St. Catharines, Ontario – May 16, 2012 – Christine Rae, President of CSP International Business Training Academy, a Home Staging Training and Real Estate Strategy company, recently joined a select group of the world’s leading real estate experts to co-author the book, Sold! The World’s Leading Real Estate Experts Reveal The Secrets to Selling Your Home for Top Dollar in Record Time!. The book was released by CelebrityPress™ – a leading business book publisher.

Sold! The World’s Leading Real Estate Experts Reveal The Secrets to Selling Your Home for Top Dollar in Record Time! was released on Thursday, May 10^th, 2012 and features proven secrets and strategies from some of the world’s leading real estate experts.  These experts share how to realize maximum sales and profits in an uncertain real estate environment. Christine Rae contributed a chapter titled “Real Estate Marketing Secret ‘Smoking Gun’.”

On the day of release, Sold! reached best-seller status in five Amazon.com categories – reaching #1 in two categories: Real Estate and Buying & Selling.  The book also reached best-seller status in the Marketing, Direct Marketing, and Marketing & Sales categories.

Christine Rae, founder and president of the CSP International™ Business Training Academy, is well-known and well-respected for her work in the Real Estate Staging industry, author of Home Staging for Dummies, a small business growth expert, international speaker, trainer and developer of EcoStaging® Her passion for staging, décor, the green movement and successful entrepreneurial ventures is satisfied with her desire to help people.  Her talents are reflected in the success of the Academy. Christine’s dedication to excellence has developed CSP into an international success and into more than a training program – the CSP International Academy is a sustainable resource for continuing education, professionalism and a support network to its graduates. Christine is also an author of the best-selling business books, The Only Business Book You’ll Ever Need and Trendsetters: The World’s Leading Experts Reveal Top Trends To Help You Achieve Greater Health, Wealth and Success!

From CelebrityPress®:

Regardless of whether you are an experienced salesperson, new to sales, or you wish to review the most contemporary concepts in today’s real estate market, the ideas that these Celebrity Experts® bring to the table will be worth their weight in gold when you read and incorporate them into your daily work-schedule.

After such a successful release, Christine Rae will once again be recognized by The National Academy of Best-Selling Authors™, an organization that honors authors from many of the leading independent best-seller lists.

To order a copy of the book, please go to http://www.celebritypresspublishing.com/publications/sold.php

To learn more about Christine Rae and Certified Staging Professionals, please visit http://www.stagingtraining.com.

About CSP International™ Business Training Academy: 

CSP began as the brainchild of its founder and president, Christine Rae. A long-time corporate executive, Christine began with the CSP program and a goal of bringing her penchant for high standards and business ethics, together with her knowledge of design and the real estate industry to an industry without a map. Her own extensive training came from across North America including New York City, California, Texas and the Carolinas.  From her research Christine knew there was a need for a distinctly different approach to staging. Growing from one course to a complete school with several physical locations and 15 well trained instructors, the CSP program is the leading global source for finding highly trained stagers and is the primary destination for anyone wanting to become a stager, it is the company more real estate agents turn to, on behalf of their clients. They are a Canadian success story for sure but no longer strictly Canadian having expanded to the United States in 2006 and Australia in 2009.  The program has been translated into Mandarin; Global license opportunities currently under review include China, Germany and France.

About the CSP® designation: 

The CSP® designation is recognized by real estate professionals, builders, home stagers, decorators and home sellers for its brand reputation of excellence. The designation identifies home staging consultants who have achieved certification in the staging industry that included quality hands-on training with vigorous testing, apprenticeship, business process and ethics.

About Celebrity Press™:

Celebrity Press™ is a leading business, health and wellness book publisher that publishes books from thought leaders around the world. Celebrity Press™ has published books alongside Jack Canfield, Brian Tracy, Dan Kennedy, Dr. Ivan Misner, Robert Allen and many of the biggest experts across diverse fields. CelebrityPress™ has helped launch over 500 best-selling authors to date.

