Do You Get Anything for Being on House Hunters?

The popular HGTV show “House Hunters” is now in its 17th season and remains a favorite among home improvement show fans. This unscripted realty series follows house hunters, usually a couple or family, as they view three homes and decide which one they want to purchase. A Real Estate agent shows the potential buyers three homes. Viewers get the background story of the house hunters, see them enjoy a favorite pass time activity and visit the three homes as the narrator speaks. The current narrator of “House Hunters” is Androme da Dunker. As the house hunters tour the homes, viewers witness their excitement and sometimes tension while deciding which house they want to become their “forever home” as they struggle to meet their “wish list” and stay within their budget. Often tensions are high as a couple or family struggle to decide which home they want to purchase that will come as close to their budget as possible. “House Hunters” has aired more than 1,770 episodes and has many spin offs including “House Hunters International”, “House Hunters on Vacation”, “House Hunters Renovation”, “House Hunters Million Dollar Homes”, “Tiny House Hunters”, “Island House Hunters” and “Family House Hunters”.

What most fans want to know is do you get anything for being on “House Hunters?”

The answer is: not much “House Hunters” participants are only paid $500 for appearing on the show. That is, $500 per couple or family and not for each participant. Couples and families must be available for about 50 hours of taping. This is mostly edited as each episode runs only 22 minutes. House Hunters spend about 6 hours at each of the 3 houses. They also spend a lot of time taping their background stories and participating in activities outside of house hunting. Then there is the taping of the dramatic decision on which house to purchase. While house hunters will enjoy the exposure they get from appearing on a popular television show, they also must take off of work for taping. So unless you really want to appear on an episode of realty TV, it may not be all its cracked up to be. While there really aren’t many other perks to appearing on the show, house hunters are provided lunch during taping.

How does “House Hunters” really work?

“House Hunters” is a very low budget realty show considering other similar shows spend much more on each episode. The cost to make an episode of “House Hunters” is less than $50,000. This of course includes the $500 offered to each couple or family. Producers of “House Hunters” don’t even have to use any of their budget on the houses. In fact, one of the three houses has already been purchased by the house hunters and already in escrow. The other two choices are often homes of the couples’ friends or family. Listings of the houses are increased to create more drama when the house hunters have to choose which home they want. At least one of the three houses will always be well over the couple’s budget. The Real Estate agents offer to be on the show are not paid anything. Although appearing on “House Hunters” will likely give them exposure and works as a good advertisement for them. Sometimes “House Hunters” substitutes actors. If a realtor has a to be at work or a showing of their own, they can’t appear on “House Hunters” so actors stand in for them. “House Hunters” has even been known to hire actors to play the part of the house hunters. This is especially true of the show “House Hunters International” because the producers want to show a younger couple looking for a home when moving overseas instead of an older couple who are actually more likely to retire overseas.

Is “House Hunters” really unscripted?

Everyone knows that reality shows are often very scripted. This enhances the drama and gets better ratings. “House Hunters”, while often realistic, does use scripts and several re-takes to build up the drama for ratings. Back stories are often exaggerated. Producers make sure that the house hunters “wish lists” are a bit crazier than the participants actual wish lists. Budgets are often increased. House prices are often increased. House Hunters spend a lot of hours filming. They are often asked to do several re-takes of a scene to film the “perfect” reaction. Producers want to be sure that the house hunters overact to the details of each house. Because each episode of “House Hunters” has the same structure, producers don’t want the viewers to expect the same thing every time. So that its not too predictable, scenes are filmed out of order. Scenes of the house hunters entering their new home and the old home are filmed first. This way producers can get a more authentic reaction from the house hunters. There’s a big difference when viewers see the old home that is “lived in” first and then end up seeing the new home which feels brand new because it’s not furnished and has so much potential. Of course, the final minutes of each episode, when the house hunters have to decide which of the three homes they want to be their “forever home” is the most dramatic. Despite the decision being made before taping ever begins, producers encourage the house hunters to pick apart the details of what they liked or didn’t like in each house and worry about going over budge before coming to their final decision. Like most unscripted shows and even home improvement shows, “House Hunters” always plays up the drama for effect and ratings.

How do I get on “House Hunters”

Unlike many realty television shows, “House Hunters” does not recruit participants or hold large open auditions, Instead, would be house hunters submit an application and 10 minute video. Even though the couple or family not only already chosen a home to move to but has actually already purchased the home. There really is no choice between three houses. With wish lists, budgets and house prices embellished, “House Hunters” plays up the drama, and the formula seems to work. “House Hunters” and its spinoffs remain one of HGTV’s highest rated shows for the past twenty years.