est. 2020 · 17,000+ Atlanta homeowners
Atlanta's front porch for finding trusted home pros.
Free for homeowners. One Shmooze Certified pro your neighbors trust reaches out. No lead selling, no five sales calls.
Let us help you find a trusted pro.
Find my pro Free for homeowners. One vetted pro reaches out, not five.As featured on
Local news noticed.
Here's why.
The Southern Shmooze helps Atlanta homeowners find trusted contractors through their neighbors
“We're all in this to help out neighbors at the end of the day.”- Grant Wallace, Founder
Atlanta entrepreneur expands The Southern Shmooze into a local business database
“It's grown beyond any expectation I ever had.”- Grant Wallace, Founder
For some Atlanta businesses, work is all about ‘The Shmooze’
“Let's get all these into one central location.”- Grant Wallace, on how it started
The problem
Hiring someone you can trust shouldn't feel like a gamble.
You need a plumber, a roofer, an electrician. So you start searching, and the worry creeps in: names you've never heard of, reviews you can't trust, and no real way to know who will actually show up.
Good local businesses feel it too. They do honest work, then get buried under paid ads by strangers who simply outspent them.
How the Shmooze solves it
Neighbors vouching for neighbors, not algorithms.
It started as neighbors swapping honest recommendations. Today it's a vetted network where trust is the whole point.
Every pro clears the same bar
A business earns its spot by holding 4.0 stars or better from its own customers and genuinely working in metro Atlanta, not by buying the top ad slot. Then they answer to 17,000 neighbors who talk.
We match you with one pro
Tell us what you need and our concierge connects you with the right certified pro for the job. No sifting through pages,
no cold-calling ten strangers.
Accountability is built in
These businesses answer to the same community you're part of. Their reputation here is worth far more than any single job, so they show up and do it right.
More than a directory
What you get inside the Shmooze.
A living community of 17,000+ Atlanta homeowners and the local businesses they trust.
Recommendations you can trust
Real answers from real neighbors who have actually hired the pro you're considering.
Fast, personal matches
Skip the research. Ask once and get pointed straight to the right certified business.
Member-only deals
Certified pros bring the Shmooze community exclusive offers you won't find anywhere else.
Support local, every time
Every job you book keeps your money with an Atlanta small business that gives back.
An active daily community
Advice, referrals, and neighbors helping neighbors, posting all day long.
Events and meetups
Get to know the real people behind the businesses at regular community gatherings.
From the registry
Pros your neighbors already trust.
Every Market Leader and Established business inside The Southern Shmooze, in a different order each visit.
Real reviews
Don't just take our word for it.
Real voices from the Shmooze community, and real Google reviews of the pros we vouch for.
“It really helps bridge the gap between property owners and contractors.”
“It really is a good community where everyone helps each other out.”
“Being Shmooze Certified has helped us build trust and receive meaningful referrals.”
And the pros we vouch for? Homeowners love them too.
Join the neighborhood
17,000+ Atlanta neighbors are already inside.
The heart of the Shmooze lives in our Facebook group, where homeowners trade recommendations, ask for help, and find the pros they trust every single day. It's free to join.
Join the Facebook group
Listen and read
Meet the people behind the work.
Every week Grant sits down with an Atlanta business owner and asks the things homeowners actually want to know. No ads, no pitch, just the story behind the truck in your driveway.
The Southern Shmooze Podcast
Roofers, electricians, landscapers, furniture makers. How they got started, what they have learned, and what most homeowners get wrong about their trade.
Recent guests include Frazer Roofing, Safety 1st Electrical, Native Scapes, Rescue Restoration and Old Pine Decks, all of them in the registry. Every episode page links straight to that pro's profile.
The Southern Shmooze Weekly
A short note in your inbox when a new episode drops, plus what is happening around the neighborhood.
Free, weekly, and two clicks to leave if it is not for you.
Good questions
Frequently asked.
Yes. Finding a pro, requesting a concierge match, and hiring through the Shmooze are always free for homeowners. You never pay us anything.
Every business has to clear the same two things: at least 4.0 stars across their Google reviews from their own customers, and they have to actually serve metro Atlanta. We read the rating straight from Google so it stays current. After that they answer to this community, and 17,000 neighbors are quick to say so when a job goes well or badly.
Metro Atlanta and the surrounding neighborhoods. When you request a match, we point you to pros who actually cover your area.
Usually within a day. Our concierge routes your request to the right certified pro quickly, so you're not left waiting or chasing anyone down.
Plumbers, electricians, roofers, HVAC, landscapers, handymen, cleaners, painters, and many more home service trades. Browse the full registry to see who's certified.
Shmooze, no C. People spell it Southern Schmooze all the time and that's fine, it's the same Atlanta community, the same Facebook group, and the same certified businesses. Either spelling gets you here.
Head to the For Businesses page and apply. Applying and getting certified are free. You only ever pay if you choose a paid level for more visibility down the road.
Ready to find someone you can trust?
Tell us what you need and we'll match you with a vetted Atlanta pro, free.