CHICAGO—Kinzie Real Estate Group just turned five this month, and its history has illustrated the recovery and growth in the region's real estate market. The Chicago-based firm started out specializing in servicing distressed real estate, a good business in 2011, and by the end of that first year, Kinzie had grown to just under 20 employees. But these days it helps launch and build new luxury multifamily developments, among other projects, and now has more than 50 employees across three divisions and over $100 million dollars in construction activity slated to start this year.

“When we launched five years ago, market demand was strong throughout the Midwest for servicing distressed real estate,” says Steve Spinell, president of the Kinzie group. “Our core competencies in receivership, asset management, brokerage and general contracting services perfectly positioned us for success in a tricky market.”

However, “we knew once the market recovered, we'd be a strong partner for commercial and residential developers,” Spinell adds. “In 2011, Kinzie was already well-positioned for additional growth in the development industry with a renewed focus on pre-development services, design build value-add process, general contracting, and sales and marketing.”

Kinzie provides a diverse array of services and acts as development services partner, general contractor and brokerage consultant as needed. The company has forged relationships with various developers and private equity firms including Alatus, Capital Crossing, Interstate Partners, Metropolitan Housing Development Corp., REVA Development Partners, and Summit Investment, among others.

And as the multifamily market has strengthened, it has fueled Kinzie's growth. As reported in GlobeSt.com, the developer Interstate Partners, LLC recently chose Kinzie's building division as its general contractor for Watermark at the Grove, a 258-unit luxury development in Elgin, the first such development the community has seen since the 1970s.

Other past and current projects in suburban Chicago include The Oaks of Vernon Hills, a 332-unit LEED certified apartment community in Vernon Hills; Enclave at Heritage Estates, an estate-style single-family home community in Lake Barrington; The Residences of Orland Park Crossing, a transit-oriented 231-unit luxury rental community in Orland Park; and Northgate Crossing, an integral part of the 17-acre town center development with 288 apartment units in the village of Wheeling, IL.

Kinzie continues to ink new deals on a weekly basis, Spinell says, and recently opened new a corporate office in Vernon Hills, further expanding the company's presence in the Chicago market. The company has been named general contractor on a luxury rental community in Deer Park Crossing, teaming up with REVA Development Partners, and the brokerage division has been tapped as exclusive broker for a $4 million mansion on an 11-acre estate in Barrington Hills, IL. And by joining a team developing a multi-phase, master-planned community in Minneapolis, Kinzie has also branched out beyond Chicago.

“It's our team of professionals who make this company a success,” he says. “The people are the life blood of this organization and, without the commitment and passion everyone brings to their job, our story would be much different.”

Instant Insights /

Kinzie Group Turns Five, With Triple-Digit Growth

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