While services for buyers and sellers abound, Team WPM (short for Wexler Property Management) was created in 2020 to fill an underserved niche in the local real estate landscape for rental properties.
“After discussing with our friends and colleagues, we realized that there was a gap in the market for a property management team that served both the landlord and the tenant,” says Cindy Wexler, who brought her 15-plus years of experience as a licensed broker and realtor to the founding of the family-run boutique property management company, which focuses on buildings with four or fewer units and single-family homes. “There are very few companies that specifically cater to ‘mom and pop’–run properties, and we are able to provide individual care, management and guidance.”
For owners, that means taking the day-to-day stress of management duties off their shoulders while also keeping them in the loop about their properties. For tenants, it means being responsive to maintenance issues and fixing problems promptly. “We always work to create a balance that serves both landlords’ and tenants’ needs, finding amiable and agreeable solutions to the problems that arise,” property manager and salesperson James Bernard explains. “As a team, we have around 25 years of experience in real estate — buying, selling, leasing and managing. We are honest and friendly, and making money isn’t our end goal; providing the best service for our clients is. We realize how important it is to treat other people’s homes like our own.”
Team WPM’s collaborative spirit has been indispensable in surmounting unexpected challenges, including the pandemic and this past winter’s record-setting rains. (“Who knew that so many places would have window leaks, roof leaks, stucco leaks and more?” Bernard asks.) Though the COVID era brought uncertain economic conditions for many residents, “luckily, we were able to navigate it by working with our tenants, identifying problems and mediating them in order to maintain great relationships,” Bernard says. “Finding the right tenant for the right home is something we take very seriously, and we are incredibly happy to say that none of our tenants were late or missed payments in the last few difficult years!”
As the pandemic eased, the real estate rental market exploded, with rents hitting an all-time high. “So far this year, we are seeing a slight slowdown in terms of pricing, but not in terms of how quickly we are able to find new, qualified tenants for our landlords,” Wexler notes. “If properties are priced correctly, they generally rent very quickly. Going forward into 2024, we expect to see this trend continue, with prices increasing steadily and tenants looking for properties where they feel like they can really settle.”
Team WPM now manages about 35 properties throughout the Southland, with around a dozen in the Toluca Lake area. “We have been able to hire fantastic team members, and we continue to grow at a steady, comfortable pace,” Bernard shares. “This past year, we did over 20 leases and found our landlords some amazing, reliable tenants. We were also able to do several sales and we helped some lovely people buy their first homes. We hosted our first class for first-time home buyers — if you’d like to attend the next one, feel free to reach out.”
The team relishes the thriving sense of community in Toluca Lake and prioritizes giving back to the neighborhood, including buying 250 boxes of cookies from their local Girl Scout troop and handing out 800 ice cream treats to kids at Halloween. “We love to work with this wonderful community and hope to be a big part of it for years to come!” Wexler says.
For more information, visit teamwpm.com, email info@teamwpm.com or call (818) 293-7622.