For Elise and Mike Bolt, real estate is more than a career. It is a natural extension of the lives they have built together — and of the many homes and communities that shaped them along the way.

Elise grew up in Green Bay, while Mike spent most of his childhood in Western Michigan, including Holland. Both experienced moving frequently, living in different homes and cities throughout their childhoods. They each grew up with one sibling, and both were raised in loving, stable families.

Today, the Bolts are building a family of their own. They have three children — Kinsley, 5, Cooper, 3, and Callaway, 9 months — and recently celebrated eight years of marriage.

The couple met at their church, Epikos, during a Friendsgiving shortly after Elise graduated from college and moved to Milwaukee for her first job at Duet Resource Group in 2015. Elise earned a degree in Interior Design, while Mike earned a degree in Finance with a minor in Architecture. Before entering real estate, Elise worked as an interior designer and Mike as a financial analyst.

Their professional backgrounds would eventually become the foundation for Bolt Homes, the business they co-founded together.

Elise began her real estate career in 2018, while Mike joined the business in 2022. His finance background and architectural expertise complemented Elise’s interior design perspective and organizational strengths.

Together, they offer clients a combination of skills that reaches across the buying and selling process.

“My interior design background paired with Mike's finance and architectural knowledge means our clients get a uniquely holistic perspective,” Elise says.

That perspective is particularly valuable for families navigating the complicated process of selling one home while purchasing another — an area in which the Bolts specialize.

Their own experiences with moving have given them an appreciation for what their clients are facing.

“With us both moving many times we know firsthand how emotional, complex, and significant a home transition can be — and that lived experience is something we carry into every client relationship,” they explain.

Rather than viewing their role simply as managing transactions, the Bolts see themselves as advocates for families during major life transitions.

The Bolts are also walking the same path as many of the clients they serve. They own and live in a beloved 1930s Wauwatosa Colonial and own duplex investment properties in Shorewood, Milwaukee, and Wauwatosa.

“We are walking the same walk as our clients, and that keeps us grounded and genuinely invested in helping others build wealth and find their place in this community,” they say.

Their work has earned recognition as well. Elise and Mike are part of the Agent Leadership Council in their office and were named a Top Performing Real Estate Team in the Nation through the RealTrends Award in 2026. They were also ranked No. 7 in Top Team Producer in Closed Units for the KW North Central Region in November 2024 and earned Gold Level recognition at KW Wauwatosa in 2025.

For the Bolts, however, success remains rooted in people.

“Care more about the people than the transaction,” they advise. “The relationships you build and the trust you earn are the foundation of a sustainable career in this business.”

Away from work, their life is intentionally simple: coffee shops, evening walks, community events, church, farmers markets, playgrounds and time with extended family. Elise enjoys reading, baking sourdough and dreaming up home projects, while Mike enjoys running, tennis and tackling those projects.

Their philosophy is perhaps best captured by the quote they keep close: “I told myself that I was going to live the rest of my life as if it were Saturday.”

For Bolt Homes, that same spirit carries into their work — helping families find homes, build wealth and move confidently into whatever comes next.

Elise and Mike enjoy time with their three children, Kinsley, Cooper and Callaway, as well as their extended families. They spend summers visiting Mike’s family in Holland, Michigan, and Elise’s extended family near Crivitz. They also enjoy simple vacations, community events, coffee shops and time with their church family.