It’s an interesting watch looking at how the format is employed in the actual episodes. Unlike shows like Escape to the Country that positively welcome brick kickers (who you suspect were more interested in showing off themselves and their alleged budget by being on TV) in numbers, C4 property shows appear to demand actual outcomes each programme. I don’t watch it much nowadays, but my late wife loved the show and would watch episode after episode on All 4. Then, you rarely saw a show end without an offer of some sort being initially accepted. The interesting thing was, for me, listening to the show during the end credits with it then being explained that sadly, the offer fell through for whatever reason. That seemed to happen relatively frequently, and it made me wonder whether the offers accepted thing is for more theatrical effect as it were, rather than having any solid or serious foundations behind them? Whether those euphoric climax at the table with a Lambrini endings are shot in real time or not, who knows. But a thirty second phone call, followed by a couple of other thirty second ones, doesn’t seem a very realistic way of parting with £100000 plus.
It would be also interesting to know whether these production companies actually want proof of the so-called financial resources to buy and position to actually proceed these couples say they have and are in. I certainly strongly suspect that the BBC don’t do that, and are more interested in their personality than anything else