# Howard Schwimmer

> Howard Schwimmer is the founder and principal of S5 Industrial Realty and a co-founder and former co-CEO of Rexford Industrial. A USC business graduate, he began his industrial real estate career at DAUM in 1983 and co-founded Rexford’s predecessor in December 2001. His work centers on acquiring, improving and operating industrial properties in Southern California. He was inducted into the NAIOP SoCal Hall of Fame in 2024.

- **Role:** Founder and Principal at S5 Industrial Realty
- **Organizations:** S5 Industrial Realty, Rexford Industrial (co-founder; former co-CEO), DAUM Commercial Real Estate (former executive and broker), USC Lusk Center Real Estate Leadership Council, USC Hillel, Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles
- **Education:** Bachelor’s degree in business, emphasis in real estate finance and development, University of Southern California
- **Known for:** Co-founded Rexford’s predecessor in December 2001 and helped lead its 2013 public listing., Shared leadership of Rexford as its industrial portfolio expanded from 5.5 million square feet at the 2013 IPO to approximately 51 million square feet by November 2025., NAIOP SoCal Hall of Fame inductee, 2024.

## Career timeline

- **1983** — Graduated from USC and joined DAUM Commercial Real Estate in May.
- **1983–2001** — Worked at DAUM as a broker and, at various times, manager, executive vice president and broker of record.
- **2001** — Co-founded Rexford’s predecessor business in December; served as senior managing partner.
- **2002** — Rexford completed its first purchase, two City of Industry buildings totaling 177,000 square feet, for $8 million.
- **2013** — Became co-CEO and director of the public Rexford company; Rexford completed its IPO in July.
- **2022** — Honored at the Jewish Federation’s Real Estate & Construction Network dinner.
- **2024** — Inducted into the NAIOP SoCal Hall of Fame.
- **2026** — Left Rexford’s co-CEO role effective March 31; Laura Clark became CEO April 1. Now founder and principal of S5 Industrial Realty.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Rexford’s predecessor in December 2001 and helped lead its 2013 public listing.
- Shared leadership of Rexford as its industrial portfolio expanded from 5.5 million square feet at the 2013 IPO to approximately 51 million square feet by November 2025.
- NAIOP SoCal Hall of Fame inductee, 2024.
- Jewish Federation Real Estate & Construction Network honoree, 2022.
- Included in the Los Angeles Business Journal’s LA500 for a sixth year in 2025.

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — Laura Clark succeeded Schwimmer and Michael Frankel as Rexford CEO on April 1, following their March 31 departures.
- **2026-04** — Appeared on The Kirsh Connection in an episode dated April 28, discussing industrial real estate and identifying him as S5’s founder.
- **2026-10** — S5’s website identifies him as founder and principal; California DRE’s October 16 record lists his affiliation with S5 Industrial Realty Inc.

## Links

- Website: https://s5industrialrealty.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howard-schwimmer-b0100414

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/howard-schwimmer
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-27