ATLANTA — HGTV has done well with family duos, notably the Property Brothers and Joanna and Chip Gaines.
And in Atlanta, there’s Realtor and designer Egypt Sherrod and her husband and construction expert, Mike Jackson, with HGTV’s “Married to Real Estate” returning Thursday.
Sherrod is an HGTV vet already, with “Property Virgins” and “Flipping Virgins” in her back pocket. By adding her husband and two daughters to the equation on the new show, she has found even greater success.
“We’ve been blown away by the response from season one,” Jackson said. “DMs. Text messages!”
“Apparently my husband has a ‘Golden Girls’ fan club in Florida,” Sherrod said. “Over-65 women just adore him. They hand me the camera to get a picture taken with him. I always tease him about it.”
“I plead the Fifth,” Jackson said. “I don’t know what she’s talking about!”
During the first season, Sherrod said the clients told them what they wanted. Now that people have seen what the couple is capable of, second season clients have been more likely to accede to whatever ideas Sherrod and Jackson have. “You’d think that’s what we prefer,” Sherrod said. “But we really want feedback and direction from our clients.”
The other difference, besides less stress over COVID, is that they are squeezing 12 episodes in the same time they did eight for season one. Plus, they are dealing with a slower housing market due to higher interest rates. And they have continued to grapple with high inflation and supply-chain issues.
Sherrod said they try not to harp on those bummer topics on the show. “We don’t want the viewers to get depressed,” she said. “If we can’t afford something, we’ll look for a lower-cost substitute that looks just as good. I think we were still able to do designs this season that will blow you away.”
Renovations range from $50,000 to $250,000, and they find and fix up homes in cities such as Dunwoody, Roswell, East Atlanta, Smyrna, Acworth and Canton.
“Our businesses specialize in Fulton and Cobb but for the show, we’ll go as far as 40 minutes out from downtown,” Sherrod said.
She said this show, more so than her prior two shows, reveals the breadth of their abilities. “We can help you buy a house, design and renovate it and if need be, sell it again,” she said. “You get the full 360.”
As for a third season, Sherrod said they are awaiting word from HGTV but she’s optimistic.
And she’s enjoying “Married to Real Estate” more than her first two HGTV shows. “Before, it felt like work,” she said. “I’d have to leave my family and sometimes travel. To me, this show doesn’t feel like work. The cameras just show up to our lives.”
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(“Married to Real Estate” returns Thursday at 9 p.m. Eastern time.)
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