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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

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FORM 10-K

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Commission File No. 001-15371

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Safehold Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

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Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (212) 930-9400

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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

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Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒   No  ☐

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Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐  No ☒

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (i) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding twelve months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports); and (ii) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒    No ☐

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒    No ☐

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

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If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal controls over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.☒

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If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

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Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes  ☐    No ☒

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As of June 28, 2024, the aggregate market value of Safehold Inc. common stock, $0.01 par value per share, held by non-affiliates of the registrant was approximately $1.1 billion, based upon the closing price of $19.29 on the New York Stock Exchange composite tape on such date.

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As of February 5, 2025, there were 71,449,014 shares of common stock outstanding.

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DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

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Portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement for the registrant’s 2025 Annual Meeting, to be filed within 120 days after the close of the registrant’s fiscal year, are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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PART I

Item 1.   Business

Explanatory Note for Purposes of the "Safe Harbor Provisions" of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended

Certain statements in this report, other than purely historical information, including estimates, projections, statements relating to our business plans, objectives and expected operating results, and the assumptions upon which those statements are based, are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). Forward-looking statements are included with respect to, among other things, our current business plan, business strategy, portfolio management, prospects and liquidity. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words "believe," "project," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "strategy," "plan," "may," "should," "will," "would," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result," and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties which may cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that we believe might cause such differences are discussed in the section entitled, "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A of this Form 10-K or otherwise accompany the forward-looking statements contained in this Form 10-K. We undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. In assessing all forward-looking statements, readers are urged to read carefully all cautionary statements contained in this Form 10-K.

Merger Transaction and Spin-Off

On August 10, 2022, Safehold Inc. (“Old SAFE”) entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with iStar Inc. (“iStar”), and on March 31, 2023, in accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement, Old SAFE merged with and into iStar, at which time Old SAFE ceased to exist, and iStar continued as the surviving corporation and changed its name to “Safehold Inc.” (the “Merger”). For accounting purposes, the Merger is treated as a “reverse acquisition” in which iStar is considered the legal acquirer and Old SAFE is considered the accounting acquirer. As a result, the historical financial statements of Old SAFE became the historical financial statements of Safehold Inc. Unless the context otherwise requires, references to “iStar” refer to iStar prior to the Merger, and references to “we,” “our” and “the Company” refer to the business and operations of Old SAFE and its consolidated subsidiaries prior to the Merger and to Safehold Inc. (formerly known as iStar Inc.) and its consolidated subsidiaries following the consummation of the Merger. Periods presented prior to the Merger date of March 31, 2023 reflect the operations of Old SAFE and periods presented subsequent to March 31, 2023 represent the financial statements of the Company.  

Additionally, in connection with the Merger, Safehold Operating Partnership LP converted from a Delaware limited partnership into a Delaware limited liability company and changed its name to “Safehold GL Holdings LLC” (“Portfolio Holdings”), with the Company as its managing member. The Company conducts all of its business and owns all of its properties through Portfolio Holdings. In addition, holders of Caret units in Old SAFE’s subsidiary, Caret Ventures LLC (“Caret Ventures”), contributed their interests in Caret Ventures to Portfolio Holdings in return for Caret units issued by Portfolio Holdings. Following the restructuring, 100% of the equity interests in Caret Ventures is held by Portfolio Holdings, and Portfolio Holdings is owned by the Company, management of the Company, employees and former employees of the Company, affiliates of MSD Partners, L.P. (“MSD Partners”) and other outside investors.

Immediately before the closing of the Merger, iStar separated its remaining legacy non-ground lease assets and businesses, approximately $50.0 million of cash, exclusive of working capital reserves and restricted cash, and approximately 13.5 million shares of Old SAFE common stock into Star Holdings, a Maryland statutory trust (“Star Holdings”), by distributing to iStar’s stockholders, on a pro rata basis, the issued and outstanding equity interests of Star Holdings (the “Spin-Off”).  Following the Merger, the Company serves as external manager to Star Holdings.

Other Merger and Spin-Off related transactions

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On August 10, 2022, iStar entered into an agreement (the “MSD Stock Purchase Agreement”) with MSD Partners pursuant to which MSD Partners agreed to purchase 5,405,406 shares of Old SAFE’s common stock then owned by iStar (the “MSD Stock Purchase”) for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $200 million, or $37.00 per share, payable in cash. MSD Partners’ rights and obligations under the MSD Stock Purchase Agreement were subsequently assigned to certain of its affiliates. The MSD Stock Purchase closed on March 31, 2023, shortly before the closing of the Merger. MSD Partners has the right to designate an observer to the board of directors of the Company, a top-up right on future equity issuances (subject to certain exceptions) and registration rights. MSD Partners is subject to a customary standstill and certain restrictions on sales of its shares of the Company’s common stock.

On August 10, 2022, MSD Partners also agreed to purchase 100,000 Caret units (refer to Note 12 to the consolidated financial statements) from the Company for an aggregate purchase price of $20.0 million (the “MSD Caret Purchase”). MSD Partners received a credit against their purchase price for Caret units equal to the amount they would have received had they held Caret units at the time of a December 2022 distribution to other Caret unit holders, which was equal to $0.6 million. MSD Partners’ rights and obligations under the purchase agreement were subsequently assigned to certain of its affiliates. The closing of the MSD Caret Purchase took place in conjunction with the closing of the Merger on March 31, 2023.

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Star Holdings was capitalized in part with an 8.0%, four-year term loan from the Company having an initial principal amount of $115.0 million, as well as SOFR plus 3.00% bank debt with an initial principal balance of $140.0 million from Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A. which is secured by approximately 12.9 million shares of the Company as of December 31, 2024.

In connection with the Spin-Off, Safehold Management Services Inc. (“SpinCo Manager”), a Delaware corporation and a subsidiary of the Company, entered into a management agreement with Star Holdings effective as of March 31, 2023, pursuant to which SpinCo Manager will continue to operate and pursue the orderly monetization of Star Holding’s assets. Star Holdings paid SpinCo Manager an annual management fee of $25.0 million for the term ended March 31, 2024. The annual fee declines to $15.0 million, $10.0 million and $5.0 million, respectively, in each of following annual terms, and adjusts to 2.0% of the gross book value of Star Holdings’ assets, excluding shares of the Company’s common stock held by Star Holdings, thereafter. The Company and Star Holdings also entered into a governance agreement that places certain restrictions on the transfer and voting of the shares of the Company owned by Star Holdings, and a registration rights agreement under which the Company agreed to register such shares for resale in accordance with applicable securities laws.

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Business

We are a publicly-traded company that operates our business through one reportable segment by acquiring, managing and capitalizing ground leases. We believe that our business has characteristics comparable to a high-grade, fixed income investment business, but with certain unique advantages. Relative to alternative fixed income investments generally, our ground leases typically benefit from built-in growth derived from contractual base rent increases (either at a specified percentage or consumer price index ("CPI") based, or both), and the opportunity to realize value from residual rights to take ownership of the buildings and other improvements on our land at no additional cost to us. Our CPI lookbacks are generally capped between 3.0% - 3.5% and generally start between years 11 and 21 of the lease term. In the event cumulative inflation growth for the lookback period exceeds the cap, these rent adjustments may not keep up fully with changes in inflation. We believe that these features offer us the opportunity to realize superior risk-adjusted total returns when compared to certain alternative highly-rated investments.

Ground leases generally represent the ownership of land underlying commercial real estate projects that is net leased on a long-term basis (base terms are typically 30 to 99 years, often with tenant renewal options) by the fee owner of the land (landlord) to the owners/operators of the real estate projects built thereon ("Ground Lease"), or what we refer to as a SafeholdTM. The property is generally leased on a triple net basis with the tenant generally responsible for taxes, maintenance and insurance as well as all operating costs and capital expenditures. Ground Leases typically provide that at the end of the lease term or upon tenant default and the termination of the Ground Lease upon such default, the land, building and all improvements revert to the landlord.

We have become the industry leader in Ground Leases by demonstrating the value of the product to real estate investors, owners, operators and developers and expanding their use throughout major metropolitan areas.

We have a portfolio of properties diversified by property type and region. Our portfolio is comprised of Ground Leases and one master lease (relating to five hotel assets that we refer to as our “Park Hotels Portfolio”) that provide for contractual periodic rent escalations and in some cases percentage rent participations in gross revenues generated at the relevant properties.

We have chosen to focus on Ground Leases because we believe they meet an important need in the real estate capital markets for our customers. We also believe Ground Leases offer a unique combination of safety, income growth and the potential for capital appreciation for investors for the following reasons:

High Quality Long-Term Cash Flow: We believe that a Ground Lease represents a safe position in a property’s capital structure. The combined value of the land and buildings and improvements thereon subject to a Ground Lease (the "Combined Property Value") typically significantly exceeds the Ground Lease landlord’s investment in the Ground Lease; therefore, even if the landlord takes over the property following a tenant default or upon expiration of the Ground Lease, the landlord is reasonably likely to recover substantially all of its Ground Lease investment, and possibly amounts in excess of its investment, depending upon prevailing market conditions. Additionally, the typical structure of a Ground Lease provides the landlord with a residual right to regain possession of its land and take ownership of the buildings and improvements thereon upon a tenant default. The landlord’s residual right provides a strong incentive for a Ground Lease tenant or its leasehold lender to make the required Ground Lease rent payments.

Income Growth: Ground Leases typically provide growing income streams through contractual base rent escalators that may compound over the duration of the lease. These rent escalators may be based on fixed increases, CPI or a combination thereof, and may also include a participation in the gross revenues of the property. We believe that this growth in the lease rate over time can mitigate the effects of inflation and capture anticipated increases in land values over time, as well as serving as a basis for growing our dividend.

Opportunity for Capital Appreciation: The opportunity for capital appreciation comes in two forms. First, as the ground rent grows over time, the value of the Ground Lease should grow under market conditions in which capitalization rates remain flat. Second, our residual right to regain possession of the land underlying the Ground Lease and take title to the buildings and other improvements thereon at lease expiration or earlier termination of the lease for no additional consideration creates additional potential value to our shareholders.

We generally target Ground Lease investments in which the initial cost of the Ground Lease represents 30% to 45% of the Combined Property Value as if the Ground Lease did not exist. If the initial cost of a Ground Lease is equal to 35% of the Combined Property Value, the remaining 65% of the Combined Property Value represents potential excess value over the amount of our investment that would be turned over to us upon the reversion of the property, assuming no intervening change in the Combined Property Value. In our view, there is a strong correlation between inflation and commercial real estate values over time, which supports our belief that the value of our owned residual portfolio should increase over time as inflation increases, although our ability to recognize value in certain cases may be limited by the rights of our tenants under some of our Ground Leases, including tenant rights to purchase our land in certain circumstances and the right of one tenant to demolish improvements prior to the expiration of the lease. See "Risk Factors" for a discussion of these tenant rights.

Owned Residual Portfolio: We believe that the residual right is a unique feature distinguishing Ground Leases from other fixed income investments and property types. We refer to the value of the land and improvements subject to a Ground Lease in excess of our investment basis as unrealized capital appreciation (“UCA”). We track the UCA in our owned residual portfolio over our basis because we believe it provides relevant information with regard to the three key investment characteristics of our Ground Leases: (1) the safety of our position in a tenant’s capital structure; (2) the quality of the long-term cash flows generated by our portfolio rent that increases over time; and (3) increases and decreases in the Combined Property Value of the portfolio that reverts to us pursuant to such residual rights.

We believe that, similar to a loan to value metric, tracking changes in the value of our owned residual portfolio is useful as an indicator of the quality of our cash flows and the safety of our position in a tenant’s capital structure, which, in turn, supports our objective to pay and grow dividends over time. Observing changes in our owned residual portfolio value also helps us monitor changes in the value of the real estate portfolio that reverts to us under the terms of the leases, either at the expiration or earlier termination of the lease. The value may be realized by us at the relevant time by entering into a new lease reflecting then current market terms and values, selling the building, selling the building with the land, or operating the building directly and leasing the spaces to tenants at prevailing market rates.

We have engaged an independent valuation firm to prepare: (a) initial reports of the Combined Property Value associated with our Ground Lease portfolio; and (b) periodic updates of such reports, which we use, in part, to determine the current estimated value of our owned residual portfolio. We calculate this estimated value by subtracting our original aggregate cost basis in the Ground Leases from our estimated aggregate Combined Property Value based on estimates by the valuation firm and by management.

The table below shows the current estimated UCA as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 ($ in millions):(1)

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In 2018, Old SAFE established the Caret program (as defined below). The Caret program is designed to recognize the two distinct components of value in our Ground Lease portfolio by separating them into:

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Portfolio Holdings’ two classes of limited liability company interests are designed to track these two components: “GL units” are intended to track the bond component and “Caret units” are designed to track the Caret component (the “Caret program”). We currently hold all of the issued and outstanding GL units of Portfolio Holdings.

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In general, all of our Ground Leases are subject to the Caret program, except for non-commercial Ground Leases and pre-development Ground Leases. Holders of Caret units are generally entitled to amounts equal to the net proceeds from the disposition of a Ground Lease asset in excess of the cost borne by us to acquire such asset (including amounts paid to the tenant in connection with the initial development of improvements at the properties). However, we are entitled to deduct (i) unrecovered acquisition costs borne by Portfolio Holdings following the termination of an applicable Ground Lease by reason of defaults of tenants; (ii) accrued unpaid rent under the applicable Ground Lease; and (iii) unrecovered costs relating to the issuance, maintenance and management of Caret units as a separate security, among other costs, from the amount payable to the holders of Caret units on account of such net proceeds. See “SAFE Proposal 2: The SAFE Caret Amendment Proposal” in our Registration Statement on Form S-4, filed with the SEC on December 16, 2022, for more information on the Caret program.

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During the third quarter of 2018, Old SAFE adopted, and in the second quarter of 2019, its stockholders approved, the Caret Performance Incentive Plan (the “Original Caret Performance Incentive Plan”). Under the Original Caret Performance Incentive Plan, 1,500,000 Caret units were reserved for grants of performance-based awards to Original Caret Performance Incentive Plan participants, including certain executives of the Company, or its affiliates, directors of Old SAFE and service providers of Old SAFE. Initial grants under the Original Caret Performance Incentive Plan were subject to graduated vesting based on time-based service conditions and hurdles of our common stock price, all of which have been satisfied. In connection with the Merger, certain of Old SAFE’s executive officers entered into re-vesting agreements pursuant to which the executives agreed to subject 25% of their previously vested Caret units to additional vesting conditions which will be satisfied on March 31, 2025 (the second anniversary of the Merger), subject to the applicable executive’s continued employment through such date. In connection with the Merger, each Award Agreement (as defined in the Original Caret Performance Incentive Plan) related to outstanding Caret unit awards was assigned to Portfolio Holdings, and Old SAFE amended and restated the Original Caret Performance Incentive Plan (the “Caret Performance Incentive Plan”). Following the Merger, 76,801 Caret units were awarded to executive officers and other employees under such plan that are subject to cliff vesting on the fourth anniversary of their grant date if our common stock has traded at an average price of $60.00 or more for at least 30 consecutive trading days during that four-year period. As a result, as of December 31, 2024, vested and unvested Caret units beneficially owned by our officers and other employees represent approximately 14.4% of the outstanding Caret units and 11.4% of the authorized Caret units, including 6.1% held directly and indirectly by Jay Sugarman, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

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In addition to the Caret units awarded or reserved for issuance under our Caret Performance Incentive Plan, we have sold 122,500 Caret units to third-party investors, including affiliates of MSD Partners, that remain outstanding as of December 31, 2024. As of December 31, 2024, the Company owned 84.3% of the outstanding Caret units. In connection with the sale of 137,142 Caret units in February 2022 (28,571 of which were committed to be purchased at the time, but did not close), Old SAFE agreed to use commercially reasonable efforts to provide public market liquidity for such Caret units by seeking to provide a listing of the Caret units (or securities into which they may be exchanged) on a public exchange within two years of the sale. Because public market liquidity was not achieved by February 2024, the investors in the February 2022 transaction had the right to cause their Caret units purchased in February 2022 to be redeemed by Portfolio Holdings at such purchase price less the amount of distributions previously made on such units. In April 2024, all of the investors in the February 2022 transaction exercised this right and elected to have their Caret units redeemed at the original purchase price less the amount of distributions previously made on such units.

