Have you watched Property Virgins on HGTV? It first aired in Canada in 2006, and came to US tv in 2007. I didn’t watch my first episode until this year (2011) when i watched a marathon, and now I’m hooked! I love the show’s host, and real estate agent, Sandra Rinomato. She is great with the property virgins.
The show begins with her taking them on a walk through their dream neighborhood, and then snapping them back to reality with the limitations of their budget. Although we only see about three properties that they look at on the show, each has a particular challenge to the prospective buyer’s wishlist. She helps the buyers realize they may have to compromise somewhere, and also keeps them on track to stay within their budget. The prospective property owners don’t always end up buying a place. Sometimes there are even breakups and some lively arguments. The show is anything but predictable, but it’s always a learning experience while entertaining, too.
Another reason I like this show is that it’s mainly based in Toronto, and the GTA. Toronto real estate is so varied according to the neighbourhood that you like. Space is premium, and I found it interesting that “Parking” was a criteria on one buyer’s list. There are episodes in the states, too. This serves to illustrate to the viewers the wide space between prices of properties in different areas.
Sandra is described as being ‘snarky’ by some of the show’s viewers, but I don’t find her to be that way at all. She’s plain spoken, and offering people the facts and the realities of buying a home. Sometimes she just has to snap them back to the way it is, but I think she always does it in a way that let’s them learn and feel like they’re figuring it out themselves. A great real estate agent has to be part property expert, part financial expert, and part psychologist. If you think your agent isn’t listening to you, maybe you need to listen to your agent a little bit more! They’ve been presented with many situations and have the experience (and wisdom) to find a way to get the job done for you.