Compare 10 real estate CPA Los Angeles firms for 2027, from Pasadena and Glendale firms to national practices, plus California rules investors must know.
Los Angeles investors hold rent-controlled apartments, small multifamily in the Valley, industrial in the South Bay and Inland Empire, and properties held in family partnerships for decades. This list is for owners, syndicators, fund managers and families looking for a real estate CPA Los Angeles investors can meet locally. For the wider field, see our national list of the top real estate CPA firms for investors.
Every firm below has a Los Angeles-area office shown on its own website and a real estate practice page. We included Southern California firms with deep real estate groups and national firms with LA teams. Each Los Angeles real estate accountant on the list covers tax planning and compliance; we note who also handles audits, funds and outsourced accounting.
California rules change the math. Federally, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed July 4, 2025, made 100% bonus depreciation permanent for qualifying property acquired after January 19, 2025. California bonus depreciation does not exist: the state does not conform, so your California return uses slower depreciation. California also tracks deferred gain when you exchange California property for out-of-state property, and the City of Los Angeles imposes the Measure ULA transfer tax on higher-value sales. Confirm the details with your CPA.
Los Angeles Real Estate CPA Firms At A Glance
Company
Headquarters
Best For
Standout
GHJ
Los Angeles, CA
Funds, family businesses and foreign investors
QOF, REIT, TIC and DST experience
HCVT
California firm (six LA-area offices)
Syndicators, owners and developers
86 professionals tied to the practice
Miller Kaplan
California firm (Los Angeles office)
Individual and foreign property investors
75+ years in real estate
Lucas Horsfall
Pasadena, CA
Family-owned real estate companies
Serving closely held owners since 1957
Hutchinson and Bloodgood
California firm (Glendale office)
Builders and developers
20+ person real estate and construction team
Baker Tilly
National firm (five LA-area offices)
Syndicators and family offices
Fund administration plus property tax appeals
Armanino
National firm (four LA-area offices)
Operators wanting cloud accounting
Yardi, RealPage and Timberline integrations
CohnReznick
National firm (Wilshire office)
Affordable housing developers
Tax credit advisory depth
RSM US
National firm (downtown LA office)
Middle-market owners and fund managers
Yardi implementation and fund admin
CBIZ
National firm (two LA offices)
Developers wanting tax plus insurance
Cost segregation and valuation in one firm
Best Real Estate CPA Firms In Los Angeles In 2027
1. GHJ — Downtown LA Firm With QOF, REIT And DST Experience
GHJ (Green Hasson & Janks) has its Southern California headquarters at 700 South Flower Street in downtown Los Angeles, with offices in Northern California, Orange County, Denver and New York. Its real estate team serves middle-market investors, operators and fund managers.
The service list is detailed: qualified opportunity fund structuring and compliance, REIT formation and qualification, complex 1031 exchanges including tenant-in-common and Delaware statutory trust deals, cost segregation, due diligence and joint venture accounting. GHJ also models the tax impact of sales and acquisitions, including business interest expense limits, cash flow projections and IRR and NPV analysis.
Clients include closely held family businesses, international investors in US real estate, private equity and traditional real estate funds, and asset managers. Property types run from multifamily and retail to cold storage and bioscience labs.
Best for: Fund managers, family businesses and foreign investors with complex structures.
2. HCVT — California Firm With Six LA-Area Offices And A Syndicator Focus
Holthouse Carlin & Van Trigt (HCVT) lists Los Angeles-area offices in Encino, Glendale, Long Beach, Pasadena, West Los Angeles and Westlake Village, among 16 locations. Its real estate and hospitality practice names 86 professionals and serves owners, developers, syndicators and investors.
Tax specialties include partnership, LLC and S corporation structuring, REITs, 1031 exchanges, tangible property regulations, cost segregation, partnership basis adjustments, net investment income tax planning, and pass-through entity tax and QBI rules. It also covers leasing issues and lender and investor assurance.
The practice covers residential, multifamily, commercial, industrial, mixed-use and development projects. HCVT is an independent member of Moore North America. With offices spread across the basin, it is easy to find one near you.
Best for: Syndicators and family partnerships who want a large California firm with offices across LA.
