CSP® History & Milestones

CSP International™ has been moving forward, setting trends and providing staging certification since 2000. Our history and milestones are written every day by the CSP®’s who stage property daily and help a family move on with their lives.

2020

Honoured as one of RISMedia’s 2020 Real Estate Newsmaker
Received the 2020 100 Most Influential Real Estate Association Staging Award
Introduced the Residential Transition Specialist™ Certification Course
Board of Director position with Real Estate Staging Association (RESA®)

2019

Launched Real Estate Home Staging Certification Course Online
Honoured as one of the Real Estate Staging Association’s (RESA) 100 Most Influential People in Staging

2018

Honoured as one of the Real Estate Staging Association’s (RESA) 100 Most Influential People in Staging
Developed & launched new concept for after classroom training and certification with verification of work.
The hallmark of CSP training is meaningful certification. Certification went to a whole new level by requiring real work samples to be submitted for review in order to qualify for the designation as Occupied Staging Specialist™

2016

Christine Rae was thrilled to be named by REP Magazine, as one of the top 100 Elite women who are shaping the real estate industry.

2012

Christine Rae receives RESA® Lifetime Achievement Award

2010

January: Speaker at Real Estate Staging Association Convention
CSP® Staging Standard Magazine Selected as Product of the Year by Real Estate Staging Association
Launched exclusive Luxury Bedding line for Stagers
February: Invited to be guest blogger for REALTOR.org
March: Carbon Neutral certification achieved for Global HQ
Taught first CSP® class at community college in New Jersey
April: Invited to deliver webinar to 1000 real estate agents for REALTOR.org
Interviewed by Globe and Mail newspaper as an expert in staging
Relocated the USA office to larger facility in Minneapolis
Hosted CSP® International™ hosted first annual EARTH DAY Open House with speakers hourly
May: Selected by Kimberly Seldon to be Stager Expert for their new online magazine launching in Fall
June: Selected, approved & begin trainer for CSP® Instructor for Paris France
July: Partnered with Holly Hill Inc to bring affordable slipcovers and breakdown furniture to stagers in Canada

2009

January: Relocation and Official opening of CSP International™ Staging Business Training Academy; location St Catharines. The First Sustainable training facility of its kind
Launched partnership arrangement with AeroPlan/AeroMove
Secured Subject Matter Experts for continuing education programs including Diversity
Re-launched CSP® Elite™ Securing Your Clients Equity program – began recruiting instructors across USA & Canada
February: Travelled to Australia to deliver the first CSP®® certification program and signed agreement with licensee for CSP®® Australia
June went back to Australia to teach again
April: Home Staging for Dummies approved handbook by RESA®
May: Selected as the Canadian exclusive partner and copartner in USA for a webinar-based program for Real Estate agents, home inspectors and stagers titled Divorce This House (RSD-S RSD-A RSD-H) produced and presented by Harvard lawyer
Hired and Appointed an Executive Director for CSP® North American Operations to build stability and succession foundation to company
Aug: Austin Texas, CSP® was selected and approved vendor to Keller Williams
Sept: Hired and Appointed International Sales Director for CSP®
Signed Partnership Agreement with Robert Allan Fabrics; began developing an exclusive bedding line for stagers
Agreed to Partnership with Shaklee Corp representing green product line for stagers, real estate agents and clients
October: CRAE Speaker for California Association of Realtors Long Beach, Ca
November: As a supporter of Women to Women International CSP was matched to a woman in Congo Republic (sponsoring her education) and will provide microloan when she completes program

