---
title: "Memphis Business Journal: Home Staging is the New Normal as Real Estate Franchise Stays Hot"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/867724e0-19e4-4246-a46d-45df48ad39a6
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/memphis-business-journal-home-staging-is-the-new-normal-as-real-estate-franchise-stays-hot-2328
category: "Real estate"
industry: "Business Services"
segment: "Real estate"
published: 2015-08-24T21:16:00.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T13:25:14.144Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/8d777f385d3dfec8815d20f7496026dc5232.png
---

# Memphis Business Journal: Home Staging is the New Normal as Real Estate Franchise Stays Hot

**TL;DR:** Showhomes, a home-staging franchise, has reported its most successful year yet with a strong presence in Tennessee. The company's unique home manager program allows people to live in and care for a vacant home for sale in exchange for reduced monthly rent.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2015-08-24. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/memphis-business-journal-home-staging-is-the-new-normal-as-real-estate-franchise-stays-hot-2328).*

## Story

Home-staging franchise Showhomes has a strong presence in its native Tennessee and has been helping residents stage, update and manage homes on the market for decades. COO Matt Kelton says this is the company’s most successful year yet.

With the rising popularity of HGTV and similar channels, home-staging has become mainstream.

Local franchisees Jeff and Heidi Ross have found great success in the community, especially with the brands unique home manager program, which the company defines as "a person or family with beautiful home furnishings who lives in a vacant home for sale,” according to Memphis Business Journal.

Basically, Showhomes allows people to live in and care for a property while the house is on the market. In exchange for maintaining the house, the monthly rent is significantly reduced. The homes are usually higher-end properties that sell in the $400,000 to $900,000 range. Franchisees like Jeff and Heidi also partake in traditional home staging, such as updating homes and helping sellers differentiate themselves in competitive markets.

The Ross's stumbled upon the business by accident as they were transitioning into a new community. Now, years later and with many success stories under their belts, the Ross’s consider themselves the local experts in getting a home ready for sale.

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- Business Services (sector)
- franchise success (topic)
- Tennessee (location)
- real estate (topic)
- Matt Kelton (person)
- home staging (topic)
- unique business model (topic)

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Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/memphis-business-journal-home-staging-is-the-new-normal-as-real-estate-franchise-stays-hot-2328). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/867724e0-19e4-4246-a46d-45df48ad39a6).