Two major things become quite clear to large investors whodecide to enter the healthcare real estate sector: first,high-quality medical office buildings (MOB) are typically in shortsupply; and second, even the largest deals carry price tags thatpale in comparison to big general office transactions.

Yet, the MOB sales sector saw some impressive deals in 2013, asmost of the largest transactions involved the trading ofportfolios.

Here's a look at MOB portfolio sales from 2013 that topped $100million.

• WRIT Portfolio, $307.29 million.Washington Real Estate Investment Trust's (WRIT)sale of its entire MOB portfolio – all based in theWashington, DC, metropolitan area – toChicago-based Harrison Street had a total pricetag of just more than $500 million. However, because the sale tookplace in tranches, just 17 buildings and a developable site tradedhands between the two entities in 2013. Harrison Street closed onthe remaining properties, totaling nearly $200 million, in early2014. The properties that closed in 2013 had a total of 861,792square feet, for price per square foot (PSF) of $356. CassidyTurley represented WRIT in the deal.
• Dux Portfolio, $295.7 million. Newport Beach,CA-based Griffin-American Healthcare REIT IIacquired the 16 facilities from Duke Realty Corp.(NYSE: DRE), which considered the properties “non-core” medicalassets. The 16 properties are in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.They have a total of 887,669 square feet of space, making the PSF$333. The sales price, which was not released by Duke, was obtainedfrom data supplied by Real Capital Analytics (RCA). New York-basedSavills represented Duke Realty.
• LaSalle MOBs, $206 million. The 13 buildingsin the portfolio have a total of 785,092 square feet of space andare located in seven states. New York-based ARC HealthcareTrust, an unlisted REIT, acquired the MOBs fromLaSalle Investment Management, with JLLHealthcare Capital Markets acting as the broker. The PSFwas $262.
• Crystal Run MOB Portfolio, $141 million.Griffin-American Healthcare REIT II acquired the six buildings froma large, dominant physicians group, Crystal RunHealthcare, which is based in the Mid-Hudson River city ofMiddletown, NY. The PSF was $392 for the 360,000-square footportfolio. Raymond James' healthcare group of New York representedCrystal Run.
• Central Indiana MOB Portfolio, $123 million.Griffin-American Healthcare REIT II was also the buyer of this17-building, 594,000-square foot portfolio, which it acquired fromIndianapolis-based Cornerstone Cos. and otherfirms. The PSF was $207.
• Dignity Health MOB Portfolio, $114 million.Denver-based NexCore Group LP and financialpartner Heitman acquired the 13 SouthernCalifornia and Arizona properties, which have a total of 594,000square feet, from JLL Income Property Trust for a PSF of $207. TheHealthcare Capital Markets group of CBRE (NYSE:CBG) represented the seller.