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On March 31, 2023, Old SAFE sold 100,000 Caret units to affiliates of MSD Partners for an aggregate purchase price of $20.0 million (refer to Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements) pursuant to a subscription agreement entered into on August 10, 2022 and sold an aggregate of 22,500 Caret units to third-party investors for an aggregate $4.5 million pursuant to a subscription agreement entered into in November 2022.

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In September 2022, Old SAFE sold a Ground Lease in the Washington, D.C. market for $136.0 million to a third-party purchaser. The transaction generated a net book gain for us of approximately $46.4 million. After paying closing costs, establishing reserves for Caret-related expenses and deducting the original $76.7 million cost basis to us, the remaining proceeds were distributed approximately 84% to Old SAFE and approximately 16% to the minority holders of Caret units. In addition, the affiliates of MSD Partners received a credit against their purchase price for Caret units equal to the amount they would have received had they held Caret units at the time of the distribution.

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Market Opportunity: We believe that there is a significant market opportunity for a dedicated provider of Ground Lease capital like us. We believe that the market for existing Ground Leases is fragmented with ownership comprised primarily of high net worth individuals, pension funds, life insurance companies, estates and endowments. However, while we intend to pursue acquisitions of existing Ground Leases, our investment thesis is predicated, in part, on what we believe is an untapped market opportunity to expand the use of Ground Leases to a broader component of the approximately $7.0 trillion institutional commercial property market in the U.S. We intend to capture this market opportunity by utilizing multiple sourcing and origination channels, including manufacturing new Ground Leases with third-party owners and developers of commercial real estate and originating Ground Leases to provide capital for development and redevelopment.

We further believe that Ground Leases generally represent an attractive source of capital for our tenants and may allow them to generate superior returns on their invested equity as compared to utilizing alternative sources of capital. Prior to the Merger, we relied on the extensive investment origination and sourcing platform of iStar, the parent company of our former manager, to actively promote the benefits of the Ground Lease structure to prospective Ground Lease tenants. Subsequent to the Merger and the acquisition of iStar and its employees, we are internally managed.

Additionally, we have created additional channels and products that allows us to build a larger, captive pipeline. In connection with the Merger, Old SAFE acquired iStar’s interests in iStar’s two Ground Lease ecosystem funds, Ground Lease Plus Fund and Leasehold Loan Fund (refer to Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements). The Ground Lease Plus Fund includes three assets and targets high quality projects in pre-construction development phase with institutional developers. The Leasehold Loan Fund currently includes four assets and allows for customers to receive their full capital structure needs in one place. Customers are able to receive a mortgage leasehold loan as well as a Ground Lease through us. We also created “SAFExSWAP,” which is a program that allows real estate investors with existing ground leases to swap into one of our Ground Leases. Additionally, our product “SAFExSELL” provides clients with an opportunity to enter into a Ground Lease at the time of the sale of a real estate asset, generating greater proceeds than would normally be expected in connection with a fee simple sale.

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We are a Maryland corporation and our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "SAFE." The Company, then known as iStar, elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust ("REIT") for U.S. federal income tax purposes, commencing with the tax year ended December 31, 1998.

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Investment Strategy

Our primary investment objective is to construct a diversified portfolio of Ground Leases that will generate attractive high-quality risk-adjusted returns and support stable and growing distributions to our shareholders. We have identified several channels for pursuing Ground Lease investment opportunities which include:

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We generally intend to target Ground Leases that meet some or all of the following investment criteria:

Financing Strategy

We utilize and expect to continue to utilize leverage. Our current strategy is to generally target overall leverage at an amount that is approximately 25% of the aggregate Combined Property Value of our portfolio, but not to exceed an overall ratio of 2:1 relative to our total equity. However, our organizational documents do not limit the amount of indebtedness that we may incur. We will consider a number of factors in evaluating our level of indebtedness from time to time, as well as the amount of such indebtedness that will be either fixed or floating rate. Our board of directors may from time to time modify our leverage policies in light of the then-current economic conditions, relative costs of debt and equity capital, market values of our properties, general market conditions for debt and equity issuances, fluctuations in the market price of our common stock, growth and acquisition opportunities and other factors, including the restrictive covenants under our debt obligations. Subject to our qualification as a REIT, we seek to manage our exposure to interest rate volatility by using interest rate hedging arrangements.

To the extent our board of directors determines to obtain additional capital, we may, without stockholder approval, borrow funds or issue debt or equity securities, including additional GL units or Caret units, retain earnings (subject to the distribution requirements applicable to REITs under the Code) or pursue a combination of these methods.

Hedging Strategy

We may enter into hedging transactions to manage interest rate risk. Hedging transactions could take a variety of forms, including interest rate swap agreements, interest rate cap agreements, treasury locks, options, futures contracts, forward rate agreements or similar financial instruments. We intend to structure hedging transactions in a manner that does not jeopardize our qualification as a REIT.

Conflict of Interest Policies

Conflicts of interest may exist or could arise in the future with any member of Portfolio Holdings or in our relationship with Star Holdings. Conflicts may include, without limitation: conflicts between the interests of our stockholders and the management holders of Caret units; conflicts arising from the enforcement of agreements between us and Star Holdings; conflicts in the amount of time that our officers and employees will spend on the affairs of Star Holdings versus our affairs; conflicts in determining whether to seek reimbursement from Star Holdings of certain expenses we incur on its behalf; and conflicts between the interests of our stockholders and members of our management who hold Star Holdings common stock. We have adopted a policy that all transactions between Star Holdings and us must be approved by our Audit Committee (the “Committee”). However, we cannot assure you this policy or other policies and provisions of law will always succeed in eliminating the influence of such conflicts. If they are not successful, decisions could be made that might fail to reflect the best interest of all shareholders. See "Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Relationship with Star Holdings – “There are various potential conflicts of interest in our relationship with Star Holdings, which could result in decisions that are not in the best interest of our shareholders.”

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Competition

We compete with numerous commercial developers, real estate companies (including other REITs), financial institutions (such as banks and insurance companies) and other investors (such as pension funds, investment funds, private companies and individuals) for investment opportunities and tenants. This competition may result in higher costs for properties, lower returns and impact our ability to grow.

Some of these competitors have greater financial and other resources and access to more attractive capital than we do. However, due to our focus on Ground Leases located throughout the U.S., and because some of our competitors are locally and/or regionally focused, we do not always encounter the same competitors in each market.

Regulation

We believe that we have been organized and have operated in a manner that has enabled us to maintain our qualification as a REIT and our exemption from regulation as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and we intend to continue to do so. In addition, our properties are subject to various laws, ordinances and regulations. Our tenants are generally responsible under our Ground Leases for taxes, maintenance and insurance as well as all operating costs and capital expenditures, including capital expenditures that may result from compliance with environmental and other laws and regulations. Although our tenants are primarily responsible for any damages and claims arising from the leased properties’ compliance with applicable environmental and other laws and regulations, a tenant’s bankruptcy or inability to satisfy its obligations for these types of damages or claims could require us to satisfy such liabilities. In addition, we may be held directly liable for any such damages or claims irrespective of the provisions of any lease.

Code of Ethics and Conduct

The Company has adopted a Code of Ethics and Conduct that applies to our directors, officers and employees (the "Code of Conduct"). The Code of Conduct sets forth the principles of conduct and ethics to be followed by our directors, officers and employees. The purpose of the Code of Conduct is to promote honest and ethical conduct; full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure; compliance with applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations;  prompt internal reporting of violations of law or the Code of Conduct; accountability for adherence to the Code of Conduct; consistent enforcement of the Code of Conduct; protection for persons reporting any questionable behavior; protection of the Company’s legitimate business interests; and confidentiality of information entrusted to our directors, officers and employees. A copy of the Code of Conduct has been provided to each of our directors, officers and employees, who are required to acknowledge that they have received and will comply with the Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct is available on the Company’s website at www.safeholdinc.com. The Company will post on its website all disclosures that are required under the Exchange Act or NYSE listing standards concerning any amendments to, or waivers from, any provision of the Code of Conduct.  

Human Capital Resources

Central to our business strategy is attracting, developing and retaining a talented, diverse and engaged workforce to drive our success. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had 74 employees. The Company believes it has good relationships with its employees. Substantially all of our employees are full time employees and they are not represented by any collective bargaining agreements.

As we have transitioned the focus of our business to growing our Ground Lease platform, we have sought to recruit new talent and provide training to existing employees to support our business strategy. In our recruiting efforts, we generally strive to draw from the largest feasible pool of candidates to consider for roles. We have designed a compensation structure, including an array of benefits, that we believe is attractive to current and prospective personnel. We also offer our professionals the opportunity to participate in a variety of development programs, including discussions led by outside speakers on topics of interest and a learning management tool that enables employees and their managers to select courses that enhance professional development.

We maintain a number of health and wellness programs to support the welfare of our people. These programs include an employee assistance program that offers confidential assessment, counseling and referral services at no cost to the employee. We seek to provide a safe workplace for our employees and have established emergency procedures that address emergency health and safety situations.

Additional Information

We maintain a website at www.safeholdinc.com. The information on our website is not incorporated by reference in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and our web address is included only as an inactive textual reference. In addition to this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we file quarterly and special reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Through our website, we make available free of charge our annual proxy statement, annual reports to shareholders, annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. These documents also may be accessed through the SEC’s electronic data gathering, analysis and retrieval system via electronic means, including on the SEC’s homepage, which can be found at www.sec.gov.

Item 1A.   Risk Factors

In addition to the other information in this report, you should carefully consider the following risk factors in evaluating an investment in the Company’s securities. Any of these risks or the occurrence of any one or more of the uncertainties described below could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, ability to service our indebtedness, ability to pay distributions and the market price of the Company’s common stock. The risks set forth below speak only as of the date of this report and the Company disclaims any duty to update them except as required by law. For purposes of these risk factors, the terms "our Company," "we," "our" and "us" refer to Safehold Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.

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Summary Risk Factors –

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Risks Related to Our Portfolio and Our Business

The market for Ground Lease transactions and the availability of investment opportunities may not meet our growth objectives.

The achievement of our investment objectives depends, in part, on our ability to continue to grow our portfolio. We cannot assure you that the market for Ground Leases will enable us to meet our growth objectives. Potential tenants may prefer to own the land underlying the improvements they intend to develop, rehabilitate or own. Negative publicity about the experience of tenants with non-Safehold Ground Leases may also discourage potential tenants. In addition, increases in interest rates have and may continue to result in a reduction in the availability or an increase in costs of leasehold financing, which is critical to the growth of a robust Ground Lease market. These and other factors outside our control may materially adversely affect the market for our leases and our ability to grow and meet our investment objectives.

Our operating performance and the market value of our properties are subject to risks associated with real estate assets.

Real estate investments are subject to various risks and fluctuations and cycles in value and demand, many of which are beyond our control. Certain events may adversely affect our operating results and decrease cash available for distributions to our shareholders, as well as the market value of our properties. These events include, but are not limited to:

In addition, periods of economic slowdown or recession, rising interest rates or declining demand for real estate, or the public perception that such events may occur or have occurred, could result in a general decline in attractive investment opportunities, the availability of financing for buyers and lessees of our properties or an increased incidence of defaults under our existing leases. As a result of the foregoing, there can be no assurance that we can achieve our investment objectives.

The rental payments under our leases may not keep up with changes in market value and inflation.

The leases at most of our properties provide for rental payments that are CPI-Linked or fixed with future CPI adjustments. Many of our Ground Leases include a periodic rent increase based on prior years’ cumulative CPI growth, with the initial lookback year generally starting between years 11 and 21 of the lease term. These CPI lookbacks are generally capped between 3.0% - 3.5%. In the event cumulative inflation growth for the lookback period exceeds the cap, these rent adjustments may not keep up fully with changes in inflation. They may also not keep up with increases in market rental rates. As a result, we may not capture the full value of the land underlying our leases at given points in time or the UCA at lease expiration. Future leases that we enter into are likely to contain similar or other limitations on rent increases, which may limit the appreciation in value of our land, our net asset value and our UCA.

We may be unable to renew expiring Ground Leases, re-lease the land or sell the properties on favorable terms or at all.

Above-market lease rates at some of the properties in our portfolio at the time of any Ground Lease renewal or re-lease may force us to renew some expiring leases or re-lease properties at lower rates. We cannot assure you existing tenants will exercise any extension options or that our expiring leases will be renewed or that our properties will be re-leased at lease rates equal to or above their then weighted average lease rates. For example, one of our tenants under our Park Hotels Portfolio master lease elected to not extend the leases underlying two of the five hotels past December 2025. In addition, tenants may fail to properly maintain their improvements, and certain improvements may become obsolete over the long terms of our Ground Leases, which may impair the value and the UCA that we are able to realize upon a sale or re-leasing, or require us to make significant investments in order to restore the property to a suitable condition.

A lack of recourse to creditworthy counterparties may adversely affect us and our tenants.

The tenants under our Ground Leases are typically special purpose entities formed to enter into our leases and own the improvements built on our land. Likewise, our tenants’ lenders are often special purpose entities formed to enter into their debt arrangements. If we have to take action to enforce our leases, we may not have access to tenants’ assets other than our lease and the tenant’s improvements. If our tenants have to take action to enforce their debt arrangements, they may not have access to the lenders’ assets. We may have limited or no recourse against a separate creditworthy guarantor. Disputes may arise that result in the tenant withholding rent payments, possibly for an extended period. If a tenant fails to maintain our land and their improvements in accordance with our lease terms, their value may decline materially. Any of these situations may result in extended periods with a significant decline in revenues or no revenues generated by a property or may impair the value of our properties and the UCA that we may realize from them.

Counterparty, geographic and industry concentrations may expose us to financial credit risk.

