Mack-Cali Realty Corporation ( CLI - Analyst Report ) sold a Clifton, NJ office building to a joint venture of Gottesman Real Estate Partners and Mountain Development Corp. (MDC).

The deal helped Mack-Cali reap around $5.8 million which the company plans to redeploy for funding its other strategic growth prospects. The property that was sold is a five-storied one, spanning 77,000-square-feet and located at 777 Passaic Avenue in Clifton. It is approximately 65% occupied.

As a matter of fact, Mack-Cali has a strong presence in high barrier-to-entry markets in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions in the U.S. However, holding occupancy and increasing rents are a concern due to the tough environment in the office sector along its footprints. Hence, in the midst of the current unimpressive demand for office space, Mack-Cali has been focusing on expanding its multifamily apartment portfolio.

Notably, the above-mentioned Clifton asset disposition also depicts Mack-Cali’s motive of utilizing the funds generated from non-core assets sale for boosting its diversifying activities.

In recent times, Mack-Cali also sold a Hawthorne-based office property – 19 Skyline Drive – to New York Medical College for approximately $17.5million. New York Medical College is a member of the Touro College and University System.

On the other hand, Mack-Cali has been inking various acquisition deals in expanding its multifamily apartment portfolio. Among the recent acquisitions, Alterra IA and Alterra IB at Overlook Ridge – in Metro Boston are noteworthy. Mack-Cali acquired the properties from a joint venture of Prudential Insurance Company of America, an operational arm of Prudential Financial Inc. ( PRU - Analyst Report ) .

Also, the company entered the DC multifamily market, through the buyout of Crystal House. The property was acquired through a joint venture (JV) with a fund advised by UBS Global Asset Management of UBS AG ( UBS - Analyst Report ) . We believe such efforts will ultimately help the company diversify its business and stay on the growth trajectory in the long term.

Mack-Cali currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). However, another REIT that is performing well and is worth a look includes Host Hotels & Resorts Inc. ( HST - Analyst Report ) that carries a Zacks Rank #2.