When commercial real estate appears in pop culture, it’s typically in the background — skyscrapers in dramas like "Suits" or passing references in films like "Wall Street." Rarely has the business of filling office towers or leasing storefronts been the main plot.
A+E, the same network that turned "Storage Wars" and "Duck Dynasty" into household names, hopes to change that by putting commercial property deals on screen. The eight-episode reality series "The Real Estate Commission" premieres Oct. 12.
The show will star Todd J. Drowlette, managing director of Titan Commercial Realty Group, and will follow multimillion-dollar office leases, retail expansions and development negotiations across several East Coast markets, according to a press release from A+E.
The series aims to highlight commercial real estate deals and how those deals affect consumers, from where families shop and dine to the opening of businesses that provide jobs.
“This show is like Shark Tank meets commercial real estate — the deals are real, the stakes are high, and viewers will see how empires are built one deal at a time,” a statement from Drowlette said.
The program arrives during a challenging period for office markets, when high vacancy and borrowing costs are forcing landlords and tenants to rethink their strategies, Drowlette said.
An insider's view
Cameras follow buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants as they navigate complex negotiations in New York, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Maryland and North Carolina.
The show will air Sunday mornings at 9 Eastern time, a slot traditionally used for lifestyle and business programming. The show will run as part of A+E’s "Home.Made.Nation" block of content, signaling the network’s push to treat commercial real estate as a subject with broad cultural and economic importance.
Reality television has long leaned on residential real estate, popularizing shows like "House Hunters," "Million Dollar Listing" and "Love It or List It." "The Real Estate Commission" takes a different tack, putting the commercial side at the center of the story.
Drowlette has completed more than 1,700 transactions totaling more than $2 billion over his 23-year career. At age 22, he became the youngest exclusive broker for Starbucks in the United States, working on the brand’s rapid national expansion.
Drowlette has represented major franchisees for Dunkin’, Buffalo Wild Wings and IHOP, along with dozens of other household names.
A+E Networks, owned by Disney and Hearst, reaches more than 335 million households worldwide and operates channels including A+E, History and Lifetime. A Facebook Watch social media platform version of "The Real Estate Commission" was a success, drawing 1.2 million viewers per episode.