2008

Jan: Recipient of award from the Real Estate Staging Association RESA “Innovator of the Year” for my work in EcoStaging, Continuing Education, and for professionalism & credibility to the industry
Launched the CSP® Business Awards Program
Feb: CSP® Featured on HGTV “Decorating Adventures of Ambrose Price”
April: CSP® Convention attendees completed a Habitat for Humanity Build project
Awarded CSP® Outstanding Business Awards
May: Book Launch of “Home Staging for Dummies” by Wiley Press www.homestagingbook.com
August: Secured license and status as Global Training Partner of a credible certification program “Green” program with the Live Green Live Smart Institute
CSP® recognized as their partner in Green Education Worldwide
Secured & trained 20 people as instructors of GBS class: 16 in USA and 4 in Canada www.greenbuildscience.net
Trained two people from Australia as CSP® graduates:
September:RAE was selected as Key Note Speaker for one year tour with Stagers Expo for 12 venues across North America
Partnered with EeSsmart online Programs to provide online training for Senior Move Management
Began licensing process with Australian company to open a division of CSP® in Sydney, NSW
Began registration for a Certification Mark for training – Canadian division will be CCSP®®
Wrote, developed and launched pilot for the CSP® Elite Real Estate Professional program and website

2007

Selected as staging experts and featured in a TV program “HouseCapades” – 26-week season
Licensed to teach new program in Canada: 2-day Dewey Color Confidence Program www.wemakecoloreasy.com
Director of Canada for WeMakeColorEasy.com and member of the Advisory Board
May: Accepted Volunteer Position as Regional Director Canada for the newly formed Real Estate Staging Association
August: Secured contract to write a book for Wiley Press; Home Staging for Dummies (and a resource for the rest of us)
September: At CSP convention launched the first and only Continuing Education Program for stagers
Rae was commissioned to author an online real estate staging program for agents – delivered through CE Network
Selected Habitat for Humanity as the CSP® Charity of choice; raised enough money during convention to pour a foundation of a house.

2006

Launch of USA version of CSP®® training program for home staging professionals; Certified Staging Professional®
Secured 4 senior trainers with exceptional staging and training experience
Launched Bi Monthly Unique Staging Standard Magazine; only industry magazine in world
Secured a third-party celebrity endorsement from Ann Maurice TV “House Doctor” supporting CSP® program as the best in North America
Planned, organized and hosted first Annual CSP International™ convention – secured senior platform speakers – highly successful event
Secured multiple exclusive national account vendors and developed unique marketing products and services in support of the graduates of this program; EasyHome Furniture; ICI Paints; 1 800 JUNK; Sherwin Williams
Sourced & secured licensing rights to deliver the well-respected Martha Webb training program specifically for Real Estate agents: “The Certified Home Marketing Specialist” Delivery for the program included developing a team of qualified workshop leaders (from CSP® alumni) to moderate the program throughout Canada
Created, developed & launched a highly acclaimed turn- key business solution program for the entrepreneur who wants to work with homeowners & real estate agents
Developed over 50 products in support of the marketing side of staging business during 2006-09

2005

Sept: Launch Canadian Staging Professional®: the only staging BUSINESS training program in the world with worthwhile content and certification.

Industry Differential:

Business
Sales,
Marketing,
Design,
Color
Examinations
and adherence to an established Code of Conduct

Product launch:

Room Ready Handbook™
Staging Safe Color™ Palette
Student Resource Centre™ for aftermarket support
Oct: Development and launch of the only Mentor/Apprenticeship program
Started training the second CSP® Instructor
Finalist in St Catharines: for “Women of the Year 2005”
Nov: Developed the Canadian Staging & Redesign Directory to network and service the people who work in the industry with people who need the services
Dec: Completed coast to coast training to be first network with a National network of staging professionals

2000

24 years after starting as a sales rep and moving through the ranks to upper management, working in a business like it was her own, Christine lost her job as a General Manager for a Human Resource/placement company
With a business degree, a successful business career, and sales experience spanning thirty two years Christine Rae decided it was time to start her own business.

“My dedication, loyalty, innovation, results-oriented background in business building & development, sales & training, human resources, financial & general management provided a solid foundation for my future enterprise. Throughout those years I demonstrated the ability to build markets, enhance revenues, control costs, and consistently achieve profitability targets by developing strong working relationships with the business community, co-workers and employees alike.”

