Real Estate Television Has Audiences Hooked
HGTV’s Property Virgins caustically gives first-time homebuyers a grounding in reality. Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing documents the dramatic, high-octane negotiations that get big deals done. TLC’s Trading Spaces has to be considered the original one that started the whole real estate TV craze (three cheers for the return of show host Paige Davis). Whether it’s for charity (ABC’s Extreme Home Makeover, HGTV’s Deserving Design), profit (Bravo’s Flip Out, HGTV’s Designed to Sell and My House is Worth What?) or love (TLC’s Date My House), there is plenty of real estate TV to go around. And it’s hot property right now, USA Today reports.
Maybe it’s partly a fascination with watching catastrophes — like a train or car wreck, you just can’t look away. The real estate market is certainly a train wreck in many parts of the country, so it can make for some compelling TV.
It could also be a cultural leaning to root for the underdog. They will increase their home equity and turn a profit large enough to buy that house with the yard big enough for a swingset. Because, after all, doesn’t every young family deserve to have a swingset?
In many cases, it’s probably our obsession with the lifestyles of the rich and famous. “How many bedrooms?” Whatever the reasons, we’re watching. A lot. And every station wants a piece.
HGTV, the ultimate network for all things home-related, has seen real estate reality shows move into nine of its top 10 rated shows among the coveted 25 to 34 demographic. A significant portion of this age group is first-time homebuyers, especially now that prices are low. Furthermore, real estate topics have quite a prominent place in national news, piquing everyone’s interest in the subject all the more.
This news is no surprise to me. I am among the 25- to 34-year-olds who started watching HGTV borderline religiously over the last year. It’s compelling television. For me, it’s not so much for the educational value as it is for a source of clean and fairly mindless entertainment focusing on a subject I am interested in. So if you’re not watching, you should — and who knows? You just might learn a few things along the way.
