By: Matt Emma
John Pecchia has spent more than two decades helping people buy and sell homes across Minnesota and Wisconsin, and in that time, he has learned that selling a house is rarely just about the house. It is about the worry that comes with it. The questions about what to fix, what to leave alone, and whether the money spent on repairs will ever come back. John leads Welcome Home Co., a team that approaches real estate a little differently than most. He is a licensed Contractor as well as a Real Estate Broker, which means he sees a home the way a builder does, not just the way a salesperson might.
Around him is a small group of people who each carry a piece of the work, from design and staging to project management and the steady paperwork that keeps a deal moving. Together, they handle the parts of selling that tend to overwhelm people, the updates and the timing, and the decisions that feel impossible to make alone. The goal is simple. Help clients prepare a home properly and sell it for what it is worth. For John, that is the point.
A Different Way to Look at a Home
When you work with Welcome Home Co., you get more than a Real Estate Broker. You also get a licensed Contractor, an Interior Designer, and a Project Manager, all working on the same sale. John says the difference shows up in the details. The team takes care of prelisting updates, whether that means a fresh coat of paint, new fixtures, or larger renovations, so a home stands out when it hits the market. What surprises many sellers is the cost. The team works to keep these improvements manageable for a range of budgets, and in most cases, the work is paid for from the proceeds at closing. “We don’t just help you buy or sell,” John explained. “We help you lift your investment to the next level.”
The Problems Clients Bring Through the Door
Most people who call John are stuck on the same questions. Which improvements will actually raise the value of the home? Is there time to manage repairs before listing? Is there enough cash to cover updates and staging? Many worry about leaving money on the table by selling a home as-is, while others simply feel overwhelmed and unsure where to begin. The team’s answer is to take the project off the client’s plate. They manage the work from start to finish, offer design and staging guidance, and help sellers avoid spending money where it will not matter. “We focus on maximizing net proceeds,” the team said. In an already stressful situation, that focus matters.
The People Behind the Work
The team is small enough that everyone knows their role. Kate Smalkoski is the Associate Broker, Stager, and Designer, licensed since 2013, and the person who shapes how a home feels once buyers walk through it. Tony Muscala, licensed since 2010, works as a Licensed Real Estate Agent and Project Manager, keeping renovations on track and on budget. Jennifer Reed has handled Transaction Coordination since 2016, managing the paperwork and deadlines that can quietly derail a sale. They are also, by their own admission, human. Kate cries on Disney rides. Tony’s favorite movie is The Notebook. Jennifer has seen 130 Phish shows. John, for his part, will find, fix, and hoard just about any vacuum cleaner.
Five Hundred Deals and Counting
The numbers tell their own story. The team recently closed its 500th deal, and John expects to reach 600 by the end of 2026. They have also hired a new Buyer Specialist. Still, John is careful not to let the milestones become the message. The deals matter because each one was a person trusting the team with something large, often the biggest financial decision of their life. That is the part he keeps coming back to.
What Trust Looks Like in Practice
Ask John what holds the work together, and the answer is steadiness. Clients need people who will guide their decisions, coordinate the work, and tell them the truth about what a home needs. The whole model rests on that trust, because asking someone to spend money before a sale, even money paid back at closing, requires it. The reward is a home that stands out in a competitive market and a seller who feels confident in how the sale was handled.
After more than twenty years, John still treats each sale as its own project, with its own people and its own worries to settle. The team does not promise miracles. It promises to show up, do the work, and leave clients better off than they found them.
