Three Approaches to Lead Generation for 2019

Amy Chorew, our Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate VP of Learning, interviewed three top brokers to gain insights on their best practices for lead generation. John Jackson from John Jackson Neighborhood Real Estate, Lane Hornung from 8z Real Estate, and Heather Bush from Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Capital Area were excited to share their expertise.

John Jackson,

John Jackson Neighborhood Real Estate: Racing for Approachable

John takes a friendly approach to lead generation. By being both approachable and desirable, his brokerage finds much success in being able to convert leads. To make their presence known, the traditional avenues of open houses and Facebook ads are used. However, their major investment lies in nurturing client relationships rather than cold leads.

As an avid runner, John heavily supports athletic events that are not necessarily client-focused. By sponsoring local races and having the company name on running bibs, the brokerage is able to present itself to the local public in a community-oriented way. John believes that inspiration and a bit of runner's high, first- or second-hand, will inspire the public.

While it is always a challenge to define measurable market presence, being approachable, knowledgeable and desirable makes prospective clients want to engage. Sixty percent of leads are company-driven and agents drive the other 40 percent in a high-support setup. John makes it part of his responsibility to be the inside sales person. He nurtures leads and matures them before handing them off to a team member. A shared Google doc tracks hot, warm and cold statuses as well as every communication sent to all leads, regardless of how they were shaped. Agents can count on these leads, but are also incentivized to nurture their own.

Lane Hornung,

8z Real Estate: Get visual

Lane believes in the power of a visual to explain his approach to lead generation, which is driven by numbers. He imagines the process as a triangle – internet, sphere and hyperlocal. The first side of the triangle is dedicated to new lead generation sourced from the internet using SEO, organic and paid traffic, Facebook campaigns for market listing ads and name recognition ads. Ads are hyperlocal, within a half-mile radius of the brokerage in most cases. The sphere, which is the foundation, is next, where sweat equity ensures measurable leads. Finally, the high-support brokerage uses SEO, Facebook market listings and a digital farming strategy in which each agent is assigned a neighborhood.

Leads are given to the client care team to improve the prospective client's chance of closing to 10 percent or better.

Heather Bush,

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Capital Area: Relocation, relocation, relocation

Heather harnesses the power of technology and outsourcing for lead generation. Her brokerage's unique system focuses on relocation as a primary source of business. Military personnel must buy and sell houses quickly for deployment or new assignments. Additionally, members of the corporate world also need a reliable agent to help with their specific housing needs. This niche has proven quite lucrative for the brokerage.

Opt City is a referral source that does away with upfront costs and requires payment only upon closing for brokerages. Inquiries are filtered and nurtured until the lead is warm enough to be handed off to an agent. Clients are introduced with a live, warm phone transfer. Agents start with lower quality leads until their performance score indicates that they're ready to receive a higher volume and improved leads.

Another tool, Cartus, is a leader in global/logistical relocation services for military personnel and corporations. As a Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate in-house resource, ZAP provides lead generation strategic insights. With the website and app, the client begins the homebuying process by selecting their preferences. Online activity is meticulously tracked and algorithms indicate when a transaction is imminent. Agents receive metrics and insights to boost daily and long-term projections.

Heather believes that while resources aid in lead generation, ultimately, what makes a transaction is the relationship. By getting to know clients and addressing their specific needs and lifestyle, a lifelong connection can be formed that will result in referrals upon referrals. Follow-up is essential with market news, design advice and other relevant information.

Visit our AllThingsRE Facebook Page to view the full panel live, or click here.

No matter your approach, consider leveraging these insights to help shape and improve your business in 2019.

The post Three Approaches to Lead Generation for 2019 appeared first on Clean Slate.

How to Remove Coffee Stains and Messes in the Office

Coffee is a staple that can be found in nearly all office buildings. Unfortunately, numerous people walking around with their coveted cups of Joe are bound to leave behind coffee rings on tables, stains on carpet and spills on upholstery. Coffee stains are pretty much inevitable, so you need to know how to handle these common office mishaps.

Bathroom Organization Ideas for Your Small Space

It's easy to find a bathroom in disarray, after all it's one of the smallest rooms in the house that's also used by everyone and guests. Thankfully, there are some bathroom organization ideas that can help shape up your small space!

"People are stuck with a lot of clutter and disorganization going on in their bathroom, because they're in and out fast and don't take the time to put things away," said Susan Stone, a professional organizer in New England.

If you're ready to create an organization system to keep your bathroom clutter at bay, keep reading for some great bathroom organization ideas from Stone and another professional organizer! Your space and morning routine will be in order in no time.