Orlando, FL – April 25, 2012 – Christine Rae, President of CSP International™ Business Training Academy, a Home Staging Training and Real Estate Strategy company, recently published a blog on her website (http://www.stagingtraining.com) discussing the home-buying process. The blog, titled “Understand Your Audience: How Men & Women Approach Home-Buying Decisions Differently” evaluates the differing priorities that men and women have while looking for a home.

Christine writes, “The survey offers insight into the very different ways that men and women think and feel about their homes—and therefore, the different ways in which they will approach the home buying process. As a home stager, this information will help you to better understand your audience.”

Certified Staging Professional trains home stagers through a comprehensive course of study that includes 3 days in a classroom, 4 weeks of home study and 6 weeks of hands-on market coaching. CSP is also a resource for Realtors and home sellers to find and hire graduates of this highly accredited staging education program, for assisting them in successfully closing their real estate sale.

The entire blog can be found at http://www.stagingtraining.com/blog/understand-your-audience-how-men-and-women-approach-home-buying-decisions-differently.php

To learn more about Christine Rae and Certified Staging Professional, please visit http://www.stagingtraining.com.

About CSP International™™ Business Training Academy: 

CSP began as the brainchild of its founder and president, Christine Rae. A long-time corporate executive, Christine began with the CSP program and a goal of bringing her penchant for high standards and business ethics, together with her knowledge of design and the real estate industry to an industry without a map. Her own extensive training from across North America includes  New York City, California, Texas and the Carolinas as well as the United Kingdom.  From her research Christine knew there was a need for a distinctly different approach to staging and staging training. Growing from one course to a complete school with several physical locations and a group of well trained instructors, the CSP program is the leading global source for finding highly trained stagers and is the primary destination for anyone wanting to become a stager, it is the company more real estate agents turn to, on behalf of their clients. CSP International™ is a Certified Women’s Business Enterprise having expanded to the United States in 2006 and Australia in 2009.  The program has been translated into Mandarin; Global license opportunities currently under review include China, Germany and France.

About the CSP® designation: 

The CSP® designation is recognized by real estate professionals, builders, home stagers, decorators and home sellers for its brand reputation of excellence. The designation identifies home staging consultants who have achieved certification in the staging industry which included quality hands-on training with vigorous testing, apprenticeship, business process and ethics.

Staging property is not a new idea… it evolved back in the 80’s when mortgage rates hit 21%. Surprised? Staging started in bad economic times?  From 1970 – 1985 there wasn’t a staging industry.  Some real estate practioners “helped” their client by gently suggesting decluttering, repairs and furniture arranging. From 1986 – 2000, influenced by Hollywood, movie prop assistants and other things which were happening in California, more real estate professionals started “helping” clients and the word staging started to be applied to the process.  During this period of high interest rates buyers put their foot down and said “we are not interested in buying tired, worn out properties, trading our old carpet for someone else’s, we don’t want starter homes or ’fixer uppers’ in general”.

Between 2001 -2008 the true formation of the staging industry occurred.  The economy was great, interest rates were low, lots of buyers, investors, entrepreneurs and onslaught reality TV shows all converged to create a paradigm shift of awareness and the birthing of an industry quietly happened. Property was merchandised just like any other commodity; buyers were happy to pay more money for move-in ready properties.  The acceptance and expectation levels which staging brought to the process of selling during this time will never go away. Savvy stagers marketed to savvy real estate professionals. The symbiotic relationship resulted in great business, great income and an unparalleled growth in reputation and referrals. The challenge of those prosperous times was that many people started a business when the going was easy; now times are more challenging… and it’s really a time for the tough to get going. When bombarded with doom and gloom forecasts every moment, “chicken little syndrome” is easy to adopt for sure. It’s easy to give up…staying in business is the challenge, those who can adapt, adopt new trends and make things happen will be greatly rewarded when the turn- around happens – and history tells us it will – it always does!

What CSP International™ is doing!

