Famous Realtors Condemn Price Gouging In the middle of Los Angeles Wildfires

Like Los Angeles wildfires continues to cause widespread destruction, many famous real estate agents are trying to find new places for clients to live.

“I’ve been searching the MLS (directory) trying to help families displaced by the fires find rental properties,” Sunset Sale a star Jason Oppenheim he said in an Instagram Story video in January 2025. “I notice dozens of examples of people trying to do things like this, where they can’t get $9,500 or even $9,000 and then yesterday increase the rent over 30 percent to $12,000.”

The founder of Grŵp Oppenheim noted that although he is “all for free market capitalism,” he considers the rising costs as a result of people “obviously taking advantage” of the natural disaster.

California has an anti-price gouging law, which makes it illegal to raise costs during an emerging situation.

Related: Reality TV Stars Evacuating Amidst LA Wildfires

Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic; Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images Many reality TV personalities evacuated Los Angeles amid the ongoing wildfires that broke out in the Pacific Palisades on Tuesday, January 7. “My heart goes out to those affected by the fires here in LA County,” former Balorette Katie Thurston wrote via Instagram Story on Wednesday, January 8. “Wake up this (…)

“The Legislature hereby finds, during a local emergency or emergency, including, but not limited to, earthquake, flood, fire, riot, storm, drought, plant or animal pest or disease, outbreak of pandemic diseases or epidemic, or others. natural or man-made disaster, some traders have taken unfair advantage of consumers by greatly increasing prices for essential consumer goods and services,” part of the Section 396 of the Penal Code is reading “Although the pricing of consumer goods and services is generally best left to the market under normal conditions, when a state of declared emergency or local emergency results in abnormal market disruptions, it is in the public interest required that there be an excessive and unjustifiable increase in the prohibitive prices of essential consumer goods and services.”

The statute further discloses that any violation is a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for less than one year, a fine of less than $10,000 or a combination of both.

Despite the state’s legal ruling, many local realtors still find that landlords are allegedly increasing their property prices in the middle of the wildfires. Keep scrolling to see what the stars had to say:

Jason Oppenheim

“There are price gouging laws in California, they’re just being ignored right now, and this is not the time to be taking advantage of situations,” Oppenheim to the BBC in January 2025. “Everyone has tears in their eyes all day, literally from the smoke but also because it’s emotional to see people having problems like this.”

Oppenheim’s brokerage has also has given her services to help displaced clients find places to stay at no extra charge.

Chrishel Stause

Taking to her Instagram Stories on January 10, 2025, Oppenheim’s colleague called the behavior “disgusting.”

“Other realtors who have a moral compass, let’s report to the board please,” he said.

In a follow-up post, Stause noted that she continues to see examples of price gouging as she searches the MLS for properties on the market.

Josh Flagg

The Million Dollar Listing: Los Angeles star spoke about price gouging in an interview January 15, with Fox News.

“People who (weren’t) marketing their homes before are taking advantage now because you can ask whatever you want for a house,” Flagg claimed. “You can’t do it, then a natural disaster happens, and then you triple the price. That’s the problem.”

According to Flagg, there is “not enough inventory” to house all of the individuals who have been displaced as a result of the fires.

“At the moment, this is very scary. But at the end of the day, there will be a place for everyone to go. Just deciding that now and everyone is scrambling,” he told the outlet. “It’s like any disaster. In the beginning, it’s a nightmare and then everything works itself out. But it’s no fun while you’re waiting.”

Josh Altman

Formerly Flagg’s MDLLA A costar told Fox News that the situation was “much worse than you could ever imagine.”

“There’s not a lot of inventory to begin with, and now all of a sudden you’ve got a thousand and more new people in the market, whether they’re buying or renting, depending on their financial situation and depending on their family situation,” Altman said. “It’s going to be years until this is fixed, the houses are finished. I mean, it’s going to be two years to build a house. It’s going to be a year to get permits.”

Check the LAFD website for local wildfire warnings and click here for resources on how to help those affected.