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One of the first things I ask for when I start working with a new builder has nothing to do with conversion rates, lead response times, or appointment-setting percentages. Well okay I ask for all of that stuff. But I also ask for this… I ask to see every follow-up sequence living inside their CRM. The automated emails. The texts. The videos. The call tasks. Everything. Why? Because before I can coach an Online Sales Counselor, I want to understand what the buyer is experiencing. Every email, every text message,…
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In our last blog post about One Team, One Experience I talked heavily about alignment. If the move from online to onsite is done well, it should feel natural from the buyer’s perspective. Exciting, even. The OSC should be building anticipation, not creating confusion. It should sound more like: “I’d love for you to meet my good friend; they’re going to have a much better handle on those specific house questions and help you take the next step.” That is a handoff. Not: “Here’s the appointment. Good luck.…
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I feel like I make a post about this almost every year… but spring cleaning isn’t just for closets, junk drawers, and that cup holder in your car full of receipts, hair ties, mystery crumbs, and old empty coffee cups from Starbucks. It’s for your follow-up too. Let’s be honest… somewhere in that CRM is a sales process you built with the best of intentions and then never looked at again. She’s out there. Collecting dust. Sending old emails. Possibly embarrassing you. This time of year, is the perfect excuse…
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I just came back from the International Builders Show, and there were no less than 39 educational sessions with the word AI in the title, and vastly more that mentioned AI in the course of their presentation. AI has become to new home builders what, Marsha was to Brady Bunch. “Marsha, Marsha, Marsha…” if you don’t get the reference, it means I’m entirely too old. But I digress. I don’t know who needs to hear this, but March is now Debunking AI Month. Yep. I said it. I hereby declare…
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Every New Year starts the same way. The ball drops. We toast to “fresh starts.” Someone says, “This is the year we really tighten things up.” And somewhere, right now… an online homebuyer filled out a form on your website and is still waiting to hear back. Which brings me to the newly released 2025 Online Homebuyer Mystery Shop Report. And fair warning: this one doesn’t whisper. It clears its throat and says, “Hey… we need to talk.” The Good News: OSCs Are Showing Up Stronger. We’ve seen improvements across…
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We live in a business world that often rewards the illusion of perfection. You’ve seen it. Polished LinkedIn profiles, shiny headshots, carefully curated captions that make it look like everyone’s got it together all the time. (I mean check, check, check I have all those things going on!) It’s like we’re all somehow superheroes in blazers…well not me, I don’t think I own a blazer. It seems like we are dodging failure, fear, and insecurity with a winning smile and our own business taglines and philosophies. But let’s get real…
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Let’s talk about something not often discussed in professional circles, but very real for so many of us, especially those of us who seem like we’ve got it all together on the outside. High-functioning depression. It sounds like a contradiction, doesn’t it? Functioning. Depressed. But it’s not. Is it a clinical term? No probably not. (Well definitely not…I looked it up!) What does it mean? It means showing up to work, meeting deadlines, staying upbeat in meetings, helping others, being productive, and all the while, carrying a quiet, heavy weight…
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Okay, I’m going to say it. Louder for the people in the back, the front, and especially for those OSCs sitting in the dark corner of the CRM, aggressively tagging every incoming lead like a kid calling dibs on Halloween candy: Just because a lead touched your pipeline doesn’t mean you are owed a bonus on it. You have to do the work. And more importantly, just because someone walked into a home for a self-guided tour or a realtor schedules through ShowingTime does not mean you should automatically get…
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I remember the first time I used AI to help me write and organize something. It was June 2023, and I was finally thinking seriously about putting my house on the water in Virginia onto the short-term rental market. My dad and I bought this house while I was still working on wooden schooners, and it was my place to go between boat jobs. Up to this point, I was an expert at couch surfing. Later it became my peaceful retreat, and I even lived there the first year I…
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Lately, I’ve swapped my mindless Facebook scrolling for something a little more intentional, LinkedIn. Fewer ads, more inspiration, and the chance to connect with friends and colleagues in the industry. So when I came across a post from Morgan Lurz, President of Cannonball Moments, I had to stop the scroll. She wrote: “Forget work-life balance—what we truly value is what we prioritize. I’ve been knee-deep in interviews lately, and nearly every candidate brings up that elusive ‘balance.’ But here’s the truth: balance is a myth. Progress happens when we go…
