Show Homes. Home Staging

It’s no secret that the economic tumble of 2008 hurt many professionals in the real estate industry — Realtors, mortgage brokers, contractors and home builders among them. Many have scaled back their careers, left them altogether or are searching for a related alternative.

For many, Showhomes Home Staging has emerged as a profitable career option. Multiple  Showhomes franchisees are current or former licensed real estate agents, mortgage brokers or property management specialists, allowing their in-depth knowledge to compliment Showhomes’ innovative business model.

”My real estate knowledge made it much easier for me to manage my Showhomes franchise at a high level,” says Kent Welch, owner of Showhomes South Kansas City. “It’s definitely one of the reasons why we were successful out of the gate, and why we continue to show profitable growth year after year. A career with Showhomes is an excellent fit for real estate professionals because they almost always have immediate contacts in the community.”

Welch is also an active owner of a Wiechert Realtors franchise with 80 Realtors. His franchise sold 400 homes in 2010. His Showhomes franchise is one of the most successful in the network of 75 franchisees.

Showhomes’ business model is based on the fact that well-furnished homes kept in show-to-sell condition sell faster, and for higher prices, than vacant houses. The Showhomes “twist” adds a live-in Home Manager to care for the home. The Home Manager pays about a one-third of what it would normally cost to rent the home.

“We’ve seen many real estate professionals segway into Showhomes with ease,” says Matt Kelton, Showhomes’ COO. “In fact, seven of our top 11 producers come from a real estate or mortgage background. When you think about it, it makes sense. Realtors have experience in building a relationship-based business and are accustom to working for themselves.”

“Many real estate pros want more than the boom or bust cycle,” Kelton added. “In many cases Showhomes offers a much more predictable income and it’s in a niche of the industry that’s predicted to grow for years in the future.”

Elayne Wooding, owner of Showhomes of St. Petersburg, is a licensed Realtor and was formerly a sales manager at a major publicly-traded home construction company.

“When I bought my Showhomes franchise I already knew how to determine the marketability of a home,” Wooding says. “It’s never been hard to approach people to have important conversations, and that includes all the different parties involved in selling a home. It’s just a natural fit and it gives me a big advantage.”