For the year ended December 31, 2024, our two largest tenants by revenues accounted for approximately 4.5% and 4.4%, respectively, of our total revenues. For the year ended December 31, 2024, 36.9% of our total revenues came from multifamily properties, 36.4% came from office properties and 10.2% came from hotel properties. We could be materially and adversely affected by negative factors affecting such concentration. For example, our office assets and business growth prospects may be adversely affected, including adverse impacts on our rents collected, Ground Rent Coverage and UCA as a result of reduced demand for office space and/or reduction in rents at our office properties as a result of an economic downturn or permanent shift in office space demand as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic or other health crises. Moreover, certain office assets currently have material vacancies. If our Ground Lease tenants at such assets fail to re-tenant the building such Ground Leases may default and we may suffer losses. For one such asset, located in Washington D.C., we entered into a discretionary commitment to fund up to $9.0 million of preferred equity in an entity that owns the leasehold interest. This preferred equity position is intended to fund any operating cash flow deficits and leasing capital necessary at the property as our tenant explores potential re-leasing or a leasehold sale, though there can be no guarantee that our tenant will be able to re-lease or sell in a timely manner, or at all.

In addition, as of December 31, 2024, our portfolio had regional geographic concentrations based on gross book value (refer to “Our Portfolio” in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations).

Percentage rent payable under our master lease relating to the Park Hotels Portfolio is calculated on an aggregate portfolio-wide basis.

The tenant under our Park Hotels Portfolio master lease pays us percentage rent equal to 7.5% of the positive difference between the aggregate annual operating revenues of the five hotels in the portfolio for any year and a threshold amount of approximately $81.4 million. We received $3.5 million of percentage rent payments from our Park Hotels Portfolio in 2024 (which reflect 2023 operations), $2.8 million of percentage rent payments from our Park Hotels Portfolio in 2023 (which reflect 2022 operations) and received no percentage rent payments in 2022 (which reflect 2021 operations). Our tenant elected to not extend the master lease in connection with two of the five hotels past December 2025. The two hotels not extended were responsible for $1.1 million of the $3.5 million of percentage rent received in 2024. Any deterioration in the operating performance at any of the hotels in the Park Hotels Portfolio would adversely affect our ability to earn percentage rent under such hotels, and it is possible that poor operating performance at one or more such hotels could reduce or eliminate percentage rent for any annual period notwithstanding stable or improving operating performance at other hotels included in the Park Hotels Portfolio.

We are the tenant of a Ground Lease underlying a majority of our Doubletree Seattle Airport property.

The sum of our cash base rental income in place for our Doubletree Seattle Airport property as of December 31, 2024 and total percentage cash rental income during the year ended December 31, 2024 for such property totaled an aggregate of $5.4 million, or approximately 2.2% of the cash revenues of the Company. A majority of the land underlying our Doubletree Seattle Airport property is owned by a third party and is ground leased to us. We are obligated to pay the third-party owner of the Ground Lease $0.5 million, subject to adjustment for changes in the CPI, per year through 2044; however, we pass this cost on to our tenant under the terms of our master lease. If the underlying Ground Lease is not renewed by the landlord on or before its expiration in 2044, our lease of the Doubletree Seattle Airport hotel to our tenant would also terminate which would result in the loss to us of the rental income from this hotel as well as any UCA that had not been realized by that time.

Certain tenant rights under our Ground Leases may limit the value and the UCA we are able to realize upon lease expiration, sale of our land and Ground Leases or other events.

Certain tenant rights under our Ground Leases may limit the value we are able to realize upon lease expiration, sale of our land or other events, including, among others: (i) our Park Hotels Portfolio master lease gives the tenant the right to purchase one or more of the hotels at fair market value if the hotel suffers a major casualty or condemnation event, as defined under the master lease; (ii) prior to the expiration of the Ground Lease relating to an office property that represents 1.1% of the gross book value of our portfolio as of December 31, 2024, the tenant has the right to demolish the building and improvements on the property, although it cannot do so during the last five years of the lease without our prior consent. Rent under our Ground Lease must continue to be paid through the end of the lease, even if the tenant demolishes the building and any improvements on the property; (iii) the tenant under one of our Ground Leases has a buy-out option in year 49 of the lease; (iv) the Lock Up Self Storage Facility lease gives the tenant the right to purchase our interest in the underlying land at fair market value as of the expiration of the lease in 2037; (v) the tenants under certain of our Ground Leases have a right of first offer or a right of first refusal to purchase the land underlying the Ground Lease should we decide to sell the land together with the Ground Lease to a third party; and (vi) the third party ownership of a majority of the land underlying our Doubletree Seattle Airport property, as described above. The existence of these rights in existing and future leases may adversely affect the value and the UCA we are able to realize upon a sale of our Ground Leases and/or make it more difficult to re-let a property after the expiration of a lease.

We rely on Property NOI as reported to us by our tenants.

In evaluating Ground Rent Coverages and estimating Combined Property Values as indicators of the security of the rent owed to us pursuant to, and the safety of our investment in, a Ground Lease, we rely, to a significant degree, on Property NOI as reported to us by our tenants, or as otherwise publicly available, without independent investigation or verification on our part. Our tenants do not, nor do we expect that future tenants will, provide us with full financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP or audited or reviewed by an independent registered public accounting firm. Our leases generally do not specify the detail upon which such financial information must be prepared or require notice to us or our approval for rent concessions or abatements given by our tenants to their subtenants. We assume the accuracy and completeness of information provided to us by our tenants or that is publicly available and the appropriateness of the accounting methodology or principles, assumptions, estimates and judgments used in its preparation. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that the information provided to us by our tenants, or that is otherwise publicly available, is accurate or complete, which could materially and adversely affect our underwriting decisions. Tenants may also restrict our ability to disclose publicly their Property NOI. In addition, with respect to properties under development or renovation, Ground Rent Coverage reflects our estimated annual rent coverage at the expected stabilization or completion of renovation at the applicable property. There can be no assurance our estimates will prove to be correct.

Our estimates of Ground Rent Coverage for properties in development or transition, or for which we do not receive current tenant financial information, may prove to be incorrect.

Certain of the Ground Leases in our portfolio relate to properties that are under development or in transition. In such cases, our underwriting and monitoring of the property during development or transition is based on our estimate of the initial net operating income of the building at an assumed stabilization date. Similarly, we use estimates of Property NOI in cases where our tenant is not required to report the actual amount to us on a current basis. Our estimates are based on leasing activity at the building and available market information, including leasing activity at comparable properties in the market. Estimates are inherently uncertain. While we intend to use assumptions that we believe are reasonable when making estimates, our assumptions may prove to be incorrect. No assurance can be given regarding the accuracy of our estimates and assumptions and it is possible that the actual Ground Rent Coverage of these assets may be materially lower than our estimates.

Our estimates of Combined Property Value are based on various assumptions and information supplied to us by our tenants, and accordingly may not be indicative of actual values.

When underwriting a potential investment and monitoring our portfolio, our estimate of Combined Property Value is based on expected lease terms, information supplied to us by our prospective tenant or tenant and numerous assumptions made by us. We do not independently investigate or verify the information provided to us by our tenants and no assurance can be given that the information is accurate.

See "—We rely on Property NOI as reported to us by our tenants." The use of different information or assumptions could result in valuations that are materially lower than those used in our underwriting and portfolio monitoring processes. Our estimates of Combined Property Values represent our opinion and may not accurately reflect the current market value of the properties relating to our Ground Leases. Such estimates are based on numerous estimates and assumptions and not on contractual sale terms or third-party appraisals and, therefore, are inherently uncertain, and no assurance can be given regarding the accuracy or appropriateness of such estimates and assumptions. The application of alternative estimates or assumptions could result in valuations, by us or others, which are materially lower than those used in our underwriting and portfolio monitoring processes.

There can be no assurance that we will realize any incremental value from the UCA in our owned residual portfolio or that the market price of our common stock will reflect any value attributable thereto.

Pursuant to the typical terms of a Ground Lease, we regain possession of the land and generally take title to the building and any improvements thereon, without the payment of any additional consideration by us. We regard the difference between the initial Ground Lease value and the Combined Property Value as UCA in our owned residual portfolio that we may realize at the end of the lease through a releasing or sale transaction, or perhaps by operating the property directly. To the extent we choose to operate a property directly, we will be subject to additional risks associated with leasing commercial real estate, including responsibility for property operating costs, such as taxes, insurance and maintenance, that previously were paid for by our tenant pursuant the Ground Lease. Though we estimate Combined Property Value using one or more valuation methodologies that we consider appropriate, there can be no assurance that this estimate or the amount of any UCA in our owned residual portfolio is accurate at the time we invest in a Ground Lease. Even if we estimate that a UCA exists initially, we will generally not be able to realize that appreciation through a near term transaction, as the property is leased to a tenant pursuant to a long-term lease. While the value of commercial real estate as a broad class has generally increased over extended periods of time and is believed by some to exhibit a positive correlation with rates of inflation, the value of a particular commercial real estate asset is primarily a function of its location, overall quality and the terms of relevant leases. Since our leases are typically long-term (base terms ranging from 30 to 99 years), it is possible that the UCA in our owned residual portfolio will increase in value, but over long periods of time. However, the Combined Property Value of a particular property at the end of a Ground Lease will be highly dependent on its unique attributes and there can be no assurance that it will exceed the amount of our initial investment in the Ground Lease. There can also be no assurance that estimated UCA for properties we acquire in the future will be proportionate with estimated UCA for our current portfolio. Moreover, no assurance can be given that the market price of our common stock will include any value attributable to the UCA in our owned residual portfolio. The price for our most recent sale of Caret units, in August 2022, implied a $2.0 billion valuation for 100% of Caret units, but in April 2024 Caret units purchased in February 2022 were redeemed at their original purchase price, less the amount of distributions previously made on such units, pursuant to a redemption option. There can be no assurances as to the value that may be attributed to Caret units in the future. In addition, our ability to recognize value through reversion rights may be limited by the rights of our tenants under some of our Ground Leases. See "—Certain tenant rights under our Ground Leases may limit the value and the UCA we are able to realize upon lease expiration, sale of our land and Ground Leases or other events." Moreover, the market price of our common stock may not reflect any value ascribed to the UCA in our owned residual portfolio, as it is difficult and highly speculative to estimate the value of a commercial real estate portfolio that may be realized at a distant point in time.

Ground Leases with developers expose us to risks associated with property development and redevelopment that could materially and adversely affect us.

In Ground Lease transactions with developers, rent may not commence until construction is completed, which would subject us to risks that the developer will be unable to complete the project and have it begin paying rent to us. Risks associated with development transactions include, without limitation: (i) the availability and pricing of financing for the developer on favorable terms or at all, due to rising interest rates or otherwise; (ii) counterparty risk with leasehold lenders that have future funding obligations; (iii) the availability and timely receipt by the developer of zoning and other regulatory approvals; (iv) the potential for the fluctuation of occupancy rates and rents, which could affect any percentage rents that we may receive; (v) development, repositioning and redevelopment costs may be higher than anticipated by the developer, which may cause the developer to abandon the project; and (vi) cost overruns and untimely completion of construction (including due to risks beyond the developer’s control, such as weather or labor conditions, inflationary pressures, supply chain disruptions or material shortages). In addition, if our tenant has obtained leasehold financing to complete construction, and the construction lender forecloses on the mortgage following a default, there is a risk that the mortgagee or a new tenant may not have necessary or sufficient development experience to complete the project or to do so to the same standards as the original developer.

These risks could result in substantial unanticipated delays or expenses and could prevent the initiation or the completion of development, repositioning or redevelopment activities, any of which could materially and adversely affect us.

We may be materially and adversely affected by the exercise of leasehold mortgagee protections.

We typically permit tenants to obtain mortgage financing secured by their leasehold interest and to assign the lease and the tenant’s rights under the lease to the mortgagee as collateral. The leasehold mortgagee typically has the right to (i) receive notices and cure tenant defaults under the lease, (ii) require us to enter into a new lease with a successor tenant on the same terms as the existing lease and (iii) consent to certain actions. We may grant a leasehold mortgagee additional time to cure certain non-monetary defaults and may agree to defer certain remedies while the leasehold mortgagee is endeavoring to cure a default. In addition, some leasehold mortgage lenders may insist, should a casualty, loss or condemnation occur, upon using insurance proceeds to reduce the tenant’s debt to it rather than restoring or repairing the casualty, loss or condemnation, although the tenant would likely not be able to generate sufficient revenues from the resulting property to pay ground rent to us. There can be no assurance that we will not be materially and adversely affected by a leasehold mortgagee’s exercise of such mortgagee protections.

We are subject to the risk of bankruptcy of our tenants.

We have had, and may in the future have, tenants file for bankruptcy protection. The bankruptcy or insolvency of a tenant may materially and adversely affect the income produced by our properties or could force us to "take back" a property as a result of a default or a rejection of the lease by a tenant in bankruptcy, any of which could materially and adversely affect us. If any tenant becomes a debtor in a case under federal bankruptcy law, we cannot evict the tenant and assume ownership of the building and improvements thereon solely because of the bankruptcy if the tenant continues to comply with the terms of our lease. In addition, the bankruptcy court might permit the tenant to reject and terminate its lease with us. Our claim against the tenant for unpaid and future rent would be a general unsecured claim subject to a statutory cap that might be substantially less than the rent actually owed to us under the lease. We may also be unable to re-lease a terminated or rejected space or re-lease it on comparable or more favorable terms. Although our tenants are primarily responsible for any environmental damages and claims related to the properties, a tenant’s bankruptcy or inability to satisfy its obligations for these types of damages or claims could require us to satisfy such liabilities. In addition, we may be held directly liable for any such damages or claims irrespective of the provisions of any lease. It is also possible that a bankruptcy court could re-characterize our Ground Leases as secured lending transactions depending on its interpretation of the terms of the lease. If a lease were judicially recharacterized as a secured lending transaction, we would not be treated as the owner of the property subject to the lease and could lose the legal as well as economic attributes of the owners of the property, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

We may directly own one or more commercial properties, which will expose us to the risks of ownership of operating properties.

There may be instances where we take ownership of a commercial property for a period of time prior to the separating it into fee and leasehold interests. In addition, we may own and operate commercial properties that revert to us upon the expiration or termination of a Ground Lease. The ownership and operation of commercial properties will expose us to risks, including, without limitation, the risks described above under "—Our operating performance and the market value of our properties are subject to risks associated with real estate assets." Additionally, we may be required to hold a commercial property in a taxable REIT subsidiary ("TRS"), and any gain from the subsequent sale of the property or a leasehold interest in it would be subject to corporate income tax.

Competition may adversely affect our ability to acquire and originate investments.

We compete with commercial developers, other REITs, real estate companies, financial institutions, such as banks and insurance companies, funds, and other investors, such as pension funds, private companies and individuals, for investment opportunities. Our competitors include both competitors seeking to originate or acquire Ground Lease transactions or acquire properties in their entirety and competitors offering debt financing as an alternative to a Ground Lease. Some of our competitors have greater financial and other resources and access to capital than we do. Due to our focus on Ground Leases throughout the U.S., and because most competitors are often locally and/or regionally focused, we do not always encounter the same competitors in each market. Additionally, the rise in interest rates and increased investment spreads to treasury bonds in the Ground Lease market may attract new competitors, which may result in higher costs for properties, lower returns and impact our ability to grow our business.

Cybersecurity risk and cyber incidents may adversely affect our business.

