Renee Douglas

The Next Stage in Home Sales

By Robbyn Moore

Photos by Jermaine Buie with Perfect Light, LLC

Statistics have shown that staged homes sell faster, bring higher offers and create happier sellers. Home staging also brings a home to life and can be the key to creating an emotional connection in a potential buyer. For 35 years, the experts at Showhomes Home Staging have pioneered the home staging industry by partnering with real estate agents and offering solutions to better show and, ultimately, sell a home.

They began their business in 1986 with the concept of transforming vacant houses — often seen by buyers as stale, lifeless and unappealing — into fully furnished, inviting, valued show homes. Now in their third decade of service, they continue to be a leader in this fast-growing industry and are known as America’s premier home staging service from coast to coast.

“We are essentially a one-stop shop,” Renee Douglas, Showhomes Home Staging — Northville owner, said. “Staging a home by a professional stager is the most cost-effective way to refresh your home. We help with decorating trends, furniture placement, color choices, home improvements, decluttering, painting and minor repairs — everything to get a home ready to sell. Essentially, we take the responsibility off the real estate agent and homeowner, and ensure the necessary details are managed in a timely, professional manner.”

Because most buyers are looking for a move-in-ready house with an on-trend appearance, Showhomes provides customized staging solutions tailored to each home. “Options include design and decorating, whole house or partial home stagings and restyles,” Renee explained. “To appeal to the broadest base of buyers and to increase the value of your home, a few changes can provide the greatest return on investment.”

Showhomes also has a unique home manager program where they will stage a vacant home and bring in one of their home managers to live in the home while it is for sale. They maintain the home, cover the utility costs and ensure that it is “show ready” while also offering peace of mind that the home is safely guarded. “This is a perfect program for larger-priced homes that could take a while to sell,” Renee said. “No one likes to walk into a cold, musty-smelling home after it has been on the market for a while or walk up a driveway that has six inches of snow on it — the home manager program solves those problems!”

“Sellers tend to stage their home after it has sat on the market for a while and needs attention or a refresh,” Renee said. “However, the ideal time to stage a home is before it goes on the market. We want real estate professionals to think of us in the beginning stages, not after 40 days on the market. It’s important to get a home in the best possible shape before it’s listed. Even a few minor changes can make the seller a lot more money.”

Renee added, “We are more than a service. We are a partner to real estate agents and their business. There is nothing better than putting together a great plan and then having an exciting reveal to a homeowner. When we see the happy look on their face, we know we did our job.”

When COVID-19 shut down businesses, Showhomes showed their resilience and thought outside the box. “We had to do everything possible to make sure our customers and employees felt safe,” Renee recalled. “With an increased amount of time families were spending at home, we saw a surge in investments and renovations in home offices and everyday living spaces. As a result, we have been doing more design and furniture sales than ever before.”

Showhomes is a national franchise based in Nashville, Tennessee, with over 50 locations throughout the U.S. The company has broad experience in real estate, design, customer service and franchise operations. They’re dedicated to bringing unparalleled expertise, responsiveness, professionalism and results. They have been honored with multiple Top 50 Franchisee Satisfaction Awards from the Franchise Business Review and featured on the TODAY show, HGTV and the Travel Channel. For more information, visit showhomes.com/northville.

Renee Douglas, Showhomes Home Staging - Partner Spotlight