TOLEDO, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 4, 2008--Health Care REIT, Inc. (NYSE:HCN) today announced that it intends to offer, subject to market and other conditions, 3,000,000 shares of its common stock. Health Care REIT intends to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 450,000 shares to cover over allotments, if any. The shares of common stock will be registered under Health Care REIT's existing shelf registration statement on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Health Care REIT intends to use the net proceeds of the offering to invest in additional properties. Pending such use, the proceeds will primarily be used to repay borrowings under the company's unsecured line of credit.

The joint bookrunning managers for the offering are Deutsche Bank Securities and UBS Investment Bank.

This offering of shares of common stock may be made only by means of a preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus forming part of the registration statement. A copy of the preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained by contacting Deutsche Bank Securities, Prospectus Department, 100 Plaza One, Jersey City, New Jersey 07311, (800) 503-4611, or e-mail at prospectusrequest@list.db.com or UBS Investment Bank, Attn: Prospectus Department, 299 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10171, (888) 827-7275.

This press release is not an offer to sell, nor a solicitation of an offer to buy securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which the offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction.

Health Care REIT, Inc., with headquarters in Toledo, Ohio, is an equity real estate investment trust that invests across the full spectrum of senior housing and health care real estate, including independent living/continuing care retirement communities, assisted living facilities, skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, long-term acute care hospitals and medical office buildings. Founded in 1970, the company was the first real estate investment trust to invest exclusively in health care facilities. The company also offers a full array of property management and development services. As of December 31, 2007, the company's broadly diversified portfolio consisted of 638 properties in 38 states. More information is available on the Internet at www.hcreit.com.

This document may contain "forward-looking" statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When the company uses words such as "may," "will," "intend," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "project," "estimate" or similar expressions, it is making forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect current plans and expectations and are based on information currently available. They are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, including those discussed in the preliminary prospectus supplement and related prospectus and in the company's other reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Completion of the proposed offering is subject to various factors, including, but not limited to, the status of the economy and the status of capital markets. The company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements.

CONTACT: Health Care REIT, Inc.
Scott Estes, 419-247-2800
or
Mike Crabtree, 419-247-2800

SOURCE: Health Care REIT, Inc.