HALIFAX, NS – May 27, 2009 – Halifax-based Blossom Solutions, announced today that it has been awarded both “Best Overall Company of the Year” and “Marketing Campaign of the Year” by Canada’s leading staging experts, the Canadian Staging Professionals™ (CSP™) at the Simply the Best Conference recently held in Toronto.
In the burgeoning industry of real-estate staging consulting, CSP™ reviewed organizations based on their competitive position in the market, value of services offered, revenue growth and significant milestones. Blossom Solutions showed strengths in all of these areas and was recognized for its practical, innovative and market-oriented approach in the quick two years since the business’ inception.
Blossom has provided a unique and fresh approach to home-sellers, developers and Realtors® in Halifax to help them secure the best possible price for their property. This has been done through on-site in depth staging consultations where homes are evaluated in great detail; staging work that involves furniture arrangement, paint colour consultations and overall flow; and vacant property staging for both homeowners and developers where model-suite quality results are delivered.
“Given the standards we continue to push for in this industry, we wanted to recognize business owners for innovation, strategic thinking and smart execution. These are individuals who are committed to excellence and have built a successful company with a track record of growth and profitability,” says Christine Rae, the president and founder of CSP™. “Blossom Solutions exemplified these qualities, demonstrated in Kathleen’s applications for both award categories.”
In the last several years mass media has bombarded the public with renovation and ‘sell this house’ style shows. So much so that the viewing public is now educated on some of the finer points of both. Christine Rae has been training individuals in home staging since 2001 and wanted to set the highest standards of performance and conduct in this industry. CSP™ has 2,000 graduates of its program.
“The standards we have created ensure that Homeowners and Realtors® who hire a certified CSP™ will know that these professionals have a level of training, conduct and performance that is consistent across the country” says Rae. “It will also put pressure on those who are not professionally trained to ensure that their skills and training meet certain standards. This protects the Canadian consumer- homeowner and realtor alike.”
In just two short years, Blossom Solutions has grown to be a leading provider of staging solutions that can virtually accommodate any budget. Even with a small, low-cost effort of delivering high quality listing photography, the impact on prospective buyers can be significant.
“Since starting this business in 2007 I have already noticed an important underlying shift in the attitudes of Realtors® and home-sellers in Halifax towards the concept of staging. I like to think that complacency is being pushed to the wayside especially when I see in most cases that the home individuals are selling is the single biggest investment that they have made. I want to make sure there is no money left on the table and they are securing the most equity,” says Kathleen Heithorn-Althoff, owner of Blossom Solutions. “Receiving these two awards is exciting, and more so it will act as a spring-board to ensure I continue to improve my work and offer the best service I possibly can.”
Staging can have a significant impact and this is demonstrated in the Royal LePage House Staging Poll, conducted by Maritz Research. The poll stated that buyers have made 78% of the decision to buy before they get to a house based on location and size of the house. Curb appeal adds another 12%. However once a buyer is in the door the tables turn, sellers can actually control 72% of the impact to buy; 35% by cleanliness, odor and amount of clutter; 21% through appeal of décor; 16% through condition and lighting.
Blossom Solutions: Blossom Solutions delivers valuable creative solutions helping home-sellers to find new ways to prepare their property for the real estate market, enabling them to reach broader markets and securing the most equity. Based in Halifax, Canada since 2007, Blossom has been providing services for developers, realtors and individual home sellers. Blossom also offers professional organizing services to the residential market. Blossom is a member of Canadian Staging Professionals™, Professional Organizers in Canada and the Real Estate Staging Association.
www.blossomsolutions.ca
Canadian Staging Professionals: Certified Staging Professional™ and Canadian Staging Professionals™ (CSP™) are leading authorities on home staging training. Headquartered in St. Catharines, Ontario, CSP™ trains home stagers across the greater United States and Canada. CSP™ has the largest network of certified Canadian consultants coast to coast. CSP™ puts students to the test, literally. By requiring potential stagers to pass a thorough test, the quality of work provided by stagers increases, and the inherent advantages of increasingly qualified stagers are passed on to homeowners and real estate professionals. CSP™ consultants are recognized as having sound industry knowledge and abilities. Learn more at www.stagingtraining.com
Contact:
Kathleen Heithorn-Althoff
Owner
Blossom Solutions
Work: 902.405.6404
Cell: 902.802.8619
kathleen@blossomsolutions.ca
www.blossomsolutions.ca
