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.
Hub And Spoke Office Model
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfmnjnt5kUw As the modern workforce evolves and changes, businesses are rethinking traditional office space and looking for more flexible...
Read More
Finding Office Space In A Post Pandemic Market
Finding The Right Office Space As businesses navigate the post-pandemic environment, finding the right office space fit is essential to...
Read More
Artificial Intelligence, Abundance & The Future Of Work With Jason Cochran – Real Finds Podcast #28
https://youtu.be/6wb5bictzEM URL: https://youtu.be/6wb5bictzEM Welcome to Episode #28 of "The Real Finds Podcast," where we embark on a journey into the...
Read More
Can Commercial Real Estate Agents Sell Residential?
As a commercial real estate broker, I am often asked whether or not I can sell residential properties. While the...
Read More
The Comedy Of Climate Anxiety With Ethan Brown – Real Finds Podcast #27
https://youtu.be/7uEony6P3dQ URL: https://youtu.be/7uEony6P3dQ Summary: Welcome to the 27th episode of "The Real Finds Podcast," where we venture into the humorous...
Read More
Developing Geneva Lake’s George Williams College Campus?
Could Major Developments Transform Geneva Lake’s George Williams College Campus? The George Williams College campus on Geneva Lake in Williams...
Read More
Are Loopnet And Costar The Same?
If you're in the market for commercial real estate, you've likely heard of LoopNet and CoStar. These two platforms are...
Read More
Antioch Breaks Ground on Downtown Open Space Redevelopment Project
The Village of Antioch recently marked a major milestone in its ongoing efforts to revitalize its downtown area with a...
Read More
Antioch Breaks Ground on Downtown Open Space Redevelopment Project
The Village of Antioch recently marked a major milestone in its ongoing efforts to revitalize its downtown area with a...
Read More
Coaching Sustainable Commercial Real Estate Success With Robert Powell – Real Finds Podcast #26
https://youtu.be/DCUxAENKctU URL: https://youtu.be/DCUxAENKctU Summary: Welcome to episode 26 of "The Real Finds Podcast" where we are thrilled to present an...
Read More
Minimizing Commercial Real Estate Exposure With Brian T. Bradley, Esq. – Real Finds Podcast #25
https://youtu.be/-0B3_dNT3Bw URL: https://youtu.be/-0B3_dNT3Bw Summary: Welcome to episode 25 of "The Real Finds Podcast". In this segment, we are graced by...
Read More
Transforming Your Brand: Marketing Insights from George Pino – Real Finds Podcast #24
https://youtu.be/h_B_8Z5lcLI URL: https://youtu.be/h_B_8Z5lcLI Summary: Welcome to the 24th episode of "The Real Finds Podcast." In this enlightening episode, we plunge...
Read More
Digital Realty Sells Majority Stake in Elk Grove Village Data Centers in $450M Deal
The sale of a majority stake in two Elk Grove Village data centers by Digital Realty Trust to GI Partners...
Read More
Inside the Mind of a Top Producer: Brokerage Success With Michael Arnold – Real Finds Podcast #23
https://youtu.be/tHR7nc8qkDc URL: https://youtu.be/tHR7nc8qkDc Summary: Welcome to episode 23 of "The Real Finds Podcast," the ultimate portal for delving into the...
Read More
Developing Scalable Teams & Cultures in Real Estate With Kerri Davis – Real Finds Podcast #22
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovDdlVeT5QI Host: Gordon Lamphere, Director of Sales and Leasing at Van Vlissingen and Co. Guest: Kerri Davis, Founder & CEO...
Read More
Designing Workspaces that Work With Corinne Murray – Finds Podcast #21
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmh2Clpc3rM Host: Gordon Lamphere, Director of Sales and Leasing at Van Vlissingen and Co. Guest: Corinne Murray, Co-Founder of the...
Read More
Deal Making In Affordable Housing With Kyle Shoemaker – Real Finds Podcast #20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTYeHyr4Z_g Host: Gordon Lamphere, Director of Sales and Leasing at Van Vlissingen and Co. Guest: Kyle Shoemaker, Expert in Affordable...
Read More
Deal Financing 101: How to Thrive in High-Interest Environments – Real Finds Podcast #19
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DusIKNIZ7z0 Host: Gordon Lamphere, Director of Sales and Leasing at Van Vlissingen and Co. Guest: Culby Culbertson, Founder of Culbertson...
Read More