OutThink - The Outhouse Blog

The Outsource Hub for Home Builders

Jim Sorgatz

Facing a Challenge? An OKR Might Solve It


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I moved to downtown Phoenix last year for the view and big-city feel.  The 19-story Stewart Apartments, built by The Empire Group, offers sweeping views of the Valley, a rooftop pool, and popular breakfast joint Snooze which just reopened.  It’s a pretty darn cool place!

Life here also comes with a couple of not-so-great features unique to downtown living, the biggest being the parking nightmare.  Even with a reserved space that I pay for each month, I often end up late at night walking from a couple of blocks away to my apartment.  The issue comes down to inconsiderate people, some not even residents, pirating reserved spots, and minimal guest parking – approximately 15 spaces total (including handicap) for a 300-unit complex.  Yes, you read that right.  How in the world does the city allow this?  The management company seemingly has no way of controlling the parking situation.  They have been working on it since before I moved here in September.

Life here also comes with a couple of not-so-great features, the biggest being the parking nightmare. “

“They need to commit to an OKR to resolve this parking issue!” I yelled internally to myself as I walked from down the street this past weekend.  Short for Objectives and Key Results, OKRs were invented by former Intel CEO Andy Grove and made famous by companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft.  They are designed specifically for situations like these.

The goal with OKRs is to make changes and solve problems by setting Objectives and determining success by tracking Key Results.  We start by defining a timeframe, typically quarterly, but 30-days may be sufficient for the parking project.  In this case, the objective would be to ensure residents who pay for parking have a place to park.  The key result would be residents no longer whining to management and social media about not having a place to park.  Open parking, reserved signs for occupied spaces, permits, and the right to tow may all be up for consideration.  That last one is a biggie as people figure out pretty quickly the towing signs are bogus.  Once you have an Objective and Key Results, you determine the initiatives that will accomplish these in the given timeframe.

Here at Outhouse, the initial department to kick off OKRs was Product Development.  With so many innovative ideas coming in, we often struggled to get a handle on them.  At our weekly team meetings, we discussed the ideas and started working on a few.   At subsequent meetings, “bigger and better” ideas came up, sidetracking us from the ones we were already working on.   Although we made progress, this process wasn’t very efficient, and it took a lot of time to complete projects. 

The goal with OKRs is to make changes and solve problems by setting Objectives and determining success by tracking Key Results. “

And this is how OKRs came into play.  We now approach the same projects with a manageable, three-step process:

  1. Our team agrees on one to three top Objectives (no more than three) that we are committing to accomplish each quarter.
  2. We then decide on several meaningful Key Results to track our progress towards the objective and ultimate success.
  3. Finally, we map out the initiatives and tasks needed to achieve and move our OKRs forward.

With multiple tech people from various specialties working on product development, OKRs ensure the best use of time for each, and the entire team is working towards shared goals.  They also force us to ask ourselves, “Why,” whenever we consider a new Objective.  The goal is to pick those that are most critical.  An added benefit has also been a reduction in meetings, from weekly to bi-weekly.       

OKRs ensure the best use of time, and the entire team is working towards shared goals.  They also force us to ask ourselves, “Why,” whenever we consider a new Objective. “

These examples (parking and product development) offer a simple overview of the OKR process.  With the tremendous success here at Outhouse, we would like to share with you what we have learned in a five-part series:

  1. Introducing OKRs
  2. Preparing for the OKR Journey
  3. Crafting Great OKRs
  4. Driving OKR Alignment
  5. Managing Effectively with OKRs

Watch your inbox over the coming weeks for this series written by Outhouse partner Bill Gelbaugh.

New Year – New Front Door!


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“There’s a new front door, and it’s online.” This quote from new home sales expert Kerry Mulcrone of Kerry and Co., on changes in the buying process, sums up how much the world has evolved in less than a year. The significant shift to online new home sales was the main topic of discussion at home builder marketer Meredith Oliver’s January Builder Town Hall. For a growing number of buyers, the journey to a new home doesn’t even include a sales center trip. And that is why having a well-designed website with engaging, interactive platforms is critical. As noted by Meredith, Interactive Floor Plans, quality renderings, and virtual tours are no longer luxuries; they are cost-of-entry items for home builder websites.

Door set on computer keyboard, opening, with Interactive Floor Plan in background
Open your front door to online new home sales.


With the housing market booming across the U.S., now is the time to review your online marketing strategy and website and make the changes needed to swing your front door wide open. A recent audit of the Outhouse website by digital marketing firm Blue Tangerine is leading us to invest in Search Engine Optimization (SEO). We are also revamping our home page to showcase our products better “above the fold.” Updates of demos and product samples are on the agenda as well. Styles change and technology changes, so it is critical for us to spotlight our newest and most innovative virtual tours, visualizers, interactive platforms, and print materials.

Many builders rebuild their website every two years! That’s how rapidly styles and technologies change.

A builder panel featuring Ashley DeYoung from DeYoung Properties, Michelle Smallwood from Holiday Builders, and Chris Hartley from K. Hovnanian Homes at our November Home Builder Digital Marketing Summit discussed the importance of fresh website content and staying relevant with the latest technology. One surprising fact that came up is many builders rebuild their website EVERY TWO YEARS! Wow! That is how rapidly styles and technologies change.

