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Okay, I saw my first episode of "Million Dollar Listing"

Okay, yesterday I saw my first episode of "Million Dollar Listing".

Chad, Madison & Josh attempted to relate to real estate clients... they were boorish, cloddish and immature, and I am humbly embarrassed to be a member of the same industry. These prepubescent pretty-boys were driving expensive cars, mishandling mult-million dollar clients and their listings, and giving surprisingly bad real estate advice.

If the public believes half of what they see on MDL, they're totally destroying the already battered reputations that Realtors enjoy. This is a PR disaster.

My daughter walked into the room while I was watching it... and besides the "Don't you get enough of that stuff all day long?" her first question to me was "which one do you hate the most?".

I had to think about it, but I decided that I hate them all... some of them I hate less than the others, but that changes with each different scenario.

I'm thinkin' that my first episode of MDL is also my last episode of MDL.

ALAN MAY, Realtor®
Specializing in Evanston Real Estate and North Shore Real Estate
-------------------------------
Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate, 2929 Central Street, Evanston, IL 60201
847.425.3779 Cell: 847.924.3313 Email: Almay@aol.com

Evanston Real Estate, Evanston Realtor, Evanston Buyers, Evanston Sellers
North Shore Real Estate, North Shore Realtor, North Shore Buyers, North Shore Sellers

Posted by Alan May, Coldwell Banker Evanston Realtor, North Shore Realtor on 11/02/2009 07:56 PM

Comments (51)

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51 Comments on Okay, I saw my first episode of "Million Dollar Listing"

NOV

Hmmm, I'll have to check that one out. I've gone through a few episodes of Flipping Out; I fast-forward from the beginning to the last 5 minutes of The Unsellables; and I love The Stagers. I could only make it through a couple episodes of Real Estate Intervention, though--it is too close to home!

More real estate agents to hate; just what we need.

Cheers,

Robin

Hi Alan,

I watched it once. Had to take several antacids immediately following. I guess mommy and daddy know lots of millionaires that really owe them :)

all the best...

Alan - This show is truly damaging to real estate agents. I can't stand it either.

I don't waste my time watching real estate shows. Sad to say they are just a little entertainment and a little truth

Pretty much on the level " are you smarter than a five year old" Ask mom if Jr is ready to give the farm away. I want porn to replace this show..... But I digress ....I miss the Bullwinkle show on Sunday

They must have a following or they wouldn't be in the second season. The rest of us who work hard are just to boring to make a good show :-)

I caught 1/2 of a show a couple of weeks ago and heard one of the 'boys' whining that no one attended his OPen House. It was the first time that no one came to one of his Open Houses................so he made a great business decision and decided to spend $2,000 on his next one.

Yeah, that's real, huh?

I see this advertised during Law and Order Criminal Intent. These jerks won't be around long. However, there are some real estate shows that do depict our expertise and professionalism. For example, Good Buy Bad Buy - which I appeared on recently.

If you want to watch a quality real estate program click here (shameless self promotion:)

I really hate these so-called reality real estate shows. This sounds like the worst one yet. I don't think I could watch it for more than 30 seconds.

Unfortunately, the bad publicity is just as effective as good publicity. If none of us watch it, then it will get canceled and we'll all be happy, right. Too bad it's so entertaining.

Robin - yep, more real estate agent to abhor.

Bill - hadn't considered that they had "millionaire" parents.... it felt a lot more like new money.

Jason - I'm not sure "hate" is strong enough.

Russ - very little entertainment.

Claude - I knew I liked you... can a Realtor from frostbite falls every sell houses in Malibu?? Tune in next week...

Cindy - Oh, they have a following.. that's the problem.

Chris - well, it's true when you're double-siding multi-million dollar listings to celebrities.

Syreeta - these jerks have been around for 3 seasons already...

Joan - it's pretty bad.

Josh - it's not Realtors who are watching. It's the impressionable public.

