Okay, I'm finally ready to publicly embarrass myself...

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Okay, I'm finally ready to publicly embarrass myself...

J ScottPro Member
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Investor · Sarasota, FL · Member since 2008 · 17k+ posts · 17k+ votes

I constantly get asked, "When are you and Carol going to get your own real estate TV show?!?!" 

Since I enjoy embarrassing myself, I thought I would provide an answer...along with a video...

As backstory, over the past 18 months, my wife and I have been approached by several production companies to do a show, and last year we signed an agreement with one of them to try to put something together. The production company convinced HGTV to send out a crew to shoot a "sizzle reel" (a short video for evaluation by the network execs). They spent four 12-hour days last summer following us around in 105 degree heat and scripting/shooting ridiculous flipping scenarios (we can now answer any questions about how scripted reality shows are).

Ultimately, we couldn't come to any agreement with this production company (let's just say there were "creative differences" -- in other words, we refuse to do just another generic flipping show like they put together in the sizzle reel), but now that our agreement with them has expired, we're talking with a couple other companies.

In the meantime, I thought I would give you a glimpse of the sizzle reel we did...enjoy!

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Jack M.
Investor · Quincy, MA · Member since 2015 · 30 posts · 14 votes
10y

You know, you don't need to wait for another company to give you a show. This is 2015. You can just make the show. Create it as a web series and promote it here. If it's good enough and gets the viewership, somebody will approach you from there.

A lot of shows have gone this route, starting as a web series. None in the real estate business, I don't think, but I've seen a lot of comedy series start that way. 

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  • Ingrid J.
    Investor · Tromsø, Norway (Europe) · Member since 2015 · 431 posts · 194 votes
    10y

    Oh wow, this was awesome! :D

    Let us know when the whole show comes out. 

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  • J ScottPro Member
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    Investor · Sarasota, FL · Member since 2008 · 17k+ posts · 17k+ votes
    10y
    Originally posted by @Ingrid J.:

    Oh wow, this was awesome! :D

    Let us know when the whole show comes out. 

    No show with this company... Maybe the next... 

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  • Account Closed
    Professional Auctioneer · Baltimore, MD · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    10y

    That's great stuff, my compliments to you. This is not an easy business, lots of moving parts, you and wife are no doubt are expert negotiators. I hope we have an opportunity to chat sometime in the future.

    I am an investor, now for about 47 years, an auctioneer and owner of Investors United in Baltimore.

    Charles

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  • Shabyna Stillman
    Investor · San Antonio, TX · Member since 2015 · 75 posts · 14 votes
    10y

    @J Scott that was awesome! I hope you do get a show. What were your biggest challenges when you first started?

    0Reply
  • Russell BrazilBusiness Member
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    Real Estate Agent · Washington, D.C. · Member since 2012 · 17k+ posts · 30k+ votes
    10y

    lol, I know that house on old scaggsville.

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  • Cal C.
    Investor · Peachtree Corners, GA · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    10y

    Hey,

    Can I get a discount when you start doing your $40K flipping seminars.  Better yet can I be the one who actually teaches them?  I sure could use some poor sucker's money!  

    BTW, maybe you will take the place of Robert K as Biggerpockets' favorite guru! :)  

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  • Russell BrazilBusiness Member
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    Real Estate Agent · Washington, D.C. · Member since 2012 · 17k+ posts · 30k+ votes
    10y

    @Gabriel G. Is the house in the video the one you told me about?

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  • Hernan Dobal
    Rental Property Investor · Houston, TX · Member since 2015 · 12 posts · 4 votes
    10y

    Jscott, congratulations on all the success you guys have! It's truly an inspiration and helps a new investor like me with lots of planning ideas. Great job!

    1Reply
  • Gabriel G.
    Real Estate Agent · Baltimore, MD · Member since 2014 · 215 posts · 123 votes
    10y

    @Russell Brazil yes it is lol....

    I wish I could vote this video 20 times, it's hilarious! @J Scott how much of that trailer was scripted? 

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  • Carl C.
    Investor · New York City, NY · Member since 2014 · 289 posts · 374 votes
    10y

    This amazing, it a completely hilarious sort of way. Thanks for sharing @J Scott The video definitely seems like any trailer you could watch on HGTV. Hopefully the other production companies will be more interested in your ideas of how the show should be positioned. Good Luck!