The economy crash in late 2008 couldn’t stop our plans!  In January 2009 we opened the 4000sf CSP International™ Business Training Academy in St. Catharines, Ontario; a continuing education centre for real estate professionals, staging consultants and business owners. We realize in tight times people still need service, but the service needs to be more specialized.  We engaged subject matter experts in a variety of pertinent subjects, built an outstanding team of instructors across North America so business people can acquire the specialized skills necessary to do business in today’s economic climate.  For example, the business of GREEN is projected to be a $500 billion industry by the end of 2012 so it is vitally important for realtors, stagers, investors and business owners to ensure a component of green marketing, knowledge and skills is part of their business and marketing plans. Also February 09 we opened a division of CSP in Australia… a country which wasn’t staging

Also in January 2011 CSP International™ Academy launched the International Masters program – open to ALL Stagers across the world.  The simple message to consumer being education is important so I can bring you the latest knowledge and skills available.  We also responded to a missing link in the industry – that of educating agents how to work with stagers.  A real estate professional survey we conducted in 2007 08 and 09 when we learned 98% of real estate professionals believe staging is a crucial step in the process of selling property but less than 20% had done anything about it.  Lack of knowledge and know-how of process were cited as the main reasons, so in  May 2012 CSP Elite and CSP Elite affiliate status will again be available to CSP graduates and real estate professionals who want to take their business to the next level.  See more here www.stagingtraining.com

We continue to teach stagers how vitally important it is to bring incomparable savings to the customer as well as build specialty skill sets to mirror those of the real estate people they work with, (vacant, seniors, diversity, color, luxury, commercial, staging for living and the crucially important green/energy awareness for instance).

Research tells us great photos matter because 93% of buyers start their search on the internet, and even though staging evolved from real estate not decorating, it is crucially important to apply the coveted CSP® proprietary design process for building a three dimensional room to provide great photos to real estate practioners. Knowing how to bring a competitive edge to your staging work as well as a process to work in collaboration with agents will help turn this economy around.
For more information call 1 888 STAGING or visit www.stagingtraining.com,

Orlando, FL – April 23, 2012 – Christine Rae, President of CSP International™ Business Training Academy, a Home Staging Training and Real Estate Strategy company, recently published a blog on her website (http://www.stagingtraining.com) offering home staging tips. The blog, titled “Home Staging Secrets: How to Make a Home Feel Welcoming” shares four secrets with her readers.

Christine writes, “When the home feels welcoming, it’s easy for the buyer to envision living there. On the other hand, a home that feels sterile and cold will subconsciously repel the buyer.”

Certified Staging Professional trains home stagers through a comprehensive course of study that includes 3 days in a classroom, 4 weeks of home study and 6 weeks of hands-on market coaching. CSP is also a resource for Realtors and home sellers to find and hire graduates of this highly accredited staging education program, for assisting them in successfully closing their real estate sale.

The entire blog can be found at http://www.stagingtraining.com/blog/home-staging-secrets-how-to-make-a-home-feel-welcoming.php

To learn more about Christine Rae and Certified Staging Professional, please visit http://www.stagingtraining.com.

About CSP International™™ Business Training Academy: 

CSP began as the brainchild of its founder and president, Christine Rae. A long-time corporate executive, Christine began with the CSP program and a goal of bringing her penchant for high standards and business ethics, together with her knowledge of design and the real estate industry to an industry without a map. Her own extensive training from across North America includes New York City, California, Texas and the Carolinas as well as the United Kingdom.  From her research Christine knew there was a need for a distinctly different approach to staging and staging training. Growing from one course to a complete school with several physical locations and a group of well trained instructors, the CSP program is the leading global source for finding highly trained stagers and is the primary destination for anyone wanting to become a stager, it is the company more real estate agents turn to, on behalf of their clients. CSP International™ is a Certified Women’s Business Enterprise having expanded to the United States in 2006 and Australia in 2009.  The program has been translated into Mandarin; Global license opportunities currently under review include China, Germany and France.