Only Store Everyday Essentials in a Bathroom

If there are items you don't use every day – such as cold medicine or 20 rolls of toilet paper – then it should be stored in a linen closet or storage space outside the bathroom, said Sara Barba of XOXOrganizing.

"In any bathroom in a regular-size home, you don't have a ton of space," she said. "If you go and buy in bulk, I always say don't keep everything in your bathroom. That's going to take a lot of space and it's going to take months to get through all that shampoo, or whatever it is."

If you have a lot of hair products or makeup, only store what you need to get ready the next day.

"Maybe just pare it down to what you're actually using," said Barba. "I have so many hair products for my curly hair and then I have some for when I'm in my straight hair faze. Take the products that you're not using and store them somewhere else until you're ready to use them again."

Bathroom Organization Ideas: Utilize Vertical Space

Instead of cramping the space under the sink with towels and bathroom necessities, or your bathroom floor with more cabinets, consider adding shelves or hooks on walls or doors to free up storage space.

"Hang shelves on walls, or baskets and hooks over the door," said Stone. "Think vertically, because bathrooms are often space-challenged."

She also suggests adding hooks to the inside of cabinet doors for curling irons or blow dryers, because hanging those items will free up storage space elsewhere.

"This reduces the visible clutter on the back of sinks and toilet tanks," she said.

But before you go to the store and buy storage bins, shelves or other bathroom organization supplies, make sure you make room for them by removing what you don't need in your bathroom.

"Bins are adding more stuff, and if you're constantly adding stuff your bathroom will start to look really messy," Barba said. "Make sure you subtract things from your bathroom before you start adding new things."

Reorganize a Bathroom Seasonally

During your fall or spring cleaning routines, go through you bathroom and toss expired products, switch out seasonal necessities and toss old linens, said Stone.

"You should go through your bathroom once a season, because you'll want to switch out moisturizers in the winter with sunblock in the summer," she said. "Twice a year, when you're switching out your wardrobe, you should also consider your bathroom products."

This includes getting rid of items you never used – like a shade of lipstick that you hoped would look good, but never did. Or shampoo brands that you were excited to try, but just didn't work out.

"Your space is really special, and it should only hold the things you also consider special," said Stone.

The post Bathroom Organization Ideas for Your Small Space appeared first on Public Storage Blog: Decluttering, Moving, Storing Tips – The Organized Life.

Environmentally Friendly Grill Cleaning

 

Having an outdoor kitchen in Arizona is about as important as having a swimming pool. It is a feature that can be enjoyed year round and is a great way to gather family and friends together for a meal. But most homeowners begin to lose interest in their grill when it's time for a good cleaning. Either they decide to stop using the grill as often or they decide to use a harsh chemical to try to avoid the effort involved in scrubbing the grill clean by hand. But now there is another option that is simple, does not require harsh chemical and is environmentally friendly.

The Only Items You Need Are Already In Your Kitchen

All you need to easily clean your grill grates are a few items that are already in your kitchen and cost almost nothing. First, you need a lemon and some table salt. Next, carefully slice the lemon in half, from end to end. It is important to cut the lemon from end to end so that you have a larger surface area.

Then, holding the lemon by the rind side, squeeze it gently so that it produces enough juice to moisten the entire cut surface. Next, sprinkle about a tablespoon of salt evenly over each half of the lemon and wait long enough for the juice to moisten the salt to help it adhere to the surface of the lemon. Finally, gently scrub the grilling surface with the salt covered lemon just as you would with a sponge.

The acidity of the lemon and the grit of the salt will break down any grease and loosen any partials which were cooked onto the grates. After scrubbing the entire grilling surface with the lemon, use a damp towel to wipe the grate clean and another towel to dry the grates.

A Tip For A Non-Stick Grilling Surface

To make grill clean-up even easier there is a simple and affordable trick to make the grates non-stick. Simply cut a regular potato in half and after the grill is fully heated, rub the cut side of the potato across the entire grilling surface. This will coat the grate and keep food from sticking. If you do not have a potato a halved onion or a halved lemon will work, but both of those items can leave a small amount of flavored residue on the grilling surface.

Try both of these tips to make grill clean up easier and safer for your grilling surface and the environment.

Q&A With Jean: What's the Biggest Myth About General Contractors?

Sweeten's Founder + CEO Answers Your Renovation Questions

Welcome to #16 in our series, designed to bring clarity to some of the mysteries of renovating! Whether you're a first-time homeowner or a serial renovator, each project brings with it a new set of circumstances and new questions, and Sweeten is here to be a source of knowledge and reassurance. 

Feel free to email me at JBrownhill@sweeten.com with any reno questions or dilemmas you'd like addressed.

QUESTION: What's the biggest myth about general contractors?

