‘Property Brothers’: Drew Scott Admitted to Making 1 Major Mistake Before Getting Famous
Viewers continue to flock to HGTV’s ever-growing catalog of television programming that tells them how to fix up their homes—or at least lets them dream big about the house that may never be. Among the stars that have risen to fame through the network are twin brothers Jonathan and Drew Scott.
Starring in Property Brothers, the twins have had some twists and turns as they tackled both the real estate world and the acting one. Having to build up their skills and reputation in both has required some finesse, and in 2017, they jointly published a memoir titled It Takes Two: Our Story to explore just how they made it this far.
Their rise to fame was not without some missteps, and Drew Scott opened up about one of his biggest mistakes early on.
The Scott twins started their business young
The Scott twins have had a nose for investment properties from a very young age. When they were 18, they were both enrolled in the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. Recognizing that student housing would be a hot commodity in the area, they bought their first house. They were able to leverage that investment into steady monthly income as they rented it out.
From there, the pair focused on flipping homes. They bought the first house they flipped for $200,000 and netted themselves a nice $50,000 profit. Those early skills have developed over the years, and today the twins are famous for their ability to update outdated homes and make their clients’ dreams come true.
These days, those with at least $90,000 (and, of course, a house) available for renovations could find themselves eligible to appear on an episode of the show and get to see the twins work their magic up close and personal.
They’ll have to meet some personality qualifications as well, though. The show prefers homeowners with upbeat personalities and a great story to tell.
‘Property Brothers’ has been a long-standing staple for HGTV
HGTV was created by Kenneth Lowe 25 years ago. The network went live in 1994, and at the time it was something of a gamble as very few television series had attempted to cover the home improvement topic—let alone a whole network! Luckily, the network’s creation paired with an American housing boom, and its rise to success was steady.
Over the years, the personalities of the show hosts have become brands of their own, and the Property Brothers series is a big part of that transformation. While HGTV has faced criticism for being overly staged, fans don’t seem to mind. Getting to watch the amazing home transformations and follow the antics of vibrant host personalities keeps viewers tuned in.
Property Brothers premiered in 2011 and quickly became a major brand under the HGTV banner alongside other popular shows like Love It or List It and Flip or Flop. Since their premiere, the twins have also managed to snag deals for spin-off series including Brother vs. Brother and the new Property Brothers: Forever Home.
Jonathan and Drew Scott both tried traditional acting
Before they became reality TV superstars, Drew and Jonathan Scott both tried to make it in the traditional acting and entertainment world. They each did some sci-fi related work with Drew landing a guest role on Smallville and Jonathan playing in an episode of X-Files. They also both did work as underwear models before finding their groove in the home improvement world.
Jonathan even wanted to become a professional magician, but his dreams were dashed when his props were stolen. These stories of stumbling through the early days are a big part of the It Takes Two memoir. In the book, Drew reveals that he made some financial missteps early on. In fact, he racked up over $100,000 in debt by pursuing acting classes in Vancouver.
Today, the twins consider all of these bumps in the road as part of their overall story of success. It looks like their rise to the top isn’t over yet, either. In addition to the new spin-off, HGTV has big plans for the brothers, including a podcast and a magazine in their brand name.