3. Miller Kaplan — 75 Years Serving Property Investors, Including Foreign Owners
Miller Kaplan Arase lists offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas, Denver and Sun Valley, and says its real estate practice has served clients for more than 75 years.
Clients include corporate and individual property investors, residential, commercial and industrial developers, private investment funds and private property managers. Services cover audits, tax planning and compliance, entity formation and tax structuring, deal due diligence and analysis of investing capital gains in Qualified Opportunity Funds.
The firm also provides global tax support for foreign direct investment in US real estate, a common need in Los Angeles. Its real estate contacts include managing partner Michael Kaplan and a partner who is a tax attorney. Its business management services also cover cost reduction, tax credit identification and risk management for families that own property through operating companies.
Best for: Individual and foreign investors who want a long-established Los Angeles firm.
4. Lucas Horsfall — Pasadena Firm For Closely Held Real Estate Companies Since 1957
Lucas Horsfall has served closely held business owners since 1957 and lists offices in Pasadena and Encino, plus Irvine. Its real estate and construction practice focuses on privately held businesses and their owners and families.
Services include assurance and audit, client accounting, federal, state and local tax optimization, tax credits and incentives, budgeting and cash flow projections, outsourced CFO services, M&A, succession planning and operational reviews.
The firm positions itself as an advisor that sees the bigger picture rather than a provider of a la carte tax preparation. That approach suits multigenerational LA families who own buildings through operating companies and need help with succession as much as with returns. The two Encino offices also put it close to San Fernando Valley owners.
Best for: Family-owned real estate companies in the San Gabriel and San Fernando Valleys.
Hutchinson and Bloodgood lists a Glendale office on North Brand Boulevard, along with Santa Barbara, San Diego, Watsonville and El Centro. Its real estate and construction team includes more than 20 professionals, many of them CPAs.
Services include audits and reviews, tax planning and preparation, cost segregation studies, estate planning, business valuations, forecasting and budgeting, and banking relations. Construction-side services such as job cost control, bonding and bid controls make it a natural fit for builders who also hold rental property.
The firm is an affiliate of Allinial Global. Its practice leans toward operating real estate and construction businesses more than passive investors, so ask how much individual rental work it handles. It also offers employee benefit plan and retirement plan reporting for real estate companies with staff.
Best for: Builders and developers in the Glendale and Burbank area who also own rentals.
6. Baker Tilly — Five LA-Area Offices With Fund Administration And Property Tax Appeals
Baker Tilly lists Los Angeles-area offices on Santa Monica Boulevard in West LA, in El Segundo, Pasadena and Woodland Hills, plus Irvine. Its real estate practice serves developers, owners, investors, property managers, private equity real estate funds, REITs, syndicators, lenders, high-net-worth individuals and family offices.
Tax services include cost segregation, Opportunity Zones, REIT advisory, property tax appeals and credits such as LIHTC. Managed services cover fund administration, construction draw management and property management accounting.
Baker Tilly describes itself as the sixth largest accounting firm in the US. Its fund administration plus tax model suits syndicators raising capital from many LA investors. A client testimonial on its real estate page describes growing from fewer than 30 to almost 400 outside investors over three years.
Best for: Syndicators and family offices who want fund administration and tax together.
7. Armanino — Four LA-Area Offices And Real Estate Accounting Technology
Armanino lists offices in Century City, Pasadena, El Segundo and Woodland Hills. Its real estate practice serves developers, owners and operators, construction companies and real estate investors.
Tax work includes 1031 exchanges, and advisory services cover valuations, lease accounting, due diligence and distressed property workouts. The firm’s strength is technology: cloud accounting, financial close automation, reporting and integrations with Yardi, Timberline and RealPage.
That suits LA operators with growing apartment portfolios whose property management data needs to flow into clean books and returns. Armanino also offers outsourced finance and accounting for operators without in-house staff. Advisory services also cover ASC 842 lease accounting, cybersecurity and risk assurance.
Best for: Apartment operators who want outsourced accounting and software integration.