Colored Interactive Site Plan with pop up showing home renderings
Click on the Site Plan to see how engaging it is, integrating with Interactive Floor Plans, Renderings and Hotspots.

Where will you start with online marketing and website upgrades to open your front door to homebuyers? Perhaps hiring an experienced Online Sales Counselor if you don’t already have one is at the top of the list. Then consider something as simple as a home page refresh to increase functionality and showcase your homes to their fullest. Adding Interactive Floor Plans to engage homebuyers and capture leads from their saved plans is a must. How about taking it to the next level and creating WOW with Visualizers and Virtual Tours? Invest the time today reviewing and considering all the options. Then implement those that make sense. By doing so, you will stay ahead of the competition and lead buyers through the front door to your new homes.

Growing Sales with Bitmojis – a Lesson for Home Builders from Ralph Lauren


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How resilience, agility, and focusing on what matters most lead to success in both retail and in home building.

Ralph Lauren Bitmojis on Snapchat
Ralph Lauren Bitmojis on Smapchat

Who knew Ralph Lauren had their own Bitmojis? In a recent webinar featuring Matthew Shay, President & CEO of the National Retail Federation, and Patrice Louvet, President & CEO of Ralph Lauren, the two men discuss the importance of resilience and agility in 2020. Hired in 2017, Patrice is a brand guy and was brought on board to, “write the next great chapter of the iconic brand.” How the company interacts and engages with consumers is where Patrice centers his attention. And that is why, when the pandemic hit, this rather traditional brand stepped outside the box and designed their own Bitmojis for Snapchat. Launched in August, there have already been more than 3 million downloads. Building amazing partnerships with social media in recent years is one of the company’s greatest strengths.

An “opportunity in crisis,” the shift to digital moved light-years ahead in 2020.

Heavily focused on what the digital age wants, Patrice believes digital will become like electricity – we won’t notice it, but it will be everywhere, and it will power everything. An “opportunity in crisis,” the shift to digital moved light-years ahead in 2020.

What was most interesting about this webinar is how retail and home building share many of the same challenges and goals. To move the company forward in the Twenties, Patrice has 5 primary areas Ralph Lauren is targeting:

  1. Elevate and energize the brand – bring in a new generation of consumers.
  2. Shift to direct-to-consumer. Stores will continue to play an important role, but online sales are growing.
  3. Digital
  4. International expansion
  5. Develop high-potential, under-represented categories
Robot finger touching house icon - a symbol of the digital revolution
A tech-savvy generation of home buyers has accelerated the digital revolution.

In the homebuilding industry, the pandemic along with a tech-savvy generation of home buyers has accelerated the digital revolution. Sales centers will still play an integral role, but much of the interaction between builders and buyers will take place virtually. International barriers are being toppled as builders crisscross “the pond.” Landsea Homes and Sekisui House (Woodside Homes) are just a couple of examples. And, builders are constantly working to develop under-represented categories – affordable housing for one.

Also needing attention are four areas affected by Covid that Patrice believes are here to stay:

  1. Health and safety have become a huge factor in human behavior and will continue to be for quite some time, if not indefinitely.
  2. The move to connectivity – people are not going to quit using apps and having home deliveries. Mom and grandpa just learned how to do all that!
  3. Consumers are looking for a personalized experience.
  4. Importance of values and purpose, “What difference will we make?” Consumer response to companies focusing on these has been amazing. Authenticity is a core Ralph Lauren brand value.

With the world staying home, resilience, agility, and focusing on what matters most have become critical to the success of every business.

Three valuable lessons Patrice learned from Covid:

  1. Focus on what matters most
  2. Resilience
  3. Agility

Companies who quickly learned these lessons and adapted have survived and even done well.

This insightful webinar brings home the importance of your brand, company culture, and marketing. As home builders, our industry tends to not be on the cutting edge. We have been building and selling homes the same way for 100+ years. Builders have been making strides forward, but nothing prepared us for the events of this year. With the world staying home, resilience, agility, and focusing on what matters most have become critical to the success of every business. Engaging with consumers online is key. This is where Zoom, Online Sales Counselors, CRMs like TopBuilder and Lasso, chatbots like those powered by AtlasRTX, and online marketing tools including Interactive Floor Plans, Virtual Tours, Matterport Tours, and Visualizers play an integral role. Focusing on what the digital age wants, and thinking outside the box (Snapchat Bitmojis anyone?) to write the next great chapter of your iconic brand are keys to success.

Interactive Floor Plan
Drive engagement on your website with the Outhouse Interactive Floor Plan.

On a final note, Patrice talks about citizenship and sustainability. Companies like Ralph Lauren cannot be successful if they don’t take the lead. Consumers and partners expect it. “People will remember you for what you did and the way you behaved.” These words hold true for home builders as well.

