Joseph W. Kim.
21 years. 1,500+ loans.

My Story

I've been in mortgages since 2005. That's over two decades, more than 1,500 loans closed and thousands of conversations with people figuring out one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives. I don't take that lightly. I never have.

I started at the big banks. I earned a Top 5 ranking nationally in customer satisfaction at Chase, out of thousands of loan officers across the country. I learned a lot there but I also saw the limitations. When you work for a bank, you can only sell that bank's products at that bank's rates. If a borrower didn't fit the mold, I had to say no, even when I knew a solution existed somewhere else.

That's why I started Lucent Brokerage. As an independent broker, I shop your loan across 20+ wholesale lenders to find the best fit for your specific situation. I'm not limited to one bank's products. I'm not hitting a quota. My only incentive is to close a deal that actually works for you.

I grew up in Seoul, South Korea, earned my B.A. in Economics from USC and I'm fluent in Korean. I'm passionate about learning, traveling and understanding different cultures. I think that perspective makes me a better broker. Every borrower has a different story and I've learned to listen first.

Here's what you should know about how I work: I answer my own phone. There's no ticket system, no call center, no AI chatbot. When you reach out, you get me. I tell the truth, even when it's not what you want to hear. If the loan doesn't work today, I'll explain exactly why and exactly what you can do to get there.

Over 21 years, I've built a referral network that I trust completely: escrow officers, appraisers, title companies, notaries, real estate agents. When you work with me, you're not just getting a mortgage broker. You're getting access to a team of people I've vetted and worked alongside for years.

That's the difference. At a bank, you're a file number. At Lucent, you're a person and I'll treat you like one.