Joseph Willis Jr.
Founder and CEO of WILLISJR Companies, a real estate development, construction and capital firm based in Chicago with a building department in Houston.
Built from the ground up
Joseph Willis Jr. is the founder and chief executive officer of WILLISJR Companies. He leads the firm’s development strategy, capital relationships and expansion into new markets.
Raised on the South Side of Chicago, Joseph started his first business cutting grass in his neighborhood and reinvested what he earned into real estate. He went on to acquire, renovate and sell residences in Chicago’s Gold Coast and South Shore neighborhoods and in the south suburbs, while building a long-term rental portfolio in Chicago and Hazel Crest, Illinois.
He founded WILLISJR Companies in 2023 to bring development, construction and capital under one accountable team. Through Willis Construction Group, the firm has contributed construction work to the Bronzeville Lakefront redevelopment in Chicago.
In 2025 Joseph led the company’s expansion into Houston, Texas, where 602 Gregg Street, the firm’s first ground-up residence, is under construction and additional homes are permitted in its pipeline. His long-term vision is a platform that develops, builds and owns low-rise, mid-rise and high-rise real estate across Chicago, Houston, Florida and Los Angeles.
- Company
- WILLISJR Companies
- Founded
- 2023
- Headquarters
- Chicago, Illinois
- Markets
- Chicago · Houston
- Affiliates
- WILLISJR Development, Willis Construction Group, W Capital
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