Mike Wilen
Co-Founder, President, Licensed Broker Associate
Your Trusted Advocate in Real Estate
Mike Wilen, Co-Founder of Wilen, and Licensed Broker Associate, is a dedicated problem-solver and a trusted advocate for property sellers across every facet of the real estate industry. With a proven track record of more than 750 successful property sales, Mike has represented owners of all sizes and scales, earning a reputation for precision, professionalism, and an encyclopedic command of the market that few can match.
Extensive and Diverse Real Estate Experience
Mike’s experience spans nearly every aspect of real estate marketing and sales. His comprehensive work includes resale properties, new construction projects, luxury homes, condominiums, estates, farms, ground-up developments, senior housing, raw land transactions, lease conversions, acute medical facilities, multifamily properties, and hotel/motel assets. This wide-ranging expertise underscores his deep passion for the business and reflects the uncompromising attention he brings to every client relationship. Whether assisting with the sale of a single-family home or navigating the complexities of a large-scale development, Mike delivers insightful analysis and strategic guidance that consistently position clients for success.
Integrating Technology for a Competitive Edge
Blending a deep understanding of traditional real estate practices with a strong background in computer programming and big data management, Mike brings a rare and valuable combination of intuition and technical skill to the real estate landscape. Over the years, he has pursued his passion for technology by building large-scale property listing and management platforms as personal projects, many of which remain active and integral to the market today. His extensive work with over 5,000 domain names, including brokering hundreds of them, has also earned him accolades within the digital space. A prime example of his technical acumen is the very website you are currently browsing, which seamlessly integrates data from national MLS providers, reorganized and presented through Shopify’s robust backend for a user-friendly and lightning-fast property browsing experience. Furthermore, during the critical 2008 mortgage crisis, Mike developed proprietary loss severity analysis tools to assist lenders in calculating large loan pools and forecasting potential foreclosure outcomes. His in-house methodology incorporates vital data on eviction processes, delinquency rates, crime statistics, property valuations, and more, providing lenders with the crucial insights needed for effective REO asset management while meeting stringent regulatory standards.
Proven Expertise in Lender-Owned (REO) Properties
Mike has established strong relationships with over 35 of the most sophisticated lenders—local, national, and global, both public and private—successfully handling valuation and sales for their diverse real estate portfolios. His expertise in the REO sector is widely recognized, with a track record that includes collaborations with many leading institutions in the banking industry. During the last foreclosure crisis, Mike was invited to share his valuable insights and best practices for managing distressed assets at several high-profile industry events.
Comprehensive Commercial, Land, and Development Acumen
On the commercial and development fronts, Mike’s experience encompasses a wide array of significant projects. These include the strategic lease conversion of a 30+ unit townhome development in the western Twin Cities, a substantial 150+ unit condominium lease conversion development in Minnesota, the successful navigation of new zoning approvals for a 50,000-square-foot religious facility, and the negotiation of a 20+ unit single-family development with lenders. His work also extends to a 100-acre single-family land reconfiguration in southern Minnesota, the management of a 20-unit apartment complex in the Twin Cities, and the conversion of a 75-acre raw land parcel. Mike has effectively led negotiations for crucial county and city-level easements, secured essential utility agreements, and managed intricate ingress and egress designs on major Minnesota thoroughfares. His leadership in these complex undertakings has facilitated comprehensive development plans, resulting in significant achievements such as a $10 million refinancing, solidifying his role as a trusted advisor for intricate real estate transactions.
Media Recognition of Expertise
Mike’s extensive knowledge and insights have been featured in both local and national media outlets, including Fox News (Luxury Rentals), the Mpls. St. Paul Business Journal ($2.6M Lake Minnetonka commercial space), the Star Tribune (Minnesota home sales and historic Queen Anne residences), the New York Times (luxury homes), USA Today (Mississippi River property and bluff residences), the Wall Street Journal (upper-bracket real estate), Twin Cities Business (agency profiles), the St. Cloud Times (historic Victorian properties), Mansion Global (featured properties), Robb Report (luxury real estate insights), Bench and Bar (real estate law offices), and the Saint Paul Pioneer Press (local real estate highlights).
Personal Interests and Professional Ethos
Outside of his demanding real estate career, Mike resides in Minneapolis, frequently travels to Illinois for business engagements, enjoys reading, and maintains a constant drive to understand and improve processes. Mike is known for his ability to cut through complexity, delivering clarity, confidence, and tangible results for his clients. If he isn’t already your trusted real estate expert, it’s only a matter of time.