WHAT IS A HOME MANAGER?

A Showhomes Home Manager is a person or family with beautiful home furnishings who lives in a vacant home for sale. In exchange for keeping it clean and letting Realtors show the home, Home Managers get dramatically reduced monthly fees, far below the market rate.

Home Managers are professionals who are:

- Relocating

- Building a New Home

- Seeking Temporary Housing

- Going Through Family Changes Such As Divorce

- An Individual or Family Looking To Reduce Expenses

- An Individual or Family Looking to Maintain Their Currently Level of Living or Lifestyle

- Looking To Get Familiar With An Area Before Purchasing

- Looking For Flexibility As There Are No Long Term Lease Requirements

WHY stage?

Competition. With 9 out of 10 buyers previewing or finding their homes online, presentation has never been more important. Staging your homes gives you a competitive edge over your competition. It also reduces low ball offers that buyers associate with vacant properties.

"Price Gets you Interest, Staging Gets you Offers." (Gary Keller, Keller Williams)

Owner Occupied Homes

Known for our success in staging vacant homes, we also help sellers with owner occupied homes. Whether it's a home on the market for sale or a new home, we can provide staging expertise to showcase your home. For occupied homes on the market for sale, we can re-design and re-purpose the existing furniture and decor of the home, and using your furnishings, create a "model home" look that buyers respond to. Staging enhances the presentation of your home and makes it more competitive in the market place, helping to capture a faster sale at a premium price (vs. a non-staged home). A professional stager can also provide useful information and often resources to help with packing, moving, de-cluttering and organizing, making your move easier and preparing the home for staging. Staged homes sell faster and for premium prices, bringing a greater net gain to the table for sellers.

Paint

While that favorite shade of purple was perfect for you, it may be a turn-off for that potential buyer. With a Showhomes Update we can provide the perfect changes with our Exclusive Color Palettes which are on-trend neutrals that will not distract from the outstanding features of your home and will provide mass appeal. Your Showhomes staging professional will help select the perfect palette for the look and feel that will place your home above the competition of similar homes for sale.

Home Managers are professionals who are:

- Relocating

- Building a New Home

- Seeking Temporary Housing

- Going Through Family Changes Such As Divorce

- An Individual or Family Looking To Reduce Expenses

- An Individual or Family Looking to Maintain Their Currently Level of Living or Lifestyle

- Looking To Get Familiar With An Area Before Purchasing

- Looking For Flexibility As There Are No Long Term Lease Requirements

WHY SHOWHOMES?

Showhomes is America's Leader in the Home Staging Industry. With over 30 years of experience, and a network from coast to coast, the Showhomes network has helped sell over 30,000 homes worth over $10 billion. We're proud to have partnered with many local and national real estate brands such as Keller Williams, Coldwell Banker, Berkshire Hathaway, Re/Max, Century 21 and more. We've successfully helped thousands of realtors, homeowners, investors, banks and builders market and showcase their listings for a faster sale and higher price. Our service speaks for itself. Our results pay for the service.

NEW HOMES

But we don't just do homes for sale, we're happy to help you with your new home too! If you're craving a new look, hungry for some new ideas or inkling to have a "makeover" of your own, we can help. Showhomes staging experts can design, ReStyle and provide DIY information or a full service "makeover", transforming your home in as little as 1 day. Showhomes is the leader in decorating and staging; we can help you create the home you'll fall in love with which suits your lifestyle and personal preferences.

REPLACE OLD CARPET

Worn or dated carpeting is the #1 turn-off for home buyers. The thoughts of selecting, purchasing and dealing with installation will have a potential buyer quickly check the home off their list. With a general 3 to 1 return on investment, fresh and new carpeting can be the key to a faster home sale. Coordinating with our Exclusive Showhomes Color Palettes, our light neutral warm and cool tones of carpeting will not only be pleasing to your budget but will give your home a true designer look. All home sellers want multiple offers and a quick, profitable sale. A Showhomes Update can be the answer to what you've been dreading. From palette selections through job completion and installations, we not only provide staging design but bring in qualified contractors to quickly and painlessly prepare your home for sale. The value Showhomes brings and the return on investment is why Showhomes is the nation's leader in Home Staging and Design.

PRIVACY POLICY

This Showhomes Franchise Corporation Privacy Policy (this or the "Privacy Policy") explains our practices, defines our users' ("you" or "your") privacy options and describes how your information is collected and used by Showhomes Franchise Corporation ("we," "us," "our," or "Showhomes").

By using the Showhomes website or any of our features or resources you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

We reserve the right to modify this policy from time to time and will mark new versions with a corresponding effective date. We recommend you visit the Showhomes website to review any changes in our practices.

This Privacy Policy governs your use of the Showhomes® website at www.showhomes.com, www.showhomesfranchise.com ("Sites").

Our Sites may contain links to other websites. These links are not endorsements of any products or services on such websites. These websites may have privacy policies different than our Privacy Policy.

What Information is Collected?
We may collect personal information from you on our Sites or through any other digital or personal communication with you. Information collected by us is voluntarily provided by you and may include information such as your name, email address, and physical address. Our Sites may also collect general information about your technology interface or preferences (such as the type of browser used or the files requested).

The information we may collect includes, but may not be limited to:

• Your contact information, such as your first name, last name, phone number, and email address, to allow us to respond to submitted inquiries;
• For potential franchisees, your contact and financial information, such as your first name, last name, email address, physical address, cash/liquid capital to invest, and net worth, to allow Showhomes to respond to submitted inquiries;
• Information regarding your browser and other technical specifications required to use our Sites;
• Computer data or files, often called "cookies," which may be sent by your web browser and stored on an individual computer to allow our server to "recognize" you through the navigation of the Sites;
• Computer data files, often called "web beacons" that are collected from emails or links on third-party sites that allow our server to evaluate the popularity of those links or the information contained in emails or on third-party sites; and
• Your IP address to measure our website traffic and to help provide a more personalized experience.

Children Under the Age of 13
Our Sites are not designed for children and we do not knowingly collect information from any person we know is under the age of 13.

How is User Information Used and Shared?
We collect information about you in order to provide you with services and also collect information that is necessary for our Sites to work properly. We use personal information about our users for a variety of purposes related to our business, including but not limited to:

• Allowing you to receive information from us regarding Showhomes services;
• Adding information from social media platforms to our Sites where you discuss our services or use a hashtag related to our services;
• Sharing information with our local franchisees regarding your request to become a Home Manager or other request on the site;
• Tracking information about your visits to our Sites to allow us to provide better service;
• Sending or initiating direct marketing programs, such as newsletters or information about new products or services we (or any of our affiliated companies) are offering;
• Contacting you regarding an inquiry on our Sites that you have initiated; and
• Providing information about your usage or preferences to our third-party vendors and providers.

