If you have ever seen HGTV’s smash hit, House Hunters, you may have seen some of our own Juice agents featured. Brokers John Dunham and Sam Archer were happy to use their 15 minutes of fame to help their clients find their dream homes. We asked John to shed some light on how the process actually works. Read on for top-secret, behind-the-scenes details on the House Hunters phenomenon. Links to the episodes follow the interview. Enjoy!
How did you get chosen for the show?
The producers seem to be on a constant hunt for new people as it requires a culmination of proper timing, flexibility of buyers/agents and the right personalities. Both Buyer(s) and Realtor are required to record a ‘audition’ videos. The producers like to hear about unique circumstances for the buyers, how long they have been looking, why are they buying/moving up, etc. For the real estate professional, it was about their tenure in the business, who they work for, and a quick overview of the local market.
Both my clients and I have vowed never to share our recorded interviews / auditions and believe any remaining copies are locked away in a safety deposit box somewhere!
What was the filming process like? How long did it take?
The filming process only starts once the Buyers have officially closed on their new home to ensure no last-minute fumbles like troubled financing, etc. In my client’s situation, we closed on the sale Thursday afternoon, and they had to wait through filming on Monday before moving in any furniture! The first day we filmed the purchased home and was the longest day going through a quick orientation and getting acclimated to having a camera follow you around. The buyers had to tone down their excitement for this prospect, which they actually already bought, and dwell on some of the negatives in the property. I realized early into filming this was an attempt at giving clients buyer’s remorse about their purchase!
Each house required a full day starting in the morning and lasting till late afternoon. The Buyers had a bonus day of filming with just their family doing some local activities, searching for property online together and general daily activity at their home (they have twin boys and never a dull moment). We also learned with microphones attached, someone was always listening to our conversations…………always! So there was a lot of fun with the crew.
Did the clients actually only see 3 houses? How did the 3 houses featured on the show get chosen?
Absolutely not. The application process and true house hunt occur almost simultaneously together. Once Jeff and Abbi were open the idea of doing the show, we both submitted our videos and opened the lines of communication with the production company while going about our normal search. After the producers decided they liked the story and us, we kept them in the loop as things progressed. Their search lasted a bit longer after a disappointing short sale experience and 2 months of waiting for a response from the bank.
After quickly identifying another home and we notified the production company. Once all contingency periods in the contract had past, real plans for filming started to come together. I was required to obtain signed releases from the two additional featured homes (disclosing the buyer had already chosen another home), along with releases from communities with home owner’s associations. One of the homes filmed for our episode was in fact a true contender, and luckily was still on the market and vacant, making filming easy. The second was a foreclosure we added to the mix, but never really considered during the true house hunt.
What was it like having a film crew follow you around on the job?
There was a 3 person crew, the producer, sound and camera man. Everyone quickly got along and was able to speak freely with one another, helping us relax a bit and ignore what was really happening. Being able to joke around with the crew in between filming helped a lot. Of course there was always a friendly reminder in my head trying to keep up a little guard since everything we said/did was recorded.
What was the most fun/interesting part of the experience?
For me it was getting to spend time with some old friends I’ve known since high school and who happened to be clients. Today I know every time the show replays b/c it always sparks emails, text messages or posting to my Facebook page. It’s allowed me to reconnect with some old friends all over the country.
Do people recognize you from the show?
No. No autograph requests on the street yet!
Would you do it again and why/why not?
Most definitely. It was a lot of fun. The producers said if I ever have another interested client with great energy and doesn’t mind sharing their story to give them a call. Anyone??
Interested in seeing the actual episodes? Here are the links!
John Dunham:
http://www.hgtv.com/house-hunters/an-austin-couple-searches-for-a-family-home/index.html
Sam Archer:
http://www.hgtv.com/video/settling-down-in-austin-texas2-video/index.html?soc=share
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