PRIMETIME EXPOSURE: Local Realtor featured on ‘House Hunters’

Moving The Mitten founder Therese Antonelli (third from left) is pictured with the cast and crew of the “House Hunters” episode that aired April 16.
Southeast-Michigan Realtor Therese Antonelli has shown clients so many houses over the past decade-plus, the not-so-easy-to-master art of house-hunting has become second nature to the native of Belleville and founder of Moving the Mitten Real Estate Group.
Regardless of her experience in the industry, helping Tarek Uddin find his dream home a few months ago generated a few nerves in the smooth-operating Antonelli — and understandably so.
Antonelli’s short-term jitters were caused by her appearance on the incredibly-popular HGTV hit “House Hunters”, which draws a nightly audience of hundreds of thousands of people.
The popular professional’s 30 minutes of fame aired Tuesday at 10:30 p.m. She viewed the final product for the first time along with close to 100 friends and family during a watch party at the Belleville Bait Shop Bar.
“I do real estate every day, so showing homes comes naturally to me,” Antonelli said. “But I’ll admit, I was little nervous during the early stages of filming for this show because I’m not used to having camera crews following me.
Lights, camera, action!
“It was a little weird at first because you’re thinking to yourself, ‘How’s my outfit look? How’s my hair look?’ But after a while I got used to the cameras — and the fact that hundreds of thousands of people would be watching.”
She laughed heartily.

Due to contractual restrictions with HGTV and the company that produces the long-running series, Antonelli was not allowed to reveal how she was chosen to appear on “House Hunters” — a high-profile opportunity most Realtors would embrace.
House Hunters, which airs most weeknights at 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. each weeknight on HGTV, provides viewers with compelling, behind-the-scenes looks at the highs and lows of the home-buying process.
Antonelli and Uddin were shown navigating the competitive housing market in metro Detroit.
‘Well-oiled machine’
“The production of the show was such a well-oiled machine,” Antonelli shared. “The crew — none of whom were from Michigan — were so nice.
“I wish they could have stayed longer so I could have taken them around and showed them the cool things metro Detroit has to offer. The days were so long when we were shooting for the show, at the end of the day we were all so tired we just wanted to go home and go to bed.”
Antonelli said she is a longtime fan of “House Hunters” — making her appearance on the show that much sweeter.

“I don’t watch many real estate-related shows, but I love ‘House Hunters’,” she asserted. “But a lot of people I know in the real estate industry don’t watch it because they live it every day.
“The last thing a lot of Realtors want to do after showing houses all day is watching other people show houses (she chuckled). But the show is so well done, I find it interesting to see how other Realtors handle situations that I have faced — or may face someday.”
Finding the right one
After checking out a number of homes in suburban Detroit, Uddin, a single man and native of southeastern Michigan who was joined by his best friend on the hunt for a house, ultimately chose a ranch that was listed at $299,000.
“He ended up having to pay tens of thousands of dollars over the asking price do the number of offers on the house,” Antonelli said. “But that is indicative of the low inventory in the industry these days. He’s happy, though, and that’s what matters most.”
Born and raised in Belleville, Antonelli moved to Fenton close to 14 years ago, but moved back to her hometown in 2012 to help her mother in the wake of her dad’s passing.
“I loved the real estate industry, which led to me founding Moving The Mitten in 2014,” she reflected. “It’s not an easy industry to thrive in these days — some of the homes that are for sale are generating 20 offers, creating crazy bidding wars.
“You just have to put on the war paint every day, do the best you can and battle.”
Those who know Antonelli well know her brush with national-TV fame won’t change her outlook on life or her flourishing career.
She will continue to remain focused on what matters most: helping her clients achieve their real estate goals and creating unforgettable experience along the way.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
