If you’re searching for community groups Long Beach, Los Angeles, and Orange County residents actually show up to, I can tell you firsthand that they exist, because building them has become as much a part of my work as real estate itself. I’m David Sanchez, founder of Living CA Realty, a real estate team based in Los Angeles and Orange County, and since 2020 my team and I have built a small ecosystem of Meetup groups across the region that has hosted more than 1,200 events and grown to over 10,000 members combined.

In this post I’ll walk through the groups we run, from golf and paddleboarding to general social meetups, first-time homebuyer education, and a Long Beach focused group led by my teammate Kimberly Smith. Whether you’re trying to meet new people, make friends, or just find your people in a new city, this is the rundown I’d give a friend who asked. I’ll also share why community building sits at the center of how our team approaches real estate, and where you can find every event we host in one place.

Fresh off an in-person homebuyer seminar in Long Beach. One attendee in this photo has already purchased a home, and two more are currently in the works.

Why Community Comes Before Real Estate for Our Team

It started in 2020 when I wanted to golf with new people on purpose, instead of whoever I happened to get paired with at the course. That one idea turned into something bigger than golf. I realized the same reasoning applied to paddleboarding, to general social events, and to helping people who were new to an area actually meet their neighbors before they signed a lease or made an offer on a home.

Connecting people is something I love doing, and some people say it’s my superpower. Our approach at Living CA Realty is built around the idea that people make better decisions about where they live when they’ve actually spent time in the area and gotten to know the people in it, not just toured a few open houses.

The Community Groups Long Beach, Los Angeles, and Orange County Residents Can Join

Here’s a quick rundown of what our team currently runs:

• Golfing LA and OC (GLAOC), an SCGA approved golf group that plays two to three rounds a month for golfers of every skill level, typically 20 to 28 people per round
• Paddling LA and OC, paddleboarding through the Naples canals in Long Beach and other spots around Los Angeles and Orange County
• Living LA and OC, general social events including beach cleanups, local social hours, restaurant and bar meetups, and the occasional speed dating night
• First Time Home Buyers and Sellers, an education focused group open to everyone whether or not you ever decide to work with our team
• LB Edge, run by my teammate Kimberly Smith for anyone in and around Long Beach

Kimberly Smith and LB Edge

Kimberly Smith is a co-agent on our team at Living CA Realty, based in Long Beach, and she brings that same community first mindset to her own group, LB Edge. She’s always coming up with creative ideas, beach outings, trivia nights, axe throwing, full moon walks along the water, and it shows in how consistently people turn out. If you’ve been searching for a Meetup Long Beach residents actually show up for, or just a solid way to start meeting people in the area, LB Edge is one of the best options I know of, and you don’t need to golf or paddleboard to fit in.

Community Groups Long Beach, Los Angeles, and Orange County Events, All in One Place

Keeping track of five different groups can get confusing, so to make things easy we post every event, golf, paddleboarding, social meetups, first-time buyer classes, and LB Edge, all together at LivingCACommunity.com. That’s the one link worth bookmarking if you want to see everything we have going on without checking five separate pages.

A Community First Approach to Real Estate

Kimberly and I are both agents on the same team at Living CA Realty, and we both help clients buy and sell homes across Los Angeles and Orange County. Neither of us built these groups as a lead generation strategy, and it would not be accurate to pretend real estate never comes up. I’ve had people I met on the golf course become clients later on, and I know of friendships, and at least one marriage, that started through one of our groups.

What matters more to us is that people get real value out of these groups whether or not they ever buy or sell a home with us. That is what a community first approach to real estate looks like on our team, and if you’re ever ready to talk about buying or selling in the area, we’re always happy to help.

Who These Groups Are Best Suited For

• People new to Long Beach, Los Angeles, or Orange County who are looking to meet new people and make friends before putting down roots
• Homebuyers who want to get a feel for a neighborhood’s social scene before making an offer
• Golfers of any skill level looking for a laid back group instead of a competitive league
• Social types who enjoy trying new activities, from paddleboarding to trivia nights to beach cleanups
• Anyone who wants to explore the area and make friends, whether or not real estate is anywhere on their radar

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there local community groups in Los Angeles and Orange County?

Yes. Our team at Living CA Realty runs several, including a golf group, a paddleboarding group, a general social group, a first-time homebuyer education group, and a Long Beach focused group called LB Edge. Together they’ve hosted more than 1,200 events since 2020.

What Meetup groups does the Living CA Realty team run?

We currently run Golfing LA and OC, Paddling LA and OC, Living LA and OC, First Time Home Buyers and Sellers, and LB Edge, which is led by Kimberly Smith in Long Beach.

Do I need to buy or sell a home to join one of these groups?

No. Every group is open to the public whether or not you ever work with our team. They were built to help people connect and get to know the area, not as a sales funnel.

Is there a cost to join?

Some groups, like Golfing LA and OC, have a small annual membership to cover dues and prizes, plus separate event costs like green fees. Others, like Living LA and OC and LB Edge, are typically free to join, with individual event costs, if any, listed on each posting.

Is there a Meetup group in Long Beach?

Yes. LB Edge, run by my teammate Kimberly Smith, is one of the most active Meetup Long Beach has to offer, with beach outings, trivia nights, and other events happening most weeks. Living LA and OC and Paddling LA and OC also run events in and around Long Beach regularly.

Where can I find every event in one place?

All of our events across every group are listed together at LivingCACommunity.com, so you do not have to check multiple pages to see what is coming up.

What’s a good way to meet new people and make friends in Los Angeles or Orange County?

Joining a group built around something you already enjoy, whether that’s golf, paddleboarding, or just exploring your neighborhood, is one of the most natural ways to meet new people. It gives you a reason to show up more than once, and showing up more than once is really how strangers turn into friends. That’s the whole idea behind the groups our team runs.

Get Involved

If you’ve been looking for community groups in Los Angeles and Orange County, start at LivingCACommunity.com to see everything we have going on. If golf is your thing, check out Golfing LA and OC, and if you’re in Long Beach, look up LB Edge. And if you’re new to the area and thinking about what to expect before relocating, or want to compare the best neighborhoods in Long Beach, I’ve also written about how joining local community groups can help you make friends fast.

David Sanchez
Living CA Realty | Brokered by eXp Realty | DRE #02029945
562-537-9206 | David@LivingCARealty.com
YourRealtorDavid.com | LivingCARealty.com
calendly.com/YourRealtorDavid

This post reflects David Sanchez’s personal experience organizing community groups in Los Angeles and Orange County and is for informational purposes only. Group details, membership costs, and event pricing are subject to change; always confirm current details on the event listing before attending.