At a time in her life when it would have been easier for her business initiative to follow her work experience, Christine decided to follow a childhood dream of decorating. Possessing a natural talent for decor and having been the “Go-To” person in her circle of influence, whenever anyone needed decor help, she decided to use that creative side to develop a business providing Decorating Solutions to the public.

Always a firm believer in education she travelled to New York City to learn and train with a prominent interior designer. The new business concept, poised to revolutionize the decorating industry, involved working with a client’s existing furniture; showing the client how to reuse the pieces in different ways, creating a new look and feel to the house.

Over the next ten years Christine’s business acumen increased, she attended a minimum of three training and certification sessions a year to build her own skills and knowledge. Her business developed, morphed and flourished from a part time decorating business to a full time staging business. Then in 2005 a staging training business. In 2009 to the first sustainable staging business training “school” – The CSP International™ Staging Business Training Academy. In the quest for excellence in all things she believes “in-classroom” experiences are vital for learning. Her belief in peer review, classroom stimulation and interaction are the impetus for the CSP® training and certification program remaining a solidly interactive class experience vs online. She is renowned in the real estate staging industry as an innovator, thought leader, trend setter, big picture thinker and market stratification expert.

“My strong entrepreneurial, analytical, problem-solving, planning, coordinating and organizational skills have contributed to my excellent reputation for developing markets, people & programs while nurturing trust relationships with the business community.

Proven leadership, team building, training, coaching, and supervisory skills, are complemented by effective interpersonal communication, presentation, and facilitation abilities. I consistently focus on the delivery of excellent customer service, while maintaining emphasis on the bottom line. These skills sets are clearly visible when someone attends the CSP® Core Foundation program. We want people to be successful; many people refer to the training session as “bootcamp” I like to think of it as a representation a microcosm of the industry -real experience in real time.

We are proud our program is tough, being in business is tough – it’s the mark of a great business person to have pride in achievement and we know our CSP® graduates feel that every time they leave the classroom.

The opportunity to revisit the classroom time and again to increase learning and refresh motivation is a gift I am happy to provide. I’m also incredibly proud of the only Staging mentor/apprenticeship program available for no cost. Our Mentors are incredible giving caring individuals. CSP International™ is like a family; we stick together, help each other out, hire each other and support each other – it just wouldn’t work otherwise.
Our history is written every day by the CSP®’s who stage property daily and helps a family move on with their lives”.

Is Staging Certification Necessary?

The home staging industry is unregulated and there is no “governing and regulating association”. Don’t let this alarm or dissuade you from pursing your dream. The Home Inspection industry is non- regulated also, in fact many industries are rooted in non-regulation. What it means is simply anyone can say they are a stager and anyone can provide a training course, online or in person………….. without ever having staged a home! Shocking isn’t it? We believe as a new business starting out you need as much ammunition and information as possible to position you as an expert instead of a newbie. Certification for a stager is as vital as a license is to a real estate agent.

Read More:

HIGH PRAISE

“Having gone through my first CSP training class years ago, and then taking a refresher class recently, I still feel that you cannot get a better staging education than CSP.”

Robin LeVine
The first house I staged sold over asking last night!! Put on the market at $339K and sold 9 days later for 400K! The happiness I feel is so indescribable!! I just want to thank you so much for BEING CHRISTINE RAE! I don’t think I could ever have done this without your guidance and amazing program! CAN’T WAIT FOR MORE PROJECTS! The real estate agent wants to work with me too !! WOOHOO!

Yzabelle Sanico
CCSP
I don’t know where to start. It was a fantastic class; it was such a pleasure to meet Christine and Lynelle…It was a lot of information in 3 days! I am happy and thrilled that I took this class – Thanks to everbody for their help!!

Mira B.
Mississauga, ON