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 previously oversaw a global corporate real estate portfolio with facilities in over 25 countries. He completed everything from site selection and financial analysis to contractor selection and project management. During his tenure, he completed over 50 projects worldwide, yielding 30% in cost savings. Kyle has now been with Monarch CRE for two years, representing local businesses throughout the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro.
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.
Get in Touch with Our Team
We would love to hear about your commercial real estate needs and explore how we can help.