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.
Can We Solve the Housing Crisis Without New Construction?
The housing crisis is one of the most pressing challenges facing communities across the country. With rents rising, home prices...
Read More
Impacts Of The Multigenerational Housing Affordability Crisis
The housing affordability crisis in the United States has emerged as a significant issue, affecting individuals across all age demographics,...
Read More
Navigating the Housing Crisis: Insights from Gordon Lamphere and Matt Hutchinson – RFP 50
Today, Gordon Lamphere sits down with Matt Hutchinson, Communications Director at SpareRoom, to discuss the escalating housing crisis impacting both...
Read More
Will Government Regulation Save The Office Market?
Will Government Regulation Save The Office Market? As the work landscape continues to evolve in the wake of the 2020...
Read More
Chicago Bears’ New Stadium Plan: Transforming the South Side Like LA’s SoFi Stadium?
The Chicago Bears’ renewed consideration of the Michael Reese site for a new domed stadium presents a transformative opportunity for...
Read More
$32M Refinancing Amid Chicago Office Market Challenges
The successful refinancing of the 15-story office building at 609 W. Randolph St. by Vista Property Group provides several insights...
Read More
Historic 135 South LaSalle to Undergo $241M Office-to-Residential Conversion in Chicago’s Loop
The $241 million redevelopment of 135 South LaSalle Street, supported by a $98 million tax increment financing (TIF) subsidy, represents...
Read More
Worries Rise Of More Chicagoland Office “Double Defaults
The rising tide of "double defaults" in the commercial real estate (CRE) market paints a challenging picture for the Chicagoland...
Read More
The Art and Science of Real Estate Deals with Rob Solomon – RFP 49
On today’s RealFinds Podcast, host Gordon Lamphere sits down with Robert Solomon, President and Chief Legal Officer, to explore his...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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,...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More