We may share information, in the aggregate, regarding your online browsing preferences to evaluate our services or allow third parties with whom we work to better serve our users. We will not share personally identifiable information in these instances, other than described in this Privacy Policy. We may, however, share personally identifiable information with franchisees or our local business partners regarding inquires you have made for a specific Showhomes® market. All financial information submitted in connection with a franchise inquiry will be kept confidential and will not be shared with third-party vendors.

We may provide user information to third-party service providers or vendors for purposes of, including without limitation, initiating direct marketing programs on our behalf, data tracking, maintenance or development of our Sites, development of online services or customer service, or other contracted promotional opportunities provided to our users. We will not share your information with third parties to directly market their products to you. We may share this information with any subsidiaries, licensees, suppliers, distributors, affiliates, assigns, successors, or other related entities and their respective owners. We may also share your personal information in connection with law enforcement requests or in response to investigations, subpoenas, court orders, or other legal process to establish or exercise our legal rights or defend against legal claims or as otherwise required by law.

Business Transfers
We may also disclose your information to a third party as part of the reorganization or a sale of the assets of Showhomes, or its subsidiaries, divisions or franchisees. Any third party to which Showhomes transfers or sells the Sites or related assets will have the right to continue to use the personal and other information that you provide to us.

Behavioral Advertising
We may also use third-party vendors, such as Google Analytics, to advertise to our users online. These third-party vendors may display Showhomes advertisements on other websites based on your internet usage. More specifically, these vendors use first-party cookies (such as the Google Analytic cookie) and third-party cookies (such as the DoubleClick cookie) together to inform, optimize, and serve ads based on your past visits to the Site or another site affiliated with Showhomes. Any information that these third parties collect via cookies is not linked to any personally identifiable information (name, address, email address, or phone number) we collect or you provide on the website. You can opt-out of Google Analytics for Display Advertising by using Google's Ads Settings.

How is User Information Protected?
We maintain administrative, physical, and technical safeguards for all user information collected on our Sites.

How Can Users Limit Information Collected?
By providing information to us or browsing our or our franchisees' Sites, you are consenting to our use of your data as outlined in this Privacy Policy.

While we work hard to use and disclose our users' personal information only for the purposes identified above, you can choose not to provide personal information or limit the personal information obtained by us as follows:

• You may have your contact information removed from our marketing lists that are used to inform users of new or relevant products, services, and special offers by clicking on the unsubscribe link in any communication received from us or by emailing us at [ADD EMAIL ADDRESS]; and
• You may limit the collection of "cookies" from your Site usage through your browser settings. However, this may disable our ability to provide you with the most relevant information regarding the Sites.

Your California Privacy Rights
California Civil Code Section § 1798.83 permits users of our Sites that are California residents to request certain information regarding our disclosure of personal information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes. To make such a request, please contact us via the Sites.

Contacting Us
For additional information pertaining to our Privacy Policy, please contact:

Showhomes Franchise Corp
2110 Blair Blvd
Nashville, TN 37212

See inside the Oscar Mayer Mansion after massive makeover

EVANSTON -- Opulence has returned to the Oscar Mayer Mansion in Evanston.

The woodwork, the antique light fixtures, the leaded glass windows and the stair case have all been restored to their original glory and then brought into 2017 with the help of Barbara Bliss of Showhomes.

Just last month Barbara and her team staged the home in hopes of enticing a buyer to the 7400 square foot, 2.65 million dollar property on Evanston's Forest Ave.

Most of the 17 living spaces in the three story home are now decked out as it could be when a modern day family moves in.

In the meantime it's Gary Kahn's to enjoy and breathe life into.  Gary is the house manager for Showhomes.  He moves from home to home as they are staged and sold.  The Oscar Mayer Mansion is his 11th.

It boasts six bedrooms, four and a half baths, a ballroom, massive ceilings and a restoration totaling over a million dollars.

These home stagers pay to live in your house

These home stagers pay to live in your house - Crain's Chicago Business

It may not sound like a big deal that Mike Callahan carries his wife, Janine, over the threshold whenever they move to a new address, unless you consider that the pair have moved 11 times since 2010.

"Our kids think we're crazy," Janine Callahan said, but the vagabond life she has had with her husband in their empty nest years is a business.

The Callahans are Chicago-area franchisees for Showhomes, a Nashville-based company that stages homes for sale with more than the usual rugs, lamps and table settings. At Showhomes, staging often includes people who move into the house until it's sold.

"When buyers walk into the kitchen, open the cabinets and see all our things in there, it feels like a home they will live in," Janine Callahan said. "Not like a place that's artificially staged."

The couple is now living in a 7,500-square-foot five-bedroom home on Woodgate Road in St. Charles. Priced at $1.75 million, it's a few miles from the 11,400-square-foot foreclosure they're seen moving into in the photo above, in 2012.

The Callahans bring their own furniture, but Gary Kahn goes them one better. When he took up residence last month in the recently restored Oscar Mayer mansion in Evanston, his Tesla moved into the garage out back.

"Even the garage is staged, with my car and a charger," said Kahn, who owns a medical products company and has lived in 11 North Shore homes since 2012 as a Showhomes resident "home manager."

The conventional concept of staging homes with stylish new furnishings "is popular because it's hard to get buyers excited about an empty space," said Tim Calkins, a professor of marketing at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. "But add people to that and you add a level of authenticity, a personality. You can certainly shape the perceptions of people who come to look at the house."

Kahn is one of 20 home managers camped out in North Shore homes where Showhomes franchisee Barbara Bliss has done the staging. Another eight are living in Fox Valley and northwest suburban homes staged by the Callahans, who are both franchisees and home managers.​

"It's a chance to live large for less," Bliss said of the home manager job. To live in the house, home managers pay a monthly fee that's about half the cost of renting a comparable home, according to Matt Kelton, chief operating officer of Showhomes. Home managers also cover utilities and such maintenance details as snow shoveling.

Home managers "are usually in some life transition," Bliss said. Many are relocated executives who don't want to commit to buying a home or empty nesters who "like the adventure of moving around to different homes a couple of times a year," Mike Callahan said. The job also appeals to recently divorced people who want to stay in or near the community where their kids are, Bliss and the Callahans both said, and to people who lost their own homes in foreclosure and are rebuilding their financial profile before buying again.

They must be impeccably neat. "I only hire people who are basically OCD about keeping everything perfect in the house," Bliss said. Applicants get a thorough vetting, according to Bliss and Kelton, and are required to carry renters insurance for their belongings. Showhomes insures the properties on top of existing homeowners' insurance policies.

For the sellers, "it provides a comfort level," said Carter Bearinger, whose 11,000-square-foot house the Callahans occupied for about eight weeks in 2012. The Bearingers had already moved to Florida, so their listing agent suggested bringing in Showhomes.

"It relieved a lot of stress for us, knowing that they'd be there keeping an eye on the house so everything didn't freeze up in the winter," Bearinger said, and on top of that, "they baked cookies for open houses and made it feel comfortable and welcoming at showings."

