About Rick Albert
I’m a Los Angeles real estate broker who invests, too. I started as a house hacker, grew to 17 rental units across three states, and now help property owners in Los Angeles and Ventura County make decisions the way an investor would.
- CA Real Estate Broker, DRE #01884303
- Broker Associate, LAMERICA Real Estate
- BiggerPockets case study, The House Hacking Strategy
Who I am
I’m Rick Albert, a California real estate broker and Broker Associate with LAMERICA Real Estate, with more than 15 years of experience in Los Angeles real estate. I’m based in the Calabasas, Agoura Hills, and Westlake Village area and work with clients across the San Fernando Valley, Ventura County, and greater Los Angeles. I specialize in residential investment property, including single-family rentals, homes with ADUs, and 2–4 unit buildings, and I help owners decide when to buy, hold, sell, or exchange.
I’m also an active investor with 17 rental units across three states, a case study in BiggerPockets’ The House Hacking Strategy by Craig Curelop, and the host of The Key to the City of Angels podcast.
From house hacker to 17 units
Like a lot of investors, I started with house hacking: buying a property, living in part of it, and renting out the rest to help cover the mortgage. My story ended up as a case study in The House Hacking Strategy, published by BiggerPockets.
From there, I kept building. Today I own 17 rental units across three states, all outside California. Investing out of state taught me how to evaluate markets I don’t see every day, manage properties from a distance, and plan every purchase and sale around what comes next.
That experience shapes how I work with clients. When you sell a rental, plan a 1031 exchange, or weigh whether to keep a property, you’re working with someone who has made those same decisions with his own money.
By the numbers
- 15+years in LA real estate
- 17rental units I own
- 3states I invest in
- 3,000+newsletter subscribers
How I work
Think like an investor
I look at every decision through the numbers: cash flow, equity, and exit strategy, the same way I evaluate my own properties.
Plan the next step first
Before we list, we plan what happens after the sale, whether that’s a 1031 exchange, an out-of-state purchase, or cashing out.
Set expectations up front
Paperwork ready before we launch, clear communication with tenants, and pricing that reflects the property as it actually is.
Give you my honest take
Sometimes the right move is to hold and do nothing. If that’s what the numbers say, that’s what I’ll tell you.
How I can help
Selling a rental
Tenant-occupied sales, homes with ADUs, and 1031 planning.
See how I sell rentalsFree Equity Review
Your property’s value, equity, and options, side by side.
Request a reviewAssumable mortgages
Buying a home to live in? Take over a seller’s lower-rate loan.
Learn how it worksThe podcast
Conversations on LA real estate with the people shaping it.
Listen nowLet’s talk about your property
Whether you’re thinking about selling, holding, or exchanging, a quick conversation is the best place to start.
323.929.7653