In 2011, I was getting ready to purchase my first home when one day, I turned on the TV and a show called “House Hunters” was on HGTV. The show essentially details the buying and thought processes of the buyers as they walk through three different homes in order to decide which one they may ultimately purchase. The point of the show is to get a behind-the-scenes look at the buyers, their lives, and what they are looking for in a home. Toward the end of the show, suspense builds as you discover which house the buyers will choose.
After watching the show, I thought it would be a great idea to apply. My first step was going to HGTV’s website. I navigated to the ‘Be on HGTV’ section to see if I qualified. I found out that if I was selected to appear on the show, that I would get a $500 prize. This was also very appealing to me because I was scrapping the bottom of the piggy bank as it was to get my down payment in order, so the extra $500 was going to be a huge help. After checking the rules and eligibility section, I was pleased to find out that I qualified. The only thing that I had to do in order to have a chance to be cast was submit a video of myself, my family, my current living arrangements, and answer about 20-25 pre-selected questions.
At that point-in-time, I was living in an apartment that did not have the space or the accommodations that I desired. So I whipped-out my video camera, printed-off the questions I would have to answer, and began filming. All of the questions asked were very basic and just inquired into things such as personal taste and expectations of the new home. The questions were basic like, “How many bedrooms would your ideal house have,” “What is it about your current living space that you don’t like,” and “Introduce us to any family you may have.”
The one thing that they do ask you to do, is “be yourself” and “have fun.” It was quite apparent that they wanted to make sure that the potential buyer had great camera presence, was fun, energetic, and could handle being on camera. Fortunately for me and my family, we are naturals at being on camera. We are funny, charming, but most of all, we were told that we were the ideal candidate for the show!
After several e-mails back and forth, we found out the our realtor also had to submit a video since she would be the one to show us around. Essentially, HGTV would provide a camera, a basic narrator, and a schedule — everything else would be as-is. By the time my realtor sent in her video, our closing date was within two weeks. HGTV contacted me directly and said that they would love to have us on the show, but they didn’t think they would get network approval before we closed on the house. They were also skeptical as to whether or not they even had enough time to send a team out to our location in such a short period of time.
After a few more e-mails back and forth, logistically we just could not make it work unless we wanted to delay moving into our home for a few weeks. Sadly, this ended my chance to appear on the show. Being cast for “House Hunters” reaffirmed by desire to be on a reality show, such as “House Hunters.” The process was super easy, and I would definitely do it again. Applying to the show was sort-of a last minute decision on my part, so I cannot blame anyone for losing the opportunity to appear on “House Hunters.” I am always watching and listening for shows that would fit my personality, so that maybe one day I will get the opportunity to star on a show.
Finally, I’d like to offer some advice to all of you who may be looking to apply to be cast on a show. The most important thing is to be authentic, be fun, and be energetic. For most people, just being yourself will pique the interest of most television shows. Don’t try to follow a script, and don’t try and be something your not. Like I said, shows are generally looking for authentic, genuine people. Since no two people are generally the same, you are probably perfect as-is. The main concern of the network is finding a person or people who are camera-ready and will capture the interest of the audience. If you are confident, energetic, well-spoken, and seemingly fun, you will have no problem getting cast.