The monthly fee a home manager pays helps reduce the seller's staging cost, too. Renting furniture and accents for a big house can easily top $5,000 a month, Kelton said, "but if you have someone paying to be in there, that helps." Sellers don't pay the balance due until after the home has sold.

Bliss, who's had the Showhomes territory on the North Shore for 12 years, said that the properties she has represented had been on the market an average of 417 days before listing agents brought her in, and sold in an average of 117 days after she did her five-day staging.

Chicago is a big market for Showhomes, in part because a slow-to-recover market over the past decade left many big, expensive houses lingering on the market and in need of the extra marketing oomph that live-in staging might offer.

In addition to the 28 lived-in Showhomes properties, there are another 16 homes franchisees have decorated but have not occupied.

Why Franchising With Showhomes Was a Ticket to the 'American Dream' For Franchisees Marie and Yann Bonnet

Marie and Yann Bonnet are not only a few of Southern California's newest residents, but they are also two of Showhomes' newest franchisees. The couple, along with their three children, recently relocated to the greater San Diego area all the way from Toulouse, France, and shortly after began their journey with the full-service home management and staging franchise.  Showhomes franchise marks the brand's second business serving the San Diego market. 

Thanks to Showhomes' family-like atmosphere and proven business model, the Bonnets were able to make their version of the "American Dream" a reality. 

The Bonnets' journey with franchising, and Showhomes in particular, ultimately stems from their decision to move to the United States. "Last year, we made the decision as a family to move to Southern California with an investor visa," Marie said. "It was a great opportunity for a career change for my husband and a new challenge for me. Moving to a new country also gave our sons the opportunity to discover a brand new culture."

"So, based on our situation [relocating from Europe], Yann and I decided that investing in a franchise would give our family the best opportunity to succeed," Marie continued. "We spent a lot of time working with a consultant to find the right franchise for us. When we were presented with Showhomes, it was by far the best option. The company is a true family that provides support and a proven business model. Moving to the U.S. and starting our own business has always been a dream for us; we believe that the American dream still exists!"

Yann echoed Marie's sentiment on their decision to franchise with Showhomes. "Franchising provides a secure framework for those who are new to the business to follow," he said. "Showhomes provides a level of quality and service to each client as well as provides a sense of family and community to each of its franchisees."

It's safe to say that Showhomes was just what the Bonnets were looking for to begin their new journey in the U.S., though before they made the life-changing decision to leave their home country, the previous career each held prepared them for their future with the brand. 

Early on, Marie began working as a designer in the Parisian fashion industry but quickly realized the fashion world wasn't exactly where she wanted to be. After a few years in fashion, Marie switched careers and began working in home design and renovation, spending the last 10 years providing home design and consulting services in Paris and Geneva, Switzerland. 

"Working in this industry was much more aligned with my interests, both personally and career-wise," Marie said. "I developed a real passion for home design and renovation and knew it was exactly what I wanted to be doing."

Yann, on the other hand, spent most of his career in aviation. He earned a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering and held a number of positions with different aviation companies, the most recent of which was at Satys in Toulouse, as the Managing Director of Aerospace Interiors, overseeing the complete design and production processes. 

Reflecting back on his decision to work with Showhomes, Yann noted that after 15 years in the corporate world, he was ready to take on a new career challenge—and one that he would personally own at that. 

The Bonnets joined Showhomes at a prime time. Now with more than 50 locations nationwide, Showhomes is rapidly becoming the premier home staging and management company in the country. In June of 2019, the brand underwent a major repositioning where it expanded its revenue streams from two (home staging and home management) to four (home staging, home management, home restyles and updating), redefining itself as a full-service solution for its clients. Furthermore, this repositioning helped Showhomes mark a 30% increase in year-over-year sales through November 2019.  

Looking to the future, the Bonnets have big plans to conquer the San Diego market. Although Showhomes already has a franchisee in the area, they look at this as an opportunity rather than a challenge. "San Diego is a huge market for home staging and renovations," Marie said. "Our goal is to provide that same level of high-quality service that the current San Diego franchisee and the brand as a whole, works tirelessly to provide." 

Additionally, the Bonnets plan on ramping up their business as fast as possible. San Diego is a competitive market, and, according to Yann, the couple is extremely excited to get things up and running successfully. Yann also noted that, as of right now, their focus is on conquering their specific market and expansion will come later. 

The start-up costs for a Showhomes franchise range from $60,550 to $103,000, with an initial franchise fee of $39,900. To learn more about franchising with Showhomes, please visit https://www.showhomesfranchise.com

Newly Minted Showhomes Franchisees Michael and Renee Douglas Prepare For Business in Michigan

Husband-and-wife team Michael and Renee Douglas met several years ago while working in the logistics field at the same company. Now, they're preparing to enter a whole new industry together with full-service home management and staging franchise Showhomes. 

The Douglases looked at other concepts when they decided to go into franchising, prioritizing finding the right culture fit. After working with a franchise consultant and exploring a few different sectors, Showhomes stood out because of how the brand touched upon each of their respective passions. 

"I have a big interest in real" Michael said. "Renee really enjoys decorating and the staging piece of it. She really enjoys making our home look nice. She also did some of this work at our other company, decorating the office and remodeling." 

Showhomes also gave the Douglases a much-desired family feel, plus a sense of strong support. 

"The company we come from has a family atmosphere and that was definitely the sense we got at Showhomes," Renee said. "The leadership team has been great. They've been setting everything up for us to make sure we're doing the right thing and keeping us on track." 

The Douglases recently signed on to kick off the brand's Michigan presence with the state's first Showhomes business in the city of Northville, currently slated for a January 1, 2020 opening date. In addition to Northville, Michael and Renee's Showhomes franchise will serve the nearby cities of Birmingham, Novi, Plymouth and more. The new venture is a joint effort that Renee will enter full time while Michael will split time between Showhomes and his current job. 

"I've always been the one behind the curtain," Renee said. "I like to organize things; I don't need to be onstage. I want to see the reaction from the customers we help. I love it. It makes me feel so good knowing I did such a good thing." 

Michael and Renee aren't total strangers to the world of franchising. Renee's father owned a franchise with the sub sandwich chain Blimpie. She loved how working in the store led her family to form strong connections in their community and is excited to bring that same energy and enthusiasm to Showhomes. 

"I'm most excited about making a difference and helping people," she said. "It's different when the business is your own. Your mentality is different."

The Douglases are joining Showhomes at a prime time. With more than 50 locations nationwide, Showhomes is quickly becoming the premier home staging and management company in the U.S. The brand had several successes in 2019, including an expanded service offering that includes home design and renovation services. Thanks to this, Showhomes experienced a year-over-year sales increase of 30% through October of this year.

While their current focus is set on getting their new business up and running successfully, the Douglases are open to expanding with the brand. When the time for expansion does come, they are hoping to expand into territories that cover the Detroit area. 

"Expanding is not out of the question, but our territory is pretty large and it has a good amount of homes and opportunities, so if we do expand and open more franchises, it's going to be a while," Renee said. 