Mentoring & Nurturing


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How mentoring kids enhances a career in nurturing client success

My "Little" and I on top of South Mountain at cancer hike in 2014
On cancer hike with my Little in 2014

One of the accomplishments I am most proud of in life is mentoring two boys through the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) program. With no kids of my own, I felt a calling to volunteer with this tremendous organization as I realized how growing up in a relatively stable family helped prepare my brothers and me for adulthood. There are so many kids whose lives are in constant flux or would simply benefit from a little extra adult encouragement and support. BBBS is comprised of Bigs (adult volunteers) and Littles (the kids) who are matched one on one, based on common interests. Although most activities are on your own, each match is supervised by a BBBS specialist. The minimum time commitment for a Big is 2-4 outings a month for one year, but there are many matches that evolve into lifelong friendships.

My "Little", who is no as tall as me, and I on top of South Mountain at cancer hike in 2018.
My “Little” (2nd from right) and I on cancer hike in 2018

The need for volunteers is great, especially for men as the organization seems to have an easier time recruiting Big Sisters. If you are looking to help others in a role that is both challenging and rewarding, this is the perfect opportunity. Does everything go smoothly – NO! Things can and do go wrong. My current Little is now 19 and comes with all the drama and emotions most 19-year-olds experience. Although no longer in the program we still see each other regularly. As I write this, he is staying at my home due to challenges getting along with his roommate and his mom at the same time. So, lucky me, I get the brooding young man! The bottom line is, we have grown very close during our 10+ years together and I want to do everything I can to help him find his way in the world as an adult. Bigs are also not immune to the challenges parents face. Like the title of that famous song “Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll” (or in today’s world – Rap!), Bigs often have to address these issues as Littles navigate their teenage years. There was a point earlier this year where things had gone so awry, I was questioning whether my efforts made a difference at all.

And that is when, out of the blue, my first Little (now 26) sent me a chat via Messenger. Together in the program for 5 or 6 years, our match was terminated by BBBS due to a change in circumstances at his home; and this meant no further contact. Remembering a painfully shy and quiet teenager, I was not prepared for the chatterbox I encountered when we met for dinner. Confident, self-sufficient, incredibly happy, and overly-talkative, he was working as an assistant manager at Fry’s but decided to take a detour as an Uber/Lyft driver as he wanted more freedom. That evening made me realize, without a doubt, the time and energy dedicated to mentoring these young men was worth it.

What I learned while volunteering with BBBS is I am passionate about mentoring, nurturing, and helping people solve problems and overcome challenges. These interests have played an integral role in my career as well.

As former VP of member services at the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona, I helped builders and trades connect with one another through business development events and programming.

Here at Outhouse, rolling out new products (did someone say Visualizer?!) and educating clients on the full range of benefits offered by our interactive tools are two key roles. There is often much more than meets the eye. While builders actively use front-facing tools like the furniture planner, structural options selector, and pricing calculator on our Interactive Floor Plans, they sometimes forget about the lead generation, and analytics available through the back end. Outhouse may not be the largest provider of online marketing tools, but we have always taken pride in being the best. Working with clients to be sure they effectively use these tools to guide successful marketing strategies and close sales is part of that mission.

Nurturing and mentoring play an integral role in both business and our personal lives. There is so much we can learn from one another, and a great deal we can share to help others realize dreams and achieve goals. To learn more about Outhouse, or being a Big, give me a jingle at jims@outhouse.net. There is a great need for volunteers to help guide kids and teens in the right direction. It’s not easy, but I believe you will find the experience rewarding.

Insights From Our Online Marketing and Product Expert


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Atlanta Real Estate Forum Podcast

The career path taken by my co-worker and friend Kevin Weitzel is more interesting than most. Starting as a professional cyclist, he was an Olympic Alternate in 1988.  This was followed by service as a highly-decorated United States Marine for eight years.  Returning to his cyclist roots, his many productive years in the industry landed him a very successful career in the motorcycle/automobile world.  A strong belief in and practice of relationship selling catapulted him from floor sales to GM of the largest Motorcycle Dealer network in the United States in less than 5 years. He also has owned his own bicycle shop.  Five years ago, Kevin was introduced to the home building industry through a friend who owned Outhouse where, as Vice President of Business Development, he has led the team to the largest sales growth in company history since the housing downturn.  An expert in Interactive Builder Web and Marketing Content, 3D Rendering, Animation, Drafting, Virtual Reality, Matterport, and Print Marketing, Kevin is also a top-ranked International Builders Show speaker, and co-host of the weekly Builders Digital Marketing Podcast.

The podcast tables recently turned, with Kevin bringing his industry knowledge to the studio for an episode of Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio. Joined by co-hosts Carol Morgan of Denim Marketing and Todd Schnick, the trio discuss Outhouse’s outsourcing services, as well as the effects COVID-19 has had on the way home builders design product, market online to buyers, and conduct sales onsite.

Click Here for Podcast

An early adopter of working remote, Outhouse has been riding the wave alongside the pandemic by helping home builders come up to speed with new technology. While builders have always used services like interactive floor plans and marketing features, the ongoing pandemic has accelerated reliance on these tools, plus more sophisticated virtual tours, animations, and visualizers in order to stay ahead of the competition in our new virtual world.

Enjoy the podcast!