I was cast for the show by chance. The production company Red7 approached me. They invited me and other estate agents to Munich for a casting. The format is international and Red7 has secured the rights here in Germany. I loved the idea right from the start, because that's basically my theme, putting myself in people's shoes and constantly changing perspectives.

The basic pattern from the buyer's perspective is similar with Buying Blind. These are buyers who have a vision, a dream of their property and an idea. But for some reason they have not yet been successful in their search. And that is also the main theme of Buying Blind. Because that's how many people actually feel. They lack the ability to imagine what a property could look like in the future. The participants in the show have an idea of what they're looking for, but can't put the reality of a house in need of renovation together with it, can't imagine what they can get out of it. Of course, there are often fears involved, such as: Will I find the right tradesmen? Will they work the way I want them to? Will I be able to coordinate a renovation? Calculating the budget also plays a major role. How much will it cost me to get the property in a condition that I feel comfortable in?

Our candidates at Buying Blind have usually been through a lot. Some have been looking for a property for several years and still have not been successful. The Buying Blind contestants are relieved of all that in the show. In addition to their budget, they receive a grant from Red7 or RTL.

An interior architect and an interior designer are also part of the show process. It is not just a property that is bought, but the house is extensively redesigned, renovated and furnished after purchase. In order to make the buyers' dreams come true, they are meticulously interviewed beforehand. We ask them: How do you want to live? Where do you want to live? What is the minimum size of the property? How many rooms do you need? What is your living situation? Do you have children? Who is moving in with you and what are your life plans? This approach is very close to what prospective buyers go through in reality.

I would say that none of our candidates would have ever bought any of the properties we bought for them themselves. Without us, they would never have made the decision they did because they lack the imagination and courage. The great thing about Buying Blind is that we take all the decisions off our candidates' hands. From the purchase decision to the question of how the property should be converted and designed, right through to the color scheme and furniture.

I think that's rather problematic. I think it fails because of the logic of the matter, that this is not possible in practice. In such a case, both the architect and the interior designer would have to blindly go ahead with their planning. In principle, that would be feasible, but basically it would mean too high a risk for the cooperation partners.

I have to make do with a certain budget and first ask myself whether it is even feasible to find a property for the estimated budget. So I search in the region and first evaluate whether there is any real estate available at all. If that seems feasible, then the broadcaster gets feedback from me that the candidates have a chance of making it through. Only then do we start and the candidates receive a confirmation. Then I start marching off with the signed search order. It takes one to two months until the first appointment with the candidates.

In the first season, the challenge of keeping up with market developments during the coronavirus period proved to be particularly demanding. We were forced to deal with rising prices and run behind the market. In the second season, the situation improved slightly as the market accommodated us. Here, the difficulty was more in dealing with rising interest rates and the uncertainty caused by the new heating law. This is also currently a major challenge for my team and me here in Berlin City West.

Show under extreme time pressure. As soon as a property came into view, it was necessary to make a decision within a very short space of time to ensure that it was not lost. The organization of the notary appointment and the involvement of a surveyor also had to be done extremely quickly. In addition, we had to rely on the owners being prepared to present their properties before we bought them.

I actually know most of my contacts from the competence club, which was founded on the initiative of in.media Verlag. When you sit together a lot in seminars, you get to know each other well over the years and gain trust in each other. Our competence club was founded with zip code protection so that we as members can exchange ideas without fear of competition. The fact that we are not competitors means that we can freely exchange marketing ideas, for example. Further connections are made at the Immo-Profi-Meeting. There are also networking events several times a year at the IVD, where I am on the board. I also have a lot of contact with colleagues in this position.