Almost every member of the Writers Guild of America, a solid 98 percent to be precise, were bold enough to green-light a strike on April 17. Now, they have a ticking clock until May 1, the day their current contract concludes, to make a final call on whether to put their pens on a temporary hiatus.
Meanwhile, LA's high-end real estate gurus and real estate agencies in Malibu are potentially left in a quandary. They're trying to decode whether a substantial segment of their high-net-worth clientele will have their 'Home Sweet Home' plaques ready this year.
Mason Canter, Is a man well-acquainted with the worlds of both real estate and creativity. He switched lanes in 2007, trading his director, writer, and actor hats for a real estate badge. He now heads The Mason Canter Group at Keller Williams Realty Los Feliz and roughly 35 percent of his clients are bright lights of the entertainment industry.
"Think of LA, and you'll see it's quite the bastion of union power," muses Canter, referring to the city's entertainment ecosystem, influenced heavily by the Writers Guild of America, the Screen Actors Guild, and the Director’s Guild of America.
Canter takes us back to the Writers Guild strike of 2007-2008, a dramatic stand-off that stretched over 100 days and reportedly left a $2 billion dent in the LA economy. "That strike felt like a major purchasing power had evaporated,” Canter recollects. It sparked a wave of financial introspection among many people.
However, Canter is confident that the LA market will stand its ground, buoyed by the financial might of buyers from other sectors like finance and tech. He believes they'll keep the market buoyant if his entertainment-savvy clients take a breather due to a strike.
But not all corners of LA County would weather a strike with equal strength. The strike could potentially cause a stir in the posh residential enclaves of the entertainment industry, such as Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, and even impact real estate agents in Malibu.
Roxy Gonzalez of Amalfi Estates, based in Pacific Palisades says, "If this strike mirrors the infamous 100-day stint of 2007, our markets could be in for a wild ride," warns Gonzalez. In the event of a prolonged strike, she predicts transaction volumes could tumble by more than 10 percent.
Rochelle Atlas Maize from Nourmand & Associates chimes in, revealing that approximately 30 percent of her clients are part of the entertainment crowd. But she's quick to note that a strike isn't the only endgame on the table. The Writers Guild pulled the strike card in 2017 too, but a last-minute agreement saved the day. History could repeat itself if both parties can strike a deal by the ticking May 1 deadline, she suggests.
And there's always the scenario of a brief work stoppage. "If it's a hiccup of just a few weeks, the ripple effect will be minimal," she says. "But if it escalates into a long-drawn saga, the recovery could be equally drawn out and the consequences quite sizable."
Whether you’re the best real estate agent in Malibu or just a resident, Malibu’s culture was built on the foundations of the Film Industry. Although this may impact the luxury real estate market in Malibu, its effects will be felt all throughout the small community.
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