They will certainly be busy, and not just with business. Like many Showhomes franchisees, the Douglases are actively involved in their community. They've participated in a variety of philanthropic efforts, including cancer drives and Christmas-related initiatives, and support the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, which is part of the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor, as well as at local elementary schools. Renee even ran the culture team and philanthropy efforts at her previous job. She and Michael plan to continue being involved in philanthropic efforts through their Showhomes franchise. Plus, with three sons ages 9, 6 and 4, they are looking forward to having more flexibility with their schedules.

"I'm excited about this new venture," Renee said. "I've been in the corporate world for more than 15 years so I'm very excited to have a little bit of freedom with my kids and my job."

To learn more about franchising with Showhomes, visit https://www.showhomesfranchise.com/

Showhomes Rising Star Catherine Chandler Collects Nothing But Success in the Portland, Oregon Market

Since August of 2017, Catherine Chandler has been running her Showhomes business in Portland, Oregon--and thriving. Chandler always had an eye for design, and though she's gone down several career paths, Chandler was always itching to begin her own business. Thanks to the premier home staging service brand, Showhomes, Chandler cites this opportunity with the franchise as "a major dream come true."

Showhomes has helped homeowners sell more than 30,000 residential properties worth more than $10 billion. Thanks to a history transforming empty high-end homes into a furnished and welcoming abode, Showhomes is the one-stop-shop for home staging and redesign. The franchise has locations across 18 states with over 50 offices nationwide. Showhomes has also been featured and recognized by prominent media outlets such as Oprah, DIY Network, the Travel Channel and HGTV. The home staging company boasts both real estate and design expertise—skills in which Chandler excels on a daily basis.

Chandler doesn't refer to herself as the "typical Showhomes franchisee" because of her extensive background in science and technology. After obtaining a Bachelor's and Master's degrees in the field, she became a technical program manager for a tech company. Chandler also dabbled in the publishing industry as a page designer and in the world of retail as a visual merchandiser. 

Throughout Chandler's and her husband's marriage, she has bought and sold five homes—all five of which were staged to perfection. 

"I'd always get compliments on my setup when I staged my houses," said Chandler. "My husband kept joking and pushing me to start my own staging business."

When January of 2017 came around, Chandler's husband wanted her to know he wasn't joking. One night while watching HGTV, he popped open his laptop, Googled "home staging franchise," and signed her up for an informational phone call without Chandler knowing.

"All of a sudden I get a phone call the next day from Showhomes and as soon as they started telling me the whole concept of the company, I was interested," said Chandler. "It's my husband's fault that I'm in this business--but hey, it worked out."

Four months later, Chandler purchased the franchise and has been managing Showhomes Portland West since August of 2017 when they opened for business. Thanks to the city's hot real estate market, Showhomes has been flourishing in Portland, so much so that Chandler's interested in opening a Showhomes location in Southwest Portland as well. 

"Portland understands the value of staging," said Chandler. "Before joining Showhomes, I called other big-name staging companies in the area and asked if they thought there was room for more home staging businesses--they all told me there was plenty of room. I knew there was business to be had."

Chandler's good eye made her a perfect fit for a Showhomes franchise, but she still encountered learning opportunities; she claims that her biggest challenge getting started was learning how to build the brand and make people aware of Showhomes. Chandler does a tremendous amount of networking through Portland's real estate and charity events--from offering to set up booths or tables, Chandler's main priority is having that face-to-face interaction with potential new clients. 

"No one knew what Showhomes was and I consider 50% of my job to be educating people about who we are and how we can make their lives easier," said Chandler. "Building relationships is the single biggest part of my job."

In just a little over two years, Chandler has already accomplished so much with the franchise. At this year's Showhomes annual conference, Chandler was named Rising Star Franchise and awarded Best in Traditional Staging Design and Director's Choice Award for Superior Customer Satisfaction. 

"I'm a very competitive person and I'm always looking at what other staging companies are doing to see how I could do it better," said Chandler. "I knew I could do it, so it's super exciting."

Believe it or not, Chandler's been able to use her skills obtained through her science degrees in her Showhomes business. She claims her problem-solving skills and engineering background have not only helped create beautiful spaces, but aided her in connecting with those of her clients with backgrounds in the engineering field.

"We have a lot of homeowners--high-end homeowners. to be exact--who are engineers themselves, and it puts my clients at ease knowing they're talking to an engineer," said Chandler. "Portland has a huge tech market, so many of my clients work in a similar field that I'm very knowledgeable in."

Chandler looks forward to expanding Showhomes in the Portland area and building more relationships with her community as she continues her successful business with the home staging franchise. 

"My whole job goes back to building relationships," said Chandler. "Every person I interact with could be my next client. You never know where the next big deal is going to come from, so I treat everyone with white-glove service—so far, it has paid off."

10 Years Later, Marisa Salas is Still Thriving With Showhomes

When Marisa Salas made the decision to join an emerging franchise called Showhomes a decade ago, she did so at a time full of uncertainty—and opportunity.

"I wanted a career change, but that was 2008. When the economy's crashing, it's not exactly a good time to reinvent yourself," Salas laughed.

Salas had spent the majority of her career up to that point in the family business, which was jewelry. "My grandfather and father were both jewelers, and I operated one of my father's two jewelry stores for 10 years," she said. When Salas got married and moved from her native South Florida to New York, she continued her career in jewelry on the wholesale side. She and her husband eventually made their way back to Miami to be near family, where Salas took on a new role as the precious jewels manager for the luxury department store Neiman Marcus. After having children not long after, Salas' priorities changed. 

"After I had my kids, I decided the retail business was way too difficult due to demanding evening, weekend and holiday hours, so I took three years off to be at home with my family," Salas said. 

When she was ready to return to the workforce, she began seeking out new opportunities outside of the retail space, eventually discovering Showhomes. Salas and her husband had always been interested in franchising, and the young-but-growing brand presented the chance to get into an industry with a lot of potential at the ground level. Now 10 years later, Salas has established herself as a central part of the real estate scene in the South Florida communities of Coral Gables, Pinecrest, Coconut Grove and Key Biscayne.

"When I first became a Showhomes franchisee, it was strictly a home management concept," Salas recounted. "Over time, we realized many people needed more, so we expanded our service offering to what it is today. In the beginning, I knew I needed another option to win more business, so I began offering staging services, which took off thanks to all of the new construction in my area. Eventually, Showhomes branched out into home restyles and updates, a part of my business that I'm starting to grow."

Salas attributes her sustained success in the South Florida market over the last decade to the relationships she's been able to form with realtors in her area.

"They've grown comfortable working with me and referring me to their clients, which has generated a lot of repeat business for me," Salas said. "A lot of the realtors I work with have been partners for nearly 10 years. As their business has grown, I've been able to grow with them."

It's clear this strategy has spelled success for Salas' Showhomes business—she was recently named Franchisee of the Year at the brand's annual conference in August. A testament to her stellar work ethic and also her modesty, Salas said the award was "unexpected" and recognized her team as the lifeblood behind her franchise's strong performance.

"I have a great team of people in sales and marketing and design that have allowed me to focus more on the business aspect of our work, which, in turn, has resulted in substantial growth," Salas said. 

What drives Salas in her work with Showhomes most of all, though, is thrill she gets from helping her customers move on to a new part of their lives. 

"Our work plays a very important part in helping homes sell quickly, which gives people the chance to close a chapter of their lives and begin a new one," she said. "The greatest joy in my work is the accomplishment that comes when an owner tells me that their home looks so great, they want to move back in."

As far as advice goes for new and prospective Showhomes franchisees, Salas again pointed to how important hiring a reliable team with diversified skillsets is to establishing expertise in each of Showhomes' offerings and ultimately, long-term growth. She also recommended tapping into the franchisee community for the support that she says guided her in the beginning.

"What I find with Showhomes is that we really are a community that helps each other out," Salas said. "I remember when I started, other franchisees were generous with their time and it made all the difference. Now, I find people are looking up to me, and it's incredibly touching and rewarding."

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."

Showhomes Franchisee Shares Top Colors and Trends for Home Design This Spring

For over three decades, the Showhomes franchise system has helped sell more than 30,000 high-end residences to the tune of $10 billion by transforming them into fully-furnished, welcoming homes through staging.

One of Showhome's greatest staging secrets to success? Staying on trend.

Whether it's a modern home or one with a rich history, every vacant property benefits from updated staging.

"You have to stage accordingly. I'm getting ready to stage a house built in the 1920s, and people who like that house are not necessarily going to like modern furniture," said Cindi Stringer, a Showhomes franchisee in North Carolina. "But if you make it look too period, it will feel dated. I'm going to mix traditional furnishings with some that are on-trend to achieve the look I want."

Stringer, a retired nurse, has been a Showhomes owner for a little over eight years. To keep ahead of decorating trends, she frequents events such as the High Point Market, the largest furnishings industry trade show in the world, and is currently enrolled in an online interior design class. Showhomes also offers design certifications and shares many helpful insights at annual conferences.

For Showhomes franchisees that have a flair for design, home staging can be a way to show off their creativity in a way that has tangible results. "It's a lot of fun to see a house come together, and so quickly," said Stringer.

Spring Color Trends

Neutrals are a key element of all interior design. They serve as a blank canvas on which to add personality. "In staging, we put a neutral color on the walls so that anybody's furniture will look good in the room," explained Stringer. "Even with our bigger pieces of furniture, we stay pretty neutral."

For the last seven years, Stringer said, most neutral palettes have been shades of gray, but now the hues are turning softer.

"Colors are popular for around a ten-year timeframe, so design experts are starting to trend away from gray and more toward creamy white and taupe," she said. "We'll still see grays, but they'll be softer, like Benjamin Moore's 2019 Color of the Year, Metropolitan."

Showhomes staging experts then incorporate pops of color to add life and interest to the room. Adding vibrancy through artwork, throw pillows and in rugs and drapery can go a long way. This spring, designers are gravitating toward soft oranges, soft blues, forest greens and even black.

"For these pops of color, we are looking at the colors of the year, like Pantone's 2019 Color of the Year, Living Coral, which is a softer orange," said Stringer. "We're also seeing Craven Clay, which is kind of like a terra cotta color, but again, softer. Leather can take on that color well."

While navy dominated the market last year, this year, it's also getting a "makeunder," as demonstrated by Behr's Color of the Year, Blueprint. A calming and toned-down gray-blue, Blueprint is nearly denim. Along the same lines, earthy greens are going to be big this spring as tastemakers look toward a more natural aesthetic.

Stringer tips her hat to Joanna Gaines of HGTV's "Fixer Upper" fame for bringing black into vogue. "With the modern farmhouse revival-where everything is white and black-we're seeing black windows, shower frames, kitchen cabinets or islands, especially among people in their 20s and early 30s," Stringer said. "You can't overdo it, but black is really trending."

Spring Materials Trends

Rose Gold, a metal that's been trending in everything from iPhones to engagement rings, will be popular in decorating this year-and it can be paired with other metals.

"Previously, if you wanted to use silver, you'd want everything to be silver," said Stringer, adding that softer brushed gold will also continue the momentum it has built over the last couple of years. "Now, it's very okay to mix and have silver and gold in different areas of the same room."

With the trend towards a more natural aesthetic, decorators can also expect to see plenty of wicker, rattan and other earthy fibers coming into vogue this spring in the form of accents like baskets. On an even more natural note, plants have long been a beneficial method of bringing a little more life to a room, too.

Spring Decorating Trends

With the rising popularity of decluttering and simplifying, minimalism is trending this spring more than ever. Stringer notes that this pared-down style has always been a traditional staging staple, but this spring, keep an eye out for a twist. "This year, we're trending toward allowing some personal touches to remain in the staged home-even family photos. Buyers don't want it to be a sterile model home; they want it to be welcoming," she said.

Natural light can open up a room and make it feel much warmer, and as the weather turns sunnier, this is especially crucial. Stringer recommends avoiding heavy drapes and positioning curtain rods to extend out from the window so opened drapes are pushed completely over the walls. "Use beige or white panels only, and they should be floor-to-ceiling," she added.

Stringer says that while clean furniture lines have been popular for several years, specifically sharp-cornered mid-century modern pieces, spring trends are moving more toward softer frames and edges. This also lends itself to a more comfortable, lived-in staged home that's attractive to buyers.

Making A Great First Impression

Incorporating trends works perfectly to update spaces, but a little classic upkeep and attention can go a long way this spring as well. Stringer says to make sure the home's exterior is power washed, the landscaping is mulched and weeded, walkways are swept, the front door is freshly painted and the hardware works as well as it looks.

"You have eight to 15 seconds from the time someone walks in the door to really wow them," she said. "They'll have an immediate emotional attachment if they love it. If they find things that aren't quite right, they'll say 'I can deal with that.' But if they're in a negative frame of mind from the beginning, everything becomes an unsolvable problem."

Have an eye for interior design and enjoy staying in the loop on all the latest trends? Find out more about franchising opportunities with Showhomes at https://www.showhomesfranchise.com/.

The 8 Biggest Eyesores in Your Home-and Genius Ways to Hide Them (Realtor.com)

Those essential but utilitarian home items, such as electrical cords, radiators, and AC units, aren't exactly the prettiest room features. But you can't really rip them out-especially if you're a renter.

So what's a decor-conscious homeowner to do?

Well, we've got good news: A few cheap and clever moves will allow you to conceal them from view. Here are eight less-than-attractive hot spots and genius ways to cover them up.

1. Plaster cracks

Photo by JWT Associates

This one's easy: Turn this problem area into an asset with nice-looking paper.

"You can add an accent wall in a pattern that can't be achieved with paint-and wallpaper is long-lasting and durable," says Dan Schaeffer, owner of Five Star Painting in Austin, TX.

Or try removable or decal wallpaper, suggests Drew Henry of Design Dudes: "It's easy to put up, hides the cracks, and peels right off when it's time to move," he says.

You can also look to greenery to mask these spots.

"Hanging potted plants from the ceiling or mounting them to a wall over a crack would be an especially good solution for a renter who's unable to do an apartment renovation," says Katie McCann, an organizer with Haven.

2. AC unit

Sometimes it's wise to draw the eye away from a sore spot, rather than try to mask it, says Shelley Barndollar of home staging company Showhomes. For instance, she was once charged with staging a home that contained a very old, rusted air-conditioning unit right outside the window.

"When you walked into the room, it was the first thing you noticed," she recalls.

To fix it, she placed a seating arrangement near the room's entrance to distract from the unit. The AC was still visible if you walked over to it, but the conversation area made up for it by luring eyes in another direction.

3. Control panels and thermostats

Photo by Jessica Forbes Interior Stylist

Artwork is your friend when it comes to concealing knobs, temperature controls, and other boring gadgets attached to walls. Consider a bright tapestry, a photo gallery, or a piece of sculpture to hide these items.

"Specifically, take a look at artwork that's a bit raised off the wall so that if the area is uneven, you won't notice," McCann suggests.

4. Old radiators

Photo by Архитектурная мастерская Акант 

Here's a double play for a radiator that's less than aesthetically appealing: a folding screen. Henry says you'll be hiding this spot while also adding interest to the room.

Or, try a metal cover or custom box to cover the radiator-or a sized-to-match piece of wood or marble that can handle the heat, recommends Denise Palmer of Piper Classics.

"Use the space on top as a shelf for books, faux plants, or seasonal decorations," she says.

But you don't have to cover radiators up at all. Even this tangle of metal can be beautified, says Sara Chiarilli, an interior designer with Artful Conceptions.

"We have had such a resurgence of historical buildings and design today, so I would not hide these," she says.

Instead, scrape off the old paint and add a fresh coat. It'll make a big difference.

5. Bulky TVs

An armoire with doors is the classic way to hide the boob tube, but there are newer options, including a piece that allows the TV to drop in and then be pulled out when in use.

"The prices on these have really come down, making them much more affordable," Chiarilli says.

Or you can always install a pull-down map in front of the TV or hang a canvas over it, Palmer adds.

And here's another clever pro tip: Make your TV part of your decor.

"One of the most creative ways that we've seen to hide a TV is to create a tonal wall blending the black rectangular shaped TV into a wall lined with black and white prints and photos," Palmer says. (Check out this lookfrom blogger Kelly Elko to inspire your new aesthetic.)

6. Open closets

Photo by Luke Gibson Photography

Simple tension rods with a plain curtain can hide myriad of eyesores, including your shoe closet, home office supplies, or a washer and dryer, notes Sarah Hollenbeck of Offers.com.

7. Modems, routers, and other internet gadgets

Photo by Rikki Snyder 

"While these boxes are necessary, they aren't always the most aesthetically pleasing," Hollenbeck admits.

To hide one, cover the item with decorative paper or removable wallpaper and then place it in a stack of books.

8. Dangling cords

Photo by The Cabinet Shoppe 

If you're on a budget, there's a simple solution for your tangled mess of cords: Get cord covers painted to match your wall color.

Looking for something a bit more imaginative? "If the wall with your TV on it is relatively small, you could consider creating a pallet or shiplap wall to cover up the cord and add an interesting design element to your home," Hollenbeck suggests.

Forecast on the 2019 Home Staging Market

The time is ripe to invest in Showhomes.

A stable economy and a real estate market that consists of homes taking a longer-than-usual time to sell mean that business will be booming for the home staging market in 2019.

Showhomes Chief Operating Officer Matt Kelton recently attended the 2018 Realtors Conference & Expo in Boston and cited information presented by Lawrence Yun, the Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of Research at the National Association of REALTORS. The real estate market, Kelton learned, is seeing stable growth with no housing bubble. Home prices will also see modest growth, with about 4.7 percent growth in 2018, 3.1 percent growth in 2019 and 2.7 percent growth in 2020.

"Inventory and shortages will still be an issue but we're starting to see inventories pick up," Kelton said. "That's good for us because one of our struggles is a lack of inventory."

For Showhomes, inventory refers to the number of empty houses that are awaiting sale.  

"We talk to franchisees around the country, from California to Florida, and we're beginning to see that inventories are increasing," Kelton said. "Homes are taking longer to sell. There are regional differences. Boise, Idaho, for example, is booming because people are moving from California. For the most part, though, I'm hearing the same thing across the board, that inventories are getting higher and taking longer to sell and that can be a good thing for us."

Kelton has been with Showhomes for 12 years and the industry has come a long way in that time. More and more people are interested in home staging, which can provide a higher return.  

"There are lots of statistics out there indicating that show homes sell 90 percent faster than a vacant home and for 15 percent more," he said. "Staging brings up more money in a faster period of time."

Kelton said half of his phone calls used to consist of him having to explain the concept of home staging. He said that 95 percent of people are finding homes online, so homeowners who don't play what he refers to as "the beauty contest" can have a harder time selling.

"Home staging is now a known commodity and an expected thing," he said. "People understand it's become part of the real estate industry."

Showhomes sees regional variations. Santa Fe, New Mexico, Kelton said, is the most unique market the company has seen.

"There are differences in terms of specific buyer types and international ownership," Kelton said. "Clearly the designs in the Midwest are different from Phoenix, Arizona or Orange County, California."

Catherine Chandler is a Showhomes franchisee in Portland, Oregon. She purchased her Showhomes franchise in April of 2017 and opened it in August of that year.

It was a timely decision. She noted that Portland is seasonal like any other real estate market, but a little less so thanks to a lack of snow and ice that plague other parts of the country.

"The Portland market has been on fire for the past couple of years," she said. "It's starting to happen now where the rising interest rates and the general increase in the number of properties available are returning our market to what's a little more normal."

Population growth in Portland, she said, is "massive" due to the high number of people moving there from California. She noted that Portland is still one of the most affordable cities on the West Coast.

"What the expectation is for 2019 is a return to normal where you list your house, some people look at it and a sale is not going to happen immediately," she said. "That's a really good thing for our industry."

The home staging market in Portland, she said, is also a highly-established one.

"People here understand the value of staging," Chandler said. "There are some fantastic staging companies that are already here and that are well-respected on the national stage. I've gone to national conferences and a lot of the people I've met are in Portland's staging market."

Such an established presence makes the job simpler for Chandler.

"Both homeowners and real estate agents understand the importance of staging and that it really does work," she said. "What that's meant to me, starting a new business, is that I don't have to sell people on the concept of staging. I just have to sell myself and Showhomes."

The wave of demand for home staging has already started in Portland.

"People are more receptive to staging but they are also more receptive to doing what they need to do to sell their home," she said. "Stagers here have talked about seeing an increase in business in what is supposed to be the slow time of the year. That will probably continue."

