The results speak for themselves...
Thousands of Home Owners and Realtors have benefited from the Showhomes system of staging and selling homes. Here are some of their stories. (Videos may take a moment to load - thanks for your patience.)
Showhomes Home Managers bring life to a home that otherwise isn't there. And it's much easier to get buyers into a Showhome for showings, because the homes are always in great shape and ready to show, inside and out - whenever we call.
Showhomes doesn't just bring furniture-they bring an environment... When a property is staged by Showhomes, buyers spend three times as long looking at it-and imagining it as their own home.
I've seen Showhomes magically turn cold, empty rooms into a warm, inviting home-in a single weekend!
My Realtor suggested Showhomes for use in my house sale. Showhomes created a very warm and inviting atmosphere in the home and did an excellent job with the maintenance of the home. The home managers were extremely flexible and opened the house for showings at any time of the day.
With the Showhomes program, my house sold in less than 3 months! I feel that the house sold quickly due to their efforts.
With the Showhomes program, my house sold in less than 3 months! I feel that the house sold quickly due to their efforts.
When we saw our home after you had furnished and staged it, we couldn’t believe it. Everything is so beautiful. We felt like we had stepped into a 5-Star Hotel.
This is the second time Showhomes has helped us sell a new home, and we are so happy with the strong results. Thank you!
This is the second time Showhomes has helped us sell a new home, and we are so happy with the strong results. Thank you!
Dear Cindy,
Thank you for selecting my listing @ 17804 93rd Place N, Maple Grove, MN for your property managers Lamel and Joy. As you may know the real estate market has tightened up a bit with more homes for buyers to choose from. By placing your property managers and staging the property correctly we were able to sell the home within 18 days and at 99% of the listing price. WOW! Now the rest of the story...
Just a little more information on the history of this property since it has now closed successfully and all terms are available to the general public. This home was listed over one year ago at $529,900 with another real estate company. During this time the owners were still living at the home. It took eight months for the home owners to receive their first and only offer, somewhere around $490,000.
The home owners now a little frustrated due to the fact their home had not sold moved out to their new home. I now had the honor of listing this completely empty home at $529,900.
During the first 3 months I had over 50 showings. We received several low ball verbal offers, as well as two written offers of $490,000 or less. Comments from other Realtors were in the nature of “since the home is vacant the owners must be getting desperate”!
The home owners removed their home from the market in December. I was finally able to convince the home owners to hire and place property managers from Showhomes into the home. At the end of January the property managers moved in and the Showhomes Design team staged the home. Wow! The property was placed back on the market in early February (not the greatest time in Real Estate). Oh yes, the home was place back on the market for; you guessed correctly $529,900. We had three showings within the first 18 days and received an offer $525,000. The home closed in less than 60 days.
Would the home have sold without property managers and Showhomes? We will never know for sure, however the homeowners are still smiling and they are placing me on a pedestal.
Thanks to Showhomes I am sure to get referrals from these happy sellers. If I ever have the opportunity to use Showhomes in the future I will be the first to call Cindy.
Sincerely,
Gene Roering
Realtor
Edina Realty, Inc.
Thank you for selecting my listing @ 17804 93rd Place N, Maple Grove, MN for your property managers Lamel and Joy. As you may know the real estate market has tightened up a bit with more homes for buyers to choose from. By placing your property managers and staging the property correctly we were able to sell the home within 18 days and at 99% of the listing price. WOW! Now the rest of the story...
Just a little more information on the history of this property since it has now closed successfully and all terms are available to the general public. This home was listed over one year ago at $529,900 with another real estate company. During this time the owners were still living at the home. It took eight months for the home owners to receive their first and only offer, somewhere around $490,000.
The home owners now a little frustrated due to the fact their home had not sold moved out to their new home. I now had the honor of listing this completely empty home at $529,900.
During the first 3 months I had over 50 showings. We received several low ball verbal offers, as well as two written offers of $490,000 or less. Comments from other Realtors were in the nature of “since the home is vacant the owners must be getting desperate”!
The home owners removed their home from the market in December. I was finally able to convince the home owners to hire and place property managers from Showhomes into the home. At the end of January the property managers moved in and the Showhomes Design team staged the home. Wow! The property was placed back on the market in early February (not the greatest time in Real Estate). Oh yes, the home was place back on the market for; you guessed correctly $529,900. We had three showings within the first 18 days and received an offer $525,000. The home closed in less than 60 days.
Would the home have sold without property managers and Showhomes? We will never know for sure, however the homeowners are still smiling and they are placing me on a pedestal.
Thanks to Showhomes I am sure to get referrals from these happy sellers. If I ever have the opportunity to use Showhomes in the future I will be the first to call Cindy.
Sincerely,
Gene Roering
Realtor
Edina Realty, Inc.
Last year, I moved halfway across the country - from Minneapolis to Manhattan - leaving a newly remodeled house on the market. I thought the house would sell immediately - a reasonable assumption considering the fact that over $600,00 in improvements had been made and it was very well priced and in a desirable neighborhood. But it sat vacant, with few showings, for 8 months.
What a nightmare! This created a terrible financial drain on me and made it difficult to embrace my new life in New York. Every month I was sending mortgage checks to an empty house thousands of miles away!!
