Integra Realty Resources has been aggressively expanding its national presence in recent weeks. The largest independent real estate valuation and consulting firm in North America opened a Chicago office via a partnership with Appraisal Research Counselors. Effective immediately, all 32 ARC employees will form IRR's Chicago offices at 400 East Randolph.

Ron DeVries will head IRR's Chicago operations as senior managing director. ARC's Gail Lissner, William Miller, James Kutill and Eugene Stunard will assume managing director titles. IRR Chairman Anthony Graziano said Chicago is a linchpin market for the firm's expansion, as the financial center of the Midwest.

“We’re thrilled to be able to re-establish a local market presence in Chicago, and even more so, to do it in a strategic partnership with such a highly regarded team as Appraisal Research Counselors. They will be a valuable asset to our clients, as they embody IRR’s ethos of local expertise with professionals immersed for decades in the local market they serve," Graziano said.

ARC has been tracking trends by property type in the Chicago market for over 50 years. Most recently, DeVries' team worked on the Wolf Point West and East multifamily developments downtown. IRR, which sold assets in East Coast markets to NKF last month, is opening offices in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, San Antonio and Puerto Rico.