Buying London on Netflix: Is it real and is it scripted?

If you’ve been wondering whether Buying London is real and if it’s scripted then you’re not the only ones as the property show rises into the Netflix UK top 10.

Following in the high heeled footsteps of the glamorous real estate agents of Selling Sunset are the team in Netflix’s new spin-off property show, Buying London. As the name might suggest this twelve-part series gives viewers a sneak peek at some truly breath-taking London homes that most people could only dream of owning. But it’s not just the magnificent residences that have drawn us in as the Buying London estate agents and their interactions are every bit as shocking. 

The drama is often as huge as the residences’ asking prices and makes Buying London great for anyone who’s watched Married at First Sight Australia and loves that aspect. However, with so much going on it’s perhaps all-too-easy to question if Buying London is real and, even if it is, whether it's scripted. As viewers continue to ponder these burning questions here's all we know about the Netflix show's authenticity.

Is Buying London real?

Just like Selling Sunset before it, Netflix’s Buying London is real in so much as it follows a team of real estate agents and is a reality TV show. The agents seen in the series are part of the team of high-end agent Daniel Daggers, who is known on Instagram as Mr Super Prime, and he specialises in particularly luxurious properties. He’s the founder of DDRE Global and he was once voted Spear’s UK Property Advisor of the Year.

Daniel has spent 24 years becoming "a leader in the prime and super prime markets across the globe" and revealed on his website that he’s also advised on the sale of "more than $5bn worth of residential properties". Appearing alongside him on Netflix’s Buying London are agents who do really work at DDRE Global, including Lauren Christy, Reme Nicole, Oli Hamilton, Rosi Walden and Rasa Bagdonaviciute. Understandably, not all of the agents who work for DDRE Global appear in Buying London, but all of the agents in the cast are real life employees there.

Is Buying London scripted?

Whether or not Buying London is scripted has been the focus of a lot of speculation and it’s been suggested that whilst it’s not scripted, the agents could have taken inspiration from other "scripted reality" shows with the kinds of things they say. Writing in The Telegraph, Arts and Entertainment Editor Anita Singh has claimed that the show has three "story producers" and described the production as having an "air of unreality".

"You wonder how many of these houses the team actually sell, because the production has such an air of unreality. It’s post-truth television," she wrote. "The people on screen aren’t reciting a script, they’ve just learned - through prolonged exposure to "scripted reality" shows - to actually speak like this. They know what is required of them.The whole thing plays out like one long Instagram reel."

So it seems as though Buying London isn’t scripted, but it does have that feel to it in places and some plotlines could possibly have been introduced to add more drama and guide the dialogue in the show.

If so, then this wouldn’t be unheard of for reality shows as we’ve seen this before with the likes of Made in Chelsea where conversations between members of the cast were genuine but the meetings were often guided or arranged. This might also make sense given that Buying London is, after all, a reality TV show. 

Speaking recently to The Telegraph, Charles Lloyd, Head of Mayfair sales at Beauchamp Estates reflected that the series is "a reality TV show that's been contrived and edited for entertainment".

"It’s like watching Love Island or Big Brother, isn’t it? It makes for good television, but there’s no resemblance to what goes on in a proper estate agency business," Lloyd claimed.

Buying London is available to watch now via Netflix.