CSP™ Raising the bar on staging standards

November 21st – TORONTO, ONTARIO
Author: Christine Rae, President, Canadian Staging Professionals

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 - and many amateurs having followed the trend, are touting themselves as ‘professionals’ and starting staging businesses with little or no training.

In a bold move, top Canadian Staging Professional and Trainer, Christine Rae has raised the bar on staging in Canada – setting higher standards of performance and conduct. Rae, an award winning stager herself, has been training staging professionals across Canada , the USA and the United Kingdom for the last 4 ½ years.

Recent upgrades to Canadian Staging Professional™ training include skills assessments prepared by trainers and mentors, and self assessments completed by the staging graduates. Mentorship programs are underway and graduates are encouraged enrol in the volunteer apprenticeship program – shadowing a trained expert to enhance their training and experience. The new ‘Room Ready handbook’ also adds to the tools that the graduates have to assist them in their client consultation providing then with consistent specifications for assessing homes. 

“These new standards 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.”

Canadian Staging Professional Training courses are being offered across Canada in major centers. The three day intensive training includes hands-on experience, in class training and back up materials. Upcoming courses are scheduled for Calgary and Vancouver before Christmas.

Rae is also a Certified Home Marketing Strategist (CHMS) and Certified Home Marketing Strategist Trainer (CHMST) - a program designed to educate realtors about staging, how to work with a staging professional, and assist them in advising the homeowner on the benefits as well as how to work with a staging professional.