It started last summer during the slump in summer line-up (real estate, that is, not TV).  I went on a series of listing appointments--to the homes of friends, clients, friends of clients and homeowners who found me through the internet.  The theme of these meetings were mostly the same.  The homeowners wanted to sell.  They were convinced that their homes were worth WAY more than current market value (even before the stock market slide), and they typically thought that repairs and staging were not necessary for their fabulous homes.  I spent a lot of time analyzing the market with several approaches, touring current listings, educating them on the current market dynamics.  In the end, I decided not to pursue any of these listings (and in many cases, the feeling was mutual).  Several of these homeowners did list their properties with other agents.  In one case, the house was listed for $250,000 above my suggested list price. None of these houses sold, and some had several price reductions.

What was happening here? In many cases, Sellers were deciding to price their homes based on what they wanted to net, not the current reality of the market.  And, in a declining market, it seems like many Sellers were reducing their home's list price in small increments, a little too late.  Almost as if they were chasing the market down.

Well, HGTV to the rescue.  A new reality show, Real Estate Intervention is billed by the SF Chronicle Article as tough love for sellers in denial.  As with most reality TV shows, I can't imagine why Sellers would want to be on TV and be forced to come to terms with the market in such a public way.  It is not an easy time for home sellers and many aren't really going to sell in this market.  Perhaps this is just another example of our willingness for notoriety no matter what the cost.