How Showhomes Franchisees Are Capitalizing on the Spring Selling Season

With the spring housing market booming, it’s a busy time for anyone involved in real estate. That includes Nancy Jones, whose job is to transform lived-in or vacant homes into aspirational show stoppers that look like they belong in a Nancy Meyers film.

A franchisee with Showhomes, a 30-year interior design and staging services franchise that supports both Realtors and homeowners alike, Jones helps Realtors sell homes, but more importantly, she helps them sell lifestyles.

“It’s really about presenting an elevated lifestyle to prospective buyers,” says Jones, who’s located in the Triad area of North Carolina. “And with the spring selling season, that starts at the front curb. If you don’t catch their eye with flowers and potted plants when they walk in, you’ve probably lost them at the door.”

According to Showhomes franchisee Leanne Gemma, even in a market plagued by lack of inventory, buyers still expect perfection, thanks to the proliferation of HGTV shows and online real estate listings.

“Buyers want a turnkey home,” says Gemma, who’s located in Raleigh, North Carolina. “They don’t want a home with any projects or work to do. It’s hard for them to look past outdated decor.”

But with little to choose from, many buyers are now turning to Gemma to help them turn a fixer-upper into the home of their dreams.

“I show them the life they can live with on-trend furniture, on-trend paint and on-trend lighting,” she says.

A Showhomes franchisee for only a year, Gemma — a longtime real estate investor  — was looking to start a company and decided to focus on her love for decorating houses. “I saw Showhomes, and it all kind of clicked,” she says.

Now in her seventh year, Jones says becoming a franchisee with Showhomes is the best decision she ever made. “I absolutely love what I do,” she says. “It’s not a job — it’s a passion. And I know what we do truly makes a difference. We’ve had people decide not to sell after seeing the changes we’ve made to their homes.”

Although Jones came to Showhomes with a lot of experience, the training she received from the company has been invaluable. “The training was pretty intense  — you go to corporate for a week, followed by a home staging certification program,” she says. “After that, you’re good to go, although you’re always learning.”

While neither Jones nor Gemma are interior designers, they are both tapped into what’s in style, what buyers want and what sells.

And what sells is perfection. “People want to buy homes that look like they could be in a shelter magazine,” Jones says, noting she works exclusively on luxury homes.

“Right now, some of the big trends are the boho style with natural fibers, the return of color, gold instead of chrome and a feature wall with trim detail,” says Gemma.

Often, it boils down to simple things, adds Jones. “The lightbulbs should all match in tone (I prefer warm), fresh flowers should be incorporated, window treatments should be minimized and furniture should be pared down.”

Lately, Jones and Gemma are just as busy doing design work for homeowners as they are staging homes. “Because of Showhome’s model, we’re able to offer a variety of services, and that allows us to pivot if we wish,” Gemma says. “Showhomes has really helped me get my business further along faster than I could have done on my own. I get a lot of great support from corporate — they’re able to help me with anything I need.”

Jones, who’s been in the game longer, still appreciates having a support team to help her. “You get a lot of support from your field directors and really have a family to bounce things off of,” she says.

For Showhomes COO Matt Kelton, that’s a testament to the company’s hands-on model. “We're lucky to have Nancy and Leanne on our team, and it’s a pleasure to support them as they grow and provide what is really an essential service to homeowners and Realtors alike.”

And what could be more essential than making people’s dreams come true? “We help people achieve something they couldn’t have done on their own,” says Gemma. “Whether it’s with the home they’re going to buy or the home they’re already living in, we help them fall in love.”

The startup costs for a Showhomes franchise range from $85,600-$164,500. The franchise fee is $49,900. To learn more about franchising with Showhomes, visit https://www.showhomesfranchise.com/.