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.
Lake Forest Geography And The Commercial Real Estate Market
Lake Forest, Illinois, is renowned for its stunning natural beauty, characterized by rolling hills, deep ravines, and its prime location...
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Why A Landlord’s Financials Matter?
Why A Landlord's Financials Matter? The pandemic and a surge in remote work have cast shadows of uncertainty on traditional...
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The Sunbelt Bubble: Is The Housing Market Crashing? With Melody Wright – RFP #36
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w28PXlM4Oo In this compelling episode of "The Real Finds Podcast," we delve into the future of the U.S. residential real...
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Flex Office Spaces: Balancing Freedom and Structure With Drew Cunningham – RFP #35
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zh_XwXRN5o Welcome to this special edition of our podcast series, where we're honored to have Drew Cunningham, the Chief...
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Empty Cribs, Empty Pocketbooks: Real Estate’s Demographic Dilemma
Commercial real estate investment has traditionally thrived on location, development, and population growth. The sector, an integral part of the...
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Nick Panarese Earns The Prestigious SIOR Designation
Nick Panarese has reached a significant professional milestone by achieving the esteemed SIOR designation, joining the esteemed Chicago Chapter of...
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High Volume Commercial Real Estate Transactions With Annie Malo – RFP #34
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLpLQJzzNRw In today's episode of our podcast, we delve into the complex and fascinating world of commercial real estate...
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Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood Breaks Ground on New Tech School
The groundbreaking for the new LakeView Technology Academy at the Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood (KIN) marks a pivotal step in transforming...
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The Future Of Industrial Development With Jay Tanjuan – RFP #33
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aiV4sdPotU Join us for an enlightening episode of our podcast as Gordon Lamphere interviews Jay Tanjuan, a respected naval...
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Mastering Manufactured Home Investing With Jefferson Lilly – RFP #31
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lROhyBL-6js In our 31st podcast episode, we delve into the intriguing yet often overlooked niche of commercial real estate...
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Optimizing Real Estate: Applying Alex Hormozi’s Strategies With Tim Calise – RFP #32
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsWpYnnBgTQ Welcome to episode #32 of the Real Finds Podcast! In this installment, we're excited to discuss how the...
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Nuveen Acquires Oaks of Vernon Hills Apartments for $103M
Nuveen’s recent $103 million acquisition of the Oaks of Vernon Hills apartment complex underscores the continued strength and appeal of...
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Are Property Management Companies Worth It?
Are Property Management Companies Worth It? When managing your rental property, you have two options: you can manage it yourself...
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Navigating the Hybrid Return to Office: The Future of Work Informed by Habits and Flexibility
In the wake of a global pandemic, organizations are challenged with facing multiple ongoing changes. However, no change is more...
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How Can I Minimize My Risks As A Landlord?
How Can I Minimize My Risks As A Landlord? As a commercial landlord, minimizing risks is essential for your property's...
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Can Commercial Property Be Converted To Residential
Can Commercial Property Be Converted To Residential Understanding the Potential of Commercial-to-Residential Conversions In recent years, the question, "Can a...
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Lone Star Success: Dallas’ Top Office Spaces With Hanna Henley – Real Finds Podcast #30
https://youtu.be/Z65WofoK7wA URL: https://youtu.be/Z65WofoK7wA Episode Summary: Welcome to the latest episode of "The Real Finds Podcast" - your comprehensive source for...
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Protecting Tenant’s From Landlord Office Defaults With Vinny Di Meglio – Real Finds Podcast #29
https://youtu.be/JkUce7g7Yok URL: https://youtu.be/JkUce7g7Yok Episode Summary: Welcome to Episode #29 of "The Real Finds Podcast," where we traverse the fascinating world...
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