A strong real estate market and multiple revenue streams make Showhomes a great franchising option in 2019.

"We do makeovers for existing homes, homes updates and minor remodeling," Kelton said. "We're the only company that has this broad menu as being a full-service staging company and design organization. We're getting a bigger and bigger market share."

What ultimately sets Showhomes apart from the competition is the company's Home Manager program, in which the company has executives living in homes that are for sale. This helps the house have a homier, more lived-in look when prospective buyers come to see the house.

"When a home is vacant and has that empty house smell it can be a weird stagnant feeling," Kelton said. "If buyers walk through the house and see food in the pantry, for example, and smell home cooking, we can usually sell that home faster. You're trying to get someone to fall in love with a home and it's very much an emotional aspect."

Kelton expects that 2019 will be an excellent year for the home staging market and for the Showhomes brand.

"When you look at the consolidation and the inventory levels that will be increasing, you're seeing more and more of a need for staging," he said. "The demand is there. This is an extremely under-served market in a fragmented industry. We see this increasing as far as a demand for the general public. It's really a good time to join Showhomes. This is a big time for us, as we mirror the traditional real estate market."

Five Tips for Staging Your Home During the Holidays

It's that time of the year when holiday decorations come out of storage, are dusted off and showcased throughout the home. Though homeowners are giddy to step up their holiday game, people with homes on the market may need to take a different approach. Showhomes Houston and San Diego owners, Shelley Barndollar and Lisa Gulliver, shared five pieces of advice for homeowners that are staging their home for a sale during the holiday season.

Take Staging Photos Before the Holidays

While your home may go on sale during the holiday season, it may stay on sale past this time of the year. So, the home should not scream, "HOLIDAY SEASON!"

"You don't want Christmas photos of the home showing up in June," said Barndollar. Instead, she advises that all homeowners take their staging photos without holiday decorations and with more neutral decor.

Try to Defer from Showings on Holidays

While the real estate industry works 7 days a week, 365 days a year, it's in the homeowners' best interest to defer showings on a holiday. While this is sometimes impossible to avoid because home buyers may only be available for a short period of time, homeowners should try to avoid holidays.

"In the event that a Realtor schedules a showing on a major holiday, the homeowner should still accommodate them," said Gulliver. "If you are in the middle of meal preparation or clean up, try your best to straighten up the kitchen and turn the stove down, and then go for a short walk to let them show the property."

Replace Every Day Decor with Decorations, Don't Add On

"When you are placing any new holiday decorations throughout the home, it's important to remember to replace them with your ever day decor instead of adding them to the existing decor," said Barndollar.

She goes on to explain that if you just add on to the shelf with more decorations, things will look cluttered which can make the home seem smaller. Instead, just swap out the existing decorations with small, festive accents to really dress up the home

Stage Presents, Don't Put Real Ones Out

During the home sale process, potential home buyers from all over are walking through the home, going through closets and checking out each area of the home. Security should always be top of mind. During the holiday season, this sense of security should be amplified.

"You don't know who will be walking through your home," said Barndollar. "Make sure to stage your holiday presents. I would wrap four to five different sized boxes and have them under the tree, but don't put your real presents under there."

Barndollar further explains that you don't want people seeing how many gifts you got and to potentially walk off with one of them.

Keep Decor Elegant and Simple

"As you decorate, it's best to keep the staging of the home in mind," said Gulliver. "When it comes to tree placement and additional decorations, remember that less is more."

Bardonllar adds, "Don't go overboard. It's great to have a tree and garland over the fireplace, maybe just one or two really special tchotchkes that are non-denominational and tasteful. Keep all of your decor to a minimum."

Couple overcomes hearing barrier in building business

 As owners of a Showhomes home staging franchise, Elisa and Brandon Macomber of Santa Fe make a living off their eyes.

Their business depends on their ability to redecorate private residences to make them more appealing to potential buyers. Their revenue has grown each year since they started the franchise in 2016, according to Brandon, and they now employ two individuals in addition to themselves. At a recent Showhomes conference, the couple won several awards including "Fastest Average Sale Time."

But it is her hearing, not her vision, that Elisa said has colored much of her professional journey. A bout of meningitis as a baby left her with profound hearing loss. Brandon, too, is hearing-impaired, the result of a premature birth and an episode of pneumonia.

"Not being able to talk on the phone has been a huge hindrance in my career, and that drove me to start my own business," said Elisa in an email (the Macombers provided written responses to questions). "I knew I could help people in so many ways via text and email, and in person, of course."

Now Elisa, who can lip-read, takes Brandon or another employee with her to meet clients to ensure she doesn't miss out on conversations while taking pictures and walking around the home.

"It can be a challenge, because I need to be able to look at the people while they're talking, but at the same time, I need to look at the house and take everything in visually," said Elisa, who handles most of the staging while Brandon handles the business side.

Brandon said their answering service has been invaluable for collecting names, addresses, emails and phone numbers of the people they interact with.

Asked about their top home-staging tips, Brandon said it's important to "remove yourself and your personal preferences from the process, and neutralize the property."

"By putting yourself on the market, you are trying to sell the house, not your style or your things," said Brandon. "Buyers need to envision themselves living there."

Elisa suggested removing all pictures and sentimentals from the home before it is photographed in order to protect the privacy of the homeowner.

"With (real estate listing) pictures being online all the time now, you want to protect your privacy," she said.

The couple said their work is filled with surprises. Elisa said she once found a black widow spider hiding beneath a client's rug. Brandon mentioned an even stranger experience.

"We found one of our faux apples with a bite mark in it," said Brandon. "That was pretty funny."

Hendersonville Times-News: Cindi Stringer Finds Success with Home Staging Business in Hendersonville

As a nurse for 30 years, Cindi Stringer's joy of helping others has always been evident. Once retiring from her nursing career, Cindi still wanted a way to make a difference in the lives of others while being able to showcase her love for art and decorating.

After much research, Cindi discovered the home-staging franchise, Showhomes. Founded in 1986, the Showhomes franchise system has helped realtors and homeowners sell more than 25,000 residential properties worth more than $8.5 billion, by transforming high-end vacant houses into fully-furnished, inviting valued Showhomes homes.

"What really sold me is when I went to Nashville to visit with the corporate team eight years ago," Stringer said in a news release. "They shared very similar values that I was looking for in a business, had great integrity and showed that they support the franchisees."

Stringer's Showhomes franchise in Western Carolina University has been in business for eight years and covers communities such as Hendersonville, Asheville, Waynesville and Black Mountain. Despite being in one of the smaller markets in the Showhomes franchise system, Stringer has seen tremendous success in the area.

"I think what helps us is that we operate in these small communities and it allows word of mouth to spread much quicker," Stringer said. "After all, we are in the relationship business and thrive off creating successful relationships."

Stringer won Showhomes' Franchise of the Year Award in 2017 which is the top honor a franchisee can receive reflecting their consistent business and overall operations excellence in the region they service. In addition, Cindi has also won the circle of excellence award eight years in-a-row highlighting her superior customer service and customer's satisfaction.

