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.
What Commercial Real Estate Industry Consolidation Means for Investors, Building Owners, and Tenants
An increasing wave of consolidations has marked the commercial real estate industry. Mergers and acquisitions have impacted every corner of...
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Navigating the Disrupted Real Estate Market with Chris Loeffler – RFP 48
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDjdzsjPhBk We sit down with Chris Loeffler, a former finance professional turned seasoned real estate investor, who takes us...
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Reviving Troubled Office Spaces
Reviving Troubled Office Spaces in Today’s Market Since 2020, the commercial office market has faced monumental shifts in how space...
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Missing The Middle: Steps To Solve America’s Housing Crisis With Sean Roberts – RFP 47
The housing crisis in the United States is reaching a critical point, with 77% of households unable to afford the...
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The Distressed Property Market: Opportunities Ahead With Brian Good – RFP 46
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXBpSTCfXvg In the latest episode of The Real Finds Podcast, host Gordon Lamphere sat down with Brian Good, Managing...
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Exploring Zoning, Housing Development, & Creative Disruption Professor Jesse Saginor – RFP 45
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bM9zJQCJdIo In a recent episode of The Real Finds Podcast, host Gordon Lamphere sits down with Professor Jesse Saginor,...
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Filling Gaps In The Real Estate Market With Stephen Wendell – RFP 44
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BlUxv6hENg In this episode of the Real Finds podcast, Gordon Lamphere sits down with Stephen Wendell, CEO of Mountain...
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How the East Coast Port Strike Could Impact the Chicago Industrial Real Estate Market
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNDRjgQPHrw As discussion around a potential East Coast port strike continues, businesses across the U.S. are preparing for the...
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Class B Industrial with Matthew Rossman – RFP 43
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZN5osUpG6U Insights on Class B Industrial Spaces and the Future of California's Inland Empire In this podcast episode, Gordon...
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Amazon’s 5 Day Return To Office Policy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnJGtKcX63Y Amazon’s 5-Day Return Policy: The Future of Work & Office Market Amazon's recent decision to mandate a return...
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The Chicagoland Office Market – Sep 18, 2024
The Chicago office market is experiencing significant shifts, marked by changing dynamics in leasing, sales, and tenant strategies. A key...
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Consumer-Driven Future of Office Space With Joe Brady – RFP 42
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Npv_jdE_nvw In the latest episode of The Real Finds Podcast, host Gordon Lamphere sits down with Joe Brady, former...
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Analyzing Office Income Potential and Maintenance Costs
https://youtu.be/EQgi0YTsgJ0 Analyzing the income potential and maintenance costs of office properties is crucial for making informed investment decisions. This...
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Lake Zurich Approves New Housing Development on Old Rand Road
The recent approval of a new housing development on Old Rand Road by the Lake Zurich Mayor and Board of...
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10 Things Commercial Real Estate Sellers Can Learn from Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan’s name is synonymous with greatness, but his Highland Park mansion tells a different story. On the market since...
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AI Is Revolutionizing the Property Managment Industry
The Future of Commercial Property Management and AI The commercial real estate industry is on the brink of a technological...
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Summer Concert Series in Arlington Heights
The Sounds of Summer Concert Series in Arlington Heights is a beloved event that exemplifies the community’s commitment to creating...
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Conducting Market Research for Office Space: A Beginner’s Guide
https://youtu.be/CETKYrbeRE4 Choosing the right office space is more than just a real estate decision, it’s a strategic business move. Your...
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