Ask the REALTOR: How realistic are reality shows like House Hunters, Flip or Flop and the rest?

Ask the REALTOR® is a regular video series in which I answer your most commonly-asked real estate questions, with a new Q&A posting every week. If YOU have a real estate question for me, drop me a note here.

This week’s question: How realistic are reality shows like House Hunters, Flip or Flop and the rest? Here’s the answer in this brief video, and don’t miss the transcript below.

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Transcript:

Hi. This is Cari McGee with Keller Williams Realty. Welcome to this week’s episode of “Ask the Realtor.” Every week I answer questions from buyers and sellers, and pretty much everyone in between, regarding real estate.

This week’s question is, “Cari, how realistic are shows like ‘House Hunters’ and ‘Flip or Flop’ and ‘Property Brothers,’ etc.?”

Well, I have not been on any of those shows. However, I have watched them all, and I can tell you — because recently there was a “House Hunters” episode filmed right here in the Tri-Cities, and, apparently, when you see the three houses that they have to choose from, the house has already been chosen. The house has already been purchased. So it’s all just smoke and mirrors as to “Hmm, which one will we go with?” They already know. Blows me away. Crazy.

But, in the sense of the basic gist of the show, which is going out, viewing different homes, and weighing the pros and cons of each home, that is absolutely what happens all the time. Sometimes, like in the current market, you do just have one or two or three to choose from. And sometimes, in certain price ranges or in different markets, you have 10 to 20 to choose from. So, in that sense, that’s realistic.

I think a certain amount of all those shows, though, is injecting a little bit of drama, and a little bit of suspense. So it’s not completely, 100% accurate and true to life, but it can be pretty close if you really look at what the premise of the show is.

So I hope that answers your question, and I hope you have a wonderful day. If you have any questions for me, by all means give me a shout via any one of the methods that follow on the next screen. Thanks so much. Bye, bye.