Copyright Forbes
From HGTV’s endless house hunts to dramatic renovation reveals, real estate has long been one of television’s most enduring obsessions. Its appeal is universal — a mix of aspiration and accessibility that encourages viewers to dream, compare, and imagine their own place in the market. Even as homeownership at present can feel both inspiring and out of reach, audiences remain captivated by the fantasy. Real estate programming delivers a unique blend of entertainment, education, and escapism — and in today’s streaming era, where content is instantly accessible digitally, that fascination shows no signs of slowing. Now, the mobile game PropQwiz is bringing that engagement off the screen and into players’ hands. Launched in July, PropQwiz (which blends property and quiz) is a free app that challenges users to guess the listing prices of real homes across the United States. Merging lifestyle entertainment with interactive gaming, the app leverages actual listings to quiz players in real time. It also raises the stakes with a $350,000 grand prize toward a home purchase and weekly prizes of $2,500 for rent or mortgage assistance, transforming a familiar pastime into an interactive — and potentially life-changing — experience. PropQwiz isn’t just a game for users, it’s a platform for advertisers and sponsors to reach a targeted audience of real-estate enthusiasts, aspiring homeowners, and casual gamers. From Neighborhood Walks to a National Game The idea for PropQwiz came from Jim Casey, who discovered the mass appeal of “price guessing” long before apps and streaming algