'Zillow Gone Wild' Is a Must-Watch for Fans of Weird, Wacky Homes
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Zillow Gone Wild reaches beyond the endless pleasures of a good real estate listing surfing sesh. The new HGTV series hosted by 30 Rock star Jack McBrayer takes viewers on tours of real, wonderfully out-of-the-ordinary houses across the country—from a former missile silo to a home designed to look like a massive golden saxophone. Below, we’ve outlined everything you need to know about the series, including when you can watch it and how fans can get involved (for a chance to win a major cash prize).
What Is Zillow Gone Wild About?
Inspired by the viral Instagram account of the same name, Zillow Gone Wild follows McBrayer as he explores weird and wacky properties for sale across the country. While uncovering each house’s quirky characteristics, McBrayer learns the intriguing backstories behind the homes from sellers, buyers, and real estate agents. Each property is ranked on its creativity, commitment to theme, and “wackadoo” (aka its eccentric qualities). Through bracket-style elimination, HGTV will proclaim which house is the wildest one of them all during the finale of the nine-episode season.
“We saw 24 different homes, and each one was wild in its own way,” McBrayer tells House Beautiful. He explains: “There was one house that was a beautiful home, but there were thousands and thousands of drawers. So we call that the storage house. There's one house that is an abandoned missile silo that goes seven stories underground. And there's one house that's pretty much just stuck to the underside of a bridge.”
McBrayer didn’t know what any of the homes looked like before viewing them. “I was not allowed to look at the Instagram page so that I would be authentically surprised at everything that we saw during the tours,” he says. “I do like saying yes to things that scare me a little and take me out of my comfort zone, and I've never done anything like this.”
While the show is new for the Los Angeles-based actor-comedian, he's no stranger to home curiosity. He explains: “I do live in my dream house, but that does not stop me from going to open houses anytime I'm just strolling around the neighborhood. I love seeing people's homes. I love seeing what they've done, what they've chosen, what inspired them. I think it’s just a very natural thing for a human to do.”
But it’s not only about getting the chance to peek inside of homes. “My favorite part was hearing the stories behind each home and just meeting the people,” he adds.
Seeing how people’s homes are an organic expression of their personalities—and that there are others out there who connect with that—gave McBrayer a bit of optimism in humanity. “There is a lid for every pot,” he says. “So even if I just decide to paint my house neon green and everything inside it is neon green, I have to be prepared that it might take a while to find somebody [to buy it], but I bet you a dime to a donut that somebody's out there.”
How Can Fans Get Involved?
Not only do fans get to see inside non-traditional properties while watching Zillow Gone Wild, but they also get a chance to win $25,000 by correctly guessing which home will be crowned the “Wildest House” from the series. Voting begins when the penultimate episode airs on June 21 at 10:30 p.m. ET. It’ll showcase the eight finalists. Then fans can cast a vote for their favorite property here. All submissions that match the winning home in the finale, which airs on June 28 at the same time, will be automatically entered for a chance to win.
What Inspired Zillow Gone Wild?
The Zillow Gone Wild Instagram account was created in late 2020 by Samir Mezrahi, who is one of the HGTV show’s producers. Only two weeks after the Zillow Gone Wild account was created, it had gained nearly half a million followers. The page is dedicated to showcasing the strangest listings on Zillow—whether it’s a seemingly normal house except for its jail cells or a home listed for $1—along with incredibly grandiose mansions with amenities like their own baseball field or horse stable. Learn more about the story behind the Zillow Gone Wild account here.
How Can You Watch Zillow Gone Wild?
Episodes air weekly on Fridays at 10:30 p.m. ET on HGTV, starting May 3. The series will be available to stream on Max the same day and time it airs on HGTV.
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