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  • J ScottPro Member
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    Investor · Sarasota, FL · Member since 2008 · 17k+ posts · 17k+ votes
    10y
    Originally posted by @Shabyna Stillman:

    @J Scott that was awesome! I hope you do get a show. What were your biggest challenges when you first started?

     Hey Shabyna,

    You can get out my blog (in my signature) -- it discusses my first 50 flips in very gory detail...

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  • J ScottPro Member
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    Investor · Sarasota, FL · Member since 2008 · 17k+ posts · 17k+ votes
    10y
    Originally posted by @Gabriel G.:

    @Russell Brazil yes it is lol....

    I wish I could vote this video 20 times, it's hilarious! @J Scott how much of that trailer was scripted? 

    I'd say 90% scripted.  And this was probably only 25% of the footage that was shot -- we actually had storylines around two other houses we owned at the time, but those got completely cut.  

    Putting on the gear to walk through the really bad house was completely scripted -- we'd owned that house for a couple weeks already and were putting off starting the rehab until the film crew came.  We had several other scenes with our contractors in that house -- doing the walk-through and trashing it out -- that got cut.  And, they didn't put in the one scene that was actually unscripted -- the old, crazy previous owner of that house walked in during shooting to look for some old memento he thought he had left in the house (he was certifiably crazy and he never would have found anything in the piles of junk he left).  My guess is that they cut that because it was so crazy that people wouldn't have believed it was real (yet, it was the only thing that was real).

    The last-minute staging story was well-timed -- we were planning to stage that house the following week anyway, and just moved the timing up and had our stager in on the storyline.  The phone call I received in front of Dunkin Donuts was shot over about two hours (7-Eleven would consent to us shooting in front of their store) and the "buyers" who walked through the newly staged house are good friends of ours.

    All the scripting drove us crazy.  10 years ago we would have jumped at a TV show and would have been happy to do anything.  But, at this point in our lives/careers, it's not worth any major time/effort/risk-to-our-brand just to be on TV.  We actually almost canceled the shoot the day before when they told us about the storylines they wanted to do (it was much worse), but ultimately, they let us work in some of our own ideas that we were willing to do (my wife came up with the putting on the yellow hazard suits and I came up with the last-minute staging dilemma). 

    All-in-all, we did about 35 hours of shooting over 4 days (it was over 100 degrees during shooting, so we had to buy multiple days of the same outfits for continuity) and when the cameras left, we realized that we had created MORE rehab work during those 4 days.  I've heard that a 30 minute show is generally about one to two weeks of shooting...even if all the issues are unscripted, I understand why the flips all seem to go wrong -- the investors have so little time to actually work on the flips during shooting that something HAS to go wrong...  :-)

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  • Daria B.
    Rental Property Investor · Gainesville, FL · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 432 votes
    10y

    @J Scottthat was amazing thanks for sharing. I look forward to seeing the shows when you find a production company that will accept you "creative" style. 

    1Reply
  • Gabriel G.
    Real Estate Agent · Baltimore, MD · Member since 2014 · 215 posts · 123 votes
    10y

    @J Scott that blew my mind away... To be honest the only flipping show that I can tolerate is This Old House. I feel like it's actually educational and doesn't have all the drama like in all the other shows. Either way, I hope you can find something that is not as crazy as you were describing. I am sure the goal was to create something that was educational and not Hollywood garbage lol.

    2Reply
  • Andrea Castor
    Investor · Dayton, OH · Member since 2015 · 73 posts · 25 votes
    10y

    Thanks so much for sharing this. I am told at least once a week that our crazy life needs to be on tv, but it looks pretty much like yours. That's a shame that they want to script it so much when real life is really just as funny!

    I'm new here but excited to take a look at your blog!

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  • J ScottPro Member
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    Investor · Sarasota, FL · Member since 2008 · 17k+ posts · 17k+ votes
    10y
    Originally posted by :

    I am sure the goal was to create something that was educational and not Hollywood garbage lol.

    Yes, that was/is the goal...  

    Which is why we still don't have a show -- apparently, educational and factual doesn't generate large audiences these days...  :-)

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  • Account Closed
    Frederick, MD · Member since 2015 · 654 posts · 256 votes
    10y
    Originally posted by @J Scott:

    And yet, truth is often stranger than fiction and reality (as you pointed out about the truly crazy previous owner) is actually more entertaining... or so I think.

