Every successful partnership, especially one between a franchisor and a franchisee, requires setting clear expectations, maintaining regular communication, and distributing monetary assets as per the deal. The importance of the franchisor-franchisee relationship in franchising cannot be emphasised enough. It’s the dynamic that determines whether a unit succeeds or fails, and, as a result, the franchise system’s overall viability. Be it for brand recognition, an existing customer base, or a strong support network, none of these benefits guarantee your success without a healthy franchisor and franchisee relationship. One company that has made it its mission to help franchisees succeed is Renovation Sells, founded by Michael Valente, CEO.
Michael is a licenced general contractor and real estate broker. In his professional career, he has completed more than 500 client construction projects, worked with luxury designers, and bought and sold properties. He founded Renovation Sells in the year 2018. Since July 2021, it has signed 18 franchise owners and 35 territories. As a globally renowned pre-sale renovation expert, Renovation Sells designs and produces cosmetic improvements, resulting in quicker, higher-priced home sales. It’s a realtor’s trusted design and construction partner for getting a move-in-ready look. “We are one of the first businesses to focus exclusively on pre-sale renovations,” says Michael. Locally owned and operated, with locations across the United States, Renovation Sells executes affordable pre-sale renovations with the customized design that today’s buyers demand, all without the high-end cost, effort, or timetable. On average, projects are completed in as little as three weeks at approximately $27,000. Renovation Sells is committed to providing Realtors and their home sellers with fast, beautiful, turnkey renovations carried out by someone they know and trust.
Maintaining Relationships
As Michael mentions, “Real estate is a relationship-based industry, so to succeed you need to build strong relationships with the connectors of your community.” The motive of the company is to offer top-notch services to its clients. It focuses solely on pre-sale renovations; it has completed hundreds of pre-sale renovations to date, has locations across the country, and focuses on simple, high-quality, modern designs. They admire working with people who possess an artistic mentality. The company comprehends the market from every aspect—the homebuyer, seller, realtor, and tradesman, and can provide solutions that benefit everyone that is involved.
Michael states that the majority of its work is done directly with realtors. Thus, the company instils in its franchisees the value of relationships in this business and supports them with tools and materials that help share the business with realtors in their local markets. Michael says, “If you can’t bet on yourself, who can you bet on?” Further, he states that being an entrepreneur is always a risk, but if you have a vision for how you can make an impact, it’s worth taking a chance on yourself to make that happen. He cares the most about working with high-quality people because he believes, regardless of industry or service, the people you work with make all the difference.
"Real estate is a relationship-based industry, so to succeed you need to build strong relationships with the connectors of your community."
Climbing the stairs of success
Renovation Sells was not founded with the intention of becoming a franchise. In its second year of operation in Chicago, Michael and his team saw a 310 percent increase in sales as word spread. This expansion continued into 2020, when, despite a pandemic that brought the economy to a halt, the company saw another 20% year-over-year increase in sales. They quickly realised that there was a demand for making homes ‘Instagram-worthy’ regardless of the nature of the market. Thus, he and his team decided to turn its concept into a franchise and allow people around the country to experience the benefits of Renovation Sells.
Michael asserts, “It can’t be ‘Amazoned’ or turned into an app. It’s built on trust. It is refreshing, fast-paced, and ever-evolving, and the Renovation Sells team is excited about revolutionizing it with more effective, efficient solutions, while always prioritizing the heart of the industry—its people.” Therefore, when offering franchises, the company seeks people who are good at making relationships, are great at networking sales, and are good project managers. These franchise owners are provided with the technology they need to complete projects efficiently and beautifully and the networking tools to connect with realtors in their community. “We have built and streamlined all the systems for pre-sale home construction,” says Michael.
Despite dominating the franchise industry, the company maintains a low profile in order to focus on its services. “Since we didn’t set out to franchise, we believe that doing what we do best will differentiate us,” says Michael.
Future plans
Michael asserts that, according to Zillow.com, there will be a “Silver Tsunami” in the housing market in the next 20 years. There will be 20 million homes being listed in the upcoming 10 years, which will increase the supply. He adds, “Homes will need to be updated to keep up with the HGTV/TikTok culture that wants move-in-ready homes reminiscent of the ones they see on their phone.” To be at the forefront of such development, Renovation Sells is focusing on expanding its franchise in order to target as many markets as possible across the country. He believes that the company’s model makes selling a home a much more rewarding experience, so that sellers and real estate agents can be confident that they are not losing money and are getting the best return on their home improvement investment.
Going forward, Michael desires that the franchise would keep growing robustly and adapt to technology for better results. He plans for his company to be a premier pre-sale renovation brand, changing the way real estate is sold in communities across the country. All along, he aims to maintain the three core values on which the company has laid the foundation—Keep it Simple, Pride in Design, and Relationships Above All Else.
