Saturday, August 20, 2016
by Christie Cannon
So by now we have all seen the myriad of TV Real Estate Shows - you know the shows where lovely couples are generally seeking out starter homes at prices that would make our average North Texas' buyers pass-out. As a long-time agent and someone who has been asked by producers to participate in such shows, I am often asked what is the Reality v/s the Realty? I came across the below blog post from a Real Estate Magazine that discusses that very question. By now most of this may be fairly common knowledge, but I thought it may also be a little fun.
Reality TV Show Myths vs. Real Life:
Myth #1: Buyers look at 3 homes and make a decision to purchase one of them.
Truth: There may be buyers who fall in love and buy the first home they see, but more often than not the process of buying a home means touring more than three homes. (We often see buyers who understandably want to tour & examine dozens of homes before they are comfortable making such an expensive decision.)
Myth #2: The houses the buyers are touring are still for sale.
Truth: The reality is being staged for TV. Many of the homes being shown are already sold and are off the market.
Myth #3: The buyers haven’t made a purchase decision yet.
Truth: Since there is no way to show the entire buying process in a 30-minute show, TV producers often choose buyers who are further along in the process and have already chosen a home to buy.
Myth #4: If you list your home for sale, it will ALWAYS sell at the Open House.
Truth: Of course this would be great! Open Houses are important to guarantee the most exposure to buyers in your area, but are only a PIECE of the overall marketing of your home. Just realize that many homes are sold during regular showing appointments as well. (Open Houses are a great tool, but really are only 1 of many options. Likewise, despite marketing, an Open House’s success is often very dependent on a home’s location, the communities’ traffic, & the proximity to New Home communities.)
Myth #5: Homeowners make a decision about selling their home after a 5-minute conversation.
Truth: Similar to the buyers portrayed on the shows, many of the sellers have already spent hours deliberating the decision to list their home and move on with their life/goals.
My take away - Like most things on TV, these shows are all about having some fun; so relax & enjoy. As a watcher of renovation shows, I fully understand that kitchen remodels take longer than 3-days; adding granite + new tile doesn’t really raise the value $25k; & no matter how easy it looks on TV, I will never be able to make a cute coffee table out of a reclaimed shipping pallet -– but I still enjoy watching them!