    A priceless experience for you both though - thanks for sharing!

    Oh, did you edit the "embarrassing" part... didn't see that...

    1Reply
  • Brie SchmidtBusiness Member
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    Real Estate Broker · Chicago, IL · Member since 2013 · 6k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    10y

    @J Scott - Great video!  Thanks for sharing about the scripting!

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  • Lee L.
    Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2014 · 285 posts · 142 votes
    10y

    Inspiring. Really special to see this after reading some of your books. 

    1Reply
  • Marcello Di Gerlando
    Investor · Colorado Springs, CO · Member since 2011 · 322 posts · 238 votes
    10y

    @J Scott

    Congrats to you and your family. Video was fun. I hope you find the right production that supports your ideas. Good luck!

    1Reply
  • Mike H.
    Rental Property Investor · Manteno, IL · Member since 2009 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    10y

    I actually like the flipping shows - scripted or not. 
    To me, the real value in the shows is about the design ideas and value add they provide.

    Thats what I would want to see in a show. And I would think that you (Mssr @J Scott) would be an ideal candidate to do just that.

    Instead of trying to have one show spend the entire time on creating the drama for one house. Why not have each show focus on the design decisions that you make and then show the before and afters? And also the value add that you're doing.  i.e. Adding bedrooms, bathrooms, etc.

    Thats really what the fixer upper show has become right? With chp/joanna gaines.... They don't bring a bunch of drama to the show where they need to show the sky is falling. For them its about the design decisions that joanna makes and how it comes together at the end.

    To me, thats the best part of being an investor and the thing that most people really enjoy watching. Taking a piece of junk home and re-designing it in ways that significantly improve the value. 

    Ultimately thats what flip or flop has become as well. They don't oversell the drama either. They do a little bit on the acquisition part sometimes but for the most part its about the design.

    All the other flip shows that used to do that are gone (flipping vegas, flipping boston, etc). 

    To me, as an investor, thats the kind of show that I would rather see. 3 or 4 houses and the design decisions that you make and why. And then show the value that you're creating along with the before and after of it.

    And maybe some gotchas too (i.e. finishing a basement and needing to add an egress widnow etc). 

    I can't tell you how many renters I've had that all say they watch those shows. And they especially like seeing the before and after. None of em like the hokey drama those other shows used to cook up.

    But just curious. What did your outline look like for a show? i.e. What were you hoping it would cover?

    2Reply
  • Shabyna Stillman
    Investor · San Antonio, TX · Member since 2015 · 75 posts · 14 votes
    10y

    @J Scott, thanks, I'll definitely read your blog.

    1Reply
  • Ciro LoCascioPro Member
    Investor · Queens, NY · Member since 2013 · 135 posts · 39 votes
    10y

    Amazing stuff! Love it!!

    1Reply
  • J ScottPro Member
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    Investor · Sarasota, FL · Member since 2008 · 17k+ posts · 17k+ votes
    10y
    Originally posted by @Mike H.:

    But just curious. What did your outline look like for a show? i.e. What were you hoping it would cover?

    We didn't have any one specific idea in mind.  We proposed a show where we mentor others, we proposed a show where my wife focuses on design, we proposed a show where we spend a season doing one house in gory detail, etc.

    Ultimately, as you can see from the sizzle reel, they (either the production company, the network, or both) were more interested in a typical flip show format.

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  • Michael Boyer
    Investor · Juneau, AK · Member since 2015 · 980 posts · 741 votes
    10y

    I totally admire you guys for sticking with your principles on this show... My 5 mins (literally, that is all I got) of fame pitching a recent book on a major radio money show, the hosts just right away wanted to hear a tenant horror story (read fire, vandalism, violence, drama!), and I told them I screen tenants closely and maintain my units, and while it does happen, those horror stories may be more Hollywood than reality for the careful small scale landlord (and so ended my publicity tour).....So I am definitely convinced a landlord reality show is not in the mix (scenes of me painting walls, cleaning and turning around units, highly satisfied long term tenants, move in, move out,  a snoozer, low ratings)..... Best of luck with an authentic, educational (and still entertaining) series...I think often of the Glen Campell song lyric "endless compromisin' on my horizon.....like a (chorus) Rhinestone Cowboy"... in the equation about being authentic and real versus just a popular or commercial success.... Everyone has to make their own decisions and find their own balance at the end of the day...

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