Denise Raines
Commercial Broker, Keller Williams Preferred Realty
Orland Park, IL 60467
Specializing in commercial real estate sales/purchases, investments, property management, and leasing
Phone (312) 953-5780
Specializing in commercial real estate sales/purchases, investments, property management, and leasing
Specialties
Investment Sales Broker, Landlord Rep (Retail), Tenant Rep, Tenant Rep (Retail)
Property Types
Industrial, Office, Retail, Flex, Multifamily
Markets
Chicago
Languages
English
Bio
Denise Raines brings over 26 years of real estate experience, including 16 years specializing in commercial real estate across the Greater Chicagoland area, from the North Shore and Downtown Chicago to the Southern Suburbs. She advises property owners, investors, and tenants on office, retail, industrial/flex, and mixed-use assets, with a practice that spans sales, leasing, and commercial property management.
Denise’s background in property management gives her a practical, owner-minded perspective that informs every transaction. She understands how properties actually operate — from expenses and capital improvements to tenant dynamics and lease structures — and helps clients evaluate opportunities based on real-world performance, not just marketing numbers. This operational insight allows her to identify risk early, underwrite conservatively, and structure deals that hold up beyond the closing table.
Her work with investors includes pricing strategy, value-add positioning, tenant mix strategy, and exit planning. Denise frequently assists clients with acquisition and disposition strategy, lease-up planning for vacant or underperforming assets, and repositioning properties to improve cash flow and long-term value. She is especially effective in situations involving transitional assets, complex lease structures, or properties that require a clear operational and leasing strategy to maximize value.
Denise is known for her direct, transparent communication style and her ability to simplify complex transactions for clients without oversimplifying the risks. She believes informed clients make better decisions and prioritizes clarity around pricing, market realities, and deal structure. Her approach is data-informed but grounded in market experience, helping clients separate signal from noise in competitive or shifting market conditions.
In addition to brokerage, Denise actively manages commercial properties, giving her firsthand insight into landlord and tenant challenges, operating costs, and long-term asset performance. This dual perspective allows her to advocate effectively for both owners and tenants while maintaining a disciplined, deal-focused approach to negotiations.
Denise takes a consultative approach to brokerage, often serving as a strategic resource for clients evaluating whether to buy, sell, lease, hold, or reposition assets. She is frequently brought in early in the decision-making process to help clients pressure-test assumptions, assess market timing, and build realistic expectations around value, absorption, and returns.
Her clients value her responsiveness, candor, and ability to move deals forward while protecting their long-term interests. Denise views her role not simply as a transaction facilitator, but as a long-term advisor focused on building durable real estate strategies for owners and investors across the Chicagoland market.
Education
Affiliations
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