Photo credit: Jeff Turner
We’re not here to debate climate change. But it is our responsibility to report on real estate trends with accuracy, and if you don’t believe that the top real estate companies in the country are also paying attention, then a market as competitive as LA’s will simply pass you by. Climate is influencing people’s real estate moves. That’s a fact. Understanding how may be key to crafting your real estate strategy.
Understanding the Modern Climate Migrant
Again, we’re not debating climate change here; we’re just emphasizing a trend. And, according to a survey published in Forbes, one in three Americans cites climate change as a motivating factor in moving house. A trend like this speaks beyond buyer preference and drifts into necessity. In 2022, natural disasters displaced or evacuated 3.2 million adults across the country, according to the Urban Institute. Experts believe this figure will continue to grow.
It’s even turned attention back to a term first coined in the mid-1980s: “climate migrant”. These climate migrants are attempting to leave wildfires, hurricanes, and flooding behind in search of more stable environs. For many, this means America’s Midwest. But, despite our own seismic threats, Los Angeles is also a hot spot for those seeking more predictable weather patterns. Unfortunately, our own climate situation isn’t so cut and dry. Well, maybe the “dry” part.
How the Wildfires of January 2025 Shifted LA’s Housing Market
The top real estate companies in LA all agree that there’s still plenty of interest in Southern California properties. And it’s no surprise that LA’s mild, Mediterranean climate is a big reason why. Out-of-state buyers are also interested in the city’s lifestyle, economic opportunities, and long-term value appreciation. But that’s not the whole picture.
Much of the city got a harsh wake-up call in January 2025 when strong winds fed flames to create wildfires that ravaged parts of the city. Pacific Palisades and Altadena were particularly hit hard. Over 150,000 residents were forced to evacuate, and more than 16,000 structures were lost to the unprecedented fires. At a price tag of $275 billion, the combined loss made it the costliest fire disaster in the country’s history. And even long-term residents started reassessing what life in Southern California actually requires.
LA’s Top Real Estate Companies Prepare for Climate Questions
The wildfires have also opened the eyes of out-of-state buyers. They’re trusting the top real estate companies to answer questions about more than school districts and square footage. Now, they’re just as concerned with fire risks, insurance availability, and how easy it is to defend a potential purchase from fast-moving flames. In many cases, they’re tightening their range to safer zones, like coastal communities in Santa Barbara or further north in Monterey.
Arguably, insurance is the hottest topic on potential buyers’ minds. State Farm dropped around 72,000 California property insurance policies in 2024, driving desperate homeowners to the state’s last resort insurer, the FAIR Plan. Since 2018, FAIR Plan policyholders have more than tripled. Real Estate News shares that, in 2024, months before the wildfires ripped through Los Angeles, 13% of California’s real estate agents claimed that at least one sale fell through because buyers were unable to secure homeowners’ insurance (nearly double 2023’s statistic). So, this is obviously a big issue for the top real estate companies in the state as well. In fact, it’s become ingrained in current transaction strategy.
The Top Real Estate Companies Are Understanding… and Adapting
Sellers can benefit by considering climate-motivated buyers in their listing strategies and emphasizing features that attract the attention of out-of-state hopefuls dreaming of a safe California lifestyle. Buyers can benefit by working with real estate agents well-versed in climate risk tools, knowledge of the insurance market, and fire risk data at a hyperlocal level.
Properties in high-risk regions are obviously a tougher sale, especially when considering the cost and availability of insurance. It’s often up to real estate professionals to highlight these challenges to potential buyers up front so they don’t get caught off guard well into a purchase. Ultimately, the top real estate companies are beginning to see that climate migrants aren’t an obscure niche, but rather heralds of a changing market. Satisfying their concerns meaningfully will be key to successfully navigating LA’s future housing market.
With a brand that says as much as JohnHart’s, Senior Copywriter Seth Styles never finds himself at a loss for words. Responsible for maintaining the voice of the company, he spends each day drafting marketing materials, blogs, bios, and agent resources that speak from the company’s collective mind and Hart… errr, heart.
Having spent over a decade in creative roles across a variety of industries, Seth brings with him vast experience in SEO practices, digital marketing, and all manner of professional writing with particular strength in blogging, content creation, and brand building. Gratitude, passion, and sincerity remain core tenets of his unwavering work ethic. The landscape of the industry changes daily, paralleling JohnHart’s efforts to {re}define real estate, but Seth works to maintain the company’s consistent message while offering both agents and clients a new echelon of service.
When not preserving the JohnHart essence in stirring copy, Seth puts his efforts into writing and illustrating an ongoing series entitled The Death of Romance. In addition, he adores spending quality time with his girlfriend and Romeo (his long-haired chihuahua mix), watching ‘70s and ‘80s horror movies, and reading (with a particular penchant for Victorian horror novels and authors Yukio Mishima and Bret Easton Ellis). He also occasionally records music as the vocalist and songwriter for his glam rock band, Peppermint Pumpkin.
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