Commercial Real Estate Updates
LA Commercial Real Estate: Your 3 Best Hubs for the 2028 Olympics
By Deborah Naumovski & Gulshen Kaur of DnG Commercial Real Estate
Commercial Real Estate Agents, Los Angeles & South Bay
Go to:
South Bay, LA: El Segundo – Torrance – Inglewood – Hawthorne – Gardena
Greater Los Angeles: Santa Monica – Culver City – Marina Del Rey
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The 2028 Olympics are coming to Los Angeles, and the smart money is already moving. If you run a media, production, or fast-growing tech company thinking about an LA presence, the question is not really whether to come. It is where to land, and how soon to lock it in. The honest answer is that the best LA commercial real estate for your hub is going to get tighter and pricier the closer we get to 2028, and the people who move now will look very smart in two years.
We are Deborah and Gulshen, with RPM Commercial, and we work the South Bay every single day. Here is our straight take on the three areas we would point you to right now, what they cost, and exactly when to make your move.
At a Glance
Best for prestige and creative/media: El Segundo
Best for value, flex, and aerospace/tech adjacency: Hawthorne
Best for industrial, logistics, and production support: Gardena
The window: 2026 is the sweet spot. Waiting into 2027 narrows your options and raises your price.
Rough Price Ranges (South Bay, ballpark)
These move with the market and vary by building, age, condition, location and lease type. Below are some rough estimates based on location
El Segundo (office / creative): roughly $2.75 to $5.50 per square foot per month to lease; roughly $450 to $750 per square foot to buy. Premium creative and Class A space sits at the top of that range.
Hawthorne (office / flex / light industrial): roughly $1.50 to $3.00 per square foot per month to lease; roughly $350 to $575 per square foot to buy.
Gardena (industrial / flex): roughly $1.40 to $2.25 per square foot per month to lease; roughly $300 to $475 per square foot to buy.
Why a Physical LA Hub Still Matters in 2028
You might be wondering if you even need real space anymore. For a one-person remote operation, maybe not. But if you are producing content, running live coverage, building products alongside a team, or hosting partners and talent during the Games, a real footprint in LA commercial real estate is what gives you proximity, credibility, and the ability to move fast when the moment hits. The Olympics will not wait for you to scramble for space at the last minute, and neither will everyone else chasing the same window.
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El Segundo: The Prestige Play
Why it is great: El Segundo is where media, creative, and tech already cluster, minutes from LAX and the beach cities. The address carries weight with clients and talent, and the office stock is genuinely impressive. It is also the strongest part of the South Bay office market right now, leading the region in net absorption with rents holding up better than almost anywhere else in LA. If brand perception matters to you, this is the strongest LA commercial real estate move in the South Bay.
When to lock it in: This is the tightest of the three, and the one where rents are actually firming rather than softening. If El Segundo is your target, you want to be touring now and signing before the 2027 demand surge. The best creative space here gets claimed first.
Hawthorne: The Value and Flexibility Play
Why it is great: Hawthorne gives you serious value without leaving the action. You are next door to El Segundo and plugged into the aerospace and tech ecosystem, but your dollar stretches much further. Flex and light industrial space here suits gaming studios, production support, and growth-stage companies that need room without a premium-office price tag. For a lot of our clients, this is the smartest LA commercial real estate balance of cost and location.
When to lock it in: Here is where your leverage is strongest. Industrial and flex rents have softened, so you can negotiate genuinely good terms today. But vacancy is still tight, so the best buildings do not sit long. Aim to secure space now and through early 2027, before Olympics demand starts absorbing the slack.
Gardena: The Industrial and Logistics Play
Why it is great: If your operation leans on warehousing, logistics, equipment, or production infrastructure, Gardena is your workhorse. It offers the most affordable industrial LA commercial real estate of the three, with strong freeway access for moving people and gear. For companies supporting the Games behind the scenes, this is where the budget makes sense.
When to lock it in: Industrial rents region-wide have come down from their peak, which means right now favors the tenant on price. That will not last. Industrial demand tied to the Olympics tends to spike late as logistics needs become real, and with vacancy already low, good Gardena space can disappear quickly in 2027. Securing it now protects both your rate and your options.
Why 2026 Is the Window You Cannot Miss
Here is the honest read, and it is better news than most people expect. Right now you have two things working in your favor at the same time, and that almost never happens.
First, the good space is tight. South Bay industrial vacancy is sitting around 4.6 percent, one of the lowest in the Los Angeles county, and leasing just hit a multi-year high driven heavily by aerospace and defense tenants. El Segundo is leading the South Bay office market in absorption, outperforming most of LA. Furthermore, El Segundo provides strong value for office space, with an average asking rent of $47. This is significantly lower than comparable properties in Marina Del Rey/Venice Beach, which encompasses Silicon Beach. Translation: the quality spaces move fast, and they are moving now.
Second, and this is the part people miss, you still have leverage. Industrial asking rents in the South Bay have actually softened over the past couple of years, and across the broader LA market, landlords are competing with concessions like free rent and tenant improvement credits rather than slashing headline rates. That said, leverage cuts both ways. The tenants who negotiate the best terms are the ones who come to the table with strong financials, since a landlord is far more willing to deal when they are confident you can comfortably cover the rent. So if your financials are strong, today you can land the perfect space and still negotiate on terms.
That combination, real choice plus real leverage, is the opportunity. As 2028 gets closer and Olympics-driven demand builds across the metro, that balance tips toward the landlord. Lock in now and you set your terms while you still hold the cards.
Reading This in 2027? You Still Have Moves
If 2026 has already come and gone, take a breath. You are not out of the game, you just need to play it smarter and faster. Plenty of strong options open up later in the cycle, especially second generation spaces that are already built out and need less work, short term and flexible leases, and sublease opportunities from companies adjusting their own plans. These can get you operational quickly without a long buildout.
The honest part is this: the later you start, the more your choices narrow and the more it pays to have someone working the market on your behalf every day. This is exactly where a local team earns its keep. DnG hears about spaces before they hit the open market and can move fast when timing is tight. If you are starting later than you would like, the worst thing you can do is wait even longer. Call now and let us find the quickest path to your LA hub.
Lease or Buy for Your Olympics Hub?
For most companies setting up for 2028, leasing is the right call. It keeps you flexible, gets you in faster, and lets you scale up or down as your needs around the Games become clear. Buying makes sense if you are committed to a long LA future and want to control your cost and your asset for the long haul. There is no single right answer, only the one that fits your plans, and that is exactly the conversation we love having with clients.
For those leaning toward buying, it helps to zoom out. Los Angeles real estate has, over the long run, been one of the more rewarding places to own property in the country, driven by chronic supply shortages, limited developable land, and steady demand. That track record is part of why so many investors treat LA commercial real estate as a long-term hold rather than a short-term play. The honest caveat: past performance is never a guarantee of future results, and any single market or stretch of years can move against you. If you believe the 2028 Olympics can be a launchpad for serious growth, buying your hub now likely makes a lot of sense: you build equity, control your costs, and plant a flag in LA right as the momentum builds.
Frequently asked questions
Why Work With Deborah and Gulshen
We know this market because we live in it. Deborah and Gulshen bring almost 20 years of combined experience across Los Angeles and the South Bay, and we treat your business like it is our own. We find the right space, negotiate hard on your terms, and we actually call you back. When you are betting on something as big as a 2028 LA presence, you want people who see your success as their success.
We want to help your business. Call us today: (310) 999-1203.