Two things finally broke the spell. I found a new realtor ... and SHE found Showhomes!! The home managers were amazingly helpful . They took care of snow removal (not a small feat in Minnesota!) and kept me thoroughly informed of every issue involving the house. There were some small electrical and plumbing repair jobs they helped to coordinate, and their knowledge of these matters was invaluable.
Most importantly, having them in the house gave it a sense of life that I truly believed made it sell - within THREE WEEKS!! (This was remarkable, because it happened right before the holidays when the housing market usually goes into a lull before Spring.)
I only wish I had known about Showhomes from the start. It would have saved me A LOT of money and aggravation. They really put their heart into helping sell a home and it works.
My thanks to Cindy from Showhomes and the wonderful couple woho were my Home Manangers - they not only performed a vital service to get my house a buyer, they brought me much needed peace of mind.
What a nightmare! This created a terrible financial drain on me and made it difficult to embrace my new life in New York. Every month I was sending mortgage checks to an empty house thousands of miles away!!
Two things finally broke the spell. I found a new realtor ... and SHE found Showhomes!! The home managers were amazingly helpful . They took care of snow removal (not a small feat in Minnesota!) and kept me thoroughly informed of every issue involving the house. There were some small electrical and plumbing repair jobs they helped to coordinate, and their knowledge of these matters was invaluable.
Most importantly, having them in the house gave it a sense of life that I truly believed made it sell - within THREE WEEKS!! (This was remarkable, because it happened right before the holidays when the housing market usually goes into a lull before Spring.)
I only wish I had known about Showhomes from the start. It would have saved me A LOT of money and aggravation. They really put their heart into helping sell a home and it works.
My thanks to Cindy from Showhomes and the wonderful couple woho were my Home Manangers - they not only performed a vital service to get my house a buyer, they brought me much needed peace of mind.
Showhomes made a big difference, if not THE difference in selling our home. We thought our home would sell quickly when we put it on the market in April of 2004 - because it was a hot area (Edinburgh) and was priced appropriately. But the market cooled off. We closed on our new home in June; in the meantime we had no offers.
We moved out, painted the entire home and re-carpeted. The home, though empty, looked and smelled like new. By the end of summer, we still had no offers.
Our agent then told us about Showhomes and how they can stage an empty home with beautiful furniture and fine finishing touches. Showhomes was supposed to make the home seem more desirable (much like a model home) and help to sell it quckly. We were skeptical at first and mulled the idea over for the next few weeks and hoped for an offer. After nearly five months without an offer, we finally decided to give Showhomes a try as a last-ditch attempt before we lowered our price significantly.
The home manager moved in about a week later with the home being ready to show about a week after that. We visited the newly staged home and were very pleasantly surprised with its tasteful and beautiful appearance. Showhomes had very skillfully decorated it and the furnishings were lovely. The home looked warmer and more inviting than the blank canvas it was when it was empty.
Three weeks later, we had two offers in the same weekend!! We sold the home at about our expected price, without having to drop the price any further.
We would recommend Showhomes to our best friends and family if they had an empty home. It is a well-kept secret and really does work! The house was very well maintained when the home manager and his family were living there. It was kept pristine and ready to show at a moment's notice. There was no damage to the property whatsoever and was kept as if it were his own. The home was also well cleaned when he moved out.
There is no need to hesitate the way we did if you are pondering this program. You have nothing to lose but valuable time and your equity in your home.
We moved out, painted the entire home and re-carpeted. The home, though empty, looked and smelled like new. By the end of summer, we still had no offers.
Our agent then told us about Showhomes and how they can stage an empty home with beautiful furniture and fine finishing touches. Showhomes was supposed to make the home seem more desirable (much like a model home) and help to sell it quckly. We were skeptical at first and mulled the idea over for the next few weeks and hoped for an offer. After nearly five months without an offer, we finally decided to give Showhomes a try as a last-ditch attempt before we lowered our price significantly.
The home manager moved in about a week later with the home being ready to show about a week after that. We visited the newly staged home and were very pleasantly surprised with its tasteful and beautiful appearance. Showhomes had very skillfully decorated it and the furnishings were lovely. The home looked warmer and more inviting than the blank canvas it was when it was empty.
Three weeks later, we had two offers in the same weekend!! We sold the home at about our expected price, without having to drop the price any further.
We would recommend Showhomes to our best friends and family if they had an empty home. It is a well-kept secret and really does work! The house was very well maintained when the home manager and his family were living there. It was kept pristine and ready to show at a moment's notice. There was no damage to the property whatsoever and was kept as if it were his own. The home was also well cleaned when he moved out.
There is no need to hesitate the way we did if you are pondering this program. You have nothing to lose but valuable time and your equity in your home.
Thank you for the opportunity to experience your wondrful and awesome service. Recently my clients Mr. Seller, an Attorney for a Major Law Firm, and his wife, who teaches nursing at a local university in Minneapolis, had a first hand positive experience selling their home using your services. Their town home was freshly painted and new carpeting had been installed. It was clean and well cared for in a beautiful neighborhood in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.
They met with you because they were having negative experiences from buyers making low-ball offers on their home because it was vacant. We had lots of showings which proved that the home was priced right. We were also concerned because the lenghth of time on the market was going beyond the average for comparable homes in our market.