From Click to Contract: Why Your OSC Can’t Do It Alone
Let’s set the record straight: Your Online Sales Counselor (OSC) is not a one-person army. They’re not a magician who can wave a magic wand over lukewarm leads and produce closings. And they’re certainly not a plug-and-play solution that runs on autopilot. If your online sales program is struggling—or worse, crashing and burning—it’s not just about the OSC. It’s about the system surrounding them. Too often, home builders invest in the idea of an OSC…
Evaluate Your Online Sales Counselor’s Performance with Precision
In today’s competitive homebuilding market, your Online Sales Counselor (OSC) program can make or break your lead-to-sale conversion rate. OSCs are often the first point of contact for prospective buyers, which makes their performance a crucial part of your customer journey. That’s why Blue Gypsy Inc. offers a comprehensive 45-day Mystery Shopping Solution designed specifically to evaluate, measure, and improve the effectiveness of your OSC team. This isn’t just a performance check—it’s a strategy-shaping experience…
How Does Your Follow-Up Stack Up? The 5th Annual Online Homebuyer Mystery Shop Report Is Here
Online leads are one of the most valuable sources of opportunity for home builders—but only if they’re handled well. In today’s competitive market, buyers expect timely, personalized, and consistent communication. So, the big question is: How well are builders actually doing when it comes to online follow-up? That’s exactly what the 5th Annual Online Homebuyer Mystery Shop Report set out to uncover. Conducted by Blue Gypsy Inc., in partnership with Melinda Brody & Company and…
Blue Gypsy Inc. Turns 15: Reflections, Realizations, and a Look Ahead
Time flies when you’re building dreams—and helping others do the same! As I sit down to reflect on Blue Gypsy Inc.’s 15th anniversary, I can’t help but chuckle at how this milestone snuck up on me, much like that epiphany I had years ago in South Africa. I was a dive instructor in Sodwana Bay, gearing up to celebrate my 33rd birthday with friends, when it hit me: I wasn’t beginning my 33rd year on…
A Thanksgiving Message from Blue Gypsy Inc.: Embracing Abundance, Gratitude, and Connection
Thanksgiving is just a couple of days away. It’s a good time to remember the importance of gratitude—not just for the food and fun… and hopefully days off, but for the people who make our journey meaningful. At Blue Gypsy Inc., Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the abundance in our lives: the opportunities we’ve embraced, the challenges that have made us stronger, and the partnerships that continue to inspire us. Gratitude is at…
Why Company Culture Matters in the Home Building Industry: Creating Positive Energy in Uncertain Times
Lately, my phone has been ringing a lot more than usual. Messages, calls, and even LinkedIn pings from Online Sales Counselors (OSCs) some I’ve worked with in the past —and even more I’ve never met—are coming in. The topic? New opportunities. Many are reaching out because they’re feeling stuck, undervalued, or frustrated within their current companies. Some are in environments clouded by uncertainty due to layoffs or organizational changes. It’s a reminder of just how…
Two Common Mistakes in Setting Up Effective OSC Programs – And How to Avoid Them
In today’s competitive home building market, setting up an Online Sales Counselor (OSC) program that truly drives results is essential. However, time and time again, I see companies making key mistakes that limit their OSCs’ ability to build rapport with potential buyers and, ultimately, secure stronger appointments that will convert to sales. These errors often stem from unrealistic expectations around follow-up times and interaction quality, undermining what could be a highly effective lead engagement strategy.…
Meeting Buyers Where They Are: The OSC’s Key to Connection
In today’s world, where we’re all bombarded with information from every direction, it’s more important than ever for Online Sales Counselors (OSCs) to be adaptable, quick, and personal when reaching out to prospective buyers. This means we need to get creative and offer diverse ways to connect that cater to the buyer’s preferences—whether that’s via phone, email, text, or video email. But here’s the trick: we need to let go of our own biases…
The Right Way to Handle Online Sales Leads: A Tale of Two Companies
I recently heard about a company whose Online Sales Counselors (OSCs) were instructed to stop following up with leads after just 15 days of no response. That’s right, if a lead didn’t respond within two weeks, it was essentially treated as dead, or it was moved over to a broad marketing drip with no further personal outreach. I have to say, that’s absolutely insane! When I heard this, I couldn’t believe it. Abandoning leads after…
Getting Outside the Box and Hiring an OSC
I love it when a client says, “Honestly I would have passed over those two candidates’ resumes.” And then they see how strong they’d be for the OSC role when I vet them, and then we interview them together. This makes me happy. I’m genuinely happy when I can help a client cut through the stacks of paper and find a good fit for their company, culture, and someone who is willing to learn to…