About the CSP® designation: 

The CSP® designation is recognized by real estate professionals, builders, home stagers, decorators and home sellers for its brand reputation of excellence. The designation identifies home staging consultants who have achieved certification in the staging industry which included quality hands-on training with vigorous testing, apprenticeship, business process and ethics.

Orlando, FL – April 21, 2012 – Christine Rae, President of CSP International™ Business Training Academy, a Home Staging Training and Real Estate Strategy company, recently published an article on her website (http://www.stagingtraining.com) discussing the process of business growth. The article, titled “Are You Ready for Your Home Staging Business to Grow?” shares four questions that home stagers must be able to answer.

Christine writes, “Now obviously, growth is a good thing! But it can also present challenges that you may not be expecting—and if you aren’t prepared, these challenges will jeopardize the future of your home staging business.”

Certified Staging Professional trains home stagers through a comprehensive course of study that includes 3 days in a classroom, 4 weeks of home study and 6 weeks of hands-on market coaching. CSP is also a resource for Realtors and home sellers to find and hire graduates of this highly accredited staging education program, for assisting them in successfully closing their real estate sale.

The entire article can be found at http://www.stagingtraining.com/articles/are-you-ready-for-your-home-staging-business-to-grow.php

To learn more about Christine Rae and Certified Staging Professional, please visit http://www.stagingtraining.com.

About CSP International™™ Business Training Academy: 

CSP began as the brainchild of its founder and president, Christine Rae. A long-time corporate executive, Christine began with the CSP program and a goal of bringing her penchant for high standards and business ethics, together with her knowledge of design and the real estate industry to an industry without a map. Her own extensive training from across North America includes  New York City, California, Texas and the Carolinas as well as the United Kingdom.  From her research Christine knew there was a need for a distinctly different approach to staging and staging training. Growing from one course to a complete school with several physical locations and a group of well trained instructors, the CSP program is the leading global source for finding highly trained stagers and is the primary destination for anyone wanting to become a stager, it is the company more real estate agents turn to, on behalf of their clients. CSP International™ is a Certified Women’s Business Enterprise having expanded to the United States in 2006 and Australia in 2009.  The program has been translated into Mandarin; Global license opportunities currently under review include China, Germany and France.

About the CSP® designation: 

The CSP® designation is recognized by real estate professionals, builders, home stagers, decorators and home sellers for its brand reputation of excellence. The designation identifies home staging consultants who have achieved certification in the staging industry which included quality hands-on training with vigorous testing, apprenticeship, business process and ethics.

Women Take Charge of Making a House a Home:

• Over half of women (54 percent) say that they take the lead when it comes to decorating.
• However, younger men play a larger role in décor decisions than their older counterparts. Forty-eight (48) percent of younger respondents, age 18-44, say decorating is mutual; this decreases to 36 percent for respondents 55 and over.
• Women also cook it up in the kitchen. Sixty-eight (68) percent of women say they are the “primary chef” for their household. Not to be outdone, some men are also putting on the apron – occasionally.  Nearly a quarter of men (23 percent) say cooking is their job.

Age Changes How Men and Women Feel ‘At Home’

• Sharing financial decisions may get easier over time. Fifty-four (54) percent of people age 18-44 say major financial decisions are mutual, compared to 60 percent of those 45-54. This increases to 70 percent for people 55 and over.
• Interestingly, as age increases, so does contentment with the current status of the home. Almost half (45 percent) of those older than 55 say they are very happy with their home just the way it is, compared to 25 percent of those age 18-44.
• More men seem to be focused on making significant changes to the home (9 percent) compared to women (5 percent).

The article goes on to list several tips for couples seeking to balance their differing priorities:

• Each person should come up with a list of a few things that are most important and then come together as a couple to decide on a list of the top three to five things that are important for the home. 
• When looking for a home, communication is key.  Consider designating a point person for different aspects of the home-buying process, so that information is not delayed or communicated to just one part of the couple.
• Don’t get too many people involved; typically more people means more stress and what is most important is that the couple is happy with the decisions being made.
• Don’t forget to have fun! Remember that this home will be the place to build memories and a life together.

