We had the good fortune of connecting with Joseph Castillo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joseph, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?
If you ask the big guys about habits, you’ll get the typical morning jog, meditation time, etc. While all those are great, I find people need to start with the simple things like replying back in a timely manner, letting anyone and everyone know you got their email, text, VM, etc., and will respond back tonight or in the morning. Setting reminders to do that. I call it ‘at the speed of business.’ I was fortunate enough to be featured as a small business owner (SBO) in Beijing a decade ago. My time in business in a fast-paced environment like Beijing taught me a couple of things. And it all goes back to my first time meeting with a billionaire to “talk business”. One time, a friend from Chicago who was in real estate wanted to meet a couple of wealthy friends of mine. They knew me only a short time and didn’t know my buddy, but when I said I’d like to meet them to talk about investing in America, they drove out to meet us within 2 hours from the text message. Guys at my level don’t ordinarily play ball at their level, right? They were not too rich or too proud to at least hear anyone out, and did so at the speed of business. So, seizing the moment, moving at the speed of business, treating small-time or big-time clients with the same fast-paced respect was a lesson I learned and try to keep at the forefront of my business and personal ethic.

What should our readers know about your business?
What sets me apart from others? A person is a reflection of their mentors, education, and experience. The best thing that ever happened to me was living abroad, in 4 countries in my life, learning Mandarin and traveling to 27 nations, which broadened my worldview and respect for cultures and ethnicities. I see people in every nation with the same core values and needs. I’ve experienced negotiation and business dealings with Mongolians in Mongolia, Filipinos in Manila, and Africans in Ghana. This gives not only me but my company a human touch when dealing with the great diversity here in Houston.

What am I most proud of or excited about? Expertise and White Glove service. I joined the mortgage industry in the Subprime heyday, and have been around real estate financing for 18 years now, which gives me a professor-like expertise when handling complicated scenarios for loan applicants. That expertise matches with my standard of ‘White Glove’ service experience, which means we answer the phone, we meet you, we email back, we walk you through everything step by step.

How did I get to where I am today business-wise? Living in Beijing, China, for some time and coming back to America, renewing my license, and returning to an industry that is commission-only and takes a hustler 6 months before you can see some money is hard with a wife and 2 kids. Most can’t survive it, especially if you’re tapped out of capital. Pure grit, and some tears got us here today.

Was it easy? No, I renewed my license and came back into lending in July 2022 after my time in China. That’s the same month rates went from 3.5 to 7.5%. I came in and 100,000 other LO’s quit at the same time.

If not, how did I overcome the challenges? Keeping our eyes on the potential, and believing in the industry.

What are the lessons I’ve learned along the way? You’ve got to be an expert in your products and be out in the community; without both, you can’t make it in our field.

What do I want the world to know about me or my brand and story? Nine times out of ten, we have the lowest rates in the nation, and we always have the most products available to us through our corporate offices, but at Castle Group, we will always have the best service. Retail banking loans take 30-45 days; we average 9.3 days to closing. We are not a free charity service; we charge, but it’s always fair and competitive, but the service will be hard to beat. We answer our phones on weekends and past 9 pm; that says it all.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
First off, I’m not a drinker, so guess what? We’re going to eat. And since I spent 10 years in China, we’re heading to Bellaire for some Xing Jiang BBQ Lamb Kebabs and Guo Bao Rou (sweet and sour pork). And since I spend half my year in Saigon every year, we’re going to Bunny Tea for some Boba up the block. Actually, we’re going to walk there since it’s in the shopping center nearby. After that, we may catch a Rockets game or head back to my buddy’s place for some gelato and an espresso, since, after all, I am Italian. Oh yeah, at Fellini’s in City Center (Memorial).

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, my spiritual father Dr. Bill Winston who taught me business is Gods idea. My Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne who continues to push the limits and breaking records in ministry and global affairs. Mentor Honorable Harold “Hal” Jones Hawaii State Representative who brought me to a place of engagement in global governance. Mike Kortas CEO of Nexa Mortgage and its off shoots who believed in me enough to give me a step up and has broken all glass ceilings in the Mortgage Industry and now in Private Jet Charting services as well. Lastly entrepreneur and evangelist Luigi DiPaolo founder of Starbec Construction in Montreal, Quebec.

Website: www.CGiPlatinum.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stories/joeybagaloans/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephcastillo/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoeyBagALoans/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JoeyBag-aLoans

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