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.
The Self Storage Renaissance With Fernando Angelucci – Real Finds Podcast #18
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAZ9IpD7WXQ https://vvco.com/the-self-storage-renaissance-with-fernando-angelucci-real-finds-podcast-18-transcript/ Host: Gordon Lamphere, Director of Sales and Leasing at Van Vlissingen and Co. Guest: Fernando Angelucci, Senior Managing...
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Safeguarding Generational Real Estate Wealth With Megan L. Whipp -Real Finds Podcast #17
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWPlzQdylkQ https://vvco.com/safeguarding-generational-real-estate-wealth-with-megan-l-whipp-real-finds-podcast-17-transcript/ Host: Gordon Lamphere, Sales & Leasing Director at Van Vlissingen and Co. Guest: Megan L. Whipp, Lawyer and...
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Redeveloping Historic Chicago With Architect Prashanth Mahakali – Real Finds Podcast #16
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBlt86PlzvU https://vvco.com/redeveloping-historic-chicago-with-architect-prashanth-mahakali-real-finds-podcast-16-transcript/ Host: Gordon Lamphere, Sales & Leasing Director at Van Vlissingen and Co. Guest: Prashanth Mahakali, Founder of PMPC...
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High Schools in Lake County Top of the Class
Stevenson High School, in Lincolnshire, is the best public high school in the country according to the ranking website...
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Lake Zurich Approves First Industrial TIF Agreement
The recent approval of the first tax increment financing (TIF) redevelopment agreement by the Village of Lake Zurich trustees marks...
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Success in High-Risk Scenarios: Tips From An Insurance Specialist – Real Finds Podcast #15
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuRVFhyRGLE https://vvco.com/success-in-high-risk-scenarios-tips-from-an-insurance-specialist-real-finds-podcast-15-transcript/ Host: Gordon Lamphere, Director of Sales and Leasing at Van Vlissingen and Co. Guest: Jeremy Goodrich, Host of...
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The Power of 1031 Exchanges With Bernard Reisz – Real Finds Podcast #14
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PYQG6Xkob0 https://vvco.com/the-power-of-1031-exchanges-with-bernard-reisz-real-finds-podcast-14-transcript/ Host: Gordon Lamphere, Director of Sales and Leasing at Van Vlissingen and Co. Guest: Bernard Reisz, Certified Public...
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Surfing The Silver Tsunami: Investing in Residential Assisted Living – Real Finds Podcast #13
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4yYFlWrEOg https://vvco.com/surfing-the-silver-tsunami-investing-in-residential-assisted-living-real-finds-podcast-13-transcript/ Host: Gordon Lamphere, Sales & Leasing Director at Van Vlissingen and Co. Guest: Isabel Guarino, Chief Operating Officer...
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Slowing Inflation Supports Fixed Cost Small Tenant Growth
Inflation and interest rates are critical factors impacting commercial real estate markets. While inflation has been rising rapidly over the...
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Office Space Matters With Vinny Di Meglio – Real Finds Podcast #12
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEuvANcoFXo https://vvco.com/office-space-matters-with-vinny-di-meglio-real-finds-podcast-12-transcript/ Host: Gordon Lamphere, Director of Sales and Leasing at Van Vlissingen and Co. Guest: Vinny Di Meglio, Senior...
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Can Commercial Leases Be Broken?
Can Commercial Leases Be Broken? As a business owner or commercial tenant, signing a lease for a commercial property is...
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Commercial Real Estate MoneyBall: Data Driven Site Location – Real Finds Podcast #11
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cpt4sV9Rbd4 https://vvco.com/commercial-real-estate-moneyball-data-driven-site-location-real-finds-podcast-11-transcript/ Host: Gordon Lamphere, Director of Sales & Leasing at Van Vlissingen and Co. Guest: Sara Maffey, Head of...
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Wyatt Clark: Portugal’s Golden Real Estate Investing Opportunity – Real Finds Podcast #10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Qf7ODIH8WA https://vvco.com/wyatt-clark-portugals-golden-real-estate-investing-opportunity-real-finds-podcast-10-transcript/ Host: Gordon Lamphere, Commercial Real Estate Agent at Van Vlissingen and Co. Guest: Wyatt Clark, Investor and Analyst...
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10 Tips To Improve Office Space Productivity Without Construction
There are plenty of more expensive office space amenities that employees crave. However, significant changes to your commercial real estate...
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HomesOnChain: Digital Real Estate Transactions With Blockchain – The Real Finds Podcast #9
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59_Gq0hEHIc https://vvco.com/homesonchain-digital-real-estate-transactions-with-blockchain-real-finds-podcast-9-transcript/ Podcast Title: The Real Finds Podcast #9 - HomesOnChain: Digital Real Estate Transactions With Blockchain Host: Gordon Lamphere,...
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Bryan McLaren: Navigating Cannabis Commercial Real Estate – Real Finds Podcast #8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvETNjkCLG4 https://vvco.com/bryan-mclaren-navigating-cannabis-commercial-real-estate-real-finds-podcast-8-transcript/ Host: Gordon Lamphere, Director of Sales & Leasing at Van Vlissingen and Co. Guest: Bryan McLaren, the Chairman...
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Ken Wimberly: Laundry Luv Accountable Entrepreneurship #7
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLzXyeRIWnw https://vvco.com/ken-wimberly-laundry-luv-and-accountable-entrepreneurship-real-finds-podcast-7-transcript/ Podcast Title: Ken Wimberly: Laundry Luv Accountable Entrepreneurship Host: Gordon Lamphere Guest: Ken Wimberly, co-founder of Laundry Luv...
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Trisha Talbot: Mastering Medical Office #6
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qofQZtqqCwA https://vvco.com/trisha-talbot-mastering-medical-office-real-finds-podcast-6-transcript/ Welcome to the Real Finds Podcast, where industry leaders discuss the latest trends and insights in...
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