Office building sales.
Los Angeles.
Creative office, suburban, owner-user, and flex. We know where the buyers are and what they’ll pay.
Los Angeles office is not a monolith. The market for a renovated creative office building in Culver City looks nothing like the market for a conventional suburban office campus in the San Fernando Valley, different buyers, different cap rates, different marketing timelines, different outcomes. Broad generalizations about office being ‘down’ obscure the fact that well-positioned assets in the right submarkets continue to trade at strong numbers.
ARCA’s office investment sales practice operates in that specificity. Our principals have sold creative office in Mid-City, suburban office in Glendale and Pasadena, flex-office in the San Gabriel Valley, and owner-user properties in several Los Angeles County submarkets. The pricing, marketing, and buyer outreach we bring to each asset reflects where it sits in the market, not where the last headline said the market was.
The 145 S Fairfax creative office building and the 1851 Flower Street suburban office transaction in Glendale (25,000 SF) represent the range of office transactions our principals have executed. Owner-user sales, investor trades, and value-add repositioning opportunities are all within our practice.
What’s driving Los Angeles office sales today.
The submarkets and buyer profiles that are active, and where the opportunities still exist for sellers.
Repositioned product still commands buyers.
In established creative office submarkets, Culver City, Mar Vista, Silver Lake, parts of West Hollywood and Mid-Wilshire, well-renovated product with strong in-place tenancy continues to attract competitive investor interest. The premium over conventional suburban office in these submarkets is real and durable. If your building has been repositioned or has the bones to support a creative renovation story, that’s where we start the marketing conversation.
The owner-user buyer pool is active.
Professional firms, medical practices, financial services operators, and businesses across Los Angeles County have continued to actively seek owner-user office acquisitions. At current lease rates versus current financing costs, the own-versus-lease math has shifted favorably in several submarkets. For smaller office buildings (under 25,000 SF), the owner-user pool is often the most competitive and the most capable of moving quickly.
San Gabriel Valley office markets.
The Pasadena and Glendale office markets have held up better than broader Los Angeles during the post-pandemic office repricing. The Pasadena market in particular benefits from its proximity to Caltech, JPL, and a deep base of professional services firms that have maintained occupancy. ARCA is Pasadena-headquartered and has a specific track record in both markets.
Flex-office where industrial meets workspace.
Flex-office, buildings with mixed office and warehouse or light industrial functionality, has seen consistent demand from businesses that need both workspace and operational capacity. In the San Gabriel Valley and portions of the San Fernando Valley, flex has outperformed conventional office on both occupancy and sale pricing. We’ve sold flex-office assets in several of these submarkets.
A partial record of what we’ve closed.
Each transaction is as unique as the people who own it. Below, a sample of relevant closed activity.
Office building sale questions.
How are office buildings priced in the current Los Angeles market?
Office valuation in Los Angeles has bifurcated significantly since 2020. Well-located, creative or recently renovated office in strong submarkets (West LA, Culver City, some Pasadena and Glendale submarkets) continues to attract buyers. Older, conventional suburban office with near-term lease rollover is trading at materially higher cap rates than pre-pandemic, and some properties have moved into distressed pricing territory. We’ll show you exactly where your specific asset sits before you list.
What is creative office and how does it affect value?
Creative office refers to buildings repositioned or designed for open-plan, collaborative work environments, typically featuring exposed ceilings, polished concrete floors, updated HVAC, and outdoor or common spaces. In Los Angeles, creative office has consistently commanded a premium over conventional suburban office, both in lease rates and in sale pricing. Buildings that have been successfully repositioned to creative use attract a different, more active buyer pool than untouched conventional product.
Who buys office buildings in Los Angeles?
The office buyer universe in Los Angeles includes owner-users (often professional firms, medical practices, or businesses that want to own their location), private investors, family offices, and institutional capital targeting well-leased, high-quality product. Owner-user buyers are currently among the most active for small to mid-size office (2,000–25,000 SF) because the own-versus-lease analysis often favors ownership at current interest rates relative to lease rates in many submarkets.
Should I sell my office building now or wait?
The honest answer depends on your specific asset. Vacancy rate, remaining lease term on anchor tenants, submarket trajectory, and your debt maturity schedule all bear on the timing question. An office building with 3 years of lease term remaining is a different timing decision than one fully occupied on a 7-year lease. We’ll run the timing analysis at no cost before you decide whether to list.
Does ARCA sell owner-user office buildings?
Yes. Owner-user office, buildings sold to the occupant rather than to an investor, is an active part of our practice. The marketing strategy for owner-user sales is different: we identify the likely occupant pool (professional firms, medical users, businesses in the submarket looking to control their occupancy costs) and approach them directly, rather than running a purely investor-focused campaign.
What is the difference between flex and traditional office in terms of value?
Flex-office refers to buildings that can function as either office or light industrial/warehouse, typically featuring higher clear heights, grade-level loading, and flexible floor plates. Flex is often valued on a per-square-foot basis closer to industrial than traditional office, and has attracted strong demand from businesses that need both workspace and operational storage or light manufacturing. We’ve sold flex-office in the San Gabriel Valley and other Los Angeles submarkets.
Contact our Office Team Leads
Joshua Levy
Office investment sales and capital markets across Los Angeles submarkets.
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Matthew Mazur
Office investment sales with focus on creative office, medical office, and value-add repositioning.
VIEW FULL BIO →What is your office building worth today?
The honest answer requires current comp data and a read on the right buyer pool for your specific asset and submarket. That conversation starts here.
Confidential. No commitment to list. Owner-to-MD. No junior brokers.
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Current cap rate data for LA multifamily, office, retail, and industrial submarkets.