We rely on computer systems, hardware, software, technology infrastructure and online sites for the operation of our business and our ability to perform day-to-day operations. We own and manage some of these systems, but also rely on third parties for a range of products and services. We also collect, maintain and process confidential, sensitive, and proprietary information about investors, tenants, employees, and others, including personally identifiable information, as well as confidential, sensitive, and proprietary information belonging to our business. We face numerous and evolving cybersecurity risks that threaten the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our information technology systems and confidential information. A cyber incident may be an intentional attack or unintentional event and could involve gaining unauthorized access to our information systems for purposes of misappropriating assets, stealing confidential information, corrupting data or causing operational disruption. The result of these incidents may include disrupted operations, misstated or unreliable financial data, liability for stolen assets or information, increased cybersecurity protection and insurance cost, litigation and damage to our business relationships. As have many companies, we and our third-party vendors have been impacted by cyber incidents in the past and will likely continue to experience cyber incidents of varying degrees. While we do not believe these incidents have had a material impact to date, as reliance on technology and the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks has increased, so have the risks posed to our information systems and those provided by third-party service providers. We have implemented processes, procedures and internal controls to help mitigate cybersecurity risks and cyber intrusions, but there can be no assurance that our cybersecurity risk management program and processes, including our policies, controls or procedures, will be fully implemented, complied with or effective in protecting our systems and information.

Our business and growth prospects could be adversely affected by future epidemics, pandemics or other health crises.

Epidemics, pandemics or other health crises could adversely affect us due to, among other factors:

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During its peak, the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected our growth, and its after-effects on certain sectors of the economy and commercial real estate markets remain uncertain. The possibility of another epidemic, pandemic or other health crisis presents material uncertainty and risk with respect to our performance, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Our estimated UCA, Combined Property Value and Ground Rent Coverage, may not reflect current market values, including the decline in office values, and may decline materially in future periods.

Our reported estimated UCA and Combined Property Value are based, in part, on valuations associated with each Ground Lease that occur every 12 to 24 months. Certain metrics that we report and monitor may not reflect current market values, including the decline in office values. Lagging valuations may not accurately capture declines in our UCA and ratio of gross book value to Combined Property Value and such decline could be reflected in future periods, and any such decline could be material. Our estimated Ground Rent Coverage represents the ratio of the property NOI of the commercial properties being operated on our land to the Ground Lease payment due to us, as of the date of determination. With respect to properties under development or in transition or for which financial statements are not available, we use our internal underwritten estimates of Ground Rent Coverage at stabilization and third-party valuations where available, none of which may take into account current demand shifts. With respect to other properties, the property NOI available to us at December 31, 2024 may not be indicative of future periods, depending on the direction and magnitude of demand shifts for the entire period. Given the limitations of the information used in our estimates it is possible that the actual Ground Rent Coverage may be lower than our estimate, now or in the future.

We are part of two joint ventures that have a different investment profile than our typical Ground Leases, which could materially and adversely affect us.

We have interests in the Ground Lease Plus Fund (refer to Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements), which targets the origination and acquisition of pre-development phase Ground Leases, and the Leasehold Loan Fund (refer to Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements), which provides leasehold loans behind a Ground Lease (the “Ventures”). The Ventures are with an institutional third-party partner. The combined book value of the Ventures is less than 1% of our gross book value. The assets owned by these Ventures create higher returns but also may involve additional risk than our typical Ground Leases. Pre-development Ground Leases differ from our typical Ground Leases in that they may not have all governmental approvals to commence construction and often do not have full capitalizations to fund development; these factors may expose these projects to additional time delays and cost increases. Leasehold loans differ from our typical Ground Leases in that they are serviced by the post-ground rent cash flows of the asset and, in a default scenario, only have recourse to our tenants’ leasehold interests.

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Our success depends in part on our ability to attract, retain and develop talented employees, and our failure to do so, including the loss of any of our key employees, could adversely impact our business.

The success of our business depends, in part, on the leadership and performance of our executive management team and key employees. Our ability to attract, retain and develop talented employees, and develop talent internally, could impact our future performance. Competition for these individuals is intense, and we cannot assure you that we will retain our executive management team and other key employees, or that we will be able to attract and/or develop other qualified individuals for these positions in the future. Additionally, the compensation and benefits packages we may need to offer to remain competitive for these individuals could increase the cost of replacement and retention.

We may decide to further expand our operations through acquisitions, development opportunities and other strategic transactions.

We may decide to further expand our operations through acquisitions, development opportunities and other strategic transactions, some of which involve complex challenges. Our future success will depend, in part, upon our ability to manage our expansion opportunities and other strategic transactions, which may pose substantial challenges for us to integrate new operations into our existing business in an efficient and timely manner, and to successfully monitor our operations, costs, regulatory compliance and service quality, and to maintain other necessary internal controls. We cannot assure you that any expansion or acquisition opportunities or other strategic transactions, will be successful, or that we will realize our expected operating efficiencies, cost savings, revenue enhancements, synergies or other benefits.

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Risks Related to Our Relationship with Star Holdings

We are party to several agreements with Star Holdings and may be unable to collect amounts to which we are contractually entitled, which could negatively affect our performance, financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.

Concurrently with the completion of our spin-off of Star Holdings, Star Holdings entered into a management agreement with one of our subsidiaries (the “Management Agreement”). Pursuant to the Management Agreement, we have agreed to provide Star Holdings with a management team and manage Star Holdings’ assets and its subsidiaries’ day-to-day operations, subject to the supervision of Star Holdings’ board of trustees. In consideration for our management services, Star Holdings paid us an annual management fee of $25.0 million for the term ended March 31, 2024 and will pay an annual management fee of $15.0 million for the term ended March 31, 2025. The annual fee declines to $10.0 million and $5.0 million, respectively, for each of the following annual terms, and adjusts to 2.0% of the gross book value of Star Holdings’ assets, excluding shares of the Company’s common stock held by Star Holdings, thereafter. The management fee is payable in cash quarterly, in arrears.

Additionally, on March 31, 2023, we, as a lender and an administrative agent, and Star Holdings, as a borrower, entered into a senior secured term loan facility, which was amended on October 4, 2023, in an aggregate principal amount of $115.0 million (the “Secured Term Loan Facility”) and an additional commitment amount of up to $25.0 million (the “Incremental Term Loan Facility, and together with the Secured Term Loan Facility, as amended, the “Term Loan Facility”) at Star Holdings’ election. Borrowings under the Term Loan Facility bear interest at a fixed rate of 8.00% per annum, which may increase to 10.00% per annum if any loans remain outstanding under the Incremental Term Loan Facility. The Term Loan Facility has certain prepayment obligations, and a maturity of March 31, 2027. As of December 31, 2024, the Term Loan Facility had an outstanding principal balance of $115.0 million and no borrowing had been made under the Incremental Term Loan Facility.

If Star Holdings terminates the Management Agreement, fails to comply with its covenants or is otherwise in default under the Term Loan Facility, or fails to pay cash amounts when due under the Management Agreement or Term Loan Facility, our cash flow may be adversely affected. Any significant and negative impact on our cash flow could in turn negatively impact our compliance with covenants under our debt instruments or result in our default thereof, which could materially and adversely affect our performance, financial condition and results of operations.

Star Holdings owns a significant amount of our common stock, some of which serves as collateral for a margin loan.

As of December 31, 2024, Star Holdings owned approximately 18.9% of the outstanding shares of our common stock. Future sales in the public market by Star Holdings, or the perception in the market that Star Holdings intends to sell shares, could reduce the market price of our common stock.

Additionally, Star Holdings has entered into a margin loan facility in an aggregate principal amount of $140.0 million with Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A., as lender, Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc., as administrative agent, and Morgan Stanley & Co. LC, as sole custodian, calculation agent and collateral agent (the “Margin Loan Facility”). As of September 30, 2024, the outstanding principal balance was $87.4 million. As of December 31, 2024, the Margin Loan Facility is secured by 12.9 million shares of our common stock held by Star Holdings. If the market value of our common stock held by Star Holdings drops below certain specified levels, Star Holdings will be required to post additional collateral or, at certain levels, repay the outstanding margin loan amount as well as all accrued and unpaid interest, and a make whole amount. If Star Holdings is unable to satisfy any collateral calls or does not have sufficient funds to repay amounts owed under the Margin Loan Facility, Star Holdings may be forced to sell shares of our common stock or the lender may foreclose on the shares of our common stock held as collateral, which could reduce the market price of our common stock. Moreover, a collateral call or mandatory repayment may occur at a time when Star Holdings is subject to contractual or statutory prohibitions from selling.

The concentration of our voting power may adversely affect the ability of investors to influence our policies.

As of December 31, 2024, Star Holdings owned approximately 18.9% of the outstanding shares of our common stock. Therefore, subject to the terms of our Governance Agreement with Star Holdings, Star Holdings has the ability to influence the outcome of matters presented to our shareholders, including the election of our board of directors and approval of significant corporate transactions, including business combinations, consolidations and mergers. The concentration of voting power in Star Holdings might also have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change of control that our other shareholders may view as beneficial.

We entered into a Governance Agreement with Star Holdings, pursuant to which, among other things, Star Holdings and its subsidiaries agreed to certain lockup and standstill provisions, and to vote all shares of our common stock owned by them (i) in favor of all persons nominated to serve as our directors by our board of directors or our nominating and corporate governance committee, (ii) against any stockholder proposal that is not recommended by our board of directors and (iii) in accordance with the recommendations of our board on all other proposals brought before our stockholders, in each case until the earliest to occur of (a) the termination of our management agreement with Star Holdings, (b) the date on which both (1) Star Holdings ceases to beneficially own at least 7.5% of our outstanding common stock and (2) Star Holdings is no longer managed by us or our affiliates, or (c) a “change of control” of us, as defined in the Governance Agreement. As a result, the ability of other stockholders to influence the election of directors and other matters submitted to stockholders for approval will be limited. For example, this voting agreement may have the effect of delaying or preventing a transaction that would result in a change of control, if our board of directors does not recommend that our stockholders vote in favor of the transaction, even if certain other stockholders believe that the transaction is in our or their interests.

There are various potential conflicts of interest in our relationship with Star Holdings, which could result in decisions that are not in the best interest of our shareholders.

Potential conflicts of interest in our relationship with Star Holdings include, without limitation: conflicts arising from the enforcement of agreements between us and Star Holdings; conflicts in the amount of time that our officers and employees spend on Star Holdings’ affairs vs. our other affairs; conflicts in determining whether to seek reimbursement from Star Holdings of certain expenses we incur on its behalf; and conflicts between the interests of our shareholders and members of our management who hold Star Holdings common stock. Transactions between Star Holdings and us are subject to certain approvals of our independent directors; however, there can be no assurance that such approval will be successful in achieving terms and conditions as favorable to us as would be available from a third party.

Certain of our executive officers are also Star Holdings’ executive officers. Our executive officers have duties to our company under applicable Maryland law, and our executive officers who are also officers of Star Holdings have duties to Star Holdings under applicable Maryland law. Those duties may come in conflict from time to time. We also have duties as the manager of Star Holdings which may come in conflict with our duties to our shareholders from time to time.

Our management agreement with Star Holdings could distract management time and attention and give rise to disputes or other unfavorable effects, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial position or results of operations.

We are Star Holdings’ external manager and our duties under the management agreement could distract the time and attention of our management away from Safehold. These potential management distractions, as well as increased expenses, changes to operations, potential disputes with third parties, or other effects related to our arrangements with Star Holdings could materially and adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow and per share market price of our common stock.

The Spin-Off may expose us to potential liabilities arising out of state and federal fraudulent conveyance laws.

If we file for insolvency or bankruptcy within certain timeframes following the Spin-Off, a court could deem the spin-off or certain internal restructuring transactions undertaken by us in connection therewith to be a fraudulent conveyance or transfer. Fraudulent conveyances or transfers are defined to include transfers made or obligations incurred with the actual intent to hinder, delay or defraud current or future creditors or transfers made or obligations incurred for less than reasonably equivalent value when the debtor was insolvent, or that rendered the debtor insolvent, inadequately capitalized or unable to pay its debts as they become due. In such circumstances, a court could void the transactions or impose substantial liabilities upon us, which could adversely affect our financial condition and our results of operations. Whether a transaction is a fraudulent conveyance or transfer will vary depending upon the jurisdiction whose law is being applied.

The agreements between Safehold and Star Holdings entered into in connection with the Spin-Off may not reflect terms that would have resulted from arm’s-length negotiations with unaffiliated third parties.

The agreements related to the Spin-Off, including the separation and distribution agreement, the management agreement, the governance agreement, the registration rights agreement and the secured term loan were negotiated prior to the consummation of the Spin-Off. As a result, although those agreements are intended to reflect arm’s-length terms, they may not reflect terms that would have resulted from arm’s-length negotiations between unaffiliated third parties.

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Financing and Investment Risks

Our debt obligations will reduce cash available for distribution and expose us to the risk of default.

As of December 31, 2024, we had approximately $4.4 billion principal amount of outstanding indebtedness (which includes $100 million of trust preferred securities of a consolidated subsidiary that bear interest at a per annum rate equal to three-month adjusted term SOFR plus 1.50%, but excludes $272 million of mortgage debt, representing our pro rata share of debt associated with our non-consolidated joint ventures (equity method investments)), and $1.3 billion of borrowing capacity available (subject to customary conditions) under our unsecured credit facility. Payments of principal and interest on borrowings may leave us with insufficient cash resources to fund investment activities or to make distributions currently contemplated or necessary for us to maintain our qualification as a REIT. If interest rates, and therefore, the costs of our debt rise faster and by greater amounts than any rent escalations and percentage rents under our leases, we may not generate sufficient cash to pay amounts due under our borrowings. Additionally, given the long term of our Ground Leases and the comparatively shorter term of our debt, there may be a misalignment between interest rates at the time of a refinancing and our expected revenue stream under a Ground Lease. Our organizational documents do not contain any limitation on the amount of indebtedness we may incur. Our level of debt, the costs of our debt and the limitations imposed on us by our debt agreements could have significant adverse consequences, including, without limitation, the following:

Our failure to hedge interest rates effectively could materially and adversely affect us.

Subject to our qualification as a REIT, we seek to manage our exposure to interest rate volatility by using interest rate hedging arrangements that involve risk, such as the risk that counterparties may fail to honor their obligations under these arrangements, and that these arrangements may not be effective in reducing our exposure to interest rate changes. Moreover, there can be no assurance that our hedging arrangements will qualify for hedge accounting. Should we desire to terminate a hedging arrangement, we may incur significant costs. When a hedging arrangement is required under the terms of a mortgage loan, it is often a condition that the hedge counterparty maintains a specified credit rating. If the credit rating of a counterparty were downgraded and we were unable to renegotiate the credit rating condition with the lender or find an alternative counterparty with acceptable credit rating, we would be in default under the loan and the lender could seize that property securing the loan through foreclosure.

Joint venture investments could be adversely affected by our lack of sole decision-making authority, our reliance on partners’ or co-venturers’ financial position and liquidity and disputes between us and our co-venturers.

