Office-to-residential conversions are generating significant attention across Los Angeles — but the reality on the ground is far more complex than the headlines suggest. Most buildings simply do not qualify, and for those that do, execution costs can quickly erode the financial case.
In this video, Oron Maher, Broker-Director at Maher Commercial Realty, cuts through the narrative and breaks down what office and multifamily property owners in Los Angeles actually need to know before underwriting an adaptive reuse opportunity.
What investors and property owners need to know:
▶ Why only a narrow band of office assets qualify under California building code requirements around light, air, and seismic retrofitting
▶ How adaptive reuse projects often trigger full code compliance — and why that can erase the cost advantages over ground-up development
▶ Why lenders are applying conservative underwriting assumptions to these deals, requiring higher equity and limiting leverage across Los Angeles
▶ How to evaluate whether an office conversion or a ground-up development is the stronger play for a specific site
For office owners evaluating exit strategies and multifamily investors assessing acquisition opportunities, understanding exactly where conversion viability begins and ends is essential to making sound capital decisions in today’s Los Angeles market.
📍 Maher Commercial Realty — Beverly Hills. Multifamily, retail, and net lease investments across Greater Los Angeles.
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