With the pandemic keeping most of us locked inside, there’s now more time than ever to soak up some good TV entertainment. What better way to spend it than with some great TV shows about real estate? HGTV has a lot to offer, but you can also find plenty of great shows on streaming services like Amazon Prime or Netflix. Whether you’re interested in home flipping, investment, or just the process by which properties are bought and sold, there’s something there for everyone. Here’s our list of some of the best that we think you should be tuning into.
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House HuntersHouse Hunters
This was one of the first real estate shows to air on national TV, and, in a lot of ways, it set the standard for what to expect with the genre. The show follows potential buyers and their agents as they visit three different homes searching for ‘the One.’ Right from the start, that should tell you that this show, while entertaining, isn’t the most realistic. Real-life home hunting requires a lot more legwork than House Hunters would suggest. Like many “reality” TV, some scenes are exaggerated for the sake of drama.
But all that said, the show still offers an entertaining look at what real estate agents have to deal with and how the buying process works. The show is also a good introduction for those who are still on the fence about buying. Just be aware you’ll probably have to look at a lot more than three homes before you find the right one.
My First PlaceMy First Place
A show centered around the hurdles of the buying process. This is one show every future buyer should check out at least once. With their buyer’s agent in tow, we follow first-time buyers’ journeys as they try to navigate the stress-inducing and often fraught nature of the buying process. Expect to see bidding wars, home inspection issues, title search mishaps, and every other conceivable obstacle that can appear in the buying process. It’s highly entertaining but also very enlightening.
Everything you see happen in this show can happen to any buyer, whether they’re a first-time buyer or not. Expect to meet your own hurdles in the home search when you’re ready to start your own journey. The show also does a good job of showing just how helpful a buyer’s agent can be. As you’ll see here, there’s a lot more to the job than just finding houses.
Fixer UpperFixer Upper
Chances are, you’ve heard of this one. House flipping is a big business and an easy entryway for beginner investors. Fixer Upper is the show that got them into this lucrative and challenging business for a lot of people. The show follows Texan-based couple, Jonna and Chip Gaines, as they transform run-down properties into their client’s dream home. As with any job like this, they encounter many problems along the way that must be dealt with. Anything from leaking roofs to plumbing problems to foundation issues is part of the course when working on a fixer-upper. Fortunately, Jonna and Chip have enough patience and chemistry with one another to work through it all.
Anyone who’s looking for tips on how to redesign their own home will find plenty here. It’s also a great introduction for anyone thinking of getting into this business. Just be warned, there’s a lot more to it than what they show here.
Love It or List ItLove It or List It
More down to earth and realistic than other real estate shows, Love It or List It is one of the more unique offerings out there. Each episode follows designer Hilary Farr and real estate agent David Visentin as they compete to see who can win over their clients. Hilary must remodel an existing home while keeping to a specific budget set by the client. Meanwhile, David must find a comparable home in the same price range to offer as an alternative. The client then decides which one they like best.
As an introduction to the renovation process, the show does a great job of setting the right expectations. Every project involves tradeoffs for the homeowner as they decide how to spread their budget. Hilary does an amazing job of showing what kinds of decisions and compromises have to be made along the way. If anything, the show will leave you with a lasting impression of just how important location is in real estate.
Million Dollar Listing: New YorkMillion Dollar Listing: New York
Anyone who’s thinking about buying in New York has dreams of becoming an agent, or who loves the sight of a super luxury apartment; this is the show to check out. It follows the hectic and intertwining lives of several New York agents as they try to make it big in the industry. Along the way, they have to deal with demanding clients, relentless competition from other agents, and the sometimes-chaotic journey to closing day. It’s fast, entertaining, and, at times, a little dispiriting. The featured agents have huge personalities, but the show doesn’t shy away from showing just how tough it is to make it in the luxury real estate market.
Apart from the drama and shenanigans, the show’s real appeal is the luxury properties it showcases. Some of these places are jaw-dropping in both scale and price point. If you’ve ever walked the streets of NYC and wondered what lies behind the doors of those posh residences that line Central Park, then a Million dollar listing is for you.
Selling SunsetSelling Sunset
For a look at the LA market, Selling Sunset shows it all in this glitzy, drama-fueled Netflix hit. The show follows the Oppenheim Group’s high-stakes drama and antics, an elite brokerage firm that caters to the Sunshine State’s rich and famous. Its main appeal is its insight into the high-standard luxury properties that make up the LA market. However, what will keep you watching is the work-place drama, backstabbing, and over-the-top egos that make up the cast, all of which get dialed up to 11 when a new agent joins the team in season one. It’s grotesque, superficial, and oh so good.
As a lesson in real estate, it’s probably not a good pick. Watching the sales process for a multi-million-dollar home can be pretty exciting, but don’t expect to learn anything that will be of use in your own home search. However, if you’re looking for some voyeuristic luxury real estate and Kardashian’s level drama, then you’ll find spades of it here.
Property BrothersProperty Brothers
Right now, Property Brothers one of the best real estate shows on Netflix. Apart from the fact that the handsome duo looks made for TV, they also bring an incredible amount of passion and professionalism to what they do. The show follows Drew, a real estate agent with a knack for finding undervalued investment properties, and his brother Jonathan, a contractor who specializes in home renovations. Together they help prospective clients find fixer-uppers in need of a little TLC and then walk them through the home buying and renovation process.
What really makes this show stand out is how realistic it is in showing what it takes to find a fixer-upper with great potential. Not to mention the arduous task by which it is then transformed into a prize-winning home. As a lesson in property analysis and renovation, there’s really no other show that can compete. Anyone interested in fix n’ flips real estate or thinking about