We hold certain of our Ground Leases through ventures owned by us and a third party, and we may co-invest in the future with third parties through partnerships, joint ventures or other entities. Under our stockholder’s agreement with an institutional investor, we have agreed that it will have the right to participate as a co-investor in real estate investments for which we are seeking joint venture partners. In a joint venture, we may not be in a position to exercise sole decision-making authority regarding material decisions. Investments in partnerships, joint ventures or other entities may, under certain circumstances, involve risks not present were a third party not involved, including the possibility that partners or co-venturers might become bankrupt or fail to fund their share of required capital contributions. Partners or co-venturers may have economic or other business interests or goals which are inconsistent with our business interests or goals, and they may have competing interests that could create conflict of interest issues. Such investments may also have the potential risk of impasses on decisions, such as a sale. In addition, prior consent of our partners or co-venturers may be required for a sale or transfer to a third party of our interests in the partnership or joint venture, which would restrict our ability to dispose of our interest. Disputes between us and partners or co-venturers may result in litigation or arbitration that would increase our expenses and create distractions for our executive officers and/or directors. In addition, we may in certain circumstances be liable for the actions of our partners or co-venturers. Our partnerships or joint ventures may be subject to debt and we could be forced to fund our partners’ or co-venturers’ share of such debt if they fail to make the required payments in order to preserve our investment.

Our depreciation expenses are expected to be limited for financial and tax reporting purposes, with the result that we will be highly dependent on external capital sources to fund our growth.

As an owner of land, we expect to record limited depreciation expenses for either financial reporting or tax reporting purposes. As a result, we will not have significant depreciation expenses that will reduce our net taxable income and the payment ratio of our distributions to our cash available for distribution to our shareholders or other metrics is likely to be higher than at many other REITs. This also means that we will be highly dependent on external capital sources to fund our growth. If capital markets are experiencing disruption or are otherwise unfavorable, we may not have access to capital on attractive terms, or at all, which could prevent us from achieving our investment objectives.

Our credit ratings will impact our borrowing costs and our access to debt capital markets.

Our borrowing costs on our credit facilities and our access to debt capital markets will depend significantly on our credit ratings, which are based on our operating performance, liquidity and leverage ratios, financial condition and prospects, and other factors. Our unsecured corporate credit ratings from major national credit rating agencies are currently investment grade. However, there can be no assurance that our credit ratings or outlook will not be lowered in the future in response to adverse changes in these metrics caused by our operating results or by actions that we take that may reduce our profitability or that require us to incur additional indebtedness. Any downgrade in our credit ratings will increase our borrowing costs under our credit facilities and could have a material adverse effect on our ability to raise capital in the debt capital markets, which could in turn have a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity and the market price of our common stock.

Risks Related to Our Organization and Structure

We are a holding company and will rely on funds from Portfolio Holdings to pay our obligations and distributions to our shareholders.

We conduct substantially all of our operations through Portfolio Holdings. As a holding company, claims of shareholders are structurally subordinated to all existing and future creditors and preferred equity holders of Portfolio Holdings and its subsidiaries. Therefore, in the event of a bankruptcy, insolvency, liquidation or reorganization of Portfolio Holdings or its subsidiaries, assets of Portfolio Holdings or the applicable subsidiary will be available to satisfy our claims to us as an equity owner therein only after all of their liabilities and preferred equity have been paid in full and only to the extent of the Portfolio Holdings’ interests in the subsidiaries.

Certain provisions of Maryland law and our organizational documents could inhibit changes in control of our company.

Certain provisions of Maryland law, including the Maryland General Corporation Law (the “MGCL”), and our organizational documents could inhibit changes in control of our company that might involve a premium price for our common stock or that our shareholders otherwise believe to be in their best interest, including, among others, the following:​

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These provisions may frustrate or prevent attempts by stockholders to cause a change in control of our company or to replace members of our board of directors.

Certain provisions of our organizational documents limit shareholder recourse and access to judicial fora.

Our charter limits the liability of our present and former directors and executive officers to us and our shareholders for money damages to the maximum extent permitted under Maryland law. The Portfolio Holdings LLCA also limits the liability of our directors, officers and others. Additionally, our bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the sole and exclusive forum for: (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of any duty owed by us or by any director or officer or other employee to us or to our shareholders; (iii) any action asserting a claim against us or any director or officer or other employee arising pursuant to any provision of the MGCL or our charter or bylaws; or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us or any director or officer or other employee that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine shall be the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, or, if that Court does not have jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, Baltimore Division. These provisions of our organizational documents may limit shareholder recourse for actions of our present and former directors and executive officers and limit their ability to obtain a judicial forum that they find favorable for disputes with our company or our directors, officers, employees, if any, or other shareholders.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

Cash available for distribution may not be sufficient to make distributions to our shareholders at expected levels, or at all.

All future distributions will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on a number of factors, including our actual or anticipated results of operations, cash flows and financial position, our qualification as a REIT, restrictions in our financing agreements, economic and market conditions, applicable law, and other factors as our board of directors may deem relevant from time to time. Our credit agreements prohibit us from paying distributions if there is a default thereunder, subject to limited exceptions relating to the maintenance of our REIT qualification. If sufficient cash is not available for distribution from our operations, we may have to fund distributions from working capital or borrow funds, issue equity or sell assets to pay for such distribution, or eliminate or otherwise reduce the amount of such distribution. Any distributions we make in the future could differ materially from our past distributions or current expectations. If we fail to meet the market’s expectations with regard to future operating results and cash distributions, the market price of our common stock could be adversely affected. Stockholders of the Company have no contractual or other legal right to dividends that have not been declared by our board of directors.

The availability of shares for future sale could adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

We cannot predict whether future issuances of shares of our common stock or the availability of shares for resale in the open market will decrease the market price of our common stock. Under the terms of registration rights agreements, MSD Partners, L.P. (“MSD Partners”), Star Holdings and SFTY Venture LLC each received rights to have shares of common stock issued from time to time registered for resale under the Securities Act. We may also issue shares of common stock in connection with future acquisitions. Issuances or resales of substantial amounts of shares of our common stock, or the perception that such issuances or resales might occur could adversely affect the market price of our common stock. This potential adverse effect may be increased by the large number of shares of our common stock that are or will be owned by Star Holdings to the extent that it resells, or there is a perception that it may resell, a significant portion of its holdings. In addition, future issuances of shares of our common stock may be dilutive to holders of shares of our common stock and may reduce the market price of our common stock. Pursuant to agreements with us, each of MSD Partners and SFTY Venture LLC have certain rights to maintain their percentage interest in us, but other existing shareholders have no preemptive rights.

Distributions to holders of Caret units will reduce distributions to us upon certain transactions, and sales of additional Caret units may dilute the economic interests of our common stockholders.

Caret units generally entitle holders to a share of the net proceeds from the disposition of Ground Lease Assets in excess of our investment basis in such assets. “Ground Lease Asset” means the fee or other interest in real property that is or (while Portfolio Holdings or we directly or indirectly owned all or a portion of such fee or other interest) was subject to a Ground Lease together with the lessor’s interest under such Ground Lease and, if applicable, the direct or indirect owner of all or part of a Ground Lease Asset, which, for the avoidance of doubt, only includes commercial Ground Lease Assets.

The number of authorized Caret units is currently fixed at 12,000,000 units. Issuances of additional shares of our common stock will reduce an individual stockholder’s indirect interest in Caret units, while the interests of Caret unit holders are subject to limited dilution. We have established an equity incentive plan (the “Plan”) providing for grants of Caret units to our directors, officers and employees and other eligible participants representing up to 1,500,000 Caret units, 1,371,254 of which are currently outstanding. In addition to the Caret units reserved for issuance under the Plan, we have sold 122,500 Caret units to third-party investors, including affiliates of MSD Partners, that remain outstanding as of December 31, 2024. As a result, we currently own the remaining 84.3% of the outstanding Caret units. We may choose to issue new Caret units or sell outstanding Caret units to third parties in the future. Any such issuances or sales will not require approval from our common stockholders and would reduce our current percentage interest (and indirectly the interest of our common stockholders) in cash distributions in respect of Caret units. Moreover, the price at which additional Caret units are sold may not be commensurate to the cash distributions we or our common stockholders would have received if we had retained such Caret units.

In connection with the sale of 137,142 Caret units in February 2022 (28,571 of which were committed to be purchased at the time, but did not close), we agreed to use commercially reasonable efforts to provide public market liquidity for such Caret units, or securities into which they may be exchanged, prior to the second anniversary of such sales.

Because public market liquidity was not achieved by February 2024, the investors in the February 2022 transaction had the right to cause their Caret units purchased in February 2022 to be redeemed by Portfolio Holdings at such purchase price less the amount of distributions previously made on such units. In April 2024, all of the investors in the February 2022 transaction exercised this right and elected to have their Caret units redeemed at the original purchase price less the amount of distributions previously made on such units.

Certain other aspects of the Caret program could further impact the economic interests of our common stockholders, including the following:

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Thus, holders of our common stock bear the risk that Caret units will dilute their economic interests and other attributes of ownership in us and may materially and adversely affect the market price of shares of our common stock.

The design of the Caret program may not result in the recognition of the two distinct components of value by market participants.

The Caret program was designed to recognize the two distinct components of value in our Ground Lease portfolio: the “bond component,” which consists of the bond-like income stream we receive from contractual rent payments under our Ground Leases and the return of invested capital, and the “Caret component,” which consists of the unrealized capital appreciation above our investment basis in our Ground Leases due to our ownership of the land and improvements at the end of the term of the applicable Ground Lease. While the Caret program is designed to allow for the recognition of these two components, particularly the Caret component, by market participants, there can be no assurances that this will happen or that such recognition will be accretive to the market price of shares of our common stock.

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The terms of Caret units could result in conflicts of interest between holders of our common stock and holders of Caret units. Our management’s ownership of Caret units creates potential conflicts of interest.

Given the disparate economic rights belonging to holders of Caret units in Portfolio Holdings and holders of GL units in Portfolio Holdings with respect to ground lease assets owned directly or indirectly by Portfolio Holdings, there are inherent conflicts of interest between such groups and, accordingly, between holders of Caret units, which includes members of our management, and holders of our common stock due to our ownership of all outstanding GL units but not all outstanding Caret units. Such conflicts may arise with respect to investment, management, capital and operating decisions, including:

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While our management and its board of directors may consider our interest as a Caret unit holder, neither is obligated to separately consider the interests of Caret unit holders when making such decisions.

Our board of directors intends to exercise its judgment from time to time, depending on the circumstances, as it believes the advantage of retaining flexibility in determining how to fulfill its responsibilities in any such circumstances as they may arise outweigh any perceived advantages of adopting additional specific procedures.

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Additionally, our management’s ownership of Caret units creates potential conflicts of interest. Pursuant to the Plan, 1,500,000 Caret units were reserved for grants of performance-based awards under the Plan to Plan participants, including certain of our executives. Initial grants under the Plan were subject to vesting based on time-based service conditions and hurdles relating to our common stock price, all of which have been satisfied. In connection with the Merger, certain officers entered into re-vesting agreements pursuant to which they have agreed to subject a portion of their otherwise vested Caret units to additional vesting conditions which will be satisfied on March 31, 2025, the second anniversary of the closing date of the Merger. Additionally, immediately following the Merger, 76,801 Caret units were awarded to executive officers and other employees that are subject to cliff vesting on the fourth anniversary of their grant date if our common stock has traded at an average per share price of $60.00 or more for at least 30 consecutive trading days during that four-year period.

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As a result, as of December 31, 2024, vested and unvested Caret units beneficially owned by our officers and other employees represent approximately 11.4% of the authorized Caret units, including 6.1% held directly and indirectly by Jay Sugarman, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. This creates potential conflicts of interest when management is faced with decisions that could have different implications for holders of Caret units and holders of our common stock, as management may be incentivized to make decisions that benefit holders of Caret units as opposed to holders of our common stock.

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The Portfolio Holdings LLCA sets forth certain limitations on our ability to make changes to such agreement that could be beneficial to us and our stockholders without the consent of certain of the Caret unitholders.

The Portfolio Holdings LLCA sets forth certain limitations on our ability to make changes to such agreement that could be beneficial to us and our common stockholders. Subject to certain agreed exceptions, any material amendment adverse to the interest of Caret unit holders with respect to: (i) capital contributions, (ii) the designation and number of membership interests in Portfolio Holdings, (iii) economics, (iv) restrictions on the authority of Portfolio Holdings’ managing member, us, (v) certain decisions with respect to Ground Leases and the fee or other interest in real property subject to a Ground Lease, (vi) our commitment that, subject to certain exceptions, all commercial Ground Leases, including any improvements built thereon, that are directly or indirectly owned by us must be owned through Portfolio Holdings, (vii) the use of proceeds from the issuance of Caret units by Portfolio Holdings or Caret Financings, (viii) drag-along rights, or (ix) amendments to the Portfolio Holdings LLCA, as well as any definitions related to such matters, require the consent of (1) prior to a Liquidity Transaction (as defined in the Portfolio Holdings LLCA), a majority of Caret unit holders other than us and persons employed by us or any of our subsidiaries (“Outside Unitholders”) and (2) following a Liquidity Transaction, the majority of the members of a committee of independent directors and, for certain amendments, Outside Unitholders holding a majority of Caret units held by Outside Unitholders. This provision in the Portfolio Holdings LLCA could delay or impede any proposed amendment to the Portfolio Holdings LLCA that might be beneficial to us or our common stockholders, unless such amendment is approved by the Outside Unitholders.

The Portfolio Holdings LLCA contains provisions that may delay, defer or prevent a change in control.

The Portfolio Holdings LLCA contains provisions, including limitations on our authority to amend the agreement by granting certain approval rights to holders of Caret units, that may delay, defer or prevent a change in control. Under the terms of the Portfolio Holdings LLCA, we have the sole discretion, prior to specified liquidity transactions, to acquire all Caret units to consummate a change of control in us or the sale of our ground lease business. However, we do not have such drag-along right after a liquidity transaction. The Portfolio Holdings LLCA further provides that prior to specified liquidity transactions, any amendment or modification of the terms of our drag-along right requires the consent of Caret unit holders (other than us or any person that is employed by us or our subsidiaries) holding a majority of Caret units held by such persons. The absence of the drag-along right after a liquidity transaction could make us a less attractive target for acquisition and therefore delay, deter or prevent a transaction or a change in control that might involve a premium price for our common stock or otherwise be in the best interests of our common stockholders.

Future issuances of debt or preferred equity securities could adversely affect our common shareholders and result in conflicts of interest.

We may issue additional debt or equity securities in the future. Upon liquidation, holders of our debt and preferred stock will receive a distribution of our available assets before holders of our common stock. Our preferred stock, if issued, would also likely have a preference on periodic dividends, which could limit our ability to make distributions to holders of shares of our common stock. We cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing, nature or impact of our future capital raising efforts. Thus, holders of shares of our common stock bear the risk that our future issuances or sales of debt or equity securities or our incurrence of other borrowings may materially and adversely affect the market price of shares of our common stock and may result in conflicts of interest.

There can be no assurance that we will repurchase shares pursuant to our share repurchase program consistent with historical amounts or at all.

Our share repurchase program may change from time to time, and we may not repurchase shares in any particular amounts, in amounts consistent with historical practice, or at all. Our repurchase program does not obligate the Company to repurchase any specific dollar amount or to acquire any specific number of shares and the timing and amount of repurchases, if any, will depend on several factors, including market and business conditions, applicable debt covenants, the timing and amount of cash proceeds from asset dispositions, the timing and amount of any like-kind exchange transactions and other tax-planning matters, the trading price of our common stock, the nature of other investment opportunities, and other factors as our Board may deem relevant from time to time. Repurchase activity could have a negative effect on our stock price, increase volatility, or fail to enhance stockholder value.

Tax Risks Related to Ownership of Our Shares

Our failure to remain qualified as a REIT would subject us to taxes, which would reduce the amount of cash available for distribution to our shareholders.

