Back in Business: How Rodeo Realty Took the Lead Rebuilding the Palisades After Disaster

Walk through Pacific Palisades Village today and you’ll see mostly empty lots where thriving businesses once stood. Five months after the 7 January 2025 fire tore through the area, destroying over 6,800 structures, commercial sites remain gutted shells. Except for one. A single construction site hums with activity at 839 Via de la Paz, where Rodeo Realty’s new office takes shape as the only commercial rebuild underway.

While only 68 rebuilding permits have been issued across the entire Pacific Palisades since January, and fewer than 200 residents have started rebuilding, Syd Leibovitch moved decisively. The Rodeo Realty founder committed to reconstruction immediately after the fire destroyed his company’s original office, which once housed the Palisadian-Post.

The Same-Year Response

Leibovitch’s calculation was straightforward. He’d owned the property since 2013, buying it for what public records show was around $2.3 million in total value. When disaster struck, he didn’t wait for community consensus or government incentives. His new structure honours the original layout while incorporating modern upgrades, and construction crews have already completed the framing.

‘This is about more than rebuilding four walls. It’s about helping restore the heart of this community,’ Leibovitch told Circling the News. ‘Everything will be brand new in a prime location. This area will be one of the best in the country.’

That confidence reflects a calculated business move. By December 2025, when Rodeo Realty reopens as the first burned commercial business to return, they’ll face zero local competition.

Locking Down Prime Territory

The first-mover advantage in disaster recovery isn’t theoretical. After Hurricane Katrina, home values in New Orleans increased 12% in the year following the disaster, outpacing national averages. Investors who bought damaged properties early saw significant returns as markets recovered.

The same pattern played out after Hurricane Sandy and in Florida following recent storms. Quick-moving investors capitalised on buying distressed properties at discounted prices for prime location properties, then profited from rapid value rebounds and surging rental demand as displaced residents sought housing.

Leibovitch’s advantage extends beyond property appreciation. His 40-agent office will serve a captive market of residents rebuilding luxury homes, many selling burned lots at reduced prices to local investors and buyers. Before the fire, Rodeo Realty dominated Pacific Palisades luxury home sales, and returning first positions them to reclaim that market share.

The Competitive Reality

While Rick Caruso announced plans to rebuild Palisades Village, that commercial centre won’t reopen until 2026. Mayor Karen Bass launched a ‘Builders Alliance’ in March to accelerate reconstruction, but permitting delays and supply shortages continue slowing progress.

Nearly 300 residents chose to sell rather than rebuild. Those who remain face financial and logistical challenges that Leibovitch, with established capital and existing property ownership, could sidestep.

The math works for wealth builders who act during downturns rather than waiting for consensus. Post-disaster rental rates surge due to housing shortages, benefiting early investors who acquire properties at discounted prices. Rebuilding takes years, but first movers shape what neighbourhoods look like long-term.

December Opening, Years of Advantage

As of June 2025, Rodeo Realty remains the only commercial rebuild progressing in Pacific Palisades. Their December opening will mark the official return of commercial business to the area, giving them months or potentially years before serious competition returns.

Leibovitch’s ‘Everything will be brand new in a prime location in California‘ assessment reflects the opportunity disaster creates for decisive investors. While others debate rebuilding costs or wait for clearer market signals, early movers capture territory and establish dominance.

Wealthier buyers typically dominate post-disaster markets because they can absorb increased costs, leading to demographic shifts in affected communities. That demographic exactly matches Rodeo Realty’s luxury clientele.

Setting the Standard

The company plans to announce grand opening celebration details in coming months. By moving fastest and committing significant capital immediately after disaster, Leibovitch’s firm builds a local empire and shapes how Pacific Palisades rebuilds and who controls the valuable real estate transactions that follow.

Other businesses will eventually return to Pacific Palisades, but Rodeo Realty will greet them as the established incumbent in a transformed market they helped define.