Have you ever been flipping through the channels, only to find yourself glued to the couch in an HGTV binge session? We’ve all been there, watching entire seasons of “Love it or List it,” “Million Dollar Listing,” “House Hunters,” “Property Brothers,” and so many more all in one sitting.

When you’re in the middle of your real estate themed show marathon, you might start to think that everything you see on TV must be how it works in real life, but you may need a reality check.

Reality TV Show Myths vs. Real Life:

Myth #1: Buyers look at 3 homes and decide to purchase one of them.
Truth: There may be buyers who fall in love and buy the first home they see, but according to the National Association of Realtors the average homebuyer tours 10 homes as a part of their search.  

Myth #2: The houses the buyers are touring are still for sale.
Truth: Everything is staged for TV. Many of the homes being shown are already sold and are off the market. 

Myth #3: The buyers haven’t made a purchase decision yet.
Truth: Since there is no way to show the entire buying process in a 30-minute show, TV producers often choose buyers who are further along in the process and have already chosen a home to buy. 

Myth #4: If you list your home for sale, it will ALWAYS sell at the open house.
Truth: Of course, this would be great! Open houses are important to guarantee the most exposure to buyers in your area but are only a PIECE of the overall marketing of your home. Keep in mind that many homes are sold during regular listing appointments as well. 

Myth #5: Homeowners decide to sell their homes after a 5-minute conversation.
Truth: Similar to the buyers portrayed on the shows, many of the sellers have already spent hours deliberating the decision to list their homes and move on with their lives/goals.

Please keep in mind that most listing status changes must be made within three (3) business days of the date the status change occurs, with the exception of listings which are Canceled (change within 24 hours) and listings which are Sold (change within 5 business days).

Active – The listing is available for sale or lease and no offers (with or without contingencies) have been accepted. A listing in the “Active” status must be available for showings within a reasonable period of time (which generally means within four business days) after the listing has been placed in the Active status. This is an on-market status, and Days on Market (“DOM”) will accumulate.

Active T/C – The listing is under contract with an accepted offer, but a “Time Clause” addendum is in place and the buyer and seller agree that the property is to remain on-market so that additional offers may be solicited. This is an on-market status and DOM will accumulate.

Backup – The seller has accepted an offer on the listing, but the seller requests that the property remain on-market to solicit additional, back-up offers. This is an on-market status and DOM will accumulate.

Under Contract – The listing is under contract with an accepted offer. This is an off-market status and DOM will not accumulate.

Off Market – The listing is temporarily not available for showings per the seller’s request. However, a valid listing agreement is in effect.

• Note: When in the Off Market status, DOM will not accumulate, photos are not required, and the listing will not be visible on UtahRealEstate.com or any IDX or syndication websites.

Withdrawn – A valid listing agreement is in effect, however, the seller and listing broker have agreed to withdraw the listing from being marketed through the MLS.

Canceled – The listing agreement has been terminated prior to the expiration date specified in the listing agreement.

Expired – The termination date of the listing agreement has passed, and a valid listing agreement for this listing is no longer in effect.

Sold – The listing has sold and title to the property has transferred from the seller to the buyer.

Leased – The listing has been leased.

Now that you’re ready, it’s time to get Pre-Approved. Let’s take a look at how that works!

Find the Right Lender for You!

Our Trusted Lenders

Your offer got accepted, CONGRATULATIONS! But don’t start moving in yet, there is still the Escrow process which takes an average of 30 days but can be as long as 6 months or as short as 3 days!

Our Title People are Real Super Heroes!