We believe we have been organized and operated and intend to continue to operate in a manner that will enable us to qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 1998. We have not requested and do not intend to request a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service, or the IRS, that we qualify as a REIT. Qualification as a REIT involves the application of highly technical and complex Code provisions and Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder for which there are limited judicial and administrative interpretations. The complexity of these provisions and of applicable Treasury Regulations is greater in the case of a REIT that, like us, holds its assets through entities treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes. To qualify as a REIT, we must meet, on an ongoing basis, various tests regarding the nature and diversification of our assets and our income, the ownership of our outstanding shares, and the amount of our distributions. Our ability to satisfy these asset tests depends upon the characterization and fair market values of our assets, some of which are not susceptible to a precise determination, and for which we will not obtain independent appraisals. Our compliance with the REIT income and quarterly asset requirements also depends upon our ability to manage successfully the composition of our income and assets on an ongoing basis. In connection with such requirements, for so long as any stockholders, either individually or together in the aggregate, hold 10% or more of the shares of our common stock, we will be deemed to own any tenant in which such stockholder or such stockholders together own, at any time during a taxable year, a 10% or greater interest, applying certain constructive ownership rules, which could cause us to receive rental income from a related party tenant. We have put in place procedures to diligence whether we will directly or indirectly receive rental income of a related party tenant. However, due to the broad nature of the attribution rules of the Code, we cannot be certain that in all cases we will be able to timely determine whether we are receiving related party rental income in an amount that would cause us to fail the REIT gross income tests. To the extent we fail to satisfy a REIT gross income test as a result of receiving related party tenant income we could fail to qualify as a REIT or be subject to a penalty tax which could be significant in amount. Furthermore, we own a direct or indirect interest in certain subsidiaries that have elected to be taxed as REITs for U.S. federal income tax purposes under the Code. Provided that each subsidiary REIT qualifies as a REIT, our interest in such subsidiary REIT will be treated as a qualifying real estate asset for purposes of the REIT asset tests. To qualify as a REIT, the subsidiary REIT must independently satisfy all of the REIT qualification requirements. The failure of a subsidiary REIT to qualify as a REIT could have an adverse effect on our ability to comply with the REIT income and asset tests, and thus our ability to qualify as a REIT. Moreover, new legislation, court decisions or administrative guidance, in each case possibly with retroactive effect, may make it more difficult or impossible for us to qualify as a REIT. Thus, while we believe we have been organized and operated and intend to continue to operate so that we will qualify as a REIT, given the highly complex nature of the rules governing REITs, the ongoing importance of factual determinations, and the possibility of future changes in our circumstances, no assurance can be given that we have qualified or will continue to so qualify for any particular year.

These considerations also might restrict the types of assets that we can acquire or services that we can directly provide to our tenants in the future.

If we fail to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, and we do not qualify for certain statutory relief provisions, we would be required to pay U.S. federal income tax on our taxable income at the regular corporate rate, distributions to our shareholders would not be deductible by us in determining our taxable income, we could be subject to the one percent excise tax on stock repurchases imposed by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, and we may not elect to be taxed as a REIT for four taxable years following the year in which we were disqualified. In such a case, we might need to borrow money, sell assets, or reduce or even cease making distributions in order to pay our taxes. Our payment of income tax would reduce significantly the amount of cash available for distribution to our shareholders. Furthermore, if we fail to qualify or maintain our qualification as a REIT, we no longer would be required to distribute substantially all of our net taxable income to our shareholders.

The REIT distribution requirements could require us to borrow funds or take other actions that may be disadvantageous to our shareholders.

In order to qualify as a REIT, we must distribute to our shareholders, on an annual basis, at least 90% of our REIT taxable income, determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and excluding net capital gains. In addition, we will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at regular corporate rates to the extent that we distribute less than 100% of our net taxable income (including net capital gains) and will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the amount by which our distributions in any calendar year are less than a minimum amount specified under U.S. federal income tax laws. We intend to distribute our net taxable income to our shareholders in a manner intended to satisfy the REIT 90% distribution requirement and to eliminate U.S. federal income tax and the 4% nondeductible excise tax.

Our taxable income may exceed our net income as determined by GAAP because, for example, realized capital losses will be deducted in determining our GAAP net income, but may not be deductible in computing our taxable income. In addition, we may incur nondeductible capital expenditures or be required to make debt or amortization payments. Also, certain Ground Lease transactions we enter into may be determined to have a financing component, which may result in a timing difference between the receipt of cash and the recognition of income for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In addition, we may be required to take certain amounts into income no later than the time such amounts are reflected on our financial statements. As a result of the foregoing, we may generate less cash flow than taxable income in a particular year and we may incur U.S. federal income tax and the 4% nondeductible excise tax on that income if we do not distribute such income to shareholders in that year. In that event, we may be required to use cash reserves, incur debt, issue equity or liquidate assets at rates or times that we regard as unfavorable or make a taxable distribution of our shares in order to satisfy the REIT 90% distribution requirement and to eliminate U.S. federal income tax and the 4% nondeductible excise tax in that year.

Even if we qualify as a REIT, we may incur tax liabilities that reduce our cash flow.

Even if we qualify as a REIT, we may be subject to certain U.S. federal, state and local taxes on our income and assets, including taxes on any undistributed income, taxes on income from some activities conducted as a result of a foreclosure, and state or local income, franchise, property and transfer taxes. In order to meet the REIT qualification requirements, or to avoid the imposition of a 100% tax that applies to certain gains derived by a REIT from sales of inventory or property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business, we may hold some of our assets through taxable C corporations, including TRSs. Such subsidiary corporations will be subject to U.S. federal, state and local corporate income taxes, including potential penalty taxes, which would decrease the cash available for distribution to our shareholders.

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Item 1B.   Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

Item 1C.   Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity Risk Management and Strategy

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We have developed and implemented a cybersecurity risk management program intended to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our critical systems and information. Our cybersecurity risk management program includes a cybersecurity incident response plan.

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We design and assess our program based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework (“NIST CSF 2.0”). This does not imply that we meet any particular technical standards, specifications, or requirements, only that we use the NIST CSF 2.0 as a guide to help us identify, assess, and manage cybersecurity risks relevant to our business.

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Our cybersecurity risk management program is integrated into our overall enterprise risk management program, and shares common methodologies, reporting channels and governance processes that apply across the enterprise risk management program to other legal, compliance, strategic, operational, and financial risk areas.

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Our cybersecurity risk management program includes:

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We have not identified risks from known cybersecurity threats, including as a result of any prior cybersecurity incidents, that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect us, including our operations, business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition.

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Cybersecurity Governance

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Our Board considers cybersecurity risk as part of its risk oversight function and has delegated to the Audit Committee (the “Committee”) oversight of cybersecurity and other information technology risks. The Committee oversees management’s implementation of our cybersecurity risk management program.

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The Committee receives periodic reports from management on our cybersecurity risks. In addition, management updates the Committee, as necessary, regarding any material cybersecurity incidents, as well as any incidents with lesser impact potential.

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The Committee reports to the full Board regarding its activities, including those related to cybersecurity. The full Board also receives briefings from management on our cyber risk management program. Board members receive presentations on cybersecurity topics from our Head of IT, internal technology staff or external experts as part of the Board’s continuing education on topics that impact public companies.

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Certain members of our management team, including the Head of Risk Management and our General Counsel, are responsible for assessing and managing our material risks from cybersecurity threats. These individuals have primary responsibility for our overall cybersecurity risk management program and supervises both our internal cybersecurity personnel and our retained external cybersecurity consultants.

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Our management team supervises efforts to prevent, detect, mitigate, and remediate cybersecurity risks and incidents through various means, which may include briefings from internal security personnel; threat intelligence and other information obtained from governmental, public or private sources, including external consultants engaged by us; and alerts and reports produced by security tools deployed in the IT environment.

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Item 2.   Properties

Our principal executive offices are located at 1114 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York, 10036. See Item 8—Financial Statements and Supplementary Data—Schedule III for a listing of properties held by us for investment purposes.

Item 3.   Legal Proceedings

We are not currently party to any pending legal proceedings, nor is any property of the Company subject to any pending legal proceedings, that we believe could have a material adverse effect on our business or financial condition. However, we may be subject to various claims and legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business from time to time.

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Item 4.   Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

PART II

Item 5.   Market for Registrant’s Equity, Related Stock Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Our common stock trades on the NYSE under the symbol "SAFE." Computershare is the transfer agent and registrar for our common stock. We had 1,501 holders of record of common stock as of February 5, 2025. This figure does not represent the actual number of beneficial owners of our common stock because shares of our common stock are frequently held in “street name” by securities dealers and others for the benefit of beneficial owners who may vote the shares and who would report dividends paid by us in their taxable income.

Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities

We did not have any sales of unregistered shares of our common stock during the three months ended December 31, 2024.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

We did not purchase any shares of our common stock during the three months ended December 31, 2024.

On February 4, 2025, our Board authorized the repurchase of up to $50 million of our common stock. Repurchases may be made from time to time at management’s discretion at prices management considers to be attractive through open market purchases or through privately negotiated transactions, or otherwise, including pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan, subject to availability. Open market purchases will be conducted in accordance with the limitations set forth in Rule 10b-18 of the Exchange Act and other applicable legal requirements. We have no obligation to repurchase additional shares, and the timing, actual number and value of the shares that are repurchased, if any, will be at the discretion of management and will depend on a number of factors, including market conditions, the cost of repurchasing shares, the availability of alternative investment opportunities, liquidity, and other factors deemed appropriate. Repurchases may be suspended, terminated or modified at any time for any reason. The share repurchase program does not have an expiration date. Any repurchased shares shall be returned to the status of authorized but unissued shares of commons stock.

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Item 6.   RESERVED

Item 7.   Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Please read the following discussion of our consolidated operating results, financial condition and liquidity together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our discussion related to the results of operations and changes in financial condition for 2023 compared to 2022 is included in Part II, Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023. These historical financial statements may not be indicative of our future performance.

Merger Transaction

On August 10, 2022, Safehold Inc. (“Old SAFE”) entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with iStar Inc. (“iStar”), and on March 31, 2023, the Merger was completed in accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement. For accounting purposes, the Merger was accounted for as a business combination using the acquisition method of accounting under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 805, Business Combinations (“ASC 805”) and treated as a “reverse acquisition” in which iStar is considered the legal acquirer and Old SAFE is considered the accounting acquirer. The Company considered the following relevant facts for this determination:

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As a result, the historical financial statements of Old SAFE became the historical financial statements of Safehold Inc. Unless the context otherwise requires, references to “iStar” refer to iStar prior to the Merger, and references to “we,” “our” and “the Company” refer to the business and operations of Old SAFE and its consolidated subsidiaries prior to the Merger and to Safehold Inc. (formerly known as iStar Inc.) and its consolidated subsidiaries following the consummation of the Merger. Periods presented prior to the Merger date of March 31, 2023 reflect the operations of Old SAFE and periods subsequent to March 31, 2023 represent the financial statement of the Company.

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Immediately before the closing of the Merger, iStar separated its remaining legacy non-ground lease assets and businesses, approximately $50.0 million of cash, exclusive of working capital reserves and restricted cash, and approximately 13.5 million shares of Old SAFE common stock into Star Holdings by distributing to iStar’s stockholders, on a pro rata basis, the issued and outstanding equity interests of Star Holdings (the “Spin-Off”).

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Business Overview

We acquire, manage and capitalize Ground Leases and report our business as a single reportable segment. We believe owning a portfolio of Ground Leases affords our investors the opportunity for safe, growing income. Safety is derived from a Ground Lease’s senior position in the commercial real estate capital structure. Growth is realized through long-term leases with contractual periodic increases in rent. Capital appreciation is realized though appreciation in the value of the land over time and through our typical rights as landlord to acquire the commercial buildings on our land at the end of a Ground Lease, which may yield substantial value to us. As of December 31, 2024, the percentage breakdown of the gross book value of our portfolio was 41% multi-family, 40% office, 11% hotels, 6% life science and 2% mixed use and other. The diversification by geographic location, property type and sponsor in our portfolio further reduces risk and enhances potential upside.

In 2022, the Consumer Price Index (“CPI”) rose to its highest rate in over 40 years. Many of our Ground Leases have CPI lookbacks, generally starting between years 11 and 21 of the lease term, to mitigate the effects of inflation that are typically capped between 3.0% - 3.5%; however, in the event cumulative inflation growth for the lookback period exceeds the cap, these rent adjustments may not keep up fully with changes in inflation.

To combat the increase in inflation, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates and has kept interest rates generally high. This increase in interest rates has produced progress on inflation and in September 2024, the Federal Reserve reduced the federal funds rate by 50 basis points, which marked the first interest rate cut in four years. The Federal Reserve further reduced the federal funds rate by 25 basis points in each of November 2024 and December 2024. The Federal Reserve has indicated that the economic outlook is uncertain and it will continue to monitor incoming data on unemployment and inflation before adjusting monetary policy; however, high interest rates have, and any future increase in interest rates may continue to result in a reduction in the availability or an increase in costs of leasehold financing for Ground Lease tenants, which is critical to the growth of a robust Ground Lease market. The rise in interest rates and increased investment spreads to treasury bonds in the Ground Lease market may also attract new competitors, which may result in higher costs for properties, lower returns and impact our ability to grow.

The rise in interest rates has also adversely affected the U.S. office sector, along with office vacancies and a decline in market liquidity following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, all of which could negatively impact our tenants, Ground Rent Coverages and estimated Combined Property Values. Moreover, certain office assets currently have material vacancies. If our Ground Lease tenants at such assets fail to re-tenant the building such Ground Leases may default and we may suffer losses. See the "Risk Factors" section of this 10-K for additional discussion of certain potential risks to our business related to competition and industry concentrations.

Our Portfolio

Our portfolio of properties is diversified by property type and region. Our portfolio is comprised of Ground Leases and a master lease (relating to five hotel assets that we refer to as our “Park Hotels Portfolio”) that has many of the characteristics of a Ground Lease. The tenant under our Park Hotels Portfolio elected to extend the leases underlying three of the five hotels past the initial lease maturity of December 2025 (see the "Risk Factors -We may be unable to renew expiring Ground Leases, re-lease the land or sell the properties on favorable terms or at all, -Percentage rent payable under our master lease relating to the Park Hotels Portfolio is calculated on an aggregate portfolio-wide basis, -We are the tenant of a Ground Lease underlying a majority of our Doubletree Seattle Airport property" in this Form 10-K for a discussion of our Park Hotels Portfolio). As of December 31, 2024, our estimated portfolio Ground Rent Coverage was 3.5x (see the "Risk Factors -Our estimated UCA, Combined Property Value and Ground Rent Coverage, may not reflect current market values, including the decline in office values, and may decline materially in future periods, -We rely on Property NOI as reported to us by our tenants, -Our estimates of Ground Rent Coverage for properties in development or transition, or for which we do not receive current tenant financial information, may prove to be incorrect" in this Form 10-K for a discussion of our estimated Ground Rent Coverage).

