Answer extracted from The Crexi Commercial Real Estate Podcast — listen to the full episode below.
How did growing up in a real estate family influence a career choice in commercial brokerage?
Growing up at the dinner table listening to conversations about HVAC replacements, parking lot restriping, and real estate negotiations, Gordon Lamphere witnessed firsthand the relentless dedication his parents poured into property management and development work. Though initially resistant to entering the industry because of that demanding lifestyle, he pursued law school instead—only to discover that he enjoyed the deal-making aspect far more than the detailed legal work, ultimately realizing he was meant for commercial brokerage, not law practice.
A childhood immersed in real estate decision-making
Lamphere's early exposure to commercial real estate wasn't passive observation—it was dinner table education. His mother worked as a certified property manager while his father operated as a developer and broker, meaning the practical realities of lease negotiations, tenant relations, and capital decisions were everyday conversation topics. As a fourth-generation real estate professional, Lamphere absorbed not just industry knowledge but also the work ethic required to succeed.
That same upbringing, however, initially made him wary. Watching the long hours and constant pressure his parents endured made him hesitant to follow the same path. Rather than join the family business directly, he chose law school—a decision that, on paper, seemed to move him away from real estate entirely.
Law school revealed what he actually wanted to do
At Tulane University Law School, where Lamphere majored in maritime and logistics, he gained rigorous training in contract analysis, risk evaluation, and negotiation. Yet something became clear during his legal practice: he was drawn to the business side of deals, not the technical documentation that lawyers bill hourly for. A mentor attorney eventually told him point-blank—he had the mind of a businessman but lacked the temperament to be a lawyer, because he was always trying to save clients time rather than maximize billable hours.
That candid feedback was the turning point. Lamphere realized his genuine passion lay in structuring transactions, advising on real estate strategy, and moving deals forward—the exact work his parents had modeled throughout his childhood. As he explains in the episode, the family background had planted the seed all along; law school simply clarified what he truly wanted.
Gordon Lamphere — Vice President at Van Vlissingen & Co., a fourth-generation real estate professional with a Juris Doctor from Tulane University Law School. Licensed as an Illinois and Wisconsin real estate broker, Lamphere advises owners, tenants, and investors across more than 100 commercial real estate transactions annually throughout greater Chicagoland, specializing in complex leasing, value-driven repositioning, and development-oriented advisory services.
From resistance to reality
The arc from childhood resistance to professional commitment reflects a deeper pattern: sometimes the career path we most need to understand is the one right in front of us. Lamphere's journey wasn't a straight line from family dinner table to brokerage office—it was a deliberate detour through law that ultimately validated what his parents had been demonstrating all along. The full episode explores how his legal training now enhances his brokerage work, particularly his ability to navigate complex transactions and evaluate risk across leases and development projects.
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