Our Experience
Vequity Real Estate Advisors (VREA) is a full-service retail real estate brokerage firm that exclusively represents some of the world’s top retail brands by managing their real estate site selection process. Based in Chicago, we can help you grow locally, nationally, and globally.
Our Expertise
At VREA, we excel at securing well-located opportunities and streamlining this process with proprietary systems and procedures. Working closely with our affiliated companies, we can provide the strategy and support you need to realize your strategic goals—efficiently and economically.
Our Services
Our team of advisory experts have years of experience and can help you with a number of different aspects including:
- Site Selection & Tenant Representation
- Landlord Representation
- Investment Sales
- Property Valuation Services
- Property/Asset Management
Our Clients
VREA exclusively represents some of the world’s top retail brands and helps manage the real estate site selection process both locally and nationally.
Our Team
The VREA team is comprised of industry leading experts who excel in getting you the most out of every project. Smart, focused and dedicated, their combined expertise is second to none.
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Christopher Ilekis
Principal
Christopher Ilekis is the owner and founder of Vequity and its affiliated companies, with a focus on commercial real estate transactions since 2003. In that time, he’s represented over 500 lease and sale transactions for both national and local clients. His deep expertise in all aspects of the industry including development, design, finance, construction, and legal has contributed to Vequity’s success—including developing numerous retail projects valued over $200M in the last five years alone.
Christopher is also the owner and founder of Vequity Construction, a Chicago-based general contracting firm specializing in multi-unit facilities for local and global retailers, healthcare providers, and mixed-use commercial buildings in both urban and suburban locations nationally. Vequity Construction works in collaboration with its clients and its talented design and construction professionals to provide a trustworthy, transparent, and reliable construction process.
Vequity Real Estate Advisors (VREA) is a full-service retail real estate brokerage firm, started by Ilekis. VREA exclusively represents some of the world’s top retail brands and helps manage their real estate site selection process both locally and nationally.
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Kim Ward
Operations Manager
Kim manages our overall operations and organizational processes for the development team as well as oversees all marketing efforts. Her wealth of administrative and leadership experience has been invaluable. Prior to joining Vequity, she spent four years as an Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Sales at Automatic Data Processing, a Fortune 500 Company. Kim earned her bachelor’s in public relations from Illinois State University and is a licensed real estate broker.
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Andrew Cohen
Managing Director – Acquisitions and Leasing
Andrew’s main focus is on retail acquisitions and development. With his extensive knowledge of the marketplace, he assists with site selection and build-to-suit development for national retail clients. He’s also responsible for the leasing of Vequity’s portfolio, which consists of retail and mixed-use assets. Andrew earned his Bachelor of Finance from the University of Illinois, is a licensed Real Estate Broker, and is an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers.
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Gregg Stein
Managing Director – Tenant Representation
Gregg Stein entered the commercial real estate business in 2010 and quickly proved himself as a leading tenant representative after securing national urban footwear leader, Sneaker Villa, and executing their phase I rollout by successfully negotiating 40 lease transactions. Additionally, Gregg directed the Chicago MSA expansion for Uncle Julio’s, by delivering deals in the priority trade areas of Orland Park, IL, Naperville, IL, Killdeer IL, Vernon Hills, IL, Naperville, IL, and Skokie (Old Orchard), IL.
Gregg Specializes in Urban and Suburban tenant representation with a focus on companywide strategic site selection and deal negotiation for new-to-market national tenants.
Gregg’s proven success fulfilling the real estate needs of corporate accounts has led to additional national chains retaining him as their exclusive Chicago Broker including: Banfield Pet Hospital, Murphy Oil Express, Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steak burgers, Indochino, Forman Mills, Brooklyn Boulders, Everybody Fights among others.Prior to becoming a Director at VREA, Gregg served as a principal at Stone North America where he oversaw the urban expansion of the Vitamin Shoppe account as well as the site selection and negotiation of the first 75 Mattress Firm leases upon the company’s entry into Chicago. While a retail associate at Colliers International, Gregg’s volume of transactions and overall productivity earned him Newcomer of the year 2012.
Gregg graduated from Miami University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Urban and Regional Planning and Minor in Entrepreneurship at Miami University’s Farmer School of Business. Gregg is an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and a Board member of the Union League Boys and Girls Club of Chicago.