Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc. (NYSE:IIPR) Q4 2022 Earnings Call Transcript

Alan Gold: Yes, I mean, I think we’re being — as we described our pipeline, we’re being an opportunistic and cautious in evaluating every transaction. But our business is to provide capital for this industry. And thinking through the way this industry works, new state obtains the permission to go ahead and do medical cannabis, or even adult use cannabis, that those products, those buildings, those facilities didn’t exist before. So there is an absolute need. And that is why we are in existence. And it is the opportunity for us to generate these, what we think are above average returns for what we still believe is below average risk. And we still have five or six developments that are still being finished. And they are proceeding very well and there — and we still believe that, that is a good business line for us. And that’s how we were able to generate with less than or approximately 17% of our invested capital in 2022, a 35% year-over-year total revenue growth.

Connor Mitchell : And then maybe just one more for me, regarding the definitive sale agreement for the Vertical product or property, excuse me. It seems are all in California, so I guess, just hoping do you guys could give a little bit of insight as to how you’re viewing the California market nowadays compared to other markets? And whether there’s any insight you can provide as to the transaction process, and the sale of the Vertical property? Whether it has to do with the previously disclosed defaulted, whether that had an impact?

Alan Gold: Well, certainly it had an impact and it’s certainly we’ve been discussing and talking about Vertical for at least a year plus and we’ve been trying to figure out the best approach to deal with the Vertical transaction and try not to get any more committed to that transaction by providing more capital to it. And so we’ve been working with the tenant on a variety of bases, including helping them find alternative capital, and they found alternative capital and alternative capital came in. It came in — it was needed, like the facility needed some additional capital to fix some of the things that the previous owner didn’t do probably in the best way. And the new capital, new investor, in order to put the capital in, wanted to own the asset as opposed to be in a long-term sale leaseback transaction.

So in combination with all that, we came up to what we thought was a very creative way for us to continue to receive I think a very attractive yield on our capital. Allow this new investor to continue to invest in the property and make that a successful opportunity. And then should something untoward continue to happen in that market, we’ll have an asset that is — has additional investment that’s been put in, not by us, and a lower basis and ability to we think continue to recover our investors, capital and a return on our investors’ capital.

Operator: The next question comes from Scott Fortune with ROTH Capital.

Scott Fortune: Just sticking on that note, kind of providing color on the tenants or potential buyers out there, they’re looking kindly take over these California properties or potentially properties in Pennsylvania and Michigan. Kind of we take it that these are known existing tenants that have followed balance sheets and looking to add production and take market share in these tough markets so they can. Just want to get a sense for the health, or what are you looking for the interest potential re-leasing or even buying assets? And if you want to get back into the strategy that looking at properties whether to sell out on the tougher markets or continue managing by re-leasing?

Alan Gold: Well, I mean, I think that goes to the back half of the question, the last question, which is, what’s going on in the California market. California market still is difficult, Paul?