At CSP International™, a primary mission is to provide stagers with the information they need in order to achieve real results for their clients. It’s important that you are aware of the way by which prospective buyers prioritize and make decisions. For more information, or if you’d like to learn more about our services, please feel free to get in touch with us today 905 984 6955 or 1888 STAGING!

Here are four tips to keep in mind:

1)     Smell matters. Smell is one of the first things  a buyer will notice upon entering , whether they realize it or not. If the property smells dirty, musty, smoky, or even too much like the family dog, it’s going to make a negative impression. Air fresheners, candles are not encouraged by stagers so opening the windows is a great way to create an appealing aroma.

2)     Choose neutral colors and furnishings. The objective shouldn’t be to stage a dramatic layout, like what you’d see on a TV set or in a movie. Instead, keep the colors meutral and the layout must maximize flow. Neutral colors and furnishings allow your potential buyers to envision their furniture and their colors… and that’s the goal!

3)     Offer a snack and something to drink. Providing light refreshments is a great way to make your buyer feel welcome; eating and drinking in the kitchen will make it even easier for people to imagine living in the home. Don’t fake the feelings in a house though by baking- it only sends a message of duplicity, as in what smell are you trying to hide.

4)     Clean is good… sterile is not! It is important that the house is clean and orderly. But you also don’t want it to feel like a hospital. Spraying the home down with bleach immediately before the buyer arrives for a meeting won’t help your cause! CSP International™ Academy supports and encourages use of Shaklee “Get Clean” Products. www.followourleed.myshaklee.com proceeds from sales support Women To Women International

At the end of the day, one of the most important things you can do as a home stager is to make the property feel welcoming. These tips will help—contact me today to learn how the CSP® proprietyr 8-7-6-5 process builds a better showcased property!

Orlando, FL – April 10, 2012 – Christine Rae, President of CSP International™ Business Training Academy, a Home Staging Certification and Real Estate Strategy company, recently published a blog on her website (http://www.stagingtraining.com) with staging tips for spring. The blog, titled “Spring Staging Tips” shares practical tips with her audience.

Christine writes, “The weather is starting to thaw for many of us, and flowers are blooming all around. Spring is here—and for home stagers, of course, that means it’s time to move on to spring décor.”

Certified Staging Professional trains home stagers through a comprehensive course of study that includes 3 days in a classroom, 4 weeks of home study and 6 weeks of hands-on market coaching. CSP is also a resource for Realtors and home sellers to find and hire graduates of this highly accredited staging education program, for assisting them in successfully closing their real estate sale.

The entire blog can be found at http://www.stagingtraining.com/blog/spring-staging-tips.php

To learn more about Christine Rae and Certified Staging Professional, please visit http://www.stagingtraining.com.

About CSP International™™ Business Training Academy: 

CSP began as the brainchild of its founder and president, Christine Rae. A long-time corporate executive, Christine began with the CSP program and a goal of bringing her penchant for high standards and business ethics, together with her knowledge of design and the real estate industry to an industry without a map. Her own extensive training from across North America includes  New York City, California, Texas and the Carolinas as well as the United Kingdom.  From her research Christine knew there was a need for a distinctly different approach to staging and staging training. Growing from one course to a complete school with several physical locations and a group of well trained instructors, the CSP program is the leading global source for finding highly trained stagers and is the primary destination for anyone wanting to become a stager, it is the company more real estate agents turn to, on behalf of their clients. CSP International™ is a Certified Women’s Business Enterprise having expanded to the United States in 2006 and Australia in 2009.  The program has been translated into Mandarin; Global license opportunities currently under review include China, Germany and France.

About the CSP® designation: 

The CSP® designation is recognized by real estate professionals, builders, home stagers, decorators and home sellers for its brand reputation of excellence. The designation identifies home staging consultants who have achieved certification in the staging industry which included quality hands-on training with vigorous testing, apprenticeship, business process and ethics.