After meeting with you and looking over the contract you presented, Mr. Seller made the comment that it was the best-written contract he had seen in some time. It was clearly written and protected the homeowner completely. Within a few days of agreeing to move forward with you, a property manager was placed on the property. Their funishings were placed with your professional expertise along with pictures, accent items right down to the fresh popcorn in the family room made the property look like a new built model.
As soon as you performed your magic we ordered a 360 virtual tour and had a professional photographer take pictures which were placed on the Edina Realty web-site.
Showings increased, and within a few weeks we not only had an offer but two strong offers came in at the same time. The asking price was not compromised as we were experiencing when the property was vacant. This truly is a success story and I thank you for all your hard work.
Oh, I almost forgot. An agent who showed the property when it was vacant commented, "that she couldn't believe it was the same property." She jokingly commented that we had used pictures form another property, and couldn't believe her eyes when she previewed the property. My clients thank you and I look forward to working with Showhomes again soon.
They met with you because they were having negative experiences from buyers making low-ball offers on their home because it was vacant. We had lots of showings which proved that the home was priced right. We were also concerned because the lenghth of time on the market was going beyond the average for comparable homes in our market.
After meeting with you and looking over the contract you presented, Mr. Seller made the comment that it was the best-written contract he had seen in some time. It was clearly written and protected the homeowner completely. Within a few days of agreeing to move forward with you, a property manager was placed on the property. Their funishings were placed with your professional expertise along with pictures, accent items right down to the fresh popcorn in the family room made the property look like a new built model.
As soon as you performed your magic we ordered a 360 virtual tour and had a professional photographer take pictures which were placed on the Edina Realty web-site.
Showings increased, and within a few weeks we not only had an offer but two strong offers came in at the same time. The asking price was not compromised as we were experiencing when the property was vacant. This truly is a success story and I thank you for all your hard work.
Oh, I almost forgot. An agent who showed the property when it was vacant commented, "that she couldn't believe it was the same property." She jokingly commented that we had used pictures form another property, and couldn't believe her eyes when she previewed the property. My clients thank you and I look forward to working with Showhomes again soon.
This letter is to inform you of the valuable service you have provided me. The property was always in show condition, kept very immaculate. Moreover, Showhomes provided the ambiance of lighting and music. In addition, I had the peace of mind that the property was occcupied during the cold winter months.
Eventually I will have another rental home for sale, and I will contact your office at that time.
Eventually I will have another rental home for sale, and I will contact your office at that time.
To whom it may concern,
Upon the enlistment of Showhomes Cindy viewed the property and helped several times in making paint choices and suggestions that helped us with an eventual sale. After she brought in her home managers to the property - she had custom drapes made and the home showed like a model! She even catered a full meal with grilled beef and pork tenderloins for our Exceptional Property Realtors of Edina Realty and showed off her style and service. We had over 50 people attend! She is getting rave reviews from all over the Twin Cities!
I believe our home would still be on the market for sale without the visual impact that Showhomes and their valued managers added to this property. The managers kept the property “show ready” 7 days a week and for 12 hours a day! In our competitive market it is essential to provide a service like Showhomes, (which added value to our marketplace and home). We would recommend this service to anyone who is dealing with a vacant listing.
Thank you Cindy, Dave and Stacey for your efforts and we wish you the best moving forward – and look forward to continued services in the future.
Michael and Kimberly Thomas
'Team Thomas' - Edina Realty
CRS Candidate, Relocation Certified,
Members of National Association of Realtors,
Minnesota Association of Realtors,
Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors,
Exceptional Properties
952.945.3174 (Direct)
612.916.0278 (Cell - Mike)
612.916.0279 (Cell - Kim)
952.938.7707 (Fax)
E-mail: mikeandkimthomas@edinarealty.com
Website: www.teamthomasforyou.com
Upon the enlistment of Showhomes Cindy viewed the property and helped several times in making paint choices and suggestions that helped us with an eventual sale. After she brought in her home managers to the property - she had custom drapes made and the home showed like a model! She even catered a full meal with grilled beef and pork tenderloins for our Exceptional Property Realtors of Edina Realty and showed off her style and service. We had over 50 people attend! She is getting rave reviews from all over the Twin Cities!
I believe our home would still be on the market for sale without the visual impact that Showhomes and their valued managers added to this property. The managers kept the property “show ready” 7 days a week and for 12 hours a day! In our competitive market it is essential to provide a service like Showhomes, (which added value to our marketplace and home). We would recommend this service to anyone who is dealing with a vacant listing.
Thank you Cindy, Dave and Stacey for your efforts and we wish you the best moving forward – and look forward to continued services in the future.
Michael and Kimberly Thomas
'Team Thomas' - Edina Realty
CRS Candidate, Relocation Certified,
Members of National Association of Realtors,
Minnesota Association of Realtors,
Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors,
Exceptional Properties
952.945.3174 (Direct)
612.916.0278 (Cell - Mike)
612.916.0279 (Cell - Kim)
952.938.7707 (Fax)
E-mail: mikeandkimthomas@edinarealty.com
Website: www.teamthomasforyou.com
There is nothing more difficult for the High Net Worth home owner to have their home vacant while on the market. Whether you are in town or out -of-town, the anxiety with an unoccupied home, seperate from the fact that it is not furnished ,is a gut-wrenching experience for homeowners, especially with such a major asset. I found myself in that very predicament.
