Interior of Redfin office near O’Hare Airport (Credit: Chicago Business Journal
Highly-successful real estate Web site and brokerage firm Redfin has had a big presence in Chicago since it expanded to the Windy City from its Seattle-based headquarters in 2008. It’s about to get even bigger.
Chicago Business Journal reported this week Redfin, which is proclaimed as “the next-generation brokerage house,” will expand its footprint at O’Hare Plaza near O’Hare Airport from 8,600 square-feet of office space to 26,000 square-feet by Dec. 1. This is another tech company increasingly turning its focus on Chicago. A recent study found Chicago moved up to the No. 9 city in the U.S. in terms of tech job growth. Tech companies are also the third-biggest users of office space in Chicago, according to Crain’s Business Chicago.
Redfin’s decision to triple its amount of office space in Chicago can be attributed to a few reasons. For one, company officials noted the close proximity to O’Hare makes it a convenient spot for employees from across the country to meet and train together. Officials also said it would allow support staff and customers to communicate easier through telephone and the Internet.
Here’s Dario Medina, Great Lakes District Manager for Redfin:
“Our No. 1 focus is buying and selling a home easier and more efficient for our customers. This expansion allows our vital behind-the-scenes staff to grow in support of that mission.
“The light-filled space, the easy access to transit and highways, as well as the proximity to O’Hare and nearby hotels make it a natural fit for Redfin, a national brokerage with a strong presence in Chicago.”
Redfin, which operates in 80 markets, is reported to have closed more than $31 billion in home sales since its founding in 2006.
This ongoing growth of the tech industry continues to give an optimistic air to commercial real estate in Chicago.