Hi Alan - I really, really want to give these guys the benefit of the doubt and chalk it up to 'reality show editing' ... but some of the situations are so outrageous and off the wall that it just doesn't work. Still, it makes for a tragically funny sixty minutes.

John - they're way too clueless, for this to be "creative editing". Did you see Chad's relationship with his Chihuahua?

Alan: I've not seen this particular show ... but have to admit the vast majority of these real estate reality shows make me shiver ... mad ... and maybe a little ill. We in the real estate industry do not need any further credibility or professional image damage. I feel the effects of the lack of respect for our professions almost on a daily basis ... and I don't like it. These types of "shows" don't help. I guess I have a hard time seeing the "humor" in them ...

Gene

I had heard of the show but decided against watching it - apparently for a good reason! ~Rita

I watched it once and my head almost exploded. I wondered who in their right mind would turn over a magnificent property to those jokers. No one I've ever known, for sure.

NOV

Insane isn't it -? We work so hard at raising the level of public perception of Realtors - and then in one fell swoop- they reinforce the very myth! Dang! We have a show up here like that too :-(

Alan, it is sad that the TV industry cannot find someone more professional to extol the virtues of the real estate profession. Please buying and selling public, know that we are not that clueless, and the vast majority of us are quite professional!!!

Gene - you haven't missed anything.

Rita - an excellent reason

Janna - a good question... "who in their right mind would turn over a magnificent property to those jokers?"

Liz - It it truly insane... these guys (without their celebrity) wouldn't last a month in our market.

Caren - something more professional... wouldn't make interesting television.

I'd love to know from AR-ers in their market, whether their portrayal of the real estate business is an accurate depiction of the state of affairs in Southern California.

In general I can't stand reality television (okay, except Food Network!) although I have enjoyed watching some of the HGTV programs. I usually have a harder time with the "clients" than with the agents or hosts of those programs. That said, I just haven't been able to force myself to watch this one. These guys are too young and too arrogant. Meh!

Tom - I'd be stunned if they represent any realist portion of the Realtors out there.

Marcy - I love the food network, too. I don't object to the "young"... I've known several agents who were very young, but very good. These guys seem to be successful in spite of themselves.

Alan...We are real estate professionals not Rock-Stars, anything on T.V. has to be over the top for ratings, but you can boycott this type of crap by not watching it.

Steve - you can rest assured that I won't be watching it... but the problem is that their following isn't Realtors... it's the public. And the public is going to believe that this is how things are done.

NOV

Alan - This is a dreadful show and I personally cant stand that haircut...reminds me of Buster Brown...

When you look at the clients, it seems they need more adulation and TV exposure added to their ego content!

They may be the buzz today but we have lived through the many different types of cycles in our respective careers and actually see the outcome in the future. Rich for the moment...Flash in the pan..wanna bees...nothing professional about their approach, how they communicate with the public and the perception they are giving to the viewers who do not necessarily live in the real world.

I watched the show once when I received a telephone call that one of the buyers was a person we both knew.

Eileen, I think you're talking about Chad (the guy with the haircut that covers his eyebrows)... he spends a lot of time on that hairdo. go figure.

Oh that Helmut Head guy is hilarious . . . he primps more then anyone I can think of. Tammy Faye Baker probably had a speedier time in front of the mirror even WITH the application levels of her make-up.

NOV

Helmet-head. I love it, Carla.

Hi Alan -

I hate MDL. If these punks make $100k on one sale, I should get my California license and sell one house a year! :)

Does anyone remember that stupid show on ABC a few years ago that was like a real estate version of Sex In The City? It was called "Hot Properties". Wow, was I glad to see that get canceled.

It's not the $100,000 commission...Kristina, anyone selling multi-million dollar listings can make big money. It's the condescending borderline incompetent way they bo about it, that tarnishes our image.

