Property shows to binge-watch during the holidays

It may be inevitable that you’ll have long lulls during the holiday break or that you’ll opt to stay in bed all day, no thanks to the chill in the air.

And you’ll probably be tempted, too, to open an app and watch a new series or movies for hours on end. With a lot of time on your hands, you will most likely go “Netflix and chill” and “binge-watch” content from the online streaming platforms available in the country today.

But if you’re planning to do just that, you might as well try to learn something new from it. Prospective homebuyers, investors, sales agents and brokers, for instance, will likely learn a thing or two from some of the real estate-related shows now airing on Apple TV, Netflix and Amazon Prime. Here are a few series that may be able to give you some helpful tips on how you can snag better deals, sell homes more effectively, or earn more in real estate. The drama on the side makes it a tad more entertaining too. Enjoy!

ZOMBIE HOUSE FLIPPING

Apple TV

Talk about transformation and redemption. “Zombie House Flipping” is all about 180-degree turns for foreclosed and neglected residential structures or “zombie homes” in Orlando, Florida.

A scrappy crew named Robin Hoods of Real Estate, led by flipper and brokerage owner Justin Stamper, would acquire for a steal these zombie properties that hold potential and try to improve them for a profit. In the process, the group doesn’t only breathe new life into these homes but also improve the image of the neighborhoods they belong in.

Watch Stamper and his crew turn around homes that stink of cigarette smoke and bad plumbing, or those already infested by alligators and other wild creatures. Already on its fifth season, this will give you an insight into how properties could sell better and how seemingly insurmountable challenges could be resolved.

SELLING SUNSET

Netflix

Thinking more along the lines of Keeping Up With The Kardashians or Real Housewives? Then try “Selling Sunset,” a reality TV series that follows a group of realtors working for The Oppenheim Group, a high-end real estate brokerage firm selling dwellings in Los Angeles and Orange County—places in California where real estate normally fetches millions of dollars.

Although these realtors work in an elite market, you soon find out the human in them. You watch them beyond their client-facing persona. See them fall in love, fail and—since you’re looking for drama—argue. Watch Seasons 1 through 5 before the sixth becomes available in early 2023.

LUXE LISTINGS SYDNEY

Amazon Prime Video

The luxury market is everywhere, not just in the United States. This show from the Land Down Under gives you a sneak peek into how that market looks like in Sydney. The well-known city is not only one of the most expensive but also one of the most livable cities of the world. The combination means bigger price tags on listings and a cutthroat industry for agents—and “Luxe Listings Sydney” proves that.

Already with three seasons since its premier in 2021, this hit series gives you four of Australia’s top agents sourcing the perfect homes for their high-rolling clients, which include celebrities and businessmen. How competitive does it get? An agent is pulled out of a yacht party because he and another agent need to, and we quote, “buy an island.”

HOME

Apple TV

In Ghana, a home proves that building practices can be decolonized. In Iceland, an abandoned concrete factory turns into a residence and an inspiration for a dying village’s revitalization. In Mexico, families from an impoverished community receive 3D-printed homes. In Hong Kong, a 32-sqm apartment transforms in dozens of ways. All these and more are featured in docuseries, “Home.”

This Apple Original, already with two seasons (and we hope for more), features structures all over the world that push the envelope in what homes should be. The designers and builders, who are interviewed in the episodes, look at elements and cues from the future, the present and the past in order to come up with abodes that stand out in various ways. Even one episode will surely be thought-provoking for anyone who watches.

STAY HERE

Netflix

If you don’t have much time to watch content and can only manage a few hours, try “Stay Here,” a 2018 Netflix series with just eight episodes. It follows designer Genevieve Gorder and real estate expert Peter Lorimer as they help property owners earn better from short-term rentals. The duo makes sure each property they improve are built and styled awesomely, curated to offer unique experiences, and marketed excellently.

Watch a boathouse in Seattle, a firehouse in DC and a Malibu seaside bungalow, among others, turn into moneymakers for their owners. It’s going to be perfect for those who’ve been mulling over the possibility of breaking into the homestay business, especially now that tourism is picking up. Extra income, anyone?