"Awards like these are always an honor to receive," Stringer said. "I know how dedicated and driven all the franchisees are at Showhomes and I am lucky to call them colleagues and friends. At the end of the day, this award reflects how great the Western Carolina community is and I am so grateful to be part of this community."

Moving into the fall home staging season, Stringer noted many trends that she has observed from season to season but says the fall is her favorite season with warm colors and tones displayed throughout homes.

"Grey has been the color of the decade but we see that moving towards beige," Stringer said. "Warmer tones are key and less is always better for staging. By having less scattered throughout the home, it gives space for the owner to see their house and what they envision it becoming."

Along with mixing metals such as silver and gold, creating more spa-like master bathrooms is also becoming more popular as consumers are becoming intrigued with minimalist style.

"There are seven seconds from the moment the buyer walks in the house to when the buyer falls in love with the house," Stringer said. "You have to speak to the buyer's emotions because being in the real estate industry is an emotional process for buyers and sellers."

Looking ahead, Stringer is on the way to capping off a strong 2018 and is ready for all of 2019's challenges. "We have proved ourselves one house at a time and our customers have been thrilled with the work we have done," she said.

How Elisa and Brandon Macombers Became Model Showhomes Franchisees

Three years ago, Brandon Macomber was feeling burnt out. After years in the banking industry, he was sick of the traveling his job required, and he wanted to spend more time with his wife, Elisa. At the same time, Elisa also found herself ready for a change. The career visual-merchandiser had started her own home-staging business, and she felt had reached the limit of how far she could grow on her own. So the couple began looking for new business options. That's when they discovered the home-staging franchiseShowhomes.

Between Brandon's business acumen and Elisa's passion for home staging, it didn't take long for the Macombers to decide that Showhomes was what they were searching for. "We knew when we found Showhomes that it was the perfect fit for both of us," Elisa said.

The Macomber's Showhomes franchise in Santa Fe, New Mexico has been in business for a little more than two years now, and Elisa says both she and Brandon have found a lot to love in the operation.

"We get to work with so many great people, and it's rewarding for us to help homeowners beautify their homes and sell them faster," she said. "There's a real pride in seeing our work pay off."

Elisa says the Showhomes franchise system has been the crucial piece of the puzzle in her efforts to grow her home-staging business. "It's like a garden, if you put your time, effort and heart into it, it will grow."

"There are so many benefits of being a franchise owner," she said. "We have a strong support network, both from the corporate team and other franchisees, who have all sorts of backgrounds and experiences that we can draw from. It's also great to have our work recognized by the system."

That's not to say the business hasn't come without any challenges. Elisa and Brandon are both  hearing impaired, and they've had to adjust Showhome's operational model slightly to effectively communicate with customers.

"It can be a challenge with the phone sometimes," said Elisa, who suffered a profound bilateral hearing loss at 15 months old and now wears a cochlear implant and processor. "We make it work with texting, email and the answering service that Showhomes provides for franchisees."

The Macombers also employ two part-time team members who help run the day-to-day operations. For in-home appointments, Elisa says she and Brandon use each other to fill in anything they might miss in conversation.

"We both read lips, but it can be difficult keeping up with a conversation that involves more than two people," she said. "Now and then, one of us will miss something and look at the other for help, and that always makes us laugh. We also have to remind people to look at us while talking, which can be difficult when you are walking through a house while trying to look at the house's features and layout."

Those challenges have not stopped Elisa and Brandon from effectively growing their business, and according to Showhomes COO Matt Kelton, the pair represents everything the brand is looking for in franchisees.

"Elisa and Brandon are truly model franchisees in just about every way," he said. "They are positive, they work extremely hard, they have a wonderful creative flair for design, and they support other franchisees. They also know exactly how to follow the Showhomes system and are great about suggesting ways for us to improve the model. Honestly, I wish we had 30 more of them."

As the Macombers look toward their third year with Showhomes, Elisa says they are still focused on growth.

"We are in the process of acquiring a box truck with a wrap of our logo to increase brand awareness, and we're always looking to take on more clients," she said. "Showhomes has given us some amazing tools to work with, and we're excited to make the most of them and keep growing our business.

5 Tips For Updating Your Kitchen On A Budget

We spend a lot of time in our kitchens, whether we're cooking, eating, sharing a cocktail or enjoying family time, so it's no wonder we get bored with its design. However, updating your kitchen every few months or even once a year can be a time-consuming and costly project.

ESTATENVY sat down with Showhomes Chicago Owner Janine Callahan who shared inspiration on how to freshen up different elements of your kitchen without breaking the bank.

Paint the Cabinets

Kitchen cabinets are one of the first things to become most damaged in the room, and Callahan said you don't have to completely switch out drawers for a new look. "Painting your cabinets is a great way to make an impactful design change in the kitchen without having to spend a lot of money," said Callahan. "Dove white adds a pretty, classic finish, and replacing a few of your doors with glass panels can add an extra layer of spark."

Switch Up Your Lighting Fixtures

Adjusting the lights in your kitchen easily transforms the tone or atmosphere of the room. Callahan suggests adding pivot lights over your countertop or island. "Pivot lighting is an inexpensive option for updating the lighting in your kitchen and the style looks great with Edison bulbs, which are very much on-trend right now," said Callahan.

Affordable Change for Countertops

While renovating your countertops seems like a pricey, long-term project, installing a backsplash of granite or tile in your kitchen is much less grueling and adds a layer of dimension. "Remnants of granite can be found for the price of a slab, and either a shop can cut and install it as a backsplash for you or you can make it a DIY project for yourself," said Callahan. "Tile also looks great for a more straight-lined style. You really can create your own look in this process."

Personalize Your Kitchen Sink & Faucet

When it comes to switching up your kitchen sink and faucet, Callahan suggests choosing a layout that is practical to your meal preparation and cooking habits. "Think practical when updating your kitchen sink or faucet," said Callahan. "If you spend a lot of time cooking from scratch, for example, consider installing a double bowl sink so you have more room to cook and clean after meals." Sink and faucet updates tend to be relatively cheap with the right material and installation.

Get Funky with Decor

Freshening up any area of your home can be quick and cost-efficient by adding unique pieces of decor and furniture. However, Callahan warns that if you're looking to sell your home, make sure not to distract potential buyers with large, eccentric furniture from the interior parts of your home. "You can find really pretty, interesting stools, kitchen tables and other decor at consignment shops or even garage sales," said Callahan. "If your house is up for sale, make sure the furniture is rather plain so that it doesn't take away from the interesting parts of your home, like a beautiful kitchen countertop or sink." Janine also suggests utilizing cooking products like olive oils and salt shakers and arranging them on top of a tray so that they look intentionally decorative and organized.

Finding the time and effort to revamp your kitchen might seem like an effort, but with these helpful, affordable tips from Callahan, your kitchen can be effortlessly transformed.