---
title: "Realtor.com: How Showhomes Is Moving the Staging Industry Forward with Home Managers"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/0dda5147-6898-4ac5-8fc7-9559b4844a11
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/realtorcom-how-showhomes-is-moving-the-staging-industry-forward-with-home-managers-10921
category: "Home Services"
industry: "Home Services"
published: 2017-03-07T17:12:47.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T03:09:02.370Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/596a312dce793cd86e1f697dede159887945.jpg
---

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

**TL;DR:** Showhomes, a home-staging company, is expanding in the Denver market with a unique service that includes hiring a local resident to live in and care for the home. The company's COO, Matt Kelton, believes that buyers are drawn to houses occupied by a real person, creating an emotional connection.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2017-03-07. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/realtorcom-how-showhomes-is-moving-the-staging-industry-forward-with-home-managers-10921).*

## Story

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.

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- Home Services (sector)
- expansion (topic)
- Denver (location)
- Matt Kelton (person)
- home staging (topic)
- denver market (topic)
- home managers (topic)

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Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/realtorcom-how-showhomes-is-moving-the-staging-industry-forward-with-home-managers-10921). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/0dda5147-6898-4ac5-8fc7-9559b4844a11).