Ventas Enters Agreement to Sell Common Stock

CHICAGO, Aug. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ventas, Inc. (NYSE: VTR)
("Ventas" or the "Company") announced today that it has agreed to sell
4,400,000 shares of its common stock to Merrill Lynch & Co., as sole
underwriter, in an underwritten public offering. The Company has also
granted Merrill Lynch & Co. a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional
660,000 shares of common stock to cover overallotments, if any. The Company
will use the net proceeds to repay indebtedness outstanding under its
revolving credit facility and for other general corporate purposes,
including acquisitions. Completion of the offering is subject to customary
closing conditions.

The shares of common stock are being offered under the Company's
existing shelf registration statement, which became automatically effective
upon filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A prospectus
supplement and accompanying prospectus describing the terms of the offering
will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. When available,
copies of the prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may be
obtained from Merrill Lynch & Co., 4 World Financial Center, 250 Vesey St.,
New York, New York 10080, or by phone at 212-449-1000.

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

Ventas, Inc. is a leading healthcare real estate investment trust. Its
diverse portfolio of properties located in 43 states and two Canadian
provinces includes seniors housing communities, skilled nursing facilities,
hospitals and medical office and other properties.

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and
Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All
statements regarding Ventas, Inc.'s ("Ventas" or the "Company") and its
subsidiaries' expected future financial position, results of operations,
cash flows, funds from operations, dividends and dividend plans, financing
plans, business strategy, budgets, projected costs, capital expenditures,
competitive positions, acquisitions, investment opportunities, merger
integration, growth opportunities, expected lease income, continued
qualification as a real estate investment trust ("REIT"), plans and
objectives of management for future operations and statements that include
words such as "anticipate," "if," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect,"
"intend," "may," "could," "should," "will" and other similar expressions
are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are
inherently uncertain, and security holders must recognize that actual
results may differ from the Company's expectations. The Company does not
undertake a duty to update such forward-looking statements, which speak
only as of the date on which they are made.

The Company's actual future results and trends may differ materially
depending on a variety of factors discussed in the Company's filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission. Factors that may affect the
Company's plans or results include without limitation: (a) the ability and
willingness of the Company's operators, tenants, borrowers, managers and
other third parties, as applicable, to meet and/or perform the obligations
under their various contractual arrangements with the Company; (b) the
ability and willingness of Kindred Healthcare, Inc. (together with its
subsidiaries, "Kindred"), Brookdale Living Communities, Inc. (together with
its subsidiaries, "Brookdale") and Alterra Healthcare Corporation (together
with its subsidiaries, "Alterra") to meet and/or perform their obligations
to indemnify, defend and hold the Company harmless from and against various
claims, litigation and liabilities under the Company's respective
contractual arrangements with Kindred, Brookdale and Alterra; (c) the
ability of the Company's operators, tenants, borrowers and managers, as
applicable, to maintain the financial strength and liquidity necessary to
satisfy their respective obligations and liabilities to third parties,
including without limitation obligations under their existing credit
facilities; (d) the Company's success in implementing its business strategy
and the Company's ability to identify, underwrite, finance, consummate and
integrate diversifying acquisitions or investments, including those in
different asset types and outside the United States; (e) the nature and
extent of future competition; (f) the extent of future or pending
healthcare reform and regulation, including cost containment measures and
changes in reimbursement policies, procedures and rates; (g) increases in
the Company's cost of borrowing; (h) the ability of the Company's operators
and managers, as applicable, to deliver high quality services, to attract
and retain qualified personnel and to attract residents and patients; (i)
the results of litigation affecting the Company; (j) changes in general
economic conditions and/or economic conditions in the markets in which the
Company may, from time to time, compete; (k) the Company's ability to pay
down, refinance, restructure and/or extend its indebtedness as it becomes
due; (l) the Company's ability and willingness to maintain its
qualification as a REIT due to economic, market, legal, tax or other
considerations; (m) final determination of the Company's taxable net income
for the year ended December 31, 2007 and for the year ending December 31,
2008; (n) the ability and willingness of the Company's tenants to renew
their leases with the Company upon expiration of the leases and the
Company's ability to relet its properties on the same or better terms in
the event such leases expire and are not renewed by the existing tenants;
(o) risks associated with the Company's seniors housing communities managed
by Sunrise Senior Living, Inc. ("Sunrise"), including the timely delivery
of accurate property-level financial results for the Company's properties;
(p) factors causing volatility in the Company's revenues generated by its
seniors housing communities managed by Sunrise, including without
limitation national and regional economic conditions, costs of materials,
energy, labor and services, employee benefit costs and professional and
general liability claims; (q) the movement of U.S. and Canadian exchange
rates; (r) year-over-year changes in the Consumer Price Index and the
effect of those changes on the rent escalators, including the rent
escalator for Master Lease 2 with Kindred, and the Company's earnings; (s)
the impact on the liquidity, financial condition and results of operations
of the Company's operators, tenants, borrowers and managers, as applicable,
resulting from increased operating costs and uninsured liabilities for
professional liability claims, and the ability of the Company's operators,
tenants, borrowers and managers to accurately estimate the magnitude of
such liabilities; (t) the impact of market or issuer events on the
liquidity or value of the Company's investments in marketable securities;
and (u) the impact of the Sunrise strategic review process and accounting,
legal and regulatory issues. Many of these factors are beyond the control
of the Company and its management.



Contacts: Debra A. Cafaro
Chairman, President and CEO
or
Richard A. Schweinhart
Executive Vice President and CFO
(877) 4VENTAS