Welcome To The Real Finds Blog: Commercial Real Estate Insights for Chicago and the Midwest
Welcome to The Real Finds Blog, your daily briefing on commercial real estate trends across Chicagoland and the Midwest. Published by Gordon Lamphere, a fourth-generation commercial real estate broker at Van Vlissingen & Co., this blog delivers sharp, actionable insights for CRE professionals navigating a changing market. Every article connects macro trends—interest rates, automation, supply chains, policy shifts—to local real estate strategy across high-demand submarkets, including:
- Downtown Chicago – office space, adaptive reuse, capital markets
- Elk Grove & O’Hare – industrial leasing, logistics infrastructure
- Kenosha & SE Wisconsin – warehouse development and distribution hubs
- Oak Brook & Schaumburg – suburban office leasing and reinvestment
- Naperville & the I-88 Corridor – flex space, R&D, life sciences
- Bolingbrook & the I-55 Corridor – fulfillment centers and industrial site selection
- Lake, DuPage, Will, Kane, and McHenry Counties – land use, entitlements, development opportunities, and tenant migration
From daily blog posts to in-depth strategy guides and transcribed podcast interviews, Real Finds turns global uncertainty into hyper-local market intelligence for investors, landlords, tenants, developers, and brokers New posts are published every weekday.
Federal Government’s Chicago Office Downsizing: What It Means for the City’s Office Market
The federal government’s decision to sell off two major Chicago office buildings is sending ripples through an already struggling market....
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Future-Proofing Industrial Investments for the Energy Needs of the Future
Introduction As industries embrace automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced manufacturing, power demand is set to increase dramatically. The shift...
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Considering Tariffs When Leasing, Buying, and Selling Industrial Space
Understanding the Impact of Tariffs on Industrial Real Estate The impact of tariffs on industrial real estate is complex and...
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Industrial Real Estate Growth Strategies for 2025 and Beyond With Scott Robinson – RFP 55
After a historic slowdown in total transaction volume, the industrial real estate market has a renewed appetite for acquisitions. However,...
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What Ravinia’s $75M Renovation Means for Highland Park Commercial Real Estate
Highland Park is about to experience a surge in economic activity thanks to a newly announced $75 million renovation of...
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Overcoming Logistical Challenges in the Return to Office Movement
As organizations worldwide navigate the post-pandemic landscape, the push to return employees to physical office spaces has unveiled a myriad...
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The Changing Risk Profile of Federal Leases—What Investors Need to Know
Introduction For years, real estate leased to federal agencies was considered one of the safest investments. With long-term lease commitments,...
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Walkability, Transit Access, and the Future of the United Center Redevelopment
Introduction Chicago is on the verge of one of its most significant redevelopment efforts with the 1901 Project, a $7...
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How AI Data Centers and 1-Gigawatt Supercomputing Will Reshape Commercial Real Estate
The France-UAE agreement and Fluidstack’s €10 billion AI supercomputer project mark a turning point in global infrastructure. With two separate...
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A Barometer for Occupiers and Office Market Strength in Logan Square
The commercial real estate landscape in Logan Square is undergoing a significant shift as RXO, a Charlotte-based freight brokerage provider,...
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Bannockburn’s Office Market Faces Foreclosure: What It Means for Suburban Chicago Office Space
The suburban Chicagoland office market continues to face significant headwinds, with the latest example being the potential foreclosure of a...
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Why Are Exterior Conference Rooms The New Office Space Trend?
The latest trend in office space design isn’t about open-concept workspaces or collaborative hubs—it’s exterior conference rooms. While this might...
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What Fulton’s Next Development Means For Chicago Small Bay Industrial?
The Chicago industrial market continues to evolve, and the latest planned development at 2519 W Fulton Street is a prime...
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The Potential Of Nvidia’s Quantum Campus on Chicago’s South Side
The rumors surrounding Nvidia’s interest in building a quantum campus on Chicago’s South Side are stirring excitement across tech, academia,...
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Office Foreclosure Lawsuit on 10 South LaSalle, Chicago
The Feil Organization, a prominent New York-based real estate firm, is facing a foreclosure lawsuit concerning its property at 10...
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Chicagoland Industrial Market Update January 8, 2025
The Chicagoland industrial real estate market remains a critical hub for logistics and warehousing, attracting institutional investors despite shifts in...
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Accenture Tower Secures Lease Extension Amid Challenging Market Dynamics
In a rare bright spot for Chicago's commercial real estate market, the iconic Accenture Tower at 500 W. Madison St....
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Amazon’s US Grocery Expansion Could Disrupt Midwest Industrial Markets
The Midwest industrial real estate market, particularly in the Greater Chicagoland area and Wisconsin, is uniquely poised to be reshaped...
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