JEAN: I love this question! One of the biggest myths about general contractors is that they want projects to go on for a long time. We've heard homeowners say things like, "Oh, he's trying to stretch out the project. He wants it to, you know, go on forever." The truth is, general contractors want exactly the opposite. Each day they have workers on your project is another day that they have to incur labor costs. Their ideal project is one that starts and ends exactly on the schedule they laid out so they can take that crew and move them to another project. General contractors do not want your project to go on indefinitely. They want it to be done as quickly as possible-just like you do-and they want to do it well.

Looking for more advice from Jean? Be sure to check out the fifteenth installment in this series, Q&A with Jean: Why Should I Move Out During My Renovation?

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Refer your renovating friends to Sweeten and you'll both receive a $250 Visa gift card when they sign a contract with a Sweeten general contractor. 

Sweeten handpicks the best general contractors to match each project's location, budget, and scope, helping until project completion. Follow the blog for renovation ideas and inspiration and when you're ready to renovate, start your renovation on Sweeten.

The post Q&A With Jean: What's the Biggest Myth About General Contractors? appeared first on Sweeten Blog.

cosmopolitan

Did you learn how to cook anything new this year? Anna Hezel, senior editor at Taste (one of my favorite breakout food publications of the last couple years) asked this on Twitter last week and like a Muppet to the ABCs, I couldn't resist jumping in. I'm glad I did. I always wish I had more time to cook all the things I want to cook (my To Cook list is still thousands deep), wish I could share more recipes more often here, but this caused me to look back at the new recipes here in 2018 and feel a murmur of pride. Look at all we did! I learned to make falafel, and that it's shockingly easy! I got to make Pad Thai I crave the most at home. We got cacio e pepe just about foolproof at home, just when I was convinced I never would. I learned about melting potatoes. We made the sheet pan sandwiches of my dreams and they're vegan too. We had a real talk about the InstantPot and got some delicious short ribs out of it. I learned to make the best apple pie I've ever had. I made a completely bonkers layered mocha cheesecake late in the day on my husband's birthday, and last week we mashed up baklava and babka, just because we could. I look at all of this and I am so excited about the year we've had, many of these things I had barely dreamed up yet this time last year, and I hope next year is even better.

And now, a brief moment of sap: Getting to hang out here, indulging my culinary whims, and having a cheering and encouragement squad had been one of great surprises and delights of my so-called adult life. Who knew what I'd do when I grew up? Certainly not me. I bumbled along, I tried things I hated, I tried things I didn't hate but felt no passion for, and one day I landed here and, to my surprise, am rarely asked to leave. I am so thankful you are here and since I am not tired of cooking, I hope you never get tired of reading.

So tell me: Did you learn how to cook anything new this year?

Meanwhile, here are your Smitten Kitchen favorites from this year:
Read more »

Happy Holidays & See You In 2019!

And just like that, 2018 has come to a close here on Dream Green DIY! Thank you so much for all of your support and encouragement this year. I can't even begin to describe to you what it has meant to have all of you along for the ride on my eighth year of blogging.

Click back here to see all of the fun projects I worked on throughout 2018, and I hope you'll stop back in bright and early on January 7, 2019, as I kick off a brand new year of DIY crafting, building, and renovating. I've got so many ideas floating around in my head that I can't wait to make good on, so I hope you'll stay tuned. As always, if there's anything in particular that you'd like to see me focus on or try out, by all means, let me know about it in the comments, or you can shoot me a message here.

I'm headed out of the office for the next two weeks to enjoy my annual winter break, and I hope you all are going to have the chance to take some much-deserved time off, too. Whatever you get up to between now and the new year, I hope it's full of creativity and goal-setting. This is the perfect time of year, after all, to sit down and have a heart-to-heart with yourself about all the things you'd like to accomplish in the year ahead. I dare you to think really big! I know I will be.

I'm "officially" out of the office until January 7, but will be posting a special New Years Day message here on DGD like I do every year. Check back on the first day of January for a quick-but-candid post detailing everything I have planned for the blog throughout 2019. I've got a few big changes I can't wait to roll out across this digital space in the new year, and I'll be sharing (big) hints as to what those changes will be first thing on New Years Day.

Oh, and if you're curious to know what my personal resolution is going to be for 2019, make sure you're signed up for the DGD Tribe newsletter, too, because I'm planning to shoot that out to inboxes everywhere on January 2. Sign up here to get on that list. Happy holidays, everyone, and I'll see you next year!

P.S. Keep an eye on the DGD Pottery Etsy shop over the next two weeks for a special post-holiday sale. And for those of you still waiting for something to strike your fancy, I'll be adding all-new items to the shop at 9am EST on January 17, so mark your calendars!

The post Happy Holidays & See You In 2019! appeared first on Dream Green DIY.