moving March 7, 2018

How to Fight Hunger and Reduce Food Waste During Your Next Move

Moving forces people to make a number of difficult decisions about what they can and can’t take with them. In those frenzied days of wrapping, packing, and figuring out whether or not that dresser is really going to make it up the stairs, most of us don’t take the time to consider what we’re going to do with all the food we’ve stored in our cupboards and pantries. Too often, these perfectly good items are tossed in the trash or left behind.

More than 42 million Americans are considered food insecure, meaning they lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members and a limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods. Meanwhile, 40% of all food produced in the United States each year is lost or wasted.

So while throwing away a box of cereal or a few cans of soup may not seem like such a big deal at the time, when you consider that more than 30 million Americans move each year, it adds up.

Fortunately, there’s a solution.

Move For Hunger is a national non-profit organization that has mobilized the relocation industry to reduce food waste during the moving process. Our network of moving & relocation professionals provides customers, clients, and residents with the opportunity to donate their unopened, non-perishable food to a local food bank instead of letting it go to waste, all free-of-charge.

It was a simple idea that has had a profound impact. Since 2009, Move For Hunger has delivered more than 10 million pounds of food – that’s the equivalent of 8.3 million meals – to food banks and pantries nationwide.

There’s something about food waste that tugs at our conscience. Perhaps we inherited that from our grandparents, who lived through the rationing of the World Wars, saw the bread lines of the Great Depression and never missed a chance to remind us how good we have it now. Wasting food was unthinkable to earlier generations, and it should be unthinkable now, too.

If you are relocating this year, or if you know someone who is, please share what you can spare and helped provide meals to your neighbors in need. Visit MoveForHunger.org to learn more about our work and check out our Find a Mover map for a listing of socially-responsible moving companies in your area.

Every move is an opportunity to help a family in your community. Please donate your food when you move. It will be the most important box you’ll pack.

Source: CB Blue Matter Blog

Coldwell Banker February 27, 2018

Blue Matters – The Gen Blue Documentary

The Generation Blue Experience is the single greatest manifestation of what makes Coldwell Banker such an amazing place to hang your hat. That’s why we are so excited and proud to be debuting “Blue Matters” at Leadership Summit on 3.6.2018. Blue Matters is a documentary film that follows an experienced agent, newer agent and the corporate team before and during our blockbuster event in Las Vegas.

 

And if you’re wondering when and where we’re having the next Gen Blue – you’re in luck! We’ll be unveiling the date and location very soon! But if you want to hear it first, it will be revealed first at the CB Leadership Summit from March 5-7 in Plano, TX!

If you would like to know what Coldwell Banker agents have access to, head to coldwellbanker.com/join and explore the possibilities of moving your business to Coldwell Banker.

Source: CB Blue Matter Blog

Coldwell Bankerreal estate January 23, 2018

Blue Matters

“There’s always room for a story that can transport people to another place.”  – J.K. Rowling

I love stories. Whether they are told over a meal, in the pages of a book, or on an 80 ft. movie screen makes no difference. Stories have the ability to make you experience every emotion available and can move you in unimaginable ways.

But the most important piece of any story is the characters. For a story to stand the test of time it has to have great characters. We need to be able to connect with them, feel for them, root for them — or against them.  Everything they do drives the story forward, for better or worse. Without strong characters, the best stories crumble.

The same is true for brands.

In fact, having good characters – good people – is even more critical to creating and sustaining a strong brand. Because for a brand, its people are active participants in its creation.  I truly believe a brand is a story that is told every single day, not just by its message, but by its people.

Every day, members of the brand help tell the story of Coldwell Banker through interactions with clients, the industry and each other. It’s a story of a brand that has been helping people find a place to call home for more than 111 years. It is a story founded by people who were passionate about creating change in the real estate industry and we continue doing so to this day.

This got me thinking: what is it about our story, our people, our brand that has allowed it – not just stand the test of time – but to continue to succeed?

Science gave me the answer. It comes down to our DNA. We may come from different backgrounds and upbringings. We reside in different corners of the world with differences in appearance, beliefs, and lifestyles, but studies have shown that who we surround ourselves and who we choose to associate with are often those who have similar genetic markers.

You’ve heard the phrase “birds of a feather flock together.” It’s an idiom based in truth. What draws people to Coldwell is beyond just the outward appearance of what we seem to be. While our chemical makeup sets us on a common path, the other side of this story is that each of us possess shared values that are core to our brand and THAT is what truly draws us together.

Coldwell Banker is a brand founded on trust, integrity and awesomeness, but at times we lose sight of this story because we get caught up in the day to day distractions of our work. What I see in our brand’s DNA is an opportunity for us to truly standout in this crowded and often crazy industry.

It’s almost as if we were born to be part of this story. In fact, we even have a name for the group of characters in this story of the Coldwell Banker brand: Generation Blue.

Blue has become a rallying cry for all that this brand is and stands for. We wear blue. We bleed blue, because we are GEN BLUE.

Blue represents the power of our company, the power of our people and the power of our team in so many different ways.  And it’s time that we took a look at all that it truly means to be Coldwell Banker blue.

Blue is the color of winning. According to color psychology, blue is associated with intelligence, invokes trust and spurs creativity. Blue is cool under pressure and calming influence. Blue is the color of leaders and one that builds relationships.

We have a powerful, one of a kind brand; one that has the most advanced tools and the greatest reputation in the industry. A brand that is built on people who have exceptional integrity and are pillars of their communities.

There’s a reason Coldwell Banker has succeeded for over 111 years while countless other brands, both in our industry and outside it, have failed. Our success is built on the values that have stayed true to our brand and the fact that we continue to attract others who share those values and spirit.

As J.K. Rowling said, stories have the power to transport people to another place, and when you discover the story of who the Coldwell Banker brand truly is and what we have offer, it may just transport you to becoming a part of Gen Blue.

Come join the blue and see what makes Gen Blue truly the best path to success at coldwellbanker.com/careers.

Celebrateholidaysreal estate December 28, 2017

New Year’s Resolutions for Your Home

 

December is synonymous with festive decor, choosing the perfect holiday gifts for loved ones, and food – lots of food. It is also the time of year when many vow to make positive changes, whether it be hitting the gym more regularly or dedicating more time to family and friends. But how many  of you make resolutions for your home?

Whether you plan to buy or sell in 2018, or your home is just in need of a little TLC, these ideas will help give your space a fresh look. Check out all of our suggestions in this episode of Open House on NBC.

To start your home search, visit coldwellbanker.com.

Source: CB Blue Matter Blog