About Monarch
A Minneapolis-based brokerage specializing in tenant representation and investment sales, leveraging deep expertise to guide clients through complex transactions.
Our Story
Trusted. Experienced. Innovative.
At Monarch Commercial Real Estate, we pride ourselves on delivering a higher level of customized service and building strong relationships. Our strategic approach ensures clients meet their locational, operational, cultural and financial objectives now and into the future.
Our comprehensive market knowledge comes from 50+ years of combined industry experience. We will put our expertise against the largest real estate firms anywhere.
Founded in 2020, Monarch CRE operates from Minneapolis, serving organizations throughout Minnesota and the Upper Midwest. Our principals bring institutional experience from Cushman & Wakefield, DTZ, Cassidy Turley, and Colliers International.
Our Reach
National Transaction Activity
1,200+
Transactions
$1B+
Total Consideration
Our Team
Meet our people
Brian Woolsey
Partner
Woolsey co-founded Monarch CRE in 2020, leveraging his deep expertise to guide clients through complex transactions after two decades as a top-grossing commercial real estate broker. His ability to analyze real estate from multiple angles -- investor, developer, and broker -- gives him a strategic edge in structuring deals and identifying opportunities. Woolsey has developed over 420 apartments throughout Minnesota, including The Abbey, a distinctive 124-unit project in downtown Minneapolis.
Experience
- Monarch Commercial Real Estate | Co-Founder + Principal
- Cushman & Wakefield | Executive Director
- Cushman & Wakefield (Formerly DTZ) | Managing Principal
- Cassidy Turley | Managing Director and Principal
- Colliers International | Senior Associate
Ben Jensen
Partner
Ben specializes in advising both local and multi-national organizations on their real estate strategies. Over his 13-year career, he has completed 400+ transactions totaling over 5,000,000 square feet. Prior to co-founding Monarch in 2020, Ben was a Director at Cushman & Wakefield helping to facilitate the successful delivery of Tenant Representation and Transaction Management across a wide variety of industries and product types.
Experience
- Monarch Commercial Real Estate | Co-Founder + Principal
- Cushman & Wakefield | Director
- DTZ | Senior Associate
Kyle Kalivoda
Director
Kyle is a strategic real estate advisor to tenants, buyers, and sellers across diverse industries and asset types. He works with businesses and investors throughout the Twin Cities, combining deep market knowledge with strong financial insight. Kyle leads clients through all phases of a transaction, including site selection, lease and purchase negotiations, and the acquisition or disposition of real estate. Prior to Monarch, he managed a global corporate real estate portfolio spanning more than 25 countries, where he led end-to-end initiatives including site selection, financial analysis, and project execution, completing over 50 projects across diverse markets.
Experience
- Monarch Commercial Real Estate | Director
- Global Corporate Real Estate Portfolio Manager
Brian Fulford
Director
Brian brings nearly 30 years of expertise to the commercial real estate industry, focusing on brokerage, transaction management, and multi-tenant property management. He has spent the majority of his career working with occupiers of industrial/flex space in the Midway. Notable past clients include H. Brooks & Company (110,000 SF), G.O. Fresh (63,546 SF), Cut Fruit Express (46,066 SF), and Reser's Fine Food (23,470 SF).
Experience
- Monarch Commercial Real Estate | Director
- 30 years in industrial/flex brokerage
Rob Devereux
Director
A specialist in healthcare, Rob leverages deep market insight and a nuanced understanding of healthcare regulations to deliver optimal real estate solutions. With over a decade of experience in the healthcare, substance use, and mental health markets, Rob brings an invaluable perspective to every transaction. His leadership roles at organizations like Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, Ashley Addiction Treatment, Nystrom & Associates, Horowitz Health, and The Consortium of Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans provide a unique understanding of operational needs and strategic growth drivers within the medical and behavioral health sectors. Rob is committed to navigating the complexities of real estate with precision, securing properties that support patient care and operational efficiency.
Experience
- Monarch Commercial Real Estate | Director
- 10+ years in healthcare, substance use, and mental health markets
Jack Storry
Demand Generation Specialist
Jack is a demand generation specialist for Monarch helping to educate and inform customers on real estate trends and opportunities. His experience in corporate real estate, data and software spans across organizations at Series A to F500. Jack works closely with each Monarch team member to help clients rethink the purpose and value of physical space.
Experience
- Monarch Commercial Real Estate | Demand Generation Specialist
- Corporate real estate, data, and software experience
Justin Baratz
Director
Justin has spent the last 12 years in the commercial real estate industry specializing in data center, office, and industrial markets, assisting clients navigate the intricacies of acquisitions, dispositions and lease negotiations throughout the country, and globally. With a particular focus on data center work, he has a comprehensive understanding of the local and national colocation markets, representing both tenants and owner/operators alike, ranging from growing technology and AI firms to Fortune 500s, Data Center REITs and the largest Owners/Operators in the data center space.
Experience
- Monarch Commercial Real Estate | Director
- 12+ years in data center, office, and industrial markets
Case Studies
Relevant client experience
Omnetics Connector Corporation
Monarch CRE was engaged to help find a solution for the long-term expansion needs of Omnetics Connector Corporation. After 20+ years in their previous location, there was not sufficient space to keep up with the expected needs of the next 10-15 years. We negotiated a better-than-market long term lease that provided ample free rent and tenant improvement dollars to offset the capital-intensive move, securing 400+ parking stalls for future growth.
