On April 22^nd, Showhomes’ entire franchise system gathered together in Santa Cruz, California for the brand’s annual conference. This was a time when the brand was able to celebrate some incredible milestones and shine a light on franchisees that have found success in the system, whether in their first year or business or their fifth year. Celebrating the brand in California was also an opportunity for the corporate staff to explore development opportunity in nearby markets, specifically the Bay Area.

“Staging is already incredibly popular in the Bay Area,” explains Matt Kelton, CEO of Showhomes, “A large percentage of homes are staged within the area, which means there is awareness and opportunity for that type of product. As the market continues to develop, there is so much growth potential for new staging companies to move in and take their share.”

While Showhomes was started over 30 years ago their California expansion began over 20 years ago, and has since grown two twelve locations throughout the state.

“Our California presence is currently concentrated on the Southern California region, along with a franchise in the Folsom Lake area of Sacramento,” said Kelton, who believes the brand has the potential to mirror the success seen at the Sacramento location throughout the rest of the Northern California and Bay Area region. “I lived in East Bay for a few years and understand the area has huge potential. It’s a market where people have a deep understanding of staging and design, and will appreciate our product and services.”

Building on the positive momentum in California post-conference, Showhomes is now looking for ideal franchisee candidates in the Bay Area to spearhead the brand’s growth. This typically falls in line with someone who is extremely passionate about the home design and staging industry. Those who explore open houses as a hobby and leave their channel tuned into HGTV already have the interest in the product, and simply need to learn operations through the proven franchise model.

“Originally, we catered to an older demographic of husband and wife teams, but nowadays, we have been targeting millennials as well,” Kelton said, further explaining how the opportunity to be your own boss paired with the flexible lifestyle and schedule resonates deeply with the millennial generation.  

Potential franchisees can look to Sacramento franchisee Bob Kohlruss as a forecast of how the concept is expected to perform in the Bay Area, with noteworthy market similarities between the two cities including population density and median age of population.

“We are the Nordstrom of the home staging industry, with an elevated and well-respected brand presence in the market,” said Kohlruss of the Sacramento franchise.

Showhomes currently stages the top 20 percent of homes being sold across the nation. This noteworthy success paired with the strong residential real estate growth in the Bay Area in lieu of the technology industry growth in the market positions an unparalleled opportunity for Showhomes.

Currently, Showhomes has six available territories within the Northern California area. With many homes within the $750,000-1,000,000 range, the available markets include some of the most affluent residential areas in the country, positioning Showhomes for incredible growth in the Northern California market. For more information and franchise inquiries, please visit https://www.showhomesfranchise.com/.