--- title: "Caring Transitions Q1 2026 Growth: New Locations, CTBids Surge & Franchise Expansion" url: https://burnaze.com/article/7df48565-1fac-4467-b7a9-9be33c4d1a20 source: "1851 Franchise" original_url: https://1851franchise.com/caringtransitions/caring-transitions-opens-19-new-locations-in-q1-2026-as-ctbids-sales-climb-30-2732061 category: "Senior Care" industry: "Senior Care" topics: ["Development & multi-unit"] published: 2026-04-30T22:17:14.000Z modified: 2026-10-31T14:56:44.630Z image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/1f2a07b7e754c16e90a066f8384127fc9411.jpg --- # Caring Transitions Q1 2026 Growth: New Locations, CTBids Surge & Franchise Expansion **TL;DR:** Caring Transitions opened 19 new locations in Q1 2026 and saw a 25% surge in leads, driven by its continued franchise expansion and growth of its proprietary online estate sale platform, CTBids. The brand is investing in systems and people to support franchisee success and is targeting further expansion in locations such as Northern California and Miami. *originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2026-04-30. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/caringtransitions/caring-transitions-opens-19-new-locations-in-q1-2026-as-ctbids-sales-climb-30-2732061).* ## Key facts - 19 new locations opened in Q1 - 25% surge in leads - 30% growth in CTBids sales ## Story With 19 new locations opened in Q1 alone and a 25% surge in leads, Caring Transitions is converting its record-breaking 2025 momentum into a dominant start to 2026. This rapid expansion and heightened consumer engagement signal a defining year for the senior relocation leader. “Q1 has been one of the strongest in Caring Transitions' history,” said Brand President Joe Lewandowski. “In 2026, we want to expand our footprint, we want to help owners scale, dominate the marketplace and continue to advance the tech stack.” A key driver of Caring Transitions’ early-year success has been its continued franchise expansion. “We trained and opened 19 locations in Q1, which is amazing,” Lewandowski said. “Our first location in Vermont — we are very excited about that.” ## Franchise expansion growth This expansion not only increases the brand’s national footprint but also positions Caring Transitions to better serve a rapidly growing senior population, a demographic trend that continues to fuel long-term demand for relocation, downsizing and estate sale services. Beyond unit growth, Caring Transitions is investing heavily in the systems and people that support franchisee success. One of the most notable additions this quarter is Nan Hayes, who joined the brand as director of training and coaching. The brand is also enhancing its operational toolkit with new resources designed to help franchisees improve efficiency and profitability. “We are also working with Caring Quote to help our owners with pricing and productivity,” he said. “We are also adding coaches to help owners expand.” These initiatives reflect a broader strategy of helping franchisees move beyond day-to-day operations and build scalable businesses within the system, giving owners a meaningful advantage as they pursue multi-territory growth. “From a marketing standpoint, we are dominating the conversation — we have a 25% increase in leads in the first quarter and our web traffic is up as well,” Lewandowski said. “Everything is firing on all cylinders.” ## CTBids performance metrics Another major contributor to the brand’s momentum is its proprietary online estate sale platform, CTBids, which continues to deliver strong performance across multiple metrics. “From a CTBids standpoint, we are focused on shipping and creating a consistent experience for customers across all locations,” Lewandowski said. “We are getting ready to launch a new integration we’ve been working on, starting in Q2.” The platform’s Q1 results reinforce its growing importance to the system: - New registrations increased 22% - Premier membership participation increased 240% - Online auction sales climbed 23% - Average sale value increased 8% - Total CTBids sales grew 30% - Total items sold rose 24% “Everything is really coming together — over a million visits to the website, over a million active users now,” Lewandowski said. These gains not only enhance revenue opportunities for franchisees but also strengthen the overall ecosystem that differentiates Caring Transitions from competitors. “Looking ahead, we are continuing to focus on many of the same things, targeting people who make good owners,” Lewandowski said. “We are looking at Northern California, Miami, Idaho, New Mexico.” By mixing smart market growth with a steady focus on tech, training, and marketing, Caring Transitions is setting itself up to keep that momentum going strong all through 2026 and beyond. Caring Transitions provides older adults and their families with the most trusted, respected and comprehensive downsizing, right-sizing, estate sales and online auctions, and move management solutions in the industry. Founded in 2006, the brand is committed to helping people in a compassionate and caring manner during life's many transitions while providing a total and easy solution for clients in their time of need. Through its proprietary online sales platform, CTBIDS, Caring Transitions also prepares clients for the process of liquidating assets through their own online estate sales auction site. With more than 425 locations, Caring Transitions’ compassionate, experienced professionals minimize stress and relieve the burdens of life’s transitions. ## Entities - 1851 Franchise (publication) - franchise expansion (topic) - Senior Care (sector) - senior care (topic) - marketing strategy (topic) - unit growth (topic) - Caring Transitions (company) - Miami (location) - Idaho (location) - new mexico (location) - CTBids (company) - Northern California (location) --- Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/caringtransitions/caring-transitions-opens-19-new-locations-in-q1-2026-as-ctbids-sales-climb-30-2732061). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/7df48565-1fac-4467-b7a9-9be33c4d1a20).