If the third time was the charm — the third time for Denise Schroder, an OKC Realtor, to be on HGTV’s “House Hunters” — then what’s the fourth time going to be? Another charm?
Yep, another one for her bracelet, because her first and second times on the show were charms, too, as in successful. Her fourth time on “House Hunters” will be at 9 p.m. Tuesday.
Schroder, a real estate agent with her husband, Troy, for Keller Williams Elite, has successfully helped put Oklahoma City homes, neighborhoods and quality of life on the national reality show stage three times in the past eight years, even as she was growing her own success as an agent and as a quirky master of marketing.
It will be a welcome break from election night news coverage, because no matter what else the episode will be, it will be fun. Maybe a little wacky even.
That’s the way she rolls.
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So don’t let HGTV’s summary of the episode, “Entrepreneur in OKC,” fool you:
“An entrepreneur looks for a home where she can both live and generate revenue by hosting events in Oklahoma City. She’s looking for a spacious house with all the amenities, but her long-time friend and agent must keep her focused on the bottom line.”
That sounds interesting enough. But here’s how Schroder put it on social media:
“SET YOUR DVR’S NOW. YOU CAN WATCH ON HGTV OR HULU LIVE!” she posted on Facebook, along with some behind-the-scenes photos. “Our storyline has NEVER been done on the show!
“We are excited to bring positive attention to OKC, ‘Real Housewives’-level fashion, and true transparency in our lives on this journey! Angel is an interior designer and event planner! This is a real treat!!!! The episode is about Angel’s journey, starting over fresh at 50! You will giggle and most likely need a tissue! We even had a pool party and some special guest stars appeared on the show!”
You’ll have to watch to learn more. It will be worth it, judging from her first three times on “House Hunters.” And on the Food Network’s “Worst Cooks in America.” And, before I knew her, two appearances with Oprah, two with Steve Harvey, plus appearances with Rachael Ray, and on CBS’s “The Talk.”
“She has an art for tapping into the power of media and TV appearances to gain local recognition, branding and a fast climb to success” leading to the national spotlight,” it says in a blurb for her book.
Yep, she has a book out, too: “Out of the Box: My Response to Everyone Who Said I Could Never Sell Real Estate,” available from Amazon.
She gave a little background:
“After being told she should never get into real estate, Denise Schroder rose to the challenge! Denise’s journey from broken to barrier breaker encompasses every aspect of her life. The negative words spoken into her, while temporarily debilitating, eventually became the fuel to take her goals from being dreams to being reality.
“After many trials and failures, Denise married her FedEx guy, Troy, and blended five teenagers. She and Troy both quit their jobs on the same day to become self-employed and chase the American dream. Together they used unique storytelling that freezes the scroll on social media to build a brand and successfully stand out in the real estate industry.”
It’s hard to believe the Schroders have been at this for just 10 years. Yep, they got started in real estate in 2012, and before long their weirdness was paying off.
More:How to sign up for The Oklahoman’s real estate newsletter with Richard Mize
In 2014, it was: Oklahoma City housing market steals the show on HGTV’s ‘House Hunters’:Oklahoma City and the metro-area housing market got great exposure on the HGTV show “House Hunters” the other night. There was no overt rah-rah’ing to distract from what we have going for us. Just great images, enough numbers for viewers to chew on and enough context for perspective.
That was enough for me to want to get to know Denise and Troy a little better. So, in 2015, it was: Innovative Oklahoma City Keller Williams sales team uses humor to push home sales: There Troy and Denise Schroder are, stuffed into a shirt as big as a tent and one huge pair of pants. The photo is a marketing ploy: Their sales team at Keller Williams Realty is “getting too big for our britches!” (Insert groan here).
In 2017, it was: Oklahoma City Realtors star in HGTV show again with plot twist: Denise and Troy Schroder, agents with Keller Williams Elite, will be back on HGTV’s “House Hunters” again soon in an encore with an added plot twist. The Realtor couple will not only be on the popular show as agents, but as buyers. … It’s the out-of-nowhere Realtor couple’s second appearance on “House Hunters.”
In 2019, it was: Realtors Troy and Denise Schroder bring HGTV to Oklahoma City for third time: I’m going to start calling Troy and Denise Schroder the E0 Tornado Two. Every couple of years they blow through assumptions and expectations — about Oklahoma City, what’s possible and what even they’re capable of — and they get on HGTV again. The Tornado Two, but E0 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale: fascinating, disruptive (as in stirring things up), but no damage.
In 2020, it was a side trip to the Food Network and “Worst Cooks in America”: Reality TV, not realty, for OKC Realtor, She can show a kitchen, but don’t let her cook in it: Denise Schroder is a woman of many gifts and talents, but there’s one thing she can’t do: Cook. So, of course she found a way to show off this rare lack of ability and have fun doing it — in front of another national television audience.
And now, a fourth appearance on “House Hunters.” Whatever else it turns out to be, it’ll be a hoot.
Senior Business Writer Richard Mize has covered housing, construction, commercial real estate and related topics for the newspaper and Oklahoman.com since 1999. Contact him at rmize@oklahoman.com. Sign up for his weekly newsletter, Real Estate with Richard Mize.