Alan, I just hope that the general tv viewing public KNOWS that this is for ratings, and that we don't behave that way. Those 3 boys are definitely not selling real estate .... (although I'm sure they sell plenty of .... something else).
A lot of REALTORS already have a bad reputation, and these shows don't help at all.

Alan - I hear you. The whole show diminishes everything that decent, hard working agents try to show the public. My point was that when you see these clowns bring home six-figure commission checks it makes it even worse. The public already thinks we are overpaid - MDL is perpetuating that stereotype as well.

Sylvie - you are right... these shows don't do anything to improve our stature with the public

Kristina - it surely does that. And I imagine they're being paid some incredible money for starring on the show, too.

NOV

Maybe they are making money being on the show because they can't sell real estate.

Jean - I'm thinkin' they're making both.

Alan,

Thanks so much for voicing what the rest of are feeling. I watched it twice, once out of curiosity, and second because I couldn't believe they were serious the first time. This show is very bad for those of us REAL real estate agents.

Gerry - I actually have watched it once more, since the first... kinda for the same reason you did... "it can't really be that bad each episode, can it? That must have been the worst one. - nope"

NOV

Allan, thanks for the update on what not to watch on TV! Pretty soon fiction will be the new reality!

ain't it the trooth, TY... ain't it the trooth?

NOV

I made it through about 30 seconds of one show in passing, but it just wasn't my cup of tea at all.

There is something to take from everything and this show is no exception.

NOV

I was kinda-frozen, in that deer-in-headlights pose, jL.

You're right, Latonia, there is something to take here... (their licenses!)

It's like any reality show on tv, not really "reality" at all! But, I found it somewhat funny and entertaining, even though it's over the top ridiculous.

Laurie - that's just it. Not reality at all.. but the public doesn't know that.

Alan, I enjoyed your post. Your thoughts are definitely valid. I don't watch it regularly....probably have seen it only once.

Olga - I think it's worth viewing at least once.. if only for the laugh-factor.

NOV

God forgive me, but I watch it whenever I'm flipping thru the channels and see that it's on.

I also slow down for car wrecks.

I don't know why, but I do enjoy it (well, mostly because of Josh, who seems like he might be redeemable....Madison's not bad either....but CHAD??? He drives me NUTS!!)

The show that I can't seem to sit thru without yelling at the screen is Real Estate Intervention. I'm sorry, but there's a time for diplomacy and there's a time to lay it all out there for the sellers. Sometimes it seems to take a 2X4 upside the head before people "get" it....subtlety ain't gonna convince these sellers of ANYTHING.

Coleen - I can see that Josh might have some redeeming qualities... (I said "might")... but Madison and the Chadster??? O.M.G. You take that back.

Alan - The Chadster has NO redeeming qualities as far as I can tell.....perhaps if he goes through a traumatic life situation like, oh, hair loss, or losing his chihuahua because Victoria won't sign the papers to give him equal rights to the dog if they break up.....well, then, there could be some personal growth. But I'm not gonna hold my breath.

Madison seems too nice a person to be on the show....he seems like a Minnesota farm boy who blew into L.A. on a strong wind and can't find his way back home. Or, maybe because of his polyamorous status he got kicked out and isn't allowed back. He doesn't seem feisty enough a guy to fight for his clients .... he seems more suited for a career as an advice columnist or something.

Hope that clears it up for you. :)

NOV

It's sort of a love hate relationship I have with that show. I like a want to watch it looking the other way....However, I have enjoyed watching how all three of them go after price reductions. I honestly have never heard of anyone taking a cute little dog on a listing agreement. We have a local agent that takes his parrot everywhere, not sure about his listing appointments, but that parrot goes everywhere with him. I'm sure he would correct me on the type of bird he has, but it looks like a parrot to me! I love Josh's grandmother, she is too cute.

I must admit, Becky... I have been trapped when "surfing" through the channels. My wife caught me watching it, and said "I thought you didn't like this show?"... I replied "I don't". "Then why are you watching it?".

Good question.

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