Yes, I watch these programs & practice my 'eye roll' when I see the BS unbelievable. Makes flipping WAY tooooo easy looking.

Skillful editing and just a bit of sleight of hand.

YES! and my clients realize it too, after they go through an escrow or a remodel project; that's their number one comment:"HGTV LIES!!!"

Yes it does, however there is a caveat.

Like all reality shows, those who watch state they know it is not true, but they keep consuming the stuff and they carry paper suggesting 'they believe."

How often have you heard from a buyer or seller, "Do you watch HGTV? No you probably do not because you live it."

As professionals, we see these programs as overt transgression upon truth. Consumer are seeing 'ideas' presented in an entertaining story line. We need to trust that those numbers, the numbers banished about by shows on HGTV, Zillow, Storage Wars, Pawn Stars are perceived by the consumer for the fabrication they are. 

We, however, in the privileged space allowed us by the consumers we meet, can provide encouraging although a sobering reality.

I think that those who seriously watch this network find so many contradictions between the shows to really take any of them seriously.

Yes it is all for entertainment.  Some of this stuff just can't be real.

YES. It's TV. Scripted and fluffy.
And yet, the lure and glamourization seeps into the subconscious . . . even I would go ooo, ahhh, wheee if I allowed myself to watch. They are good at what they do.

Absolutely!  I even did work on 2 episodes and they were completely unrealistic and would never be done in real life that way.

Paul,

I can vouch for that.  The final home is already bought.  They just go through the motions.  It does give people the wrong idea, no doubt about that.  If people don't realize that this is entertainment, what does it say about them?  Would you want to work with them?  A

Yes, they are about as fake as they can be, but only if you look at them in real terms. If you look at them for inspiration, they can be super helpful! 

It is entertainment.  The real process and issues would not be very entertaining!

Well, it may be so but a reasonable thinking adult is likely to recognise that it just can't be that simple in reality.

Yes. And they only show the good ones mostly.

It's much like the media reports - clip cutting and putting their own spin on the outcomes!

Paul - Yes, those HGTV shows are very unrealistic, are you kidding me. How many fix and flip people do you personally know who make a ton of money on almost every deal, even though they come up with all these issues they never expected, and make so many mistakes along the way.

If it was truly that easy, and you could make $50k plus on every flip, even though you don't know what you are doing, everyone would be doing it.

And yes, Alexandra is right, those home buyers have already purchased their home prior to any filming. Then they go back and act like they are showing the buyers a choice of 3 homes. We know because we had a friend on the show.

Nobody would watch the shows if they really showed the truth.

100%

Paul S. Henderson, Realtor, Tacoma Washington that's their business - show business! And like many other 'reality' shows, people are attracted to something that may not be REAL in life!

yes, it is staged.

I actually think that HGTV does a pretty decent job with some of its shows.  Flip or Flop is one that comes to mind.  They tend to be careful with permits and don't don't sugar coat the issues that can come up.

Absolutely. They make it look easy and easy to fund. They also show big profit margins which is not the case in my area.

Yes it absolutely does.  Most people understand it is not real life, but there are a couple who don't get it.

They definitely distort reality, but they have to.  Some have super tight deadlines and people working around the clock.  The drama is staged and you can almost smell the script as it happens.

The days of those people overpaying for auction homes with no budget in mind has gone away in my area.  Those people lost their shirts.

In a word...YES...if flipping were that easy wouldn't this be "Active Flippers" ?

Not in my area, investors are very careful these days and do their research. They usually work in groups. SoCal houses are too expensive and majority dreamers-flippers were burned. 

Absolutely! Some of the quoted costs either leave out the cost of materials or cost of labor! And, everything is made as easier job than it truly is!

Paul S. Henderson, Realtor, Tacoma Washington Sure they do! They are not very realistic.

Absolutely, it looks like it doesn't take long, and the costs are minimal.

Is the Pope Catholic?

Yes they do.  And, for the flippers and re-modelers they grossly understate the actual costs involved.

http://lightersideofrealestate.com/real-estate-humor/comedian-sums-up-why-real-estate-agents-are-heroes

It is not even infomercial. Just fun to watch people.  

We are trained to classify these people in the category of eligibility and readiness.....

Paul,
Absolutely it is distorted. Consumers skills aren’t as good, it takes them much longer than a pro, etc.