New Franchisee Yasmin Buale Signs on to Bring Showhomes to the Central Denver Market

Franchisee Yasmin Buale is bringing her love of design to the home staging world. Thanks to Buale, Showhomes, America’s largest home staging franchise, will now have a presence in Central Denver, Colorado — specifically Central Park (previously Stapelton) and Northfield. 

Showhomes was founded in 1986 and has since helped realtors and homeowners sell more than 30,000 residential properties worth more than $10 billion. The brand offers franchisees four different revenue streams: vacant home staging, home restyles, home updating and executive home staging. Today, Showhomes has nearly 60 offices in 18 states with plenty of hot markets available for franchising opportunities.

Buale, who has an extensive background in the hospitality and retail industry, decided to look into franchising for a career pivot after COVID-19 made her realize she wanted the opportunity to fulfill her dream of owning a business. She worked with a franchise consultant, who evaluated Buale’s interests, ultimately suggesting Showhomes as an ideal option.

“When COVID-19 happened, I decided to look into starting my own business and taking control of my future,” said Buale. “I was a stylist at Nordstrom for a while, and I knew I wanted to enter the design world. When my franchise coach suggested Showhomes, I immediately knew that it was the right fit.”

Buale interviewed with Showhomes COO, Matt Kelton, to discuss everything about the opportunity to make sure that the partnership would work. It was clear that Showhomes offered a strong operating system, diverse revenue streams and a proven business model, along with incredible leadership expertise. She purchased the franchise on July 3 and immediately started training, including enrollment in the brand’s online university to become a certified home designer.

“The Showhomes team has been so incredibly supportive throughout the whole process,” said Buale. “The leadership team is very hands-on and I’ve received a thorough education on every part of the business. I was set up with a director of operations who helped me oversee the business, marketing, PR and more. The support really made me believe in the company.”

Showhomes has also adapted this support infrastructure in response to COVID-19, in part, by ramping up its marketing support and digital efforts. The brand now offers virtual consultations and electronic proposals. Showhomes has introduced a customizable online quoting tool and provided its franchise system with an enterprise version of Zoom to allow for seamless video conferences. The leadership team is also focused on franchisee communication and making sure everyone is up-to-date on what’s happening in their market. 

Buale plans on opening remotely in the beginning of October and recently hired the first member of her team. As Buale points out, she is confident that the Central Denver area will be perfect for the Showhomes model. 

“Despite COVID, business and real estate is very hot right now in Denver and many builders and contractors are moving here,” she said. “People in this area are looking to handle home updates or prepare their home for when the market kicks back up, which is our bread and butter. While buying a franchise in the middle of a pandemic could seem like a risk, I’ve had so much confidence from day one because we offer an essential service and sales are continuing to rise systemwide.”

Buale also notes that Central Denver home prices have continued to go up and that luxury home staging is becoming more popular as homeowners look for ways to elevate their space to fit those rising price points. In the territory that Buale will serve, there are over 54,000 homes. 

“I live in the Central Park area and I am very familiar with the community, including realtors, builders and homeowners,” said Buale. “I couldn’t be more excited to bring Showhomes to my community and slowly expand throughout Denver over the next couple of years.”

The startup costs for a Showhomes franchise ranges from $85,600 – $164,500. This includes $49,900 that must be paid to the franchisor or an affiliate. To learn more about franchising with Showhomes, visit https://showhomesfranchise.com/