PAUL BASIL
CrossCountry Mortgage
The Drive to Create partner spotlight By Zachary Cohen
“I’m a builder. I like to build things, to create things, and business is one of them,” Paul Basil begins. At each step along his professional journey, Paul has assembled teams and structures that make the organizations he’s worked for and the clients he’s served better off. This was true in his first career as a commodity trader, and it’s true in his current role as executive VP and regional branch manager of CrossCountry Mortgage. The Path to Mortgage Lending
Paul was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After graduating from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, he landed a job with The Pillsbury Company. “The Doughboy was my boss,” Paul says with a laugh. “I was recruited to be a commodity trader for the company, and I thrived in that industry for about 13 years. When I was a trader, I ended up as a division manager and ran a shop. I built something.”
Moving to Florida
Paul has now been thriving in the mortgage lending industry for 24 years. For the first 19 years of his career, he built his business out of Minneapolis. But Paul and his family always desired a move to Florida, and in 2017, that dream became a reality. “In 2017, my family decided to accelerate the long-term goal of getting to Florida. My youngest was going into eighth grade, and it was time for a change of venue for him. We had some friends who had recently moved here and were encouraging us to come, and eventually, it turned into something.” For the past five years, Paul has continued to run his business in Minneapolis while growing the business in Jacksonville. He travels back and forth between the two cities regularly and has boots on the ground in both locations.
After 13 years as a commodity trader, however, Paul was ready for a change. The business was stressful, he traveled often, and he was just starting a family. So, he decided to build a new business that would fit the needs and desires of his growing family.
I’M A BUILDER. At the recommendation of a friend, Paul began looking into mortgage lending. While the industry was new to him, he was up for the challenge. “The thought of walking into an industry I knew nothing about, having a computer and a telephone and nothing else, was scary and appealing to me. I got in on the first day, picked up the phone, and started my career.”
14 • August 2022
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I LIKE TO BUILD THINGS, TO CREATE THINGS, AND BUSINESS IS ONE OF THEM.
Jacksonville Real Producers • 15