ShowHomes answered ALL of my concerns, and EXCEEDED what I ever thought was possible for presenting my home in a way that looked like it was out of a magazine. I have wonderful, professional managers who live in the house, take immaculate care of my grounds and gardens, and have decorated the home so beautifully, I was truly overwhelmed with the elegance and aesthetic design.
I can now sleep at night while my home is on the market, knowing that it is safe, well cared-for, and that the appearance is almost as near perfect as it would have been had I still been there with my own valuable furnishings. Thank you, ShowHomes, for bringing me peace of mind!
ShowHomes answered ALL of my concerns, and EXCEEDED what I ever thought was possible for presenting my home in a way that looked like it was out of a magazine. I have wonderful, professional managers who live in the house, take immaculate care of my grounds and gardens, and have decorated the home so beautifully, I was truly overwhelmed with the elegance and aesthetic design.
I can now sleep at night while my home is on the market, knowing that it is safe, well cared-for, and that the appearance is almost as near perfect as it would have been had I still been there with my own valuable furnishings. Thank you, ShowHomes, for bringing me peace of mind!
Dear Cindy
We recently completed the sale of our home located at 6900 Lake Harrison Circle, Chanhassen, Minnesota. The closing occurred on July 25, 2007.
As the result of a very soft market, we had attempted to sell and close this home for over 18 months. Our efforts included making some substantial upgrades to the property as well as to complete the development of the surrounding lots.
You approached our company in May 2007 to conduct a furniture staging along with your own personal occupancy of the home. After the completion of the staging, you cooperated with in an Open House for Realtors, neighbors, and potential buyers. That event was a great success and you contributed to that success with your fine food and hard work.
Shortly after that Open House, a prospective buyer viewed the home and you made the presentation of the home to this buyer. As I understand it, you allowed the buyer and his associates to come in on a number of occasions to view and photograph the home.
I am convinced your furniture staging, cooperation, and marketing experience played a significant role in our ability to sell the home. To that end, if I were faced with another difficult home sale in the future, I would have no hesitation to call you and contract for your professional services.
I wish you the best in the future. Please feel free to have any future prospects contact me regarding your superb abilities.
Sincerely,
THE PEMTOM LAND COMPANY
Daniel J. Herbst
President
952-937-0716
We recently completed the sale of our home located at 6900 Lake Harrison Circle, Chanhassen, Minnesota. The closing occurred on July 25, 2007.
As the result of a very soft market, we had attempted to sell and close this home for over 18 months. Our efforts included making some substantial upgrades to the property as well as to complete the development of the surrounding lots.
You approached our company in May 2007 to conduct a furniture staging along with your own personal occupancy of the home. After the completion of the staging, you cooperated with in an Open House for Realtors, neighbors, and potential buyers. That event was a great success and you contributed to that success with your fine food and hard work.
Shortly after that Open House, a prospective buyer viewed the home and you made the presentation of the home to this buyer. As I understand it, you allowed the buyer and his associates to come in on a number of occasions to view and photograph the home.
I am convinced your furniture staging, cooperation, and marketing experience played a significant role in our ability to sell the home. To that end, if I were faced with another difficult home sale in the future, I would have no hesitation to call you and contract for your professional services.
I wish you the best in the future. Please feel free to have any future prospects contact me regarding your superb abilities.
Sincerely,
THE PEMTOM LAND COMPANY
Daniel J. Herbst
President
952-937-0716
Hi Cindy.........I have tried to phone you today, Jennifer & I have made an offer to Steve & his wife to purchase our show home and they have accepted our purchase offer. Jan Rome has brokered the deal for us and we will be closing on February 1st 2008. I am sorry that we are leaving Showhomes as you have made this 4-year experience very enjoyable. We are still attracted to staying in the program, but we feel that this was a good opportunity to get on to the property ladder here in Minneapolis. We can say that if it wasn't for the Showhome program together with your good management and friendship, we would not have saved over $40,000 towards our deposit during the last 4-years working as home managers. This program has certainly helped us to save money and close on this 4-year old custom home.
Yours Gratefully,
Chris & Jennifer
Yours Gratefully,
Chris & Jennifer
This was broadcast on December 14th, 2007
It was an excellent way to show what we do for a seller, realtor and home manager. http://wcco.com/video/?id=34255@wcco.dayport.com
It was an excellent way to show what we do for a seller, realtor and home manager. http://wcco.com/video/?id=34255@wcco.dayport.com
Cindy offers an incredibly valuable service that effectively adds emotional appeal to the homes I market. Her work significantly raised the property value for my sellers. The phenomenal services she provided were deeper and richer than any home stager I've worked with in the past. Cindy has added value and continued success to my work as a realtor.
- Cotty Lowry, Keller Williams
- Cotty Lowry, Keller Williams
Greetings,
Buyer very much liked this condo right off Lake of the Isles.
The first level - while not overly large - is warm and inviting. The one pocket
door to the den off the living room was stuck. Kitchen is good size - though
they would redo it to maximize cabinets and ???
The upper level really blew this client away. They were quite impressed by all
the quirky little nooks and spaces - and would probably put in a washer-dryer
where the sink was on this level.
Staging: - whoever is living in this unit right now did a fantastic job in
maximizing its appeal. There is alot of space here - and the entire unit is
staged perfectly. They should receive a bonus at point of sale.
Overall - they liked this unit.
Buyer very much liked this condo right off Lake of the Isles.
