About
Professional Summary
- I lead the only "all female" commercial team in Chicago
- Since I began my career in real estate in 2001, I have participated in more than 700+ sales transactions involving more than 10,000 acres with total sales in excess of $2 Billion
- I Identify acquisition sites for developers, investors, REITs and users and guide them through the entitlement/rezoning process
- Assist property owners in land/infill redevelopment disposition based on realistic municipal objectives to obtain highest return for client
- Consult with municipalities to determine areas of opportunity in comprehensive plan; local, state and national governmental incentives; entitlement and rezoning process and strategy; and property highest and best use
- Extensive experience in the disposition of bank and FDIC owned assets.
- Hold real estate licenses in Illinois and Wisconsin
Prior to entering commercial real estate, I worked for Xerox Corporation and led the company in sales six out of my last nine years.
Accomplishments
- In 2022, I was nominated for "2021 IL Real Estate Woman of the Year"
- Since 2011, I have sold 350+ FDIC assets and 30+ OREO assets. I pride myself on the ability to create competitive bidding wars on distressed assets and selling properties over appraised value.
- Completed the sale of a 495-acre Archdiocese of Chicago property, which included an 80-acre land swap. The unlisted land resulted in a bidding war and closed in 30 days.
- Sold a 9.45 acre car dealer site on Golf Road to another car dealer and closed in three weeks
- Successfully completed the sale of a functionally obsolete industrial building in Harwood Heights, IL. The value of the property was increased 340% by finding a buyer for a high-density residential development. The sale closed in 75 days with no zoning in place.
- Completed the sale of the Loew’s Movie Theatre site on Harlem Avenue to an out-of-state pension fund. The property was packaged as an investment income property with a future redevelopment opportunity.
- Sold a 153-acre site in Bristol, WI to a speculative developer
- Recognized by Colliers International | Chicago for the Largest Number of Consummated Transactions in 2012
Education
- MBA, Kellogg Graduate School of Managment, Northwestern University
- BA, University of Vermont
Memberships & Involvements
- ULI
Clients
- Archdiocese of Chicago
- McGrath Audi
- Green Acres Country Club
- Veridian
- FDIC
- Byline Bank
- Bank of Hope (formerly BBCN)
- Bank Financial
- First American Bank
- US Marshal Service
- Farmers Business Network
- Lennar Homes
- Transformco (formerly Sears)
- Allstate
Services
Skills
Service Lines
Property Type
Specializations
My Team
My Team
Kate Dempsey is an Associate within the Land Advisory Group at Colliers International with over four years of experience in the industry. Since joining the land team, Kate focuses on representing companies in the acquisition, disposition, leasing and development of commercial real estate throughout Illinois and Wisconsin.
Gwen Walker is an Associate within the Land Group at Colliers International focusing on identifying acquisition sites for developers, investors, REITs, and users and guiding them through the entitlement/rezoning process. In addition, our team focuses on assisting property owners in land/infill redevelopment disposition based on realistic municipal objectives to obtain the highest return for our clients. We also consult with municipalities to determine areas of opportunity in comprehensive plan; local, state, and national governmental incentives; entitlement and rezoning process and strategy; and property highest and best use.