15+ Interesting Facts About HGTV’s Property Brothers Jonathan & Drew Scott That We Had No Idea About
Since Property Brothers catapulted onto our screens in 2011, we've been obsessed with the dreamy homes and the goofy charm of twin realtor/renovator combo Jonathan and Drew Scott.
Like most TV shows, there have been some missteps and behind-the-scenes secrets they don't want fans to know. Take a look at some little-known facts about the Scotts' rise to fame and some trouble they've run into along the way.
Jonathan Is All For Show
People the world over have enjoyed watching Jonathan get hot and sweaty while he demolishes a wall, or struts around sanding some wood in nothing but jeans, a tool belt, and a tank top. It might be heart-breaking to know that he doesn't actually do the renovations himself.
One Reddit user spilled the beans on how the show operates when it comes to the renovation process. “They use local contractors in the areas they are working in. They get referrals (not sure from whom) and then narrow down the crews they use to 4 different ones. I’m assuming we won’t get to choose which crew is working on our home."
Drew Was $100,000 In Debt In 2006
By this point, the boys had founded Scott Real Estate Inc. and were helping clients with everything from buying and selling to renovating, but Drew wasn't satisfied. He still wanted to act, so he took a massive gamble and moved to Vancouver, giving himself a year to make it in the biz.
By the late 2000s, he was in over his head and down $100,000. As a last-ditch attempt at getting himself out of the hole, he opened up a Vancouver branch of Scott Real Estate and started pitching real estate-themed shows to executives. After a couple of failures, Property Brothers was born, but it wasn't all smooth sailing.
You Can't Appear On The Show If You're Single
It's not unusual to buy a house solo. After all, have you seen the prospects on Tinder? All the good ones are taken. But if you like the idea of going on this show as a party of one, forget about it. The rules state you must be part of a couple to even apply.
While it's mostly romantically-tied couples that go on the show, there's been a few mother and daughter combos and a couple of friends, so all is not lost. Also, judging by what we've seen it's the conflict that keeps the viewers interested, so we suppose that's a decent reason for the "no solo participants" rule.
Real Estate Was Supposed To Be A Side Hussle
While the pair had a love for DIY, getting involved in real estate was less of an ambition and more of a security blanket. Jonathan was keen on magic, but Drew was interested in basketball and acting. He went on to have roles in several popular shows, including Smallville.
As they attended university in Calgary, they knew that they wanted to be entertainers in some form, but also knew that they could end up broke and out of work. After seeing an infomercial, they decided that putting some money into real estate would "ease the financial purgatory of being out-of-work actors." They weren't wrong.
They Bought Their First House In College
While most of us were living off of cans of soup and dried pasta in our college years, the Scott twins were busy planning for the future. After looking into how to make a profit from houses, they took up the lease on a seven-bedroom house across the street from their college.
After giving a much-needed makeover, they sublet the rest of the rooms, making a tidy $800 profit a month. Not long after, they took over the mortgage. A year later, they sold it for a cool $50,000 profit. Makes our college years look pretty fruitless, doesn't it?
From Unknown Realtors To TV Stars
The show sees the brothers helping clients renovate their dream homes, and sometimes focuses on the renovations of their own homes. It's become one of HGTV's biggest success - not least because the ladies love them.
The network has openly touted Drew and Jonathan's sex appeal. "We know that twin brothers and HGTV fan favorites Drew and Jonathan Scott are good-looking, talented and ever-so-popular with the ladies," they said. Magazines like Glamour have publicized their admiration for their "ripped shirts, greased muscles, water-sprayed levels of hotness." During an appearance at the Mall of America, the twins attracted the second ever largest crowd, just behind the band One Direction.
Not All Homeowners Are Happy With The End Result
Most of the shows end in an abundance of smiles and happy tears when the big reveal shows clients how amazing their made-over home is, but it's not always as real as it looks. The New York Times published an article stating that the final reveal often has to be filmed several times.
"At the end of the day it has to be interesting TV," said Jonathan. "But when we find a load-bearing wall, we are really finding a load-bearing wall." When the homeowners aren't that thrilled or don't give the amazed reaction the show needs, there's no option but to retake it until the right shot comes along. That takes a little bit of the magic away, doesn't it?
Clients Have Already Picked A House
We get that reality TV wouldn't be entertaining without a little drama, but this means that it usually has to be manufactured. In this case, the clients are told to already have a house they want to buy, despite a lengthy house hunting process featured on the show.