The first level - while not overly large - is warm and inviting. The one pocket
door to the den off the living room was stuck. Kitchen is good size - though
they would redo it to maximize cabinets and ???
The upper level really blew this client away. They were quite impressed by all
the quirky little nooks and spaces - and would probably put in a washer-dryer
where the sink was on this level.
Staging: - whoever is living in this unit right now did a fantastic job in
maximizing its appeal. There is alot of space here - and the entire unit is
staged perfectly. They should receive a bonus at point of sale.
Overall - they liked this unit.
We wanted to tell you that Pat Hermann was certainly a joy to work with. She was wonderful about short notices, the home was always ready for showing and she always kept Tom and I so well informed of everything. Just wanted you to know that. I thank you, also, for that Realtor's Open that you so graciously did for us - the cooking and the support and letting other offices know about our open - I was very impressed with all you had to offer. This has been the toughest market I have been in and can't wait till things turn around. Hope you and your business is doing well and I look forward to the possibility of working with you again.
Thanks very much.
Mary Winters
Thanks very much.
Mary Winters
NASHVILLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 13, 2008--
NASA-funded scientists have proven that lightening really can strike the same place twice. The chance of this happening though is a very rare occurrence. But earning the Showhomes Franchise Corporation's Top Design Award for two years is a row is in no way a freak act of nature. It is the result of a lot of hard work and dedication!
Showhomes Franchise Corporation held their Annual Gathering earlier this year at Union Station Hotel in Nashville. Several men and women were honored for their 2007 successes.
Cindy Montgomery, Minneapolis, Minnesota franchise owner, earned the 2007 Showhomes Top Design Award for presenting the highest product quality and excellence in design and Home Staging. This award places Montgomery among the best and most successful Home Stagers in the real estate industry nationwide.
Home Staging refers to helping homeowners and their Realtors transform a vacant house for sale into a fully furnished home full of life that attracts buyers and commands top dollar in the marketplace. Showhomes is America's largest home staging company and with 25 units, has been in operation since 1986 and has helped sell over 25,000 homes worth well over 8 billion. Showhomes' Top Design Award is one of the highest awards given in the Home Staging Industry.
"We strive for excellence in our marketplace creating visually appealing homes to potential buyers," said Montgomery. "We work as a team of professional designers and stagers on each home."
This is the second year in a row Montgomery's franchise has earned this honor. "This is in my opinion one of the best awards to be honored with," beamed Montgomery. "In our competitive market we have to show above the rest. Utilizing basic strategies of design (e.g. color, balance, great furnishings, texture and style) is what it takes to be on the cutting edge. When the home looks above the rest it's sold before the rest."
Montgomery's franchise also earned the award for Most Homes Sold in 2007 and a 2007 President's Club Award for high revenue growth.
"Cindy is one of the preeminent Home Stagers and designers in the country. The proof of her effectiveness is in the results she brings for her clients. Despite a lagging market, homes Showhomes staged with Home Managers in the Minneapolis market beat local market conditions by a large margin. The secret to this success is exceptionally high product quality and fine attention to detail. We are happy to have Cindy working in our organization and the home owners and Realtors of Minneapolis are lucky to have such a highly qualified service available to them," said Showhomes Franchise Corporation CEO Bert Lyles.
About Showhomes
Since its founding in 1986, Showhomes has helped realtors and homeowners sell more than 25,000 homes worth more than $8 billion across the United States by transforming high-end vacant houses into valuable homes. The Showhomes business model is based on the fact that well-furnished homes kept in show-to-sell condition sell faster, and for higher prices, than vacant houses. Showhomes provides homeowners and their realtors a turnkey package that includes whole-house furnishing, professional decorating, staging, a live-in home manager and marketing support services. Showhomes is the only nationally franchised Home Staging Company. For franchise opportunities, please visit www.showhomes.com.
Photos available for this release:
Cindy Montgomery, Minneapolis Showhomes Home Stager
To view photos, go to www.enewsrelease.com/pressroom and enter
Release ID: 137416
CONTACT: Showhomes Franchise Corporation
Thomas Scott, 615-483-4923
Executive Vice President
tscott@showhomes.com
or
Showhomes Minneapolis
Cindy Montgomery, 612-226-8044
cmontgomery@showhomes.com
SOURCE: Showhomes
Copyright Business Wire 2008
NASA-funded scientists have proven that lightening really can strike the same place twice. The chance of this happening though is a very rare occurrence. But earning the Showhomes Franchise Corporation's Top Design Award for two years is a row is in no way a freak act of nature. It is the result of a lot of hard work and dedication!
Showhomes Franchise Corporation held their Annual Gathering earlier this year at Union Station Hotel in Nashville. Several men and women were honored for their 2007 successes.
Cindy Montgomery, Minneapolis, Minnesota franchise owner, earned the 2007 Showhomes Top Design Award for presenting the highest product quality and excellence in design and Home Staging. This award places Montgomery among the best and most successful Home Stagers in the real estate industry nationwide.
Home Staging refers to helping homeowners and their Realtors transform a vacant house for sale into a fully furnished home full of life that attracts buyers and commands top dollar in the marketplace. Showhomes is America's largest home staging company and with 25 units, has been in operation since 1986 and has helped sell over 25,000 homes worth well over 8 billion. Showhomes' Top Design Award is one of the highest awards given in the Home Staging Industry.
