Investors Real Estate Trust Declares Regular Quarterly Common Share Distribution, and Declares Series A and Series B Preferred

Investors Real Estate Trust (Nasdaq:IRET) announced today that its Board of Trustees has declared a regular quarterly distribution of $0.1300 per share/unit payable on October 1, 2012 to common shareholders and unitholders of record at the close of business on September 17, 2012.

This $0.1300 per common share/unit distribution will be the 166th consecutive quarterly distribution paid by IRET since its inception in 1970. The previous regular quarterly distribution, also of $0.1300 per common share/unit, was paid July 2, 2012.

Investors Real Estate Trust's Board of Trustees also declared on September 4, 2012 a distribution of $0.515625 cents per share on the Company's Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares (Nasdaq:IRETP). This distribution will be payable October 1, 2012 to Series A preferred shareholders of record at the close of business on September 17, 2012. Series A preferred share distributions are cumulative and payable quarterly in arrears at an annual rate of $2.0625 per share.

Also on September 4, 2012, the Board of Directors declared a distribution for the initial distribution period from, but excluding, July 31, 2012 to, but excluding, September 30, 2012, of $0.33125 per share on the Company's 7.95% Series B Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares (NYSE:IRET PRB), payable October 1, 2012 to Series B preferred shareholders of record at the close of business on September 17, 2012. Series B preferred share distributions are cumulative and payable quarterly in arrears at an annual rate of $1.9875 per share.

About Investors Real Estate Trust

Investors Real Estate Trust is an equity real estate investment trust. Its business consists of owning and operating income-producing multi-family residential and commercial properties located primarily in the upper Midwest. Investors Real Estate Trust is based in Minot, North Dakota, and has additional offices in Minneapolis and St. Cloud, Minnesota.

CONTACT: Lindsey Knoop Anderson
         Director of Investor Relations
         1400 31st Ave SW, Suite 60
         PO Box 1988
         Minot, North Dakota 58702-1988
         phone: [phone]
         fax: [phone]
         email:[e-mail]