8. CohnReznick — Affordable Housing And Commercial Real Estate From A Wilshire Office
CohnReznick lists a Los Angeles office at 707 Wilshire Boulevard. Its real estate practice serves investors, developers, contractors and lenders, and owners of market-rate and tax-incentivized property.
The firm is best known for affordable housing and tax credit advisory, plus structuring and valuing real estate portfolios. Its commercial real estate group works with operators and real estate investment funds.
CohnReznick operates through CohnReznick LLP for attest services and CohnReznick Advisory LLC for tax and consulting. For LA developers using LIHTC or other incentives, it brings a deep national bench to a downtown office. Its affordable housing group is led by Beth Mullen and its commercial real estate group by Ronald Kaplan, and the firm is a member of the Nexia network.
Best for: Affordable housing developers and tax credit investors in Los Angeles.
9. RSM US — Middle-Market Real Estate Practice On South Flower Street
RSM US lists a Los Angeles office at 515 South Flower Street. Its real estate practice serves owners and operators, investors in funds and REITs, developers, construction firms, property managers and family office groups.
Services include tax, audit, consulting, fund administration, property accounting and outsourcing. RSM also offers Yardi implementation and optimization, which helps owners whose property management system and general ledger do not reconcile cleanly.
RSM is active in The Real Estate Roundtable, NAREIT, NCREIF, PREA and CREW Network. It fits sponsors scaling toward audited funds or private REITs more than single-property owners. The practice serves private and public companies across all real estate sectors and asset classes, so it can stay with a sponsor as funds grow.
Best for: Middle-market operators and fund managers with multi-state portfolios.
10. CBIZ — Real Estate Tax, Valuation And Insurance From Downtown And West LA
CBIZ lists Los Angeles offices on South Figueroa Street downtown and on Santa Monica Boulevard in West LA. Its real estate practice serves developers, owner-operators, investors, property management firms, REITs and brokerages.
Services include audit, outsourced accounting, cost segregation studies, entity structuring, property tax consulting, tax outsourcing and Opportunity Zone advisory. CBIZ also offers real estate valuation and property and liability insurance.
Its case studies include a $23 million first-year deduction on a $90 million multifamily development, which shows its focus on larger projects. Testimonials cite client relationships of 20 to 40 years. Owners of a few rentals may be better served by a smaller local firm on this list.
Best for: Developers and larger owners who want tax, valuation and insurance from one provider.
How To Choose A Real Estate CPA In Los Angeles
Do They Keep Separate California Depreciation?
Because California does not allow bonus depreciation, your CPA must keep separate state schedules. Ask how they handle this after a study. Our list of cost segregation firms in California covers the study side.
How Do They Handle Exchanges Out Of California?
If you exchange California property for property in another state, California requires annual reporting of the deferred gain. Ask whether the firm tracks that filing, and see our list of 1031 exchange companies in California for intermediaries.
Do They Work With Investors Your Size?
An LA CPA for real estate investors with a few rentals differs from a fund practice. Ask about typical client size, property types and the number of K-1s they prepare.
Can They Plan Around Measure ULA And Property Taxes?
Sales in the City of Los Angeles above Measure ULA thresholds carry an extra transfer tax, and Proposition 13 reassessments affect holding costs. Ask how the firm models both before a sale or transfer.
Who Will Do The Work?
Ask who prepares and reviews your return and how the firm handles questions during the year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does California Allow Bonus Depreciation?
No. California does not conform to federal bonus depreciation, so California returns use regular depreciation even when you claim 100% bonus federally.
Do I Need An LA-Based CPA If My Rentals Are Out Of State?
California residents are taxed on income from all their rentals, wherever they are, so a CPA who knows California rules is still valuable. Most firms here file in multiple states.
What Does A Real Estate CPA In Los Angeles Cost?
None of these firms publish fixed prices for real estate returns. Fees depend on entities, K-1s and states, so ask for an engagement estimate.
Conclusion
Los Angeles has deep real estate accounting talent, from Pasadena and Glendale firms that have served local families for decades to national practices with several LA offices. Pick the firm whose clients look like you and confirm it handles California’s depreciation and exchange rules. If you also own farther south, compare our list of real estate CPA firms in San Diego.
This article is general information, not tax or legal advice.
