High Stakes Deals with Brandon LoCascio

Can real estate still build wealth in 2026? Should you wait to invest? And what financial lessons should kids be learning that schools never teach? In this episode of the High Stakes Deals Podcast, Brandon LoCasio is joined by his son, Chenzo, for an honest conversation about entrepreneurship, financial literacy, parenting, and building long-term wealth through real estate. The conversation also d...

What does it really take to scale a business, grow a real estate portfolio, build a brand, and still have a life? In this episode of High Stakes Deals, Brandon, Greg, and Kory pull back the curtain on what’s happening behind the scenes as the company enters its next phase of growth. From expanding their multifamily portfolio and launching a new coaching program to building content at scale and emb...

Brandon and Greg sit down with Spencer Weinberg, founder of Home Offer Direct, for a raw and real conversation about what it actually takes to do high-volume deal finding in today's market. Spencer broke onto the scene closing 40 deals a month out of a rental car during COVID — just him, a laptop, and a phone that never stopped ringing. Now at 31, he's done 600+ deals and is rewriting the...

Adam Brawer joins Brandon and Greg to talk about his transition from Hollywood film producer to luxury real estate agent in Los Angeles. They dive into the current state of the entertainment industry, why movie studios are struggling, how streaming changed the business forever, and the story behind a major film project that collapsed during the Amber Heard controversy. Adam also shares how he buil...

In today's episode of High Stakes Deals, Brandon and Greg sit down with Emanuele Ponzo — CEO and owner of Crateful Catering, and an immigrant from Italy who built a thriving business from the ground up in the United States. They break down the sales tactics and client-first mindset that have driven Emanuele's success, how to identify the real problems your customers are facing and position yoursel...

In today’s episode, Brandon and Greg talk about closing on their newest deal — a historic mixed-use building in downtown Sacramento with 27 residential units plus a bar, restaurant, and barbershop on the ground floor. They break down how the deal came together, negotiating the price down, the challenges lenders had with the property’s SRO-style units, and why opportunities like this often come fro...

This week on High Stakes Deals , Brandon and Greg talk about the live event they’re hosting in Los Angeles and why being in the right rooms actually changes your trajectory. They break down their collaboration with Thomas Lorini and WealthGenius , and what to expect from the in-person networking and panel event at the Renaissance Los Angeles Hotel on Saturday, February 28 . The conversation dives...

In this episode of High Stakes Deals , Brandon and Greg talk with Nick Rossi about hitting an income ceiling working on tugboats and realizing that time-for-money work wouldn’t build long-term wealth. Nick shares how that realization pushed him toward real estate, ownership, and investing as a way to create leverage and upside beyond a paycheck. The conversation breaks down income limits, risk, an...

This week on High Stakes Deals , we break down our recent 3-day water fast , what we learned from it, and how discipline and discomfort translate directly into better business decisions. We also dive into: 50-year mortgages and housing affordability New ideas to stimulate the real estate market Why we brought property management in-house Hiring our first C-suite executive Taking calculated risks t...

Today’s episode is basically Real Estate Lending 101… and 401 at the same time. Brandon and Greg break down the difference between good deals and great ones, and how leverage, loans, and using other people’s money can completely change the outcome. They get into residential vs. commercial financing, why loan terms matter more than people think, and how the commercial lending space is getting way m...

Is it better to be the bank than the broker? In this quick-hitting mini episode of  High Stakes Deals , Brandon and Greg pick the brain of lender and real estate pro Kendell Angeles. They’re talking 2026 interest rate predictions, the strategic move to go national, and whether growing a portfolio really gets tougher the bigger you get. Kendell also shares the one piece of advice he gives every inv...

In this mini episode, Kendall Angeles breaks down his real entry into real estate — no shortcuts, just persistence. From literally knocking his way into the industry to getting his start in mortgages with The Mortgage Guys , Kendall shares how learning the finance side first gave him an edge most new investors don’t have. It’s a real conversation about hustle, betting on yourself, and building a f...