Dougherty & Company
Dougherty hired us to represent their interests in renewing their lease at Wells Fargo Center in Downtown Minneapolis. We organized a competitive process over a 24-month period, which ended 18 months in advance of their lease expiration, generating significant incentives and flexibility throughout the renewal term.
Rise and Shine and Partners
RSP, a fast-growing creative agency, had outpaced their Linden Hills office with years remaining on their lease. We secured the ideal space in the North Loop's Loose-Wiles Building — two floors connected by a massive internal stairwell — prioritizing minimal capital costs, an attractive rate, and walkable amenities. In parallel, we negotiated a favorable termination of their remaining lease obligations, eliminating any subleasing risk.
Provation
Provation hired us to help them find new space that better suited their spatial and cultural needs. They inherited a lease that was not keeping up with the high growth and innovative workforce they employed. We negotiated a favorable concession package that allowed them to build the perfect space for their people while reducing their footprint by 35%.
G.O. Fresh
After three years of renting and maintaining aging buildings and refrigeration equipment, G.O. Fresh made the decision to utilize our expertise to handle negotiations for an outright purchase from the Landlord. After extensive work and equipment inspections, G.O. Fresh purchased their food processing facility at 2521 and 2601 E Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis.
A1x Automation
A1x Automation hired us to find new space to consolidate their operations and maximize efficiency. They previously operated out of an owned warehouse and a leased office/warehouse less than 5 miles away. We found the optimal solution for their consolidation, helping navigate a reverse 1031 exchange process and connecting them with professional services partners.
Aeon
Aeon hired us to help them renegotiate their lease at Bassett Creek Business Center in Downtown Minneapolis. We created a competitive situation with other viable options in the marketplace. Leveraging a soft market helped us downsize earlier than the scheduled expiration date while retaining a better-than-market parking arrangement with the Landlord.
Smackin' Sunflower Seeds
Smackin' Sunflower Seeds engaged Monarch CRE to secure a flexible office solution that could keep pace with their rapid growth. We identified a sublease opportunity at Colonial Warehouse that allowed for immediate occupancy with minimal capital investment. With future expansion in mind, we structured a solution that has already supported two subsequent expansions since the initial lease, positioning the company for continued momentum.
Amano McGann
Amano McGann partnered with Monarch CRE to relocate their office to Twin Lakes Corporate Center II. Through strategic negotiations, we secured favorable lease terms and a generous tenant improvement package, ensuring a seamless transition into a space that better aligns with their operational and cultural needs.
Rockland Federal Credit Union
We represented Rockland Federal Credit Union across three separate transactions in the Boston, MA market. In partnership with local market experts, we secured two office locations supporting operations in Lowell and Rockland, while also sourcing a new retail branch location. Each transaction was tailored to support their continued growth and community presence.
Private NNN Investor
Following Red Lobster's Chapter 11 filing and unexpected lease termination, our client was left with a vacant single-tenant asset in Golden Valley. Leveraging our knowledge of local zoning and redevelopment dynamics, we repositioned the property as a viable development site. While most buyers required extended timelines, we sourced a highly motivated purchaser who matched developer pricing and executed a quick close—delivering a successful outcome in a challenging national environment for similar assets.
Go Fetsch Mechanical
Go Fetsch Mechanical engaged Monarch CRE to identify and acquire a facility in the Northwest metro. After an extensive site selection process, we sourced a building in New Hope that aligned with their operational needs, required manageable capital improvements, and supported workforce accessibility—all at a below-market basis.
Trio Business Supply / Business Essentials
We represented Trio Business Supply and Business Essentials in securing a long-term industrial solution at Northern Stacks in Fridley. Through a competitive process, we negotiated below-market rental terms on the renewal of Trio's space and a favorable concession package to help relocate Business Essentials into the project (after selling their former headquarters building).
AgriBank
After more than 15 years of partnership, Monarch CRE helped AgriBank secure a premier workplace solution at Meridian Crossing. We provided early market insight and access to secure the top two floors in one of the most sought-after new developments in the region—supporting both their current workforce and future talent strategy.
Farm Credit Foundations
Farm Credit Foundations engaged Monarch CRE to relocate their offices to Mendota Tech Workplace II. We delivered a seamless transition by securing a well-aligned space with favorable lease terms - allowing them to expand their footprint by 1.5x what they had in downtown St Paul but still reducing their total annual rental spend.
Animal Humane Society
Monarch CRE represented Animal Humane Society in the sale of their 210,000 SF facility in St. Paul. With an aging asset, expiring tenancy, and no future operational use, the assignment required a targeted approach to identify the right buyer. We successfully navigated these complexities and executed a timely sale, helping the organization advance its broader strategic initiatives.
PLTFRM
We recently represented PLTFRM in their relocation within LaSalle Plaza in Downtown Minneapolis. Through strategic negotiations, we minimized rental exposure while maximizing landlord concessions—delivering a high-quality space that supports their continued growth within a revitalized, high-momentum asset.
Get in Touch with Our Team
We would love to hear about your commercial real estate needs and explore how we can help.