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Howard Schwimmer

Co-Chief Executive Officer & Director, REXFORD INDUS REALTY

Search every verified Howard Schwimmer interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Howard Schwimmer, co-founder and former co-CEO of Rexford Industrial, discussed the state of the industrial real estate market on the Kersh Connection podcast in April 2026. He described a "post-COVID hangover" in the sector, noting that rents in some markets, such as the Inland Empire, rose over 160% from 2019 to their peak around 2022, driven by a lack of product rather than landlord behavior. He also stated that small bay industrial is becoming the most competitive sector in real estate and argued that finding quality real estate is too nuanced for AI to replace, emphasizing that proactive outreach still outperforms algorithms. Schwimmer, who has since founded S5 Industrial Realty Inc., also reflected on the advantages of public markets, citing a capital raise of nearly $1 billion in equity and similar in debt that was completed in a few days. During Rexford Industrial's Q3 2025 earnings call in October 2025, Schwimmer addressed shareholder engagement, confirming that the company had met with Elliott Investment Management and had a "constructive dialogue" with them. He stated that the company's share buyback program, announced at the beginning of the year, was initiated before Elliott became a shareholder and was not a reaction to their involvement. On the Q2 2025 earnings call in July, he reiterated the company's capital allocation principles, focusing on repositioning and redevelopment projects that achieve double-digit incremental returns while adding long-term value. In a 2015 REITWorld interview, Schwimmer had highlighted Rexford's strategy of acquiring lightly marketed or off-market properties, noting that about 72% of transactions since the IPO fell into that category, and described strong tenant demand in Southern California's infill markets with vacancy rates around 2%.

Recent appearances

  • From Frenzy to Reality, The Industrial Market Rest Explained w/Howard Schwimmer

    April 28, 2026 · 📺 The Kirsh Connection

    From Frenzy to Reality, The Industrial Market Rest Explained with Howard Schwimmer, Founder and Former Co-CEO of Rexford Industrial and Founder of S5 Industrial Realty Inc. We discuss: • Why small bay industrial is becoming the most competitive sector in real estate • Why the best deals never hit the market—and how proactive outreach still beats AI and algorithms • Why finding quality real estate is too nuanced for AI to replace • What the “post-COVID hangover” in industrial really means—and whether this is a correction or an opportunity Learn more about Howard: • Connect with Howard on Li…

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  • $REXR Rexford Industrial Realty REIT Q3 2025 Earnings Conference Call

    October 16, 2025 · 📺 EARNMOAR

    10/16/2025 Q&A: 12:06 Rexford Industrial creates value by investing in, operating and redeveloping industrial properties throughout infill Southern California, the world's fourth largest industrial market and consistently the highest-demand with lowest-supply major market in the nation. The Company's highly differentiated strategy enables internal and external growth opportunities through its proprietary value creation and asset management capabilities. As of June 30, 2025, Rexford Industrial's high-quality, irreplaceable portfolio comprised 422 properties with approximately 51.0 million renta…

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  • Rexford Industrial Realty REXR Q2 2025 Earnings Call

    July 21, 2025 · 📺 Fyfull

    Rexford Industrial Realty REXR Q2 2025 Earnings Call.

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  • CEOs Say Demand Growing in Rexford’s Markets as Supply Stays Scarce

    February 19, 2016 · 📺 Nareit1

    Howard Schwimmer and Michael Frankel, co-CEOs of Rexford Industrial Realty Inc. (NYSE: REXR), joined REIT.com for a CEO Spotlight video interview at REITWorld 2015: NAREIT’s Annual Convention for All Things REIT at the Wynn Las Vegas. Rexford has increased the square footage of its Southern California-based portfolio by 21 percent since the beginning of 2015. Schwimmer discussed what has been driving the activity. He explained that since the company’s initial public offering (IPO) in 2013, about 72 percent of transactions have involved properties that were either lightly marketed or off-mark…

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The summary and quote tags on this profile are produced with AI assistance from verified, first-person interview transcripts, then checked by our team to confirm the speaker's identity and the accuracy of every quote. See how we verify →