House Hunters International is a very revealing show

If ever there was a voyeuristic show for those in the real estate business, it has to be House Hunters International.

Even if you aren’t in the business, the show is addictive.

The ratings prove this to be true – recent Nielsen ratings show House Hunters International is one of the top 40 TV shows on cable (ranking higher than the basic House Hunters show itself).

Now, admittedly, HHI is not Jersey Shore, which believe it or not, tops the list.

But HHI does have a tremendous following.

The appeal of the show, in my opinion, is how the buyers wrestle with making a decision on which of three properties in the exotic location they plan to buy.

They think out loud on camera. So you get a unique insight into what is going through people’s mind when searching for a new home or a second home.

One interesting item I notice is how the buyers pay an incredible amount of attention to the fun lifestyle aspects of a community when they are searching for a second home or a home overseas. They continually weigh how far away the property is from the beach or a golf course or the local town.

But when people on House Hunters are searching for a primary residence, they pay more attention to the features of the property or perhaps, the commute to work.

Why is that? Instead of looking for a home that is functional, why aren’t they paying more attention to a home that is fun?

In last week’s blog, we wrote about how a Better Homes and Garden survey showed how 1 out of 5 home owners either moved or planned to move because their neighborhood did not fit their lifestyle.

This obviously shows people need to pay more attention to the community where they plan to live.

What’s missing? Maybe they like to go to the movies every week (this ranks high on lifestyle preferences, by the way). Or golf (also high).

What about a cool park. Or a big lake. Show how close these amenities are to a home because that’s where people want to spend their time.

What are some other enjoyable commercial attractions nearby? A Barnes and Noble. A Chucky Cheese (well, for the kids at least). A bowling alley.

If anything, it’s becoming very apparent that fun lifestyle amenities are becoming big selling points for buyers.

With a lifestyle search engine like SpatialMatch embedded on your site, you can create a House Hunters International-type scenario.

Help home buyers find a house where they can have a good time, perhaps take a mini-vacation for a day from their hectic lives buried inside a cubicle or attending one of those endless school functions.

Not everybody has the opportunity to decide how close they want to live to a beach in Costa del Sol or on Maui.

But you can bring a smile to a home buyers face by pointing how they can easily escape to the wonders of a 12-plex movie theater with reclining seats, decent popcorn and a two-mile drive.

A little place to get away sometimes goes a long, long way.

To view the House Hunters International web site, go here.