Real Estate TV Changes With Market

Real estate television shows are starting to tap into the concern Americans have about whether or not they’ll be able to find buyers for their homes or get their asking prices.
On TLC’s new show, “Date My House,” anxious sellers stage overnight “dates,” in which potential buyers spend the night at the house. Sellers try to “seduce” these buyers into making a “long-term commitment.” The show’s host, Bob Guiney from ABC’s “The Bachelor,” shouts at the beginning: “The real estate market has come screeching to a halt!”
HGTV has a similar new series, “Sleep On It,” in which potential buyers spend the night inside a home before deciding whether to buy.
And another upcoming HGTV show, “Good Buy? Bad Buy?” taps into buyer anxiety about the changing real estate market. The shows premise: “Buying a house is the biggest financial risk you will ever take.”

Source: Time, James Poniewozik (04/21/2008)