Below is an overview of the top 10 assets in our portfolio as of December 31, 2024 (based on gross book value and excluding unfunded commitments):(1)

The following tables show our portfolio by top 10 markets and property type  as of December 31, 2024, excluding unfunded commitments:

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Unfunded Commitments

We have unfunded commitments to certain of our Ground Lease tenants related to leasehold improvement allowances that we expect to fund upon the completion of certain conditions. As of December 31, 2024, we had $46.2 million of such commitments, excluding commitments to be funded by noncontrolling interests.

We also have unfunded forward commitments related to agreements that we entered into for the acquisition of new Ground Leases or additions to existing Ground Leases if certain conditions are met (refer to Note 14 to the consolidated financial statements). These commitments may also include leasehold improvement allowances that will be funded to the Ground Lease tenants upon the completion of certain conditions. As of December 31, 2024, we had an aggregate $150.3 million of such commitments. There can be no assurance that the conditions to closing for these transactions will be satisfied and that we will acquire the Ground Leases or fund the leasehold improvement allowances.

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Through the Leasehold Loan Fund, we also fund construction and development loans and build-outs of space in real estate assets over a period of time if and when the borrowers and tenants meet established milestones and other performance criteria. We refer to these arrangements as performance-based commitments. As of December 31, 2024, we had $119.6 million of such commitments.

Results of Operations for the Year Ended December 31, 2024 compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2023

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Interest income from sales-type leases increased to $264.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 from $235.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase was due primarily to acquisitions of Ground Leases and additional fundings on existing Ground Leases classified as sales-type leases and Ground Lease receivables.

Operating lease income decreased to $71.1 million during the year ended December 31, 2024 from $71.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. Operating lease income consists of rent from our operating leases and percentage rent from certain properties, including our Park Hotels Portfolio.

Interest income – related party was $9.5 million and $7.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and relates to the Star Holdings Term Loan Facility that was originated on March 31, 2023. The increase is due to a full year of interest for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Other income for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 primarily includes $16.8 million and $19.4 million, respectively, of management fees from Star Holdings and for the year ended December 31, 2023 includes $15.2 million of income due to a hedge forecasted for permanent debt that did not occur. Other income for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 also includes $0.5 million and $0.5 million, respectively, of other income relating to a Ground Lease in which we are the lessee but our tenant at the property pays this expense directly under the terms of a master lease and $3.6 million and $3.3 million, respectively, of other ancillary income from our investments and interest income earned on our cash balances.

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During the year ended December 31, 2024, we incurred interest expense from our debt obligations of $198.0 million compared to $181.0 million during the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in 2024 was due primarily to additional borrowings on our revolvers and commercial paper program, which also accrued interest at higher rates in 2024 due to an increase in base interest rates, and interest expense on our trust preferred securities, 5.65% Notes and 6.10% Notes.

Real estate expense during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 was $4.2 million and $4.7 million, respectively, and consisted primarily of the amortization of an operating lease right-of-use asset, property taxes, legal fees, property appraisal fees and insurance expense.

In addition, during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, we also recorded $0.5 million and $0.5 million, respectively, of real estate expense relating to a Ground Lease in which we are the lessee but our tenant at the property pays this expense directly under the terms of a master lease.

Depreciation and amortization was $9.9 million and $9.9 million during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and primarily relates to our ownership of the Park Hotels Portfolio and a multi-family property, the amortization of in-place lease assets, and beginning in the second quarter of 2023, depreciation on corporate fixed assets acquired in the Merger.

Subsequent to the Merger closing on March 31, 2023, general and administrative expenses primarily includes public company costs such as compensation (including equity-based compensation), occupancy and other costs. Prior to the Merger closing, general and administrative expenses included management fees, an allocation of expenses to us from our former manager, costs of operating as a public company and stock-based compensation (primarily to our non-management directors). The following table presents our general and administrative expenses for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 ($ in thousands):

During the year ended December 31, 2023, we recorded a full impairment of the goodwill that was recognized as a result of the Merger (refer to Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements).

During the year ended December 31, 2024, we recorded a provision for credit losses of $9.5 million. The provision for credit losses was due primarily to enhancements to our general provision for credit loss methodology (refer to Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements), current market conditions and growth in the portfolio during the period. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we recorded a provision for credit losses of $2.7 million. The provision was primarily the result of the adoption of a new accounting standard (refer to Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements) in 2023, which resulted in a $2.4 million provision on our loan receivable, net – related party.

During the year ended December 31, 2024, other expense consists primarily of costs related to our debt obligations. During the year ended December 31, 2023, other expense consists primarily of legal and consulting costs, transfer taxes associated with the Merger (refer to Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements) and $1.9 million from the derecognition of previously-capitalized deal structuring costs. 

During the year ended December 31, 2023, we sold a Ground Lease to a third-party for $4.2 million and recognized a gain on sale of Ground Leases of $0.4 million.

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During the year ended December 31, 2024, earnings from equity method investments (refer to Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements) resulted from our $3.2 million share of income from our 425 Park Avenue venture, our $5.7 million share of income from our 32 Old Slip venture, our $2.3 million share of income from the Ground Lease Plus Fund and our $11.8 million share of income from the Leasehold Loan Fund. During the year ended December 31, 2023, earnings from equity method investments (refer to Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements) resulted from our $3.5 million share of income from our 425 Park Avenue venture, our $5.7 million share of income from our 32 Old Slip venture, our $5.4 million share of income from the Ground Lease Plus Fund and our $9.6 million share of income from the Leasehold Loan Fund.

The decrease in 2024 was due primarily to us buying an asset from the Ground Lease Plus Fund, which was partially offset by an increase in income from the Leasehold Loan Fund due to additional loan fundings and an increase in outside basis amortization (refer to Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements).

During the year ended December 31, 2024, we recorded income tax expense of $3.4 million. The provision for income taxes consists of current federal and state income taxes in the amount of $1.1 million and deferred federal and state taxes in the amount of $2.3 million with respect to our TRS. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we recorded income tax expense of $1.7 million. The income tax expense was primarily the result of current federal and state income tax expense in the amount of $3.1 million, which was partially offset by a deferred tax benefit in the amount of $1.3 million with respect to our TRS.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Liquidity is a measure of our ability to meet potential cash requirements, including to pay interest and repay borrowings, fund and maintain our assets and operations, complete acquisitions and originations of investments, make distributions to our shareholders and meet other general business needs. In order to qualify as a REIT, we are required under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to distribute to our shareholders, on an annual basis, at least 90% of our REIT taxable income, determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and excluding net capital gains. We expect to make quarterly cash distributions to our shareholders sufficient to meet REIT qualification requirements.

We believe the strong credit profile we have established utilizing our modern Ground Leases and our current investment-grade credit ratings from Moody's Investors Services of A3, Fitch Ratings of A- and S&P Global Ratings of BBB+ facilitates our ability to bring commercial real estate owners, developers and sponsors more efficiently priced capital and allows us significant operational and financial flexibility and supports our ability to scale our Ground Lease platform.

On February 4, 2025, our Board authorized the repurchase of up to $50.0 million of our common stock. We have no obligation to repurchase additional shares, and the timing, actual number and value of the shares that are repurchased, if any, will be at the discretion of management and will depend on a number of factors, including market conditions, the cost of repurchasing shares, the availability of alternative investment opportunities, liquidity, and other factors deemed appropriate. Repurchases may be suspended, terminated or modified at any time for any reason. The share repurchase program does not have an expiration date. Any repurchased shares will be returned to the status of authorized but unissued shares of common stock.

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In November 2024 and February 2024, Portfolio Holdings (as issuer) and we (as guarantor), issued an aggregate $700.0 million principal amount of senior notes. In November 2024, we issued $400.0 million aggregate principal amount of 5.65% senior notes due January 2035 (the “5.65% Notes”). The 5.65% Notes were issued at 98.812% of the principal amount. In February 2024, we issued $300.0 million aggregate principal amount of 6.10% senior notes due April 2034 (the “6.10% Notes”). The 6.10% Notes were issued at 98.957% of the principal amount.

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In June 2024, we entered into a U.S. commercial paper program (the “Commercial Paper Program”) on a private placement basis, pursuant to which we may issue up to $750.0 million of short-term, unsecured commercial paper notes outstanding at any time, which are guaranteed by us. Under the Commercial Paper Program, we may issue the commercial paper notes from time to time and intend to use the proceeds for general corporate purposes. The Commercial Paper Program is backed by our 2024 Unsecured Revolver (see below). As of December 31, 2024, we had no outstanding balance under the Commercial Paper Program. Borrowings under the Commercial Paper Program reduce amounts otherwise available under the 2024 Unsecured Revolver.

In April 2024, we closed on a new $2.0 billion unsecured revolving credit facility (the “2024 Unsecured Revolver”), which replaced our 2021 Unsecured Revolver and 2023 Unsecured Revolver (refer to Note 9 to the consolidated financial statements), each of which were terminated. At the time of termination, $916 million was drawn on the 2021 Unsecured Revolver, all of which rolled over into the 2024 Unsecured Revolver. The 2024 Unsecured Revolver has a borrowing rate of Adjusted SOFR, as defined in the applicable agreement, plus 0.85%, subject to our credit ratings, with an extended maturity date of May 1, 2029, which includes two six-month extension options.

The 2024 Unsecured Revolver replaced our nearest term maturities, reduced the overall facility cost and increased our liquidity by $150 million. Additionally, we gained greater financial flexibility through changes to certain financial covenants. As of December 31, 2024, there was $1.3 billion of undrawn capacity on the 2024 Unsecured Revolver.

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In April 2023, we entered into an at-the-market equity offering (the “ATM”) pursuant to which we may sell shares of our common stock up to an aggregate purchase price of $300.0 million. We may sell such shares in amounts and at times to be determined by us from time to time, but we have no obligation to sell any of the shares. Actual sales, if any, will depend on a variety of factors to be determined by us from time to time, including, among other things, market conditions, the trading price of our common stock, capital needs, and our determinations of the appropriate sources of funding. As of December 31, 2024, we had not sold any shares under the ATM.

As of December 31, 2024, we had $8 million of unrestricted cash. We also have an aggregate $1.3 billion of undrawn capacity on our 2024 Unsecured Revolver (refer to Note 9 to the consolidated financial statements). We refer to this unrestricted cash and additional borrowing capacity on our 2024 Unsecured Revolver as our “equity” liquidity which can be used for general corporate purposes or leveraged to acquire or originate new Ground Lease assets. Our primary sources of cash to date have been proceeds from equity offerings and private placements, proceeds from our initial capitalization by iStar and two institutional investors and borrowings from our debt facilities, unsecured notes, Commercial Paper Program and mortgages. Our primary uses of cash to date have been the acquisition/origination of Ground Leases, repayments on our debt facilities and distributions to our shareholders.

We expect our short-term liquidity requirements to include debt service on our debt obligations (refer to Note 9 to the consolidated financial statements), distributions to our shareholders, working capital, new acquisitions and originations of Ground Lease investments. We expect our long-term liquidity requirements to include debt service on our debt obligations (refer to Note 9 to the consolidated financial statements), distributions to our shareholders, working capital, new acquisitions and originations of Ground Lease investments (including in respect of unfunded commitments – refer to Note 10 to the consolidated financial statements) and debt maturities. Our primary sources of liquidity going forward will generally consist of cash on hand and cash flows from operations, new financings, funds from our joint venture partners, unused borrowing capacity under our 2024 Unsecured Revolver (subject to the conditions set forth in the applicable loan agreement) and Commercial Paper Program, and common and/or preferred equity issuances. We expect that we will be able to meet our liquidity requirements over the next 12 months and beyond.

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The following table outlines our cash flows provided by operating activities, cash flows used in investing activities and cash flows provided by financing activities for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 ($ in thousands):

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The increase in cash flows provided by operating activities during 2024 was due primarily to an increase in distributions received from equity method investments in 2024 and the payment of Merger expenses in 2023, which was partially offset by the payment of annual performance awards in 2024. The decrease in cash flows used in investing activities during 2024 was due primarily to the origination of the Star Holdings Term Loan Facility in 2023, consideration paid in connection with the Merger in 2023, a decrease in the funding of Ground Leases and an increase in net distributions received from equity method investments in 2024 and proceeds received from a derivative transaction in 2024. The decrease in cash flows provided by financing activities during 2024 was due primarily to a decrease in net borrowings on debt obligations in 2024, the acquisition of a noncontrolling interest in 2024 and proceeds from the issuance of common stock in 2023.

Mortgages—Mortgages consist of asset specific non-recourse borrowings that are secured by our real estate and Ground Leases. As of December 31, 2024, our mortgages are full term interest only, bear interest at a weighted average interest rate of 3.99% and have maturities between April 2027 and November 2069.

Unsecured Notes—In May 2021, Portfolio Holdings, then known as Safehold Operating Partnership LP, (as issuer) and the Company (as guarantor), issued $400.0 million aggregate principal amount of 2.80% senior notes due June 2031 (the “2.80% Notes”). The 2.80% Notes were issued at 99.127% of par. We may redeem the 2.80% Notes in whole at any time or in part from time to time prior to March 15, 2031, at our option and sole discretion, at a redemption price equal to the greater of: (i) 100% of the principal amount of the 2.80% Notes being redeemed; and (ii) a make-whole premium calculated in accordance with the indenture, plus, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but not including, the applicable redemption date. If the 2.80% Notes are redeemed on or after March 15, 2031, the redemption price will be equal to 100% of the principal amount of the 2.80% Notes being redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but not including, the applicable redemption date.

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In November 2021, Portfolio Holdings, then known as Safehold Operating Partnership LP, (as issuer) and us (as guarantor), issued $350.0 million aggregate principal amount of 2.85% senior notes due January 2032 (the “2.85% Notes”). The 2.85% Notes were issued at 99.123% of par. We may redeem the 2.85% Notes in whole at any time or in part from time to time prior to October 15, 2031, at our option and sole discretion, at a redemption price equal to the greater of: (i) 100% of the principal amount of the 2.85% Notes being redeemed; and (ii) a make-whole premium calculated in accordance with the indenture, plus, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but not including, the applicable redemption date. If the 2.85% Notes are redeemed on or after October 15, 2031, the redemption price will be equal to 100% of the principal amount of the 2.85% Notes being redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but not including, the applicable redemption date.

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In January 2022, Portfolio Holdings, then known as Safehold Operating Partnership LP, (as issuer) and us (as guarantor), issued $475.0 million aggregate principal amount of privately-placed 3.98% senior notes due February 2052 (the “3.98% Notes”). Safehold Operating Partnership LP elected to draw these funds in March 2022. We may, at our option, prepay at any time all, or from time to time any part of, the 3.98% Notes, in an amount not less than 5% of the aggregate principal amount of the 3.98% Notes then outstanding in the case of a partial prepayment, at 100% of the principal amount so prepaid, and the applicable make-whole amount calculated in accordance with the indenture, for such tranche determined for the prepayment date with respect to such principal amount; provided, that, so long as no default or event of default shall then exist, at any time on or after November 15, 2051, we may, at our option, prepay all or any part of the 3.98% Notes at 100% of the principal amount so prepaid, together with, in each case, accrued interest to the prepayment date, without any make-whole amount. 

