by 70 single houses in one year.”

Lafarge’s Quality Assurance team, conveniently located nearby at Lafarge’s Western Canada Innovation Centre, achieved both PCL’s strength and performance targets while maximizing CO2 emissions reductions. Thanks to its global network of research and development facilities, Lafarge optimizes cement content by customizing blends and including upcycled construction and demolition materials.

The customized blend on this project was built on the circular partnership between Lafarge and PCL. “Power generation creates fly-ash byproducts,” explains Skiba. “But with ECOPact, we can seize those byproducts and use them in the concrete, keeping them out of the landfill, decreasing embedded carbon and keeping the circular economy going.”

“We have a shared responsibility to maximize the circular economy whenever we can. Instead of sending fly ash from power generation to a landfill, we have an opportunity to use it right here in our own operations. It’s in line with the sustainability goals we have as a team,” shares Pullen.

Both partners – two of Alberta’s largest employers – see this as one of many future innovations. “We’re construction specialists and solution providers,” says Pullen, “and we’re also innovators. We aren’t afraid to push the limits of what’s possible while delivering the expertise and quality that our clients have come to expect from us.”

“We’ve got to challenge ourselves and think outside the box,” shares Skiba. “Having partners like PCL who are open to using new technologies is essential for us to change the way that we’re building. ECOPact is just one example of how we can maximize the circular economy, collaborate, and find lower carbon solutions. We’re not stopping now – building sustainably is what we do.”

About Lafarge Canada Inc.

Lafarge is Canada’s largest provider of sustainable construction materials and a member of the global group, Holcim. With 6,000 employees and 350 sites across Canada, our mission is to provide construction solutions that build better cities and communities. The cities where Canadians live, work and raise their families along with the community’s infrastructure benefit from the solutions provided by Lafarge consisting of aggregates, asphalt and paving, cement, precast concrete, ready-mix concrete, and road construction. www.lafarge.ca

About PCL Construction

PCL is a group of independent construction companies that carries out work across Canada, the United States, the Caribbean and in Australia. These diverse operations in the civil infrastructure, heavy industrial and buildings markets are supported by a strategic presence in more than 30 major centers. Together, these companies have an annual construction volume of $9 billion, making PCL the largest contracting organization in Canada and one of the largest in North America. Watch us build at PCL.com.

Contacts

Media

Jill Truscott

Communications Manager

Lafarge Canada Inc.

Tel: (403) 354-5063

jill.truscott@lafargeholcim.com

TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Primaris Real Estate Investment Trust (TSX: PMZ.UN) (“Primaris” or “Primaris REIT”) will be releasing its financial results for the quarter ended December 31, 2021, on Friday, March 4, 2022, after the market closes. Senior leadership will be hosting a conference call, webcast and presentation on March 7, 2022.

Conference Call:

Date:				Monday, March 7, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. (ET)
Dial:				For Canada please dial: 1-833-950-0062
				For International please dial: 1-929-526-1599
Passcode:				439910

Webcast:

Link: Please go to the Investor Relations section on Primaris’ website or click here.

The call will be accessible for replay until March 21, 2022, by dialing 1-226-828-7578 with access code 646604, or on the Investor Relations section of the website.

About Primaris REIT

Primaris REIT is Canada’s only enclosed shopping centre focused REIT, with ownership interests primarily in dominant enclosed shopping centres in growing markets. The portfolio totals 11.4 million square feet and is valued at approximately $3.2 billion at Primaris’ share. Economies of scale are achieved through its fully internal, vertically integrated, full-service national management platform. Primaris REIT is very well-capitalized and is exceptionally well positioned to take advantage of market opportunities at an extraordinary moment in the evolution of the Canadian retail property landscape.

Contacts

Alex Avery

Chief Executive Officer

416-642-7837

aavery@primarisreit.com

Rags Davloor

Chief Financial Officer

416-645-3716

rdavloor@primarisreit.com

TSX: PMZ.UN

www.primarisreit.com
www.sedar.com

TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Granite Real Estate Investment Trust (“Granite”) (TSX: GRT.UN / NYSE: GRP.U) announced today that its board of trustees has declared a distribution of CDN $0.2583 per stapled unit for the month of February 2022. The distribution will be paid by Granite on Tuesday, March 15, 2022 to stapled unitholders of record at the close of trading on Monday, February 28, 2022. The stapled units will begin trading on an ex-dividend basis at the opening of trading on Friday, February 25, 2022 on the Toronto Stock Exchange and on the New York Stock Exchange.

Granite confirms that no portion of the distribution constitutes effectively connected income for U.S. federal tax purposes. A qualified notice providing the breakdown of the sources of the distribution will be issued to the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation subsequent to the record date of February 28, 2022, pursuant to United States Treasury Regulation Section 1.1446-4.

ABOUT GRANITE

Granite is a Canadian-based REIT engaged in the acquisition, development, ownership and management of logistics, warehouse and industrial properties in North America and Europe. Granite owns 126 investment properties representing approximately 53.3 million square feet of leasable area.

OTHER INFORMATION

Copies of financial data and other publicly filed documents about Granite are available through the internet on the Canadian Securities Administrators’ System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) which can be accessed at www.sedar.com and on the United States Securities and Exchange Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (EDGAR) which can be accessed at www.sec.gov. For further information, please see our website at www.granitereit.com or contact Teresa Neto, Chief Financial Officer, at 647-925-7560 or Andrea Sanelli, Associate Director, Legal & Investor Services, at 647-925-7504.

Contacts

Teresa Neto, Chief Financial Officer

647-925-7560

or

Andrea Sanelli, Associate Director, Legal & Investor Services

647-925-7504