Picture this: a young guy behind the camera, chasing cinematic dreams in Hollywood. Sergio Gonzalez thought he’d spend his life capturing stories. Instead, he became one.
Today, Sergio’s not filming movies - he’s rewriting the script for an entire industry. In the cutthroat world of California real estate, he’s not your typical title and escrow guy. He’s the underdog, the street fighter. “Tell me it can’t be done,” he says, flashing a grin. “And then watch this.”
His story is the masterclass of invention. No clients. No brand. No easy way in. And yet, from Santa Barbara to Westlake Village, from mortgage crashes to market booms, Sergio didn’t build just a business, but a movement. Instead of trying to “compete” with larger companies, Sergio’s mission has been to serve differently—offering hyperlocal insights, strategic support, and personalized data tools that empower agents to be seen as experts in their markets.
Sergio didn’t start in title. He started in film, spending seven years in Hollywood crafting his skills in cinematography and lighting in major motion pictures before pivoting into the world of real estate finance. From loan officer to account exec at Countrywide and Union Bank, he mastered the trenches of wholesale lending.
Then came 2007.
The market collapsed.
Subprime lending was in freefall.
Most people ran for cover.
Sergio?
He ran straight into the fire.
He launched Axis Capital Group, an FHA HUD-approved mortgage brokerage, and thrived. Licensed in 13 states, he became a top originator while the rest of the industry collapsed. “We expanded when others folded,” he says. Never one to shy away from an opportunity to grow, Sergio added a successful career in residential real estate sales to his personal portfolio in one of the toughest markets in the country, Santa Barbara, California.
With no clients, no network, and a second kid on the way, Sergio got to work. He had no sphere, no brand, no presence. Naysayers told him to stay in his lane, that he’d never make it in a competitive market. But Sergio’s a challenger brand, a David staring down Goliath. He dove into Tom Ferry coaching, hustled through expired listings and for sale by owners, and closed 13 deals his first year, earning Rookie of the Year. “I had to prove it’s possible,” he says.
With a second baby on the way, Sergio and his wife moved back to his hometown of Westlake Village to be closer to family and grew their real estate empire there by launching SG Associates, a luxury real estate brand, and 3Sixty Strategies, a marketing company producing drone videos and branding. Sergio built a presence from scratch. He set out to prove that value - not a big-name brokerage - wins listings. By 2015, both ventures were booming. He became a top listing agent, building a powerhouse team in Westlake Village. But legacy tugged at him. “Agents don’t retire; they just keep selling,” he says. That wasn’t his dream. Sergio made the intentional decision to focus entirely on what he knows will be his greatest challenge yet.
Enter 805escrow and 805title. Sergio’s boldest move yet. He watched escrow and title firms get scooped up for millions. But starting his own? He set out to prove to himself anything is possible.
Sergio and his wife launched 805escrow in 2018 during the refi boom. They expanded quickly outgrew the office they started in. Then came title. Sergio saw an opportunity to bring a fresh approach to a sector where the core value props hadn’t evolved much. “The customer has changed. Agents want different things now,” he says. So how does a new company differentiate themselves in a market that has only known the industry titans?
First: know the problem better than anyone. “Solve little problems, get little results. Solve big problems, get big results,” he says. Having been a realtor and brokerage owner, Sergio understands the journey from freshman to senior agent. Many title companies do great work, but few have walked the agent journey the way Sergio has. His firsthand knowledge helps him meet agents exactly where they are.
At 805title, his team crunches the numbers so the clients don’t have to. The company transforms raw title data into beautifully designed, hyper-local neighborhood insights—branded with 805title’s distinctive look and feel. “It makes our clients look like the experts,” Sergio emphasizes.
Second: brand systems beat brand names. While some rely on name recognition, Sergio leans into strategically marketing 805title. His “Farm of the Week” emails tease high-performing neighborhoods with juicy stats.
Online, offline, in-person, Sergio is everywhere. His brand didn’t come from money. It came from hustle and grit.
What makes him proudest? Beyond the joy of raising six children with his wife, it’s the exceptional team they’ve been fortunate to build together. From the core group of three escrow officers who believed in the vision and took a leap of faith with a new company, to the dedicated marketing professionals and trusted advisors who have stood alongside them—Sergio is the first to acknowledge that their collective contributions have been instrumental. Their loyalty, talent, and shared belief in something greater deserve lasting credit.
Clients don’t pick 805 just for title. They pick them because it makes them look and feel like the expert.
Sergio’s mindset has been a quiet driver of his success. “I’ve always identified with the underdog—the challenger brand,” he shares. Rather than competing for attention, he focuses on creating value in places others may overlook. When people wondered whether it was even possible to start a title company from scratch, Sergio simply leaned in with quiet confidence and said, “Let’s see what we can build.”
Looking ahead, he’s building 805 Title & Escrow into a machine, with the vision for creating an organization of great value.
For agents staring down their own Goliaths, Sergio’s story is more than inspiration. It’s a blueprint: Understand the client. Build the brand. Relentlessly deliver value.
“The real estate professional has changed—and it’s my mission to not just keep up, but to lead the way and deliver the kind of value they didn’t even know was possible,” he says.
And he’s just getting started.