Here’s the reality: if you continue to apply proven principles and continue to learn from the experts who have “been there and done that”, your business will continue to grow. Now obviously, growth is a good thing! But it can also present challenges that you may not be expecting—and if you aren’t prepared, these challenges will jeopardize the future of your home staging business.

In order to prepare your staging business for growth, here are four questions  you must answer:

1)     Who will you hire? Let’s imagine over the course of the next week, your business is going to increase tenfold. Who will you have to hire in order to service these new clients? Will you need to hire a secretary, a full-time bookkeeper, or a marketing coordinator? For each of you, the answer to this question will be different as you each have different skillsets and therefore need help in different areas. It’s important you plan now—because by the time you desperately need to hire help, it’s too late to create a well thought-out plan.

2)     How will you maintain a high level of customer service? One of the main reasons many businesses in a variety of industries fail as they expand is that they lose sight of a crucial goal: providing customer service. When you have a small number of clients, it’s easy to provide great service. Who will you have to hire, and what systems will you implement in order to ensure  your customer service doesn’t deteriorate as you grow?

3)     How will you service increased demand systematically? As business picks up, you need to have an operational plan. Frantic, chaotic businesses inevitably experience disaster, sooner or later. Take the time right now to draw up an organizational system that will allow you to serve each client well—no matter how big you get. I can help you with this, so feel free to contact me today if you’d like guidance!

4)     How will you maintain your “big-picture” focus? It’s important to recognize that, as you become busier, you will be personally drawn more and more into the operations of your business. If you find yourself working for clients from sunrise to sunset each day, you’ll no longer have any time to focus on your business. As the business owner, if you’re not the one monitoring your market and responding to strategic challenges, nobody else will be! Continue to invest time on a weekly basis, working ON your business from a “big-picture” perspective.

Orlando, FL – March 30, 2012 – Christine Rae, President of CSP International™ Business Training Academy, a Home Staging Training and Real Estate Strategy company, recently published an article on her website (http://www.stagingtraining.com) focusing on referral generation. The article, titled “Spread the Word: How to Maximize Referrals,” offers four tangible steps for home stagers.

Christine writes, “In all my years in this business, I have discovered the majority of stagers don’t do as much as they could to generate referrals.”

Certified Staging Professional trains home stagers through a comprehensive course of study that includes 3 days in a classroom, 4 weeks of home study and 6 weeks of hands-on market coaching. CSP is also a resource for Realtors and home sellers to find and hire graduates of this highly accredited staging education program, for assisting them in successfully closing their real estate sale.

The entire article can be found at http://www.stagingtraining.com/articles/spread-the-word-how-to-maximize-referrals.php

To learn more about Christine Rae and Certified Staging Professional, please visit http://www.stagingtraining.com.

About CSP International™™ Business Training Academy: 

CSP began as the brainchild of its founder and president, Christine Rae. A long-time corporate executive, Christine began with the CSP program and a goal of bringing her penchant for high standards and business ethics, together with her knowledge of design and the real estate industry to an industry without a map. Her own extensive training from across North America includes  New York City, California, Texas and the Carolinas as well as the United Kingdom.  From her research Christine knew there was a need for a distinctly different approach to staging and staging training. Growing from one course to a complete school with several physical locations and a group of well trained instructors, the CSP program is the leading global source for finding highly trained stagers and is the primary destination for anyone wanting to become a stager, it is the company more real estate agents turn to, on behalf of their clients. CSP International™ is a Certified Women’s Business Enterprise having expanded to the United States in 2006 and Australia in 2009.  The program has been translated into Mandarin; Global license opportunities currently under review include China, Germany and France.

About the CSP® designation: 

The CSP® designation is recognized by real estate professionals, builders, home stagers, decorators and home sellers for its brand reputation of excellence. The designation identifies home staging consultants who have achieved certification in the staging industry which included quality hands-on training with vigorous testing, apprenticeship, business process and ethics.