We have a confession. We love watching real estate reality shows. There, we said it. However, our reasons for loving these so-called "reality" shows are very different than the millions of other viewers out there. We enjoy these shows at their own expense because the shows couldn't be further from ‘reality.'
These shows have an effective, sexy way of depicting the real estate industry as a way to make "fast" and "easy" money, but we're here to be the Debbie Downer and give you the truth – real estate is a challenging and difficult industry that takes hard work and dedication. Not so sexy, huh? We have compiled a list of things that are sure to convert average reality show viewers to our side – the entertained side. Warning: Spoiler alerts ahead.
Unreasonable Timelines
Most of these reality shows are about 30 to 60 minutes long. We can promise there has never been a real estate transaction that has taken place in this short of a time frame. The average real estate sale closes in 45 to 60 days. By the end of the 30 or 60 minutes the home search is over and the result is a couple's dream home with everything they were looking for. What you didn't see were the months of stressful house searching, dealing with lenders, and the countless hours of work put in by the broker.
Downplaying the Risks
The reality shows that are notorious for this are ones that entice people with the idea of "flipping" a property. Flipping properties is a very risky financial move that even people with experience can do wrong. Most of these shows depict people buying properties at auction without seeing the inside. They don't show how these investors get money for the flip, hidden costs, or structural issues that they can face. If viewers were to jump on the "flipping" bandwagon from what they've seen on TV they can get themselves into serious trouble, such as bankruptcy. Let's just say that after watching an episode of "Master Chef" we're not going to go out and try to be an executive chef.
It's always a perfect Transaction
Whoever said "If it's too good to be true, then it probably is" nailed it. Shows such as Love it or List it and House Hunters only show the "glamour shots" of the real estate world. Somehow, one of the three homes that they looked at is their dream home with everything on their checklist and within their budget. Cue Debbie Downer trumpet.
Before we completely ruin these shows for you, it is important to note one thing: in real estate, people actually do find their happy endings. The endings might not be what the client first started out with, but it's the happy ending that works for them. It's our job to get them there.
So there you have it. We have now bestowed the "spoiler alert" powers on you. Next time you kick your feet up and turn on one of these shows, hopefully you will be as entertained as we are.
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