The Crexi Commercial Real Estate Podcast | CRE Insights & Strategies

Jeffrey Estrada on LA Multifamily: Regulation, Risk, and Deals Still Getting Done

Mar 25, 2026

Jeffrey Estrada, a Los Angeles multifamily broker at Marcus & Millichap who thinks like an owner, discusses LA deal dynamics. He talks about regulatory impacts like Measure ULA, insurance and insurability risks, how deals still attract demand, and the neighborhoods seeing activity. He also covers how disciplined preparation, time-blocking, and clear asset stories speed transactions.

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ADVICE

Read Beyond Headlines Before Meetings

Prep every meeting beyond headlines: identify the author, lender, broker, developer and financing behind any article or transaction.
Use that intel to tailor conversations and know who's involved behind the scenes.

ADVICE

Only Meet With A Clear Purpose

Only take meetings with a clear purpose and shared expectations; never block two hours of travel time for a handshake meeting.
Address the elephant in the room up front so meetings are strategic and focused.

ADVICE

Make A Mature Database Your Secret Weapon

Build and maintain a detailed CRM with buyer segmentation so one button can produce 20 targeted tours for a new listing.
Track granular notes (birthdays, dog type, past interests) to personalize follow-ups and boost repeat business.

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Jeffrey Estrada of Marcus & Millichap covers LA multifamily deals, Measure ULA, insurance risk, and why demand in Los Angeles hasn't disappeared.

The Crexi Podcast connects commercial real estate (CRE) professionals with industry insights built for smart decision-making. In each episode, we explore the latest trends, innovations and opportunities shaping commercial real estate, because we believe knowledge should move at the speed of ambition and every conversation should empower professionals to act with greater clarity and confidence.

Jeffrey Estrada brokers multifamily assets across Central and West LA, a market defined by rent control, regulatory complexity, and disciplined buyers. Before Marcus & Millichap, he worked in production lending and a CRE tech company, where mentors kept telling him the same thing: you think like an owner. Eventually, he listened.

In this episode, Jeffrey joins host Ashley Kobovitch for a candid conversation about what it actually takes to survive the first 16 months in brokerage, how he prepares for every client meeting, what Measure ULA is doing to the development pipeline, and why despite everything, demand in LA multifamily hasn't gone anywhere.

Welcome to The Crexi Podcast
Jeffrey Estrada's background and path to Marcus & Millichap
From production lending to CRE tech to brokerage
The mentor who said "you think like an owner"
Betting on yourself with no safety net
Where the work ethic comes from
What thinking like an owner actually looks like in practice
Why sellers need someone they can rely on and trust
Making the jump: advice for anyone considering brokerage
16 months to a first check — and what kept him going
Brokerage rewards outcomes, not effort
How Jeffrey structures his week: Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays
Stacking meetings so prospecting never gets crowded out
Morning routines and protecting the brain
Why he exercises to turn his mind on, not his body
How he preps for every meeting: reading beyond the headline
Knowing who wrote it, who funded it, and who brokered it
Never going into a meeting without a clear purpose
How meetings have evolved: fewer, more strategic, more fruitful
Why a great database is the unsexy foundation of everything
One button, twenty tours: what a mature buyer list looks like
Diving into the LA multifamily market
Measure ULA: what it is and who it's actually hurting
The developer math that no longer works in LA
Insurance: it's not the cost anymore, it's the insurability
Panel upgrades, fire zones, and the AC mandate
When a building has problems and a broker has a game plan
It's never the problem that kills a deal — it's the response
How to keep clients calm when headlines are scary
Demand is still there: five and six offers on active listings
What buyers in LA actually want right now: clarity
Where Jeffrey is seeing traction: Koreatown, Westwood, Miracle Mile
Olympic buzz and what it means for the market
Rapid fire: $50M, the worst advice he gave himself, and LA optimism
Why opening up and sharing information changed everything
Real operators are still here — and still buying

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