Realtor.com: How Showhomes Is Moving the Staging Industry Forward with Home Managers

Home staging isn't a new trend in real estate, but what many people haven't heard of yet is the concept of home managers. The growing trend works by hiring a home staging company, such as Showhomes , who will not only stage your vacant home, but will also bring in a local resident who will live in and care for the home.

Matt Kelton, COO of Showhomes , which offers this expanded service, believes that buyers are drawn more to a house occupied by a real person. "Something about having food in the pantry... it's hard to put my finger on it, but there's some kind of emotional connection that happens," he was quoted.

Home sellers also have the comfort of knowing that someone is keeping an eye on their place. However, there are some tough parts to being a home manager as well. Although you get to live in a high-end home for a fraction of the market rate, you need to be very tidy.

“The most difficult part is making certain the home is perfect every time we walk out the door,” Mike Callahan, owner of a Showhomes franchise in Fox Valley/Naperville, told Realtor.com. He and his wife, Janine, are seasoned pros—they’ve been home managers since 2010 and are currently living in their 11th home.