"We strive for excellence in our marketplace creating visually appealing homes to potential buyers," said Montgomery. "We work as a team of professional designers and stagers on each home."
This is the second year in a row Montgomery's franchise has earned this honor. "This is in my opinion one of the best awards to be honored with," beamed Montgomery. "In our competitive market we have to show above the rest. Utilizing basic strategies of design (e.g. color, balance, great furnishings, texture and style) is what it takes to be on the cutting edge. When the home looks above the rest it's sold before the rest."
Montgomery's franchise also earned the award for Most Homes Sold in 2007 and a 2007 President's Club Award for high revenue growth.
"Cindy is one of the preeminent Home Stagers and designers in the country. The proof of her effectiveness is in the results she brings for her clients. Despite a lagging market, homes Showhomes staged with Home Managers in the Minneapolis market beat local market conditions by a large margin. The secret to this success is exceptionally high product quality and fine attention to detail. We are happy to have Cindy working in our organization and the home owners and Realtors of Minneapolis are lucky to have such a highly qualified service available to them," said Showhomes Franchise Corporation CEO Bert Lyles.
About Showhomes
Since its founding in 1986, Showhomes has helped realtors and homeowners sell more than 25,000 homes worth more than $8 billion across the United States by transforming high-end vacant houses into valuable homes. The Showhomes business model is based on the fact that well-furnished homes kept in show-to-sell condition sell faster, and for higher prices, than vacant houses. Showhomes provides homeowners and their realtors a turnkey package that includes whole-house furnishing, professional decorating, staging, a live-in home manager and marketing support services. Showhomes is the only nationally franchised Home Staging Company. For franchise opportunities, please visit www.showhomes.com.
Photos available for this release:
Cindy Montgomery, Minneapolis Showhomes Home Stager
To view photos, go to www.enewsrelease.com/pressroom and enter
Release ID: 137416
CONTACT: Showhomes Franchise Corporation
Thomas Scott, 615-483-4923
Executive Vice President
tscott@showhomes.com
or
Showhomes Minneapolis
Cindy Montgomery, 612-226-8044
cmontgomery@showhomes.com
SOURCE: Showhomes
Copyright Business Wire 2008
"You are a rock star!!!!!!!!!" House under contract waiting for inspection - closing on 24th of April. Thank you!! HENDRIE GRANT
http://www.mspmag.com/homes/features/million-dollarhomes/67886.asp
March 19, 2008
Dear Cindy,
I want to thank you personally for all of your time, energy, and professionalism that went into staging my home. I need to share with you and your potential future clients my success story and how you helped me!
I designed and built a custom luxury home with over 7000 square feet. It appraised at over $1,300,000.00. During the process of listing my home on the MLS and marketing the home for sale, I was referred to Cindy for her services. Cindy consulted with me on my options and her recommendations for the staging of my home. She had many great ideas and listened to my needs. She structured a staging program that best fit my unique situation. I ended up with a program where I paid a consulting fee for her services to shop for and stage my home. It was in my best interest to actually purchase all of the furniture and accessories since the real estate market was slowing down and I also planned on living in the home while it was listed for sale. With Cindy's guidance we were able to design and furnish the home to show its true potential and value. Within 6 months from the time the staging was completed I had an acceptable offer along with the sale of most all of the furniture and accessories used to stage the home.
I highly recommend the services of Showhomes for the marketing and staging of your home. If you would like to use my name as a reference please have your future clients give me a call at 952-994-2494.
Sincerely,
Scott L. Meyer, President
Minnesota Statewide, Inc.
952-994-2494
Dear Showhomes-Minneapolis,
Thanks Showhomes, here is our story.
We sold our townhouse/office - quickly in 2007 with Showhomes. In 2008 we decided it was time to move down south and needed to sell our main residence. Cindy went out of her way to make the whole transition as easy as possible. It would have been difficult to manage a rental or an empty house from 1200 miles away. Showhomes took that hassle away from our busy lives so we could enjoy our new city without Minnesota house worries, knowing that your house was being shown to prospective buyers in "Showhomes" condition. Our house manager was gracious and wonderful to work with. We believe he went above and beyond the call of duty. This is a difficult sellers market and your home must be lived in and stand out from the rest. It was beautifully decorated and kept. Once again, we would highly recommend to anyone selling their home to consider the services that Showhomes-Minneapolis provides.
Damon & Lisa Nelson
Home Owners
damonnelson@gmail.com
Eden Prairie, MN
Thanks Showhomes, here is our story.
We sold our townhouse/office - quickly in 2007 with Showhomes. In 2008 we decided it was time to move down south and needed to sell our main residence. Cindy went out of her way to make the whole transition as easy as possible. It would have been difficult to manage a rental or an empty house from 1200 miles away. Showhomes took that hassle away from our busy lives so we could enjoy our new city without Minnesota house worries, knowing that your house was being shown to prospective buyers in "Showhomes" condition. Our house manager was gracious and wonderful to work with. We believe he went above and beyond the call of duty. This is a difficult sellers market and your home must be lived in and stand out from the rest. It was beautifully decorated and kept. Once again, we would highly recommend to anyone selling their home to consider the services that Showhomes-Minneapolis provides.
