Showhomes Home Manager-Turned-Franchisee Nancy Jones Turned Her Passion For Design Into a Booming Business
Nancy Jones was first introduced to Showhomes while working as an interior designer at Thomasville Furniture in Charlotte, North Carolina. After accepting an unanticipated promotion to district manager in Florida, Jones and her husband, Robbie, were presented with the challenging task of having to find a new home fast.
When Jones swiftly stumbled upon a gorgeous Florida home she was ready to call her own, she and Robbie thought it was too good to be true. Lo and behold, the home happened to be a Showhomes home, which, to both of their surprise, soon became a pivotal point in their careers. After moving into that first home and forming a relationship with the Florida Showhomes franchisee in the process, the Joneses decided to become home managers with Showhomes, which meant living in and maintaining luxury homes in show-to-sell conditions for the brand.
“I had a great experience living there,” Nancy reflected. When her job took them to Michigan and then Robbie’s job eventually brought them back to North Carolina, the Joneses were figuring out what to do next when Nancy received a call from the Showhomes franchisee with which she’d worked previously, who told her that the brand was looking to add a franchisee to the very territory she currently occupied.
“I’d always wanted to buy a franchise, and when we met with the team back in 2014, we instantly fell in love with the business model powering the brand,” Nancy said. “Learning that in addition to the experience we had on the other side of it as home managers, it all made sense.”
Fast forward to now, and Jones is an award-winning franchisee in the Showhomes system; beyond receiving the Rising Star Award in 2015, she’s been named a three-time Circle of Excellence Award winner, a three-time President’s Award winner, won the Shooting Star Franchise of the Year recognition in 2017 and has served on the Showhomes Franchise Advisory Council for four years running.
Nancy attributes their immediate success to a combination of Robbie’s construction knowledge and business acumen and her furniture and design background, noting that it was the perfect transition into her duties as both a home manager and franchisee.
“Knowing the scale of furniture appropriate for the size of the room and the design aspect—we can help select paint colors, lighting, flooring and countertops—has helped to transition our business model to include a lot of home updates and renovations. We’re now able to hit on all three markets: buyers, sellers and those wanting to make a change in their home style, which has allowed us to increase our revenue streams as a result,” Nancy said.
The way the Joneses see it, starting as Showhomes home managers prior to becoming franchisees was extremely beneficial to their business because it helped pave the way for a smoother transition into the lifestyle the brand is asking people to live.
“It’s not for everyone; you have to be willing to move with 30 days notice. We’re still home managers, and we’ve moved 11 times in 4 years,” Nancy said. “But we keep doing it because it’s such a successful program for the franchisee, the home manager and the real estate agent all at once. Our experience helps us when we're screening people to become home managers to know the right questions to ask.”
As far as her favorite part of being a Showhomes franchisee in The Triad, North Carolina goes, Jones harkened back to her design roots and how she’s been able to apply them in her new career.
“I'm an update and renovation kind of girl at heart,” she said. “I love the design side. For me it's about making a difference; it sounds cheesy, but seeing people happy in the place they come to rest and knowing we’ve helped someone get to their next chapter—be it buying, selling, or changing up their space—for me, it’s all about making a difference there."