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In May 2022, Portfolio Holdings, then known as Safehold Operating Partnership LP, (as issuer) and us (as guarantor), issued $150.0 million aggregate principal amount of privately-placed 5.15% senior notes due May 2052 (the “5.15% Notes”).  The structure of the 5.15% Notes features a stairstep coupon rate in which we will pay cash interest at a rate of 2.50% in years 1 through 10, 3.75% in years 11 through 20, and 5.15% in years 21 through 30. The difference between the 5.15% stated rate and the cash interest rate will accrue in each semi-annual payment period and be paid in kind by adding such accrued interest to the outstanding principal balance, to be repaid at maturity in May 2052. We may, at our option, prepay at any time all, or from time to time any part of, the 5.15% Notes, in an amount not less than 5% of the aggregate principal amount of the 5.15% Notes then outstanding in the case of a partial prepayment, at 100% of the principal amount so prepaid, and the applicable make-whole amount calculated in accordance with the indenture; provided, that, so long as no default or event of default shall then exist, at any time on or after February 13, 2052, we may, at our option, prepay all or any part of the 5.15% Notes at 100% of the principal amount so prepaid, together with, in each case, accrued interest to the prepayment date, without any make-whole amount. 

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In February 2024, Portfolio Holdings (as issuer) and us (as guarantor) issued $300.0 million aggregate principal amount of 6.10% Notes. The 6.10% Notes were issued at 98.957% of the principal amount. We may redeem the 6.10% Notes in whole at any time or in part from time to time prior to January 1, 2034, at our option and sole discretion, at a redemption price equal to the greater of: (i) 100% of the principal amount of the 6.10% Notes being redeemed; and (ii) a make-whole premium calculated in accordance with the indenture, plus, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but not including, the applicable redemption date. If the 6.10% Notes are redeemed on or after January 1, 2034, the redemption price will be equal to 100% of the principal amount of the 6.10% Notes being redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but not including, the applicable redemption date.

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In November 2024, Portfolio Holdings (as issuer) and us (as guarantor) issued $400.0 million aggregate principal amount of the 5.65% Notes (together with the 2.80% Notes, the 2.85% Notes, the 3.98% Notes, the 5.15% Notes and the 6.10% Notes, the “Senior Notes”). The 5.65% Notes were issued at 98.812% of the principal amount. We may redeem the 5.65% Notes in whole at any time or in part from time to time prior to October 15, 2034, at our option and sole discretion, at a redemption price equal to the greater of: (i) 100% of the principal amount of the 5.65% Notes being redeemed; and (ii) a make-whole premium calculated in accordance with the indenture, plus, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but not including, the applicable redemption date. If the 5.65% Notes are redeemed on or after October 15, 2034, the redemption price will be equal to 100% of the principal amount of the 5.65% Notes being redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but not including, the applicable redemption date.

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2024 Unsecured Revolver—In April 2024, we entered into a $2.0 billion unsecured revolving credit facility (the “2024 Unsecured Revolver”), which replaced our 2021 Unsecured Revolver (see below) and 2023 Unsecured Revolver (see below), each of which were terminated. At the time of termination, $916 million was drawn on the 2021 Unsecured Revolver, all of which rolled over into the 2024 Unsecured Revolver. The 2024 Unsecured Revolver has a borrowing rate of Adjusted SOFR, as defined in the applicable agreement, plus 0.85%, subject to our credit ratings, with an extended maturity date of May 1, 2029, which includes two six-month extension options. We also pay a facility fee of 0.10%, subject to our credit ratings. As of December 31, 2024, there was $1.3 billion of undrawn capacity on the 2024 Unsecured Revolver.

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2021 Unsecured Revolver—In March 2021, Portfolio Holdings, then known as Safehold Operating Partnership LP, (as borrower) and us (as guarantor), entered into an unsecured revolving credit facility with an initial maximum aggregate principal amount of up to $1.0 billion (the “2021 Unsecured Revolver”), which amount was increased to $1.35 billion in December 2021. The 2021 Unsecured Revolver had an initial maturity of March 2024 with two 12-month extension options exercisable by us, subject to certain conditions, and accrued interest at an annual rate of applicable SOFR plus 0.90%, subject to our credit ratings. In March 2024, we exercised one of our options to extend the maturity to March 2025. The 2024 Unsecured Revolver replaced the 2021 Unsecured Revolver.

2023 Unsecured Revolver—In January 2023, Portfolio Holdings, then known as Safehold Operating Partnership LP (as borrower) and us (as guarantor) entered into a $500 million unsecured revolving credit facility (the “2023 Unsecured Revolver”). The 2023 Unsecured Revolver accrued interest at a rate of Adjusted SOFR, as defined in the applicable agreement, plus 0.90%, subject to our credit ratings. The 2024 Unsecured Revolver replaced the 2023 Unsecured Revolver.

Trust Preferred Securities—We assumed trust preferred securities from iStar in connection with Merger. The trust preferred securities bear interest at three-month Adjusted Term SOFR plus 1.50% and mature in October 2035.

Debt Covenants—We are subject to financial covenants under the 2024 Unsecured Revolver, including maintaining: (i) a ratio of total unencumbered assets to total unsecured debt of at least 1.33x; and (ii) a consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio of at least 1.15x, as such terms are defined in the documents governing the 2024 Unsecured Revolver. In addition, the 2024 Unsecured Revolver contains customary affirmative and negative covenants. Among other things, these covenants may restrict us or certain of our subsidiaries’ ability to incur additional debt or liens, engage in certain mergers, consolidations and other fundamental changes, make other investments or pay dividends. Our 2.80% Notes, 2.85% Notes, 3.98% Notes, 5.15% Notes, 6.10% Notes and 5.65% Notes are subject to a financial covenant requiring a ratio of unencumbered assets to unsecured debt of at least 1.25x and contain customary affirmative and negative covenants. Our 6.10% Notes and 5.65% Notes are also subject to a financial covenant limiting the incurrence of any secured debt that would cause our secured debt to total assets ratio to exceed 50%. Our 3.98% Notes and 5.15% Notes contain a provision whereby they will be deemed to include additional financial covenants and negative covenants to the extent such covenants are incorporated into Portfolio Holdings’ and/or our existing or future material credit facilities, including the 2024 Unsecured Revolver, and to the extent such covenants are more favorable to the lenders under such material credit facilities than the covenants contained in the 3.98% Notes and 5.15% Notes. Our mortgages contain no significant maintenance or ongoing financial covenants. As of December 31, 2024, we were in compliance with all of our financial covenants.

Supplemental Guarantor Disclosure

In March 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) adopted amendments to Rule 3-10 of Regulation S-X and created Rule 13-01 to simplify disclosure requirements related to certain registered securities. The amendments became effective on January 4, 2021. In April 2023, we and Portfolio Holdings filed a registration statement on Form S-3 with the SEC registering, among other securities, debt securities of Portfolio Holdings, which will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by us. As of December 31, 2024, Portfolio Holdings had issued and outstanding the Senior Notes, which were registered on the Form S-3 filed in April 2023 or on a Form S-3 filed by Old SAFE and Portfolio Holdings (then known as Safehold Operating Partnership LP). The obligations of Portfolio Holdings to pay principal, premiums, if any, and interest on the Senior Notes are guaranteed on a senior basis by us. The guarantee is full and unconditional, and Portfolio Holdings is a consolidated subsidiary of ours.

As a result of the amendments to Rule 3-10 of Regulation S-X, subsidiary issuers of obligations guaranteed by the parent are not required to provide separate financial statements, provided that the subsidiary obligor is consolidated into the parent company’s consolidated financial statements, the parent guarantee is “full and unconditional” and, subject to certain exceptions as set forth below, the alternative disclosure required by Rule 13-01 is provided, which includes narrative disclosure and summarized financial information. Accordingly, separate consolidated financial statements of Portfolio Holdings have not been presented. Furthermore, as permitted under Rule 13-01(a)(4)(vi) of Regulation S-X, we have excluded the summarized financial information for Portfolio Holdings because the assets, liabilities and results of operations of Portfolio Holdings are not materially different than the corresponding amounts in our consolidated financial statements, and management believes such summarized financial information would be repetitive and would not provide incremental value to investors.

Critical Accounting Estimates

Allowance for credit losses on net investment in sales-type leases, Ground Lease receivables and loan receivable – related party—Effective January 1, 2023, upon the adoption of ASU 2016-13, we implemented procedures to estimate our allowance for credit losses on net investment in sales-type leases and Ground Lease receivables, including unfunded commitments, using a quantitative analysis to estimate expected loss rates for our portfolio of net investment in sales-type leases and Ground Lease receivables. ASU 2016-13 replaced the incurred loss impairment methodology in prior GAAP with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses over the life of the investment and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to inform credit loss estimates. We analyzed historical data provided by Trepp (“Trepp”) for single asset borrower loans and considered comparable loan to value ratios, loss rates, timing of losses, vintage, property type and other statistics. We updated our analysis for current market conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts of unemployment rates to develop an estimate of credit losses. Beginning in the third quarter of 2024, we enhanced our policy to inform credit loss estimates by analyzing historical loss data for high-credit rated long-duration bonds, which we believe have similar risk profiles to our Ground Leases, provided by external third parties along with the historical data provided by Trepp. We continue to consider comparable loan to value ratios, loss rates, timing of losses, vintage, property type and other statistics in its estimate of credit losses. We also continue to analyze our portfolio of Ground Leases in two categories, based on whether the underlying property is a stabilized property or a development project (projects with unfunded commitments that are under development or in transition). Our development properties are assigned a higher loss rate due to the higher potential risk for deals under construction. We may adopt alternative approaches to estimate our credit losses in the future based on factors such as, but not limited to, the loan to value ratios, property type and the availability of relevant historical market loss data for similar type financial instruments.

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Real estate—Real estate assets are recorded at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization, as follows:

Purchase price allocation—Our acquisitions of properties are generally accounted for as an acquisition of assets. For asset acquisitions, we recognize and measure identifiable assets acquired, liabilities assumed and any noncontrolling interest in the acquiree based on their relative fair values and acquisition-related costs are capitalized and recorded in "Real estate, net," "Real estate-related intangible assets, net" and "Real estate-related intangible liabilities, net" on our consolidated balance sheets.

We account for our acquisition of properties by recording the purchase price of tangible and intangible assets and liabilities acquired based on their relative fair values. The value of the tangible assets, consisting of land, buildings, building improvements and tenant improvements is determined as if these assets are vacant, using estimated cash flow projections of the properties acquired which incorporate market rent, growth, discount and terminal capitalization rates. Intangible assets may include the value of lease incentive assets, above-market leases, below-market Ground Lease assets and in-place leases, which are each recorded at their relative fair values determined using current market rents and leasing costs as inputs and included in "Real estate-related intangible assets, net" on our consolidated balance sheets. Intangible liabilities may include the value of below-market leases, which are recorded at their relative fair values and included in "Real estate-related intangible liabilities, net" on our consolidated balance sheets. In-place leases are amortized over the remaining non-cancelable term of the lease and the amortization expense is included in "Depreciation and amortization" in our consolidated statements of operations. Lease incentive assets and above-market (or below-market) lease value are amortized as a reduction of (or increase to) operating lease income over the remaining non-cancelable term of each lease. Below-market Ground Lease assets are amortized to real estate expense over the remaining non-cancelable term of the lease. We may also engage in sale/leaseback transactions whereby we execute a net lease with the occupant simultaneously with the purchase of the asset. These transactions are accounted for as asset acquisitions.

Impairments—We review real estate assets for impairment in value whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. The value of a long-lived asset held for use is impaired if management’s estimate of the aggregate future cash flows (undiscounted and without interest charges) to be generated by the asset (taking into account the anticipated holding period of the asset) are less than its carrying value. Such estimate of cash flows considers factors such as expected future operating income trends, as well as the effects of demand, competition and other economic factors. To the extent impairment has occurred, the loss will be measured as the excess of the carrying amount of the asset over the estimated fair value of the asset and reflected as an adjustment to the basis of the asset. Impairments of real estate assets, if any, are recorded in "Impairment of assets" in our consolidated statements of operations.

For a discussion of other significant accounting policies, refer to Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements.

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Item 7A.   Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

Market Risks

Our future income, cash flows and fair values relevant to financial instruments are dependent upon prevalent market prices and interest rates. Market risk refers to the risk of loss from adverse changes in market prices and interest rates. One of the principal market risks facing us is interest rate risk on our floating rate indebtedness.

Subject to qualifying and maintaining our qualification as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we may mitigate the risk of interest rate volatility through the use of hedging instruments, such as interest rate swap agreements and interest rate cap agreements. Our primary objectives when undertaking hedging transactions will be to reduce our floating rate exposure and to fix a portion of the interest rate for anticipated financing and refinancing transactions. However, we can provide no assurances that our efforts to manage interest rate volatility will successfully mitigate the risks of such volatility on our portfolio. Our current portfolio is not subject to foreign currency risk.

Our objectives with respect to interest rate risk are to limit the impact of interest rate changes on operations and cash flows and to lower our overall borrowing costs. To achieve these objectives, we may borrow at fixed rates and may enter into hedging instruments such as interest rate swap agreements and interest rate cap agreements in order to mitigate our interest rate risk on a related floating rate financial instrument. We do not enter into derivative or interest rate transactions for speculative purposes.

As of December 31, 2024, we had $3.6 billion principal amount of fixed-rate debt outstanding and $789 million principal amount of floating-rate debt outstanding. The following table quantifies the potential changes in annual net income should interest rates decrease or increase by 10, 50 and 100 basis points, assuming no change in our interest earning assets, interest bearing liabilities or the shape of the yield curve (i.e., relative interest rates). Actual results could differ significantly from those estimated in the table.

Estimated Change In Net Income

($ in thousands)(1)

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Item 8.   Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

Index to Financial Statements

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All other schedules are omitted because they are not applicable or the required information is shown in the financial statements or notes thereto.

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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the shareholders and the Board of Directors of Safehold Inc.

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Safehold Inc. and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), changes in equity, and cash flows, for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2024, and the related notes and the schedule listed in the Index at Item 15 (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2024, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated February 6, 2025, expressed an unqualified opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matter

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current-period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.

Purchase Price Allocation — Refer to Note 3 to the financial statements

Critical Audit Matter Description

The Company accounts for the acquisition of properties by recording the purchase price of tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their relative fair values. The value of the tangible assets, consisting of land, buildings, building improvements and tenant improvements is determined as if these assets are vacant. Intangible assets may include the value of lease incentive assets, above-market leases, below-market Ground Lease assets and in-place leases, which are each recorded at their relative fair values. Intangible liabilities may include the value of below-market leases, which are recorded at their relative fair values.

The relative fair value determination of assets acquired and liabilities assumed required management to make estimates related to future expected cash flows as well as capitalization and discount rates. We performed audit procedures to evaluate the reasonableness of these estimates which required a high degree of auditor judgment and an increased extent of effort, including the need to involve our fair value specialists.

How the Critical Audit Matter Was Addressed in the Audit

Our audit procedures related to the relative fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed by the Company included the following, among others:

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/s/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

New York, New York

February 6, 2025

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2018.

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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the shareholders and the Board of Directors of Safehold Inc.

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Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

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We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of Safehold Inc. and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2024, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by COSO.

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We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2024, of the Company and our report dated February 6, 2025, expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial statements.

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Basis for Opinion

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The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

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We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

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Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting

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A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

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Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

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/s/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

New York, New York

February 6, 2025

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Safehold Inc.

Consolidated Balance Sheets(1)

(In thousands, except per share data)

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The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

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Safehold Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(In thousands, except per share data)