Mary Huffman's Real Estate Blog - Erie, PA

The #1 Thing Realtors Wished Buyers Knew True or false? The listing Realtor, or the Realtor's name on the sign or advertising, is the only Realtor who can show and sell that house?  If you said false, CONGRATULATIONS! You understand how Realtors work! If you said true, let me educate you.................. I have been selling real estate a long time and I'm constantly dumbfounded as to why buyers don't know this.  Even some 2nd time or 3rd time buyers don't know this. ANY REALTOR CAN SHOW ANY HOUSE!   Let me repeat this.  ANY REALTOR CAN SHOW ANY HOUSE! If Realtors could only show and sell their own listings, we all would be broke and the turnover rate in real estate would be even higher than it is now.  Which is pretty high by the way! I don't know the exact stat on this but trust me, I see Realtors coming and going all the time.  Reasons on why to get in real estate and why not to get in real estate will be my next blog but until then, let&#

Should You Sell Your Home With Furniture or Without? All the research says that houses sell faster with furniture than without.  I have been hearing that for years but showing and selling houses for 23 years, I was skeptical. It seemed to me that it was a 50/50 split on this topic.  I have just as many buyers say they would rather see the house vacant than see it full of furnishings.  So, I decided to do my own experiment with a current listing I have at 4701 Glen Crest Drive in Millcreek Township of Erie, PA.  I used the following photo and had www.boxbrownie.com add virtual furniture to the room, brighten the photo up and enhance it with some pictures and a crackling fire in the fireplace.  Turn up your volume on your computer so you can hear the crackle and get the full effect! Just kidding, you can't hear it!  I posted both photos on Facebook and had an overwhelming amount of friends give me their opinion!  So here are the results of my informal survey.......... Th