Damon & Lisa Nelson
Home Owners
damonnelson@gmail.com
Eden Prairie, MN
Cindy,
Being a high end builder in a competitive market we had to consider all of our options. We entered into contract (reluctantly) with Showhomes. At first we had our home minimally “staged” by another staging company. After months of expensive monthly fees, and NO SALE we had to stop the “bleeding”. Once we grasped the idea of Showhomes and heard that the fees were due at closing we allowed Showhomes to completely design our new home to detail – we were extremely impressed beyond belief! Showhomes does not do simple staging – they are all about style and personality of the space, texture and design for the entire home – EVERYTHING!!. The furniture they used was perfect for our home, it complimented the style, showed off the woodwork, trim and the great features of the property.
Previous to Showhomes one concern that was always relayed to us during showings was too many windows toward the street for people to see inside. This was not an issue with this team, they brought in huge trees, hip furnishings and fantastic accessories for EVERY room!! The complaints were replaced with compliments.
We entered into contract on July 17th, 2008 – we were staged within five days and a firm Purchase Agreement on 8/27/08. We plan to show off our work as well as Showhomes work throughout the Parade of Homes and then will close early September.
Thank you Showhomes for a job well done! We will work with you in the future on all of our vacant listings and most definitely give you the high five for future referrals.
Shane Walgamuth
Shane Homes, Inc.
3925 Excelsior Blvd., Suite 5
Minneapolis, MN 55416
Phone 952.546.1904
Fax 952.544.0356
Cell 612.578.0900
shane@shanehomesinc.com
www.shanehomesinc.com
Being a high end builder in a competitive market we had to consider all of our options. We entered into contract (reluctantly) with Showhomes. At first we had our home minimally “staged” by another staging company. After months of expensive monthly fees, and NO SALE we had to stop the “bleeding”. Once we grasped the idea of Showhomes and heard that the fees were due at closing we allowed Showhomes to completely design our new home to detail – we were extremely impressed beyond belief! Showhomes does not do simple staging – they are all about style and personality of the space, texture and design for the entire home – EVERYTHING!!. The furniture they used was perfect for our home, it complimented the style, showed off the woodwork, trim and the great features of the property.
Previous to Showhomes one concern that was always relayed to us during showings was too many windows toward the street for people to see inside. This was not an issue with this team, they brought in huge trees, hip furnishings and fantastic accessories for EVERY room!! The complaints were replaced with compliments.
We entered into contract on July 17th, 2008 – we were staged within five days and a firm Purchase Agreement on 8/27/08. We plan to show off our work as well as Showhomes work throughout the Parade of Homes and then will close early September.
Thank you Showhomes for a job well done! We will work with you in the future on all of our vacant listings and most definitely give you the high five for future referrals.
Shane Walgamuth
Shane Homes, Inc.
3925 Excelsior Blvd., Suite 5
Minneapolis, MN 55416
Phone 952.546.1904
Fax 952.544.0356
Cell 612.578.0900
shane@shanehomesinc.com
www.shanehomesinc.com
CHECK OUT THE RECIPE AND VIDEO CLIP ON THE LINK AND RECEIVE RECIPE!
BARRON: Recipe for Shrimp-Linguini with Asparagus
Art with lot's of help from Cindy Montgomery
Art's prepared plate
Vineeta tasting her Smoke Salmon Stuffed Pepper
Art with the Shrimp-Linguini and Asparagus plate
Art and Vineeta at the Home and Garden Show
Two bags of pre-cooked linguini, two bundles of asparagus, 50 count Tiger shrimp de-veined and tails off, uncooked. A stick of butter. A bottle of sweetened chicken chili sauce. Olive Oil. Sautee the shrimp with a quarter of the bottle of sweetened chicken chili sauce...
Boil linguini with a couple tablespoons of olive oil... set aside in a big dish, in same big sauce pan, add a couple table spoons of butter, dash of salt, pepper.
Add a cup of the chili sauce to the shrimp...let it marinate. Cook the chopped asparagus only for a few minutes, don't overcook. Take it out, set aside. Now pour in all of the shrimp into the saucepan under a medium flame or electric setting..... in a few minutes the shrimp will turn pink.. put it in another bowl. Turn off the burner and put the pasta in the sauce pan ..and about a half bottle of the chili sauce, and let it soak up the juices. Finally, put pasta on a large plate, pour the shrimp over it and place the asparagus on it. Now you have a tasty entree.
Enjoy!
Art Barron
p.s. let me know how it turns out
BARRON: Recipe for Shrimp-Linguini with Asparagus
Art with lot's of help from Cindy Montgomery
Art's prepared plate
Vineeta tasting her Smoke Salmon Stuffed Pepper
Art with the Shrimp-Linguini and Asparagus plate
Art and Vineeta at the Home and Garden Show
Two bags of pre-cooked linguini, two bundles of asparagus, 50 count Tiger shrimp de-veined and tails off, uncooked. A stick of butter. A bottle of sweetened chicken chili sauce. Olive Oil. Sautee the shrimp with a quarter of the bottle of sweetened chicken chili sauce...
Boil linguini with a couple tablespoons of olive oil... set aside in a big dish, in same big sauce pan, add a couple table spoons of butter, dash of salt, pepper.
Add a cup of the chili sauce to the shrimp...let it marinate. Cook the chopped asparagus only for a few minutes, don't overcook. Take it out, set aside. Now pour in all of the shrimp into the saucepan under a medium flame or electric setting..... in a few minutes the shrimp will turn pink.. put it in another bowl. Turn off the burner and put the pasta in the sauce pan ..and about a half bottle of the chili sauce, and let it soak up the juices. Finally, put pasta on a large plate, pour the shrimp over it and place the asparagus on it. Now you have a tasty entree.
Enjoy!
Art Barron
p.s. let me know how it turns out
Dear Cindy-
Less than four months ago my brothers and myself pulled our childhood home off the market because we were not getting anywhere with selling it. Disappointed in our current realtor and with the market in general we decided to go a "different" direction.
A couple weeks later we interviewed many realtors. We used our first experience as a learning experience and came up with many questions for this new group of realtors. The one question that Patrick was able to answer differently and completely above the rest was " what are you going to offer us that will get my mother's house sold that is different from all the other realtors wanting our business"? His answer was "Show Homes".
At this time I want to thank you and Patrick for the great job of ultimately selling my mother's house. I truly believe the staging service and home management service you offer is what brought so many people thru the door in this slow housing market. This exposure is what sold the house. The home management service eased our minds about the upkeep of a vacant house and keeping it "show ready".
I have no doubts that if we had not made the decision to use Show Homes our house would still be on the market. My only regret is that we did not do this 1 year ago when we started the whole process.
Again,
thank you so very much for professionalism and valuable service Show Homes offer,
Amy Borg
Less than four months ago my brothers and myself pulled our childhood home off the market because we were not getting anywhere with selling it. Disappointed in our current realtor and with the market in general we decided to go a "different" direction.
A couple weeks later we interviewed many realtors. We used our first experience as a learning experience and came up with many questions for this new group of realtors. The one question that Patrick was able to answer differently and completely above the rest was " what are you going to offer us that will get my mother's house sold that is different from all the other realtors wanting our business"? His answer was "Show Homes".
At this time I want to thank you and Patrick for the great job of ultimately selling my mother's house. I truly believe the staging service and home management service you offer is what brought so many people thru the door in this slow housing market. This exposure is what sold the house. The home management service eased our minds about the upkeep of a vacant house and keeping it "show ready".
I have no doubts that if we had not made the decision to use Show Homes our house would still be on the market. My only regret is that we did not do this 1 year ago when we started the whole process.
Again,
thank you so very much for professionalism and valuable service Show Homes offer,
Amy Borg
Dear Showhomes-Minneapolis,
Many thanks to Cindy and Jamie for walking us through the Showhomes experience. We considered quite a few options for selling our townhouse including leaving it vacant. Finally, we decided that Showhomes would do the best job marketing the "show" of our property. They did not disappoint as our townhouse sold in less than 60 days in a slow and difficult market. It was spectacularly decorated and kept. The house manager was gracious and wonderful to work with. Our investment return was maximized because of Showhomes experience and quality service. We would highly recommend to anyone selling their home to consider the services that Showhomes-Minneapolis provides.
Damon & Lisa Nelson
Home Owners
Eden Prairie, MN
Many thanks to Cindy and Jamie for walking us through the Showhomes experience. We considered quite a few options for selling our townhouse including leaving it vacant. Finally, we decided that Showhomes would do the best job marketing the "show" of our property. They did not disappoint as our townhouse sold in less than 60 days in a slow and difficult market. It was spectacularly decorated and kept. The house manager was gracious and wonderful to work with. Our investment return was maximized because of Showhomes experience and quality service. We would highly recommend to anyone selling their home to consider the services that Showhomes-Minneapolis provides.
Damon & Lisa Nelson
Home Owners
Eden Prairie, MN
Our home was a 1.5-story “starter home” not a million dollar mansion. In this market, I think you want every possible advantage on your side. We were happy to make the investment in Showhomes because it felt like we were doing something proactive instead of just sitting around waiting for our house to sell.
Before we put our home on the market, we painted every room, re-surfaced the wood floors, put in kitchen tile and made lots of other small updates. The home was empty and though we had consistent showings, we didn’t receive a single offer for three months. We took the house off the market, made a modest price change and hired Cindy Montgomery of Showhomes.
We put our house back on the market and had an offer the next day.
Cindy and her team did an outstanding job designing and furnishing the entire house so that a buyer could see how much space there was, how the space could work, and really picture themselves living there. Every room was charming.
I would hands-down recommend working with Showhomes no matter what size home you’re selling. In fact, I already have been—every time someone asks, “Did you sell the house yet?”
Megan Maynor
Edina, MN
Before we put our home on the market, we painted every room, re-surfaced the wood floors, put in kitchen tile and made lots of other small updates. The home was empty and though we had consistent showings, we didn’t receive a single offer for three months. We took the house off the market, made a modest price change and hired Cindy Montgomery of Showhomes.
We put our house back on the market and had an offer the next day.
Cindy and her team did an outstanding job designing and furnishing the entire house so that a buyer could see how much space there was, how the space could work, and really picture themselves living there. Every room was charming.
I would hands-down recommend working with Showhomes no matter what size home you’re selling. In fact, I already have been—every time someone asks, “Did you sell the house yet?”
Megan Maynor
Edina, MN
“Our last home sold 2 days after being staged by Cindy. She does an amazing job maximizing the strengths and minimizing the weaknesses of a home. She’s very talented with color and décor. I would really recommend to anyone with an empty house on the market to have it staged. It makes all the difference.” Leah H. Chanhassen