Kirsten Hamling describes her opinions on how reality TV has changed real estate.

1. HOW REALITY
TV HAS
CHANGED
REAL ESTATE
B Y :
K I R S T E N H A M L I N G
kirstenhamling.com

2. K I R S T E N H A M L I N G . C O M
EXPECTING
GLAMOUR
Historically, real estate agents have encouraged
clients to look past messy houses, tacky
wallpaper, and cluttered rooms to the house
itself. Logically, this makes sense: at the end of
the day, buyers will be paying for the homes,
not for the stuff within them, and even ugly
home decor such as wallpaper and moldings
can be easily and cheaply removed. And yet,
many homebuyers are finding it increasingly
difficult to look past their first impressions.
House flipping, the art of cleaning and
renovating a home to appeal to potential
buyers, was once only used to sell big
properties, but today many homebuyers expect
to see homes clean and TV-ready.
Some shows also feature extravagant open-
house parties. Some home sellers have come to
expect these parties themselves, thinking that
they were responsible for the successful sales
seen on TV. But real estate agents are still
skeptical that these parties are worth the cost
for any but the most expensive and high-profile
homes.

3. K I R S T E N H A M L I N G . C O M
GLOSSING OVER PAPERWORK
Filling out paperwork doesn’t make for good television. Understandably, then, that paperwork doesn’t
show up on screen. So even though customers know that there will be paperwork, many do not expect the
sheer quantity of it that exists. There are lots of things to sign, more things to read, and lots of legal and
bureaucratic details to work through.
Thus, while on television the work frequently ends with the decision to buy a particular house, in real life
the decision to buy a house is not even a guarantee that the house will be bought. There are hours of
complex negotiations that need to take place, and sometimes multiple buyers will have their eye on a
property. And the stretch of time between closing and move-in is much longer than reality television
would suggest. All of this can be frustrating for customers, who want things to move faster.

4. K I R S T E N H A M L I N G . C O M
DOES REALITY TV BRING
CUSTOMERS?
On the new show Selling New York, a revolving cast of real estate brokers attempts to sell properties.
Past reality shows featuring chefs and bakers have gotten these businesses more customers. Does
reality television do the same for renovators and real estate agents?
Some members of the real estate industry aspire to be on these shows for just this reason. After all, it’s
good publicity. But others worry that too many of their newfound clients would be more interested in
a glamorous real estate experience than in actually buying or selling a house.