Often a couple is conflicted - she wants this house, he wants another - and it takes a lot of viewing and compromise for them to finally settle on one. It makes for exciting TV, but it's just not real. The application form asks potential clients which house they're interested in buying, so it's all a load of inserted cock and bull.
Jonathan And Drew May Not Have The Correct Licenses
According to MoneyInc.com, there's a shadow of doubt over Jonathan and Drew's legal right to do what they do on the show, which might explain some of the staged scenes. The website claims that both a realtor and a contractor require licences in each state to practice.
The site's claim states: "Real estate agents are required to be licensed in the state where they are involved in the purchase or sell of a home. Seasons 9 and 10 of the show were filmed in Greater New York, yet Drew is not listed as holding a NY real estate license. Additionally, general contractors are required to be licensed by the state they are working in. Well, Jonathan is not listed as holding a NY Home Improvement Contractor license or General Contractor license." Make of that what you will.
The Homebuyers Hardly See The Twins
There's something so entertaining about watching the rapport between a host and participant in any show like this, and the twins make it enjoyable. Their jokes, their unique charm, and the way they interact with the couples all make for pleasant TV. However, in reality, the brothers hardly see the homeowners at all.
While the renovations take around six weeks to complete, the couples meet Drew and Jonathan a meager eight times during that period. We've got to hand it to them, they all look like they're best friends sharing in a special journey when it's really all for the television dollars. Hey ho. That's just show business.
The Twins Were Trained Clowns
Both Drew and Jonathan could charm even the coldest of souls, and they were also trained clowns. Drew had an interest in theatre and sketch comedy from a very young age, and both of the boys were apprentice clowns.
They made a pretty buck from their act, going on to perform at various parties and events. They weren't cheap. As kids, they were raking in the dough at $100 an hour. Who needs a newspaper route when you've got that sort of cash coming in?
Jonathan Wanted To Keep His First Marriage Hidden
We all know that fame comes at a cost. Usually, it's having everyone and their dog know your business. Understandably, Jonathan wasn't initially keen on sharing details of his private life. He recently split from his girlfriend of two years, Jacinta Kuznetsov, but he was married before.
The 39-year-old met airline controller Kelsy in 2007, briefly dating her before marrying the same year. As is the case in many whirlwind romances, the couple soon grew apart and their union ended in divorce two years later.
Jonathan Filed For Bankruptcy At 20
Drew wasn't the only one who had financial issues early on. Just like his brother, real estate wasn't his big dream. He loved magic and wanted to pursue it, with the idea of reaching David Copperfield heights of fame. He wanted it so badly that he poured everything into it - including his money.
After building up an impressive collection of large-scale illusions, Jonathan trusted the wrong person and it came back to bite him. He rented out several of his custom-made pieces to a friend of a friend who stole them, destroying his act and leaving him $80,000 out of pocket. Jonathan sunk into depression and didn't tell anyone about his trouble out of embarrassment, instead filing for bankruptcy before his 21st birthday.
Drew Is Off The Market
To the disappointment of fans everywhere, Drew was officially taken off the market by Linda Phan.
The couple met at Toronto Fashion Week in 2010, and have been inseparable ever since. They've been married since 2018.
Their Dad Was A Stuntman
Jim Scott emigrated from Scotland in the United Kingdom after becoming enamored with America. He dreamed of becoming a cowboy like in the movies he saw on television. Jim didn't become a cowboy, but he landed some great jobs in the film industry.
He worked as an actor for some time, a stuntman, and an assistant director before leaving the industry to concentrate on raising his family in the late 70s, moving them to a horse farm in Maple Ridge, while his wife continued working as a paralegal in Vancouver. Both Drew and Jonathan would inherit their love of property from their dad.
Their Parents Didn't Know They Were Having Twins
The pair were born to Jim and Joanne Scott on April 28, 1978. While the expectant parents knew their lives were about to change as they welcomed another child, they didn't realize they were in for double trouble.
After Jonathan was born they thought that was it, having only expected a single child. Drew surprised everyone by being born four minutes later, becoming the youngest Scott sibling in the new family of five. The twins have an older brother, James, who was born two years earlier. What a shock that must've been!
Drew And Jonathan Began Renovating At Age 8
From watching the show, it's pretty easy to see that these two have flipping houses in their blood. Their dad would often renovate properties as they were growing up, and from the age of eight, the boys were getting paid to rebuild different parts of buildings.
Growing up, they showed a flair for design by rearranging the furniture in their family home - often to the annoyance of their mom. These two blossoming builders weren't one-trick ponies though. They had a lot of talents and a lot of dreams.
