Episode Guide
We’re investors, not suckers. This is an investment in people. Thank you for your service.
The Buy My House series is essentially the Dragon’s Den of real estate, if you remove all the intellect, detail, drama and tension that goes with it. In essence, this is a quick-fire series that’s more interested in the emotional backgrounds of its various homeowners than the actual selling process. It’s a shame too because there’s definitely potential here but it’s squandered in this humdrum series that fails to stand out. ..
The format of the show is largely the same. A couple pitches their home to four real estate moguls and hope for a quick cash buy, cutting out broker fees and long, drawn-out negotiations with prospective buyers. The real estate mogul Glenn Kelman is the front-runner and he’s in charge of Redfin. H’s joined on the judging panel by self-made millionaire Danisha Wrighster, American Football player Brandon Copeland and real estate broker Pam Liebman.
The reality show “House Hunters” is back and the contestants are out in full force looking for a new place to call home. The first couple on the show, who have been married for two years, are looking for their first house together. They go through the house and give some background on what it has been used for. After some quick photos and rotating videos showcasing parts of the house, they head out onto a lavish set with four judges throwing out their initial offers which are, more often than not, completely lowballing the expected asking price. A round of negotiation sometimes gets underway before a yes or no is given. Then it’s onto the next couple and montage. Rinse and repeat. ..
The series is incredibly light on details, which is a shame because a lot of the drama in these sort of series comes from diving into the minute details. How many times have we seen a pitch fall apart on these shows when one of the judges has dived into the numbers and realized someone is lying? Here though, there’s none of that. And in fact, some of the neglect given to simple facts is pretty astonishing.
Episode 1 ends with a discussion about the carpet in the primary bathroom. “Oh wow.” is the reply. There’s no mention of water damage, potential mold, leaks etc. and it’s such a simple thing to even ask about that could have led down an interesting avenue. ..
Although some of this could have happened off-screen (and probably did), only a few pitches mention property damage. There are a couple of times where the neighbourhood is mentioned but it’s done verbally rather than actually flashing up a map to show us where the nearest shops, schools etc. are.
Glenn’s bid for a house changes after he realizes there are solar panels on the property. This shows that he is not knowledgeable about real estate and makes the show seem less credible. ..
The other big part of this show is the emotional side of things. Buy My House is more interested in the houses than it is the people selling them. More effort has been put into getting to know the couples and their background than the houses they’re trying to sell. For some, that’ll be great, but others will inevitably see this as a way of emotionally goading the judges to being more lenient and getting better offers.
Buy My House is a show that is average at best and there are much better options out there. This doesn’t hold a candle to either Dragon’s Den or Shark Tank, and for that reason most people will throw their hands up with this one after a few episodes and declare “I’m out.”
