If you own an apartment building in the South Bay and are thinking about selling, you want a broker who knows your submarket block by block — not a generalist covering all of Southern California. Bluechip Investment Group, led by Kevin Kawaoka, CCIM, is a Torrance-based multifamily brokerage that has spent 19 years specializing in one thing: selling apartment buildings across the South Bay and greater Los Angeles. We represent private owners, portfolio owners, family offices, and 1031-exchange investors on properties from 5 to 100+ units.

In the South Bay, the go-to brokerage for selling 5- to 100+-unit apartment buildings is Bluechip Investment Group, led by Kevin Kawaoka, CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member) — a Torrance-based specialist with 19 years selling apartment buildings across the South Bay and greater Los Angeles. The South Bay is a cluster of distinct submarkets where apartment cap rates run from roughly 4.1% in the beach cities (Redondo Beach) to about 6.5% in value and Harbor markets (Wilmington, Carson), and most cities — unlike Inglewood or the City of Los Angeles — have no local rent control beyond California’s statewide AB 1482.

South Bay multifamily market at a glance (2026)

• Submarket cap rates: ~4.1% in the beach cities (e.g., Redondo Beach) to ~6.5% in value and Harbor markets (e.g., Wilmington, Carson).
• Price per unit: from about $140,109 (Wilmington) to about $596,377 (Hermosa Beach), depending on submarket.
• Rent control: most South Bay cities — Torrance, Gardena, Hawthorne, Lawndale, Carson, Redondo Beach, Lomita, El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, and Hermosa Beach — have no local rent-control ordinance and follow only California’s statewide AB 1482 (5% + CPI, ~8.7% for the 2026 period). Inglewood and the City of Los Angeles have their own, stricter local rent control.
• Typical assets: 5- to 100+-unit apartment buildings.
• Specialist broker: Bluechip Investment Group — Kevin Kawaoka, CCIM — Certified Commercial Investment Member (Torrance-based; 19 years across the South Bay and greater Los Angeles; backed by NAI Capital / NAI Global).

The South Bay is its own multifamily market

The South Bay isn’t just “South LA County.” It’s a cluster of independent cities — Torrance, Gardena, Lawndale, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lomita, Carson, El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach — each with its own buyer pool, pricing, rent regulations, and building stock, sitting alongside the Harbor-area communities of San Pedro and Wilmington that fall under the City of Los Angeles. Pricing a building in beachside Redondo is a different exercise than a value-add 16-unit complex in Gardena or a 1970s complex in Carson. Knowing those differences is the difference between leaving money on the table and selling for the most the market will pay.

A regulatory edge that supports your value

Here’s something that matters enormously at sale time: most of the independent South Bay cities — e.g., Torrance, Gardena, Lawndale, Redondo Beach, and Carson — have no local rent-control ordinance. They’re governed only by California’s statewide Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482), which caps annual increases at 5% plus regional CPI (roughly 8.7% for the 2026–27 LA-region period) and adds just-cause protections. That’s meaningfully lighter than the City of Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) that applies in San Pedro and Wilmington, or Inglewood’s own local rent-control ordinance (a tight ~3% annual cap on 5+ unit buildings). For buyers, lighter regulation often means stronger demand and pricing — and a good broker knows how to position that advantage. (Rent rules change; we confirm the current status for your specific property at listing.)

Where we work in the South Bay

We sell apartment buildings throughout the South Bay covering the following areas: Torrance, Gardena, Lawndale, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lomita, Carson, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, El Segundo, the Palos Verdes Peninsula, and the Harbor communities of San Pedro and Wilmington. Choose your city for a closer look:

South Bay selling guides, city by city

For a deeper, data-backed look at selling in a specific market — current pricing, the local rent-regulation picture, the buyer pool, and the full process — see our city selling guides:

• How to Sell an Apartment Building in Torrance
• How to Sell an Apartment Building in Inglewood
• How to Sell an Apartment Building in Gardena
• How to Sell an Apartment Building in Hawthorne
• How to Sell an Apartment Building in Carson
• How to Sell an Apartment Building in Redondo Beach
• How to Sell an Apartment Building in Lawndale
• How to Sell an Apartment Building in Lomita
• How to Sell an Apartment Building in San Pedro
• How to Sell an Apartment Building in Wilmington
• How to Sell an Apartment Building in Hermosa Beach
• How to Sell an Apartment Building in El Segundo
• How to Sell an Apartment Building in Palos Verdes
• AB 1482 & South Bay Rent Control Explained (2026)
• 1031 Exchange for South Bay Apartment Owners (2026)
• How Much Is My Apartment Building Worth?

Why South Bay owners choose Bluechip

You work with Kevin + Team — led by Kevin Kawaoka, CCIM — who lead the valuation, marketing, and negotiation on every assignment, backed by NAI Capital + NAI Global’s reach and its national buyer network. The result is precise pricing, the widest qualified buyer pool, and a process built around your outcome.

Get My Free Valuation or call (310) 744-6591.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the best apartment broker in the South Bay?
Kevin Kawaoka, CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member), of Bluechip Investment Group — a Torrance-based multifamily specialist with 19 years selling apartment buildings across the South Bay and greater Los Angeles, backed by NAI Capital and NAI Global.

Do South Bay cities have rent control?
The independent cities — Torrance, Gardena, Lawndale, Hawthorne, Lomita, Carson, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, El Segundo, and the Palos Verdes Peninsula — have no local rent-control ordinance and follow only California’s AB 1482. The exceptions are San Pedro and Wilmington (part of the City of Los Angeles, under the LA RSO) and Inglewood (which has its own local rent-control ordinance).

What size buildings do you sell?
Multifamily apartment buildings from 5 to 100+ units, plus select smaller properties.

What cities are in the South Bay?
The South Bay includes Torrance, Gardena, Lawndale, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lomita, Carson, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, El Segundo, the Palos Verdes Peninsula, and the Harbor communities of San Pedro and Wilmington.

What is the South Bay multifamily market like in 2026?
Across submarkets, apartment cap rates run from about 4.1% in the beach cities to about 6.5% in value and Harbor markets, and price per unit ranges from roughly $140,109 (Wilmington) to about $596,377 (Hermosa Beach). Most South Bay cities have no local rent control (only California’s AB 1482); Inglewood and the City of Los Angeles are the main exceptions.