Wedgewood: The Community Cornerstone

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For Wedgewood, revitalizing real estate is a passion

In 1985, Gregory Geiser created Wedgewood with a vision to revitalize communities by taking a sustainable design approach to restore single-family residential real estate. Since then, the Southern California firm has broadened into a multifaceted enterprise with a footprint spanning over 20 states and a book of business built on the concept that the greenest homes are already standing.

Wedgewood, under the direction of current Chief Executive Officer Lisa Wehrly, encompasses three divisions: Wedgewood Homes, which resources homeowners with quick, convenient selling options; Wedgewood Commercial, which restores multifamily apartment homes and communities; plus, Maverick Design, the creative and design division which specializes in providing value-driven design at every price point.

Jamie Bedner

"Our purpose is revitalizing communities," company COO Jamie Bedner said. "We accomplish this by adding value to properties which require repairs to avoid obsolescence. Once we transform the properties, Wedgewood brings them back to the market for new homeowners to enjoy. We are passionate about creating beautiful homes for the next generation to love.”

When restoring multifamily properties, Wedgewood’s involvement doesn't stop when structures are completed. “We’re focused on creating a wonderful tenant experience after we renovate the apartment buildings,” she added.

Over the company’s 38-year history, they’ve become an industry leader with a steadfast entrepreneurial spirit. “We pride ourselves on being nimble and agile,” she said. That ability to move quickly and remain flexible enables them to find new opportunities to serve their clients’ needs.

A recent domestic housing market analysis from Realtor.com and reported by CNN showed that between 2012 and 2022, “the gap between single-family home constructions and household formations grew to 6.5 million homes.” Wedgewood is working to counteract that housing shortage by investing in and restoring homes on the verge of obsolescence, creating more opportunities for buyers.

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As Bedner put it, “There's such a growing need for housing that is affordable, and new construction tends to be at much higher price points that keep home ownership out of reach for most Americans. Renovating and modernizing existing homes keeps accessible housing out there for new homeowners.”

Wedgewood is also making selling homes easier. Now that the sales frenzy seen in 2020-21 has fizzled, many people who want or need to sell their homes directly are finding themselves in a painful pinch. Wedgewood Homes offers homeowners creative solutions through an end-to-end approach to eliminating the hassles of the traditional home selling process.

Those who choose to sell directly have many reasons for doing so, including avoiding the uncertainty of listing and costs of home repairs, eliminating the inconvenience of hosting open houses, and the desire to avoid paying high commissions.

“By working directly with us, they can avoid all that hassle,” Bedner said. “They don't have to do repairs, they don't have to do open houses, and they don't have to pay commissions or fees.” Wedgewood Homes makes the process as straightforward and painless as possible.

Whatever the reason for the sale, selling an inherited property, or needing to sell a house as-is, Wedgewood can step in with expertise, market knowledge, and support.

"Wedgewood is an innovative industry leader in the single-family real estate (SFR) market and a valued partner of Fidelity National title company," Rod Gordy, Senior Vice President, Los Angeles County, for Fidelity National Title Group said.

By taking a people-first approach, they offer all the specialized guidance a seller could want while leaving the seller in the driver’s seat.

"Throughout our business, we address a variety of needs. Buyers can choose from our beautiful, renovated properties, while sellers can sell their homes directly to us or engage our services in listing them for sale. We present growth opportunities for agents seeking to enhance their business and network," she underscored. "As a trusted partner for property owners, contractors, and vendors, we deliver comprehensive residential solutions.”

Reducing Environmental Footprint

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Wedgewood's commitment to reducing its environmental impact reflects the organization's creativity, energy, and optimism. The company, headquartered in Redondo Beach, Calif., utilizes technology and thoughtful design to keep its offices on the leading edge of conservation. Yet, this only begins to reveal what is possibly their most significant contribution towards creating a more eco-friendly world.

“Carl Elefante, the former President of the American Institute of Architects, is quoted as saying, ‘The greenest building is a building that already exists,’” Bedner shared. "Contrary to many real estate investors who purchase properties, demolish them, and construct new buildings – a significant strain on the environment – our approach is different. We salvage structures, improve them, renovate them, and revive them, effectively reducing the carbon footprint. This method also helps maintain housing affordability."

The positive impact that Wedgewood makes on properties, whether single or multifamily, helps to lift entire neighborhoods. “So many neighbors have come out and thanked us for cleaning up their neighborhoods or making the ugly duckling on the street shine again. They feel such pride of ownership of their block once we do what we do,” she enthused. “That’s one of the reasons why I've been doing this for 20 years. It’s incredibly rewarding work.”

The people of Wedgewood are forward-focused, reaching for innovation at every level. “We are always looking at the why of what we do. How are we doing something? Why are we doing it, and is there a better way? And if there's a better way, let's innovate.”

Core Value Driven

Giving back to the community lies at the heart of Wedgewood's approach. Wedgewood unites all its resources to positively impact the people they encounter by engaging in charitable donations, volunteer work, and sustainability initiatives. Among their numerous initiatives is a partnership with Sharefest, a non-profit community revitalization organization that connects philanthropists with communities in need. "Wedgefest" projects have successfully rejuvenated several elementary schools, executed numerous community beautification efforts, and even carried out a home makeover for a local hero.

"We take great pride in our honorable actions and contributions," she said. "One of our core values is 'Wedgewood starts with we.' This encapsulates the spirit of teamwork and collaboration that drives us." Besides “giving back” and “creating opportunities,” they also live by the values “inspire excellence” and “act with honor.”

"Our final value is ‘be a good neighbor,’ which perfectly summarizes our core purpose -- not only through community revitalization but also among ourselves in our daily lives." This philosophy extends to building strong relationships with everyone they collaborate with, offering opportunities for success to their employees and the thousands of small business owners who contribute to their achievements, such as vendors, contractors, and agents.

“We value the agent network and community and work extensively with agent partners. We're very team oriented. We're very passionate, and we revitalize communities, and we love what we do.”