Meet Our Team
Our team of professionals has a significant breadth of experience and expertise. Though our clients may work primarily with one member of our team, their needs are often served by other staff members who are consulted behind the scenes to serve our clients best interests. Feel free to contact any of us to discuss your real estate needs or questions. We look forward to serving you.
Ryan Johnson, Partner/Associate Broker
Cell: (269) 720-1345
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Ryan is a native of the Gull Lake community in Richland Michigan. He graduated from Colorado State University in 1999 with a Natural Resource degree in Commercial Recreation & Tourism. He started his real estate career 20 years ago co-founding a Lansing based real estate appraisal company where he actively appraised both residential and agricultural type properties with an emphasis on partial interest full narrative type appraisals for local units of government, government agencies, private landowners and conservation groups. Ryan is currently a licensed Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser & Real Estate Broker. He has been actively selling real estate since 2012. He partnered with founder David Kreager, Gull Lake Realty & Michigan Lifestyle Properties in 2020. Ryan currently represents properties all over the State of Michigan assisting buyers and sellers with a variety of property types including, residential, land & farm, lakefront and country estates.
Casey Alger, Realtor®
Cell: (269) 492-5059
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Casey has been a Realtor® for 5 years and has helped many clients buy and sell properties all over SW Michigan. Before that, he had a successful 15-year career in Sales and Marketing. Casey was born and still resides in the Gull Lake area. He is an enthusiastic member of the community, serving as a Board Trustee on the Ascension Borgess Health Foundation, the Board President of the Kalamazoo Covenant Academy and the Director of Development and a Board member for the TKO Premier Soccer Club. Also, Casey honors his grandfather’s legacy by spearheading the annual Jim Gilmore Jr. Foundation Golf Outing, which raises money for nonprofit organizations in Kalamazoo. In his free time, Casey enjoys spending time with his family and friends, landscaping in his yard, golfing, being on the water, playing fantasy soccer & football, and cheering on Chelsea & Gotham City FC.
Kelley Blacken, ABR®, Realtor®
Cell: (269) 806-4231
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Kelley is a native of southwest Michigan and knows very well the unique qualities that make the area a great place to live and vacation. A veteran of the real estate business, Kelley has extensive knowledge of the neighborhoods and lakes of the region. For over 20 years, she published The Condominium & Apartment Guide, an invaluable resource for apartment dwellers throughout southwest Michigan. The marketing experience that Kelley gained from that endeavor, combined with Michigan Lifestyle Properties’s unique marketing resources and capabilities, enable Kelley to serve her clients extremely well. She particularly enjoys working with buyers and sellers of Gull Lake, Gun Lake, Wall Lake, Pine Lake and other lakefront properties, as well as log, golf, and unique country homes. And as an Accredited Buyer’s Representative®, Kelley is well-qualified to work with buyers throughout the entire process of purchasing their dream properties. Kelley and her family live in Barry County.
Brett Bissett
, Realtor®
Cell: (269) 377-4046
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Brett is a life-long resident of Barry County. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science while a member of the Wrestling team at Grand Valley State University in 2010. Brett spent a decade on the beaches of Gull and surrounding lakes as a crew leader for Banner Beachfront Equipment before turning to a career in residential construction in 2015. He has been a Licensed Residential Builder and owner of B2 Builders LLC since 2019. He continues work on area beachfronts through a dock business he runs with a partner. He and his wife, Maggie, reside in Hickory Corners with their three children: Lyla, Rowdy and Colt. As a builder and an avid outdoorsman, Brett is eager to help individuals secure their dream homes and/or properties!
Will Howson, Associate Broker
Cell: (269) 615-5660
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Will Howson has been involved in renovating and investing in real estate since the age of 20. After graduating from Michigan State University he attained his real estate license and got to work implementing innovative marketing plans for his sellers and offering first class service to buyers.
Since 2015 Will has successfully closed over 104 transactions for buyers and sellers. He’s dedicated to superior customer service and unmatched expertise in all segments of the market. Michigan Lifestyle Properties’ marketing programs, family environment, and long-term relationships with clients are also company hallmarks.
A company is only as good as its people. Striving for excellence has become a tradition with Michigan Lifestyle Properties. It shows in the performance of every MLP realtor and each member of the support staff. With a strong and experienced support staff, Michigan Lifestyle Properties assists with every facet of a sale or purchase. Will Howson knows the real estate business inside and out and has unmatched in knowledge of the residential market in the Southwest Michigan.
David S. Kreager
Partner/Associate Broker
Cell: (269) 352-1381
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David Kreager is a partner and managing broker of Michigan Lifestyle Properties, a full service real estate brokerage in southwest Michigan, which also does business as Gull Lake Realty. He is a leader in the marketing of lifestyle properties in Michigan, including waterfront property, log and country homes, horse properties, golf course homes and condos, historic homes, and others. The Michigan Lifestyle Properties websites, such as Michigan Lake Homes, Michigan Log Homes, Michigan Country Homes, and Michigan Horse Properties, are top-ranked in organic searches for a wide variety of search terms. David has 40 years of sales management, marketing and real estate development experience. The majority of his professional career was spent in the financial services industry, with American Express Financial Corporation. He has represented properties for sale all over Michigan, and enjoys the creative process required by special and unique properties. David grew up in the Detroit area, attended Michigan State University, and lives with his wife on Lake Michigan, just north of South Haven.
Callie Rainey, GRI®, Realtor®
Cell: (417) 225-0239
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Callie Rainey is bringing her vibrant energy and marketing expertise to the West Michigan real estate market. As a former anchor and reporter, Callie has gathered a deep-rooted understanding for the area, as well as communication and social media skills that will undoubtedly catch the eyes of prospective buyers. From growing up in the Ozark Mountains to living on one of West Michigan’s most desirable lakes, Callie can resonate with what buyers are looking for. Contact her today to see how she can assist you.
Emily Wilke, Realtor®
Cell: (269) 615-4572
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Emily, is a Michigan native, raised on Grosse Ile. She has been working on real estate transactions throughout Southwest MI since 2006. Her expertise spans negotiations, legal document review, and creative problem solving, always prioritizing client satisfaction. She takes time to get to know her clients, whether you are buying or selling a home or property, she will make sure your real estate transaction is easy and enjoyable.
Emily has a passion for land conservation which blossomed from childhood adventures building forts, to assisting in the conservation of 7,000+ acres in southwest Michigan. Armed with a B.S. from Calvin College and an M.S. from the University of Michigan, Emily brings robust academic grounding to her pursuits. Emily worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service both in Colorado and at the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge before starting a 15 year career with the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy. Committed to community service, she serves on multiple nonprofit boards. Emily, along with her husband Brook and three children, calls a small farm in Barry County home. When she is not driving her kids around, she enjoys reading, baking, and going for long walks with her dog.
Amy Wilke
, Realtor®
Cell: (269) 823-4155
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Amy is a Richland native, and growing up on Gull Lake has manifested a true passion for everything lake life has to offer. She has enjoyed water sports since childhood and took up wake surfing 5 years ago where she immediately fell in love with riding the waves. “It’s a truly unique experience” says Amy. She enjoys kayaking and paddle boarding with her rescue dog Baylie and continues to support both domestic and wildlife animal rescues, donating a portion of her sales to “Hope 4 Wildlife” as well as “Animal Rescue Project” where she has volunteered in previous years. Lake properties are where her heart is as she continues to enjoy lake living as a resident on private Indian Lake.
Amy has been in Real Estate since 2014 and takes pride in her work, as well as the friendships she has cultivated with clients over the years. She is dedicated to helping her clients maneuver through their home buying and selling needs with the help of a great network of Lenders, Title Companies and Home Inspectors that she has been building since starting in Real Estate. This helps ensure her clients a seamless transaction.
From secluded riverfront properties as far north as Walkerville on the beautiful Pere Marquette River to the coast of Lake Michigan, Amy has a large range she covers. Having a family cabin with 80 acres of hunting property just south of Traverse City has given her knowledge well beyond just Kalamazoo.
Having studied Business and Marketing gives Amy a competitive edge when it comes to marketing your listings and negotiating your purchase.
Rebecca Zwar
, Admin & Marketing Support
Rebecca lives in Southwest Michigan, near the Lake Michigan shoreline. She and her family have a passion for Michigan’s great outdoors, and they enjoy it all, from the woods to the water. Prior to joining Gull Lake Real Estate, Rebecca ran an online marketing agency, specializing in real estate, and spent eight years with a property management company. Her background and experience give her the experience to serve the Gull Lake Real Estate team as the point person for marketing and administrative activities.