In this episode of High Stakes Deals , we sit down with Kendell Angeles, a young entrepreneur whose path into real estate started far from traditional. Kendall began his career in app development as a technical project manager at Walmart, where he gained early exposure to large-scale systems, strategy, and problem-solving. While still an undergrad, Kendell made his first real estate move by purcha...

In today's mini episode Gabe Cole joins High Stakes Deals to break down the truth behind brokerage models — big names vs boutiques vs online brokerages like REAL and eXp. We talk commission splits, caps, support, and how to decide what actually makes sense for your stage of business. If you’re an agent questioning where your money’s going, this episode brings clarity.

Marketing isn’t what it used to be—and that’s not a bad thing. In this High Stakes Deals mini episode, Brandon chats with Gabe Cole about the evolution of marketing, from direct mail and flyers to social media and modern relationship-driven business. Gabe shares how consistency and credibility have become the real drivers of growth, and why most of his work today comes from word of mouth. If you’r...

In this mini episode, Greg and Brandon break down one of the most common — and costly — mistakes in construction: how much to pay a contractor upfront . They talk through smart down payments, when retainers make sense, how to negotiate payment terms, and why structured payouts tied to milestones can protect you on any renovation or flip. If you’re hiring contractors and want to avoid delays, lever...

This week on High Stakes Deals , Brandon and Greg dive deep into the construction side of real estate — the part that can make or break your house flips and renovation projects. From choosing the right carpenters to negotiating fair rates, they lay out exactly how to set expectations, build airtight contracts , manage timelines, and hold contractors accountable when things go wrong. They break dow...

In this mini episode of High Stakes Deals, Brandon sits down with real estate powerhouse Gabe Cole to break down why marketing and branding are everything in today’s market. From old-school door knocking and print mail to the evolution of digital marketing, Gabe explains how consistent branding and real credibility separate top producers from everyone else. Whether you’re building a name, nurturin...

In today’s episode, Brandon sits down with real estate powerhouse Gabe Cole —an investor, coach, and broker with over 650 escrows and $700M+ in sales . Gabe breaks down the real differences between big brokerages, boutique firms, and today’s online models like Real —from support systems, to culture, to how agents actually grow their businesses in each environment. They dive into the power of relat...

In this quick-hit conversation, Brandon and Greg sit down with Justin Sandler to talk about the moment every creative hits sooner or later — when you realize the passion is dope, but the money and long-term security matter just as much. Justin breaks down his journey from small gigs to landing major commercial work, and how that shift forced him to rethink finances, stability, and the real value o...

In this mini-episode, Brandon & Greg sit down with Justin Sandler to trace his journey from his Midwest upbringing to the creative grind in Los Angeles. Justin breaks down how drumming in bands, college theatre, and producing local TV all became stepping-stones toward his move to LA — and how every stage of that path was an investment in himself . Brandon & Greg draw parallels between Just...

Brandon and Greg sit down to talk about a new potential venture with longtime investor and educator Thomas Lorini , exploring a collaboration between their team and Lorini’s company, Wealth Genius . The idea: combine forces to host high-impact real estate seminars, build a stronger investor community, and create more opportunities to fund their upcoming multifamily deals. In this quick conversatio...

Musician and entrepreneur Justin Sadler joins Brandon & Greg for a powerful conversation on building wealth through creativity, surviving cancer, and protecting yourself financially when life hits hard. They dive into multiple income streams, the real cost of healthcare, and why every investor needs a plan that holds up in crisis. A different kind of episode—with lessons every entrepreneur sho...

Brandon and Greg just locked in escrow on a 29-unit apartment building, and they’re breaking down why the narrative “there are no good deals left in big cities” is cap. From Los Angeles to San Diego to Sacramento, they explain how the right relationships, timing, and underwriting still uncover properties that cash flow and appreciate. It’s a short, sharp episode on spotting opportunity where every...

In this mini episode, Brandon and Greg sit down with senior-care experts Boris and Amanda Palomino to break down one of the fastest-growing sectors in today’s economy. From navigating the licensing process to understanding startup costs, ROI, and the real difference between 24-hour home health aides and traditional senior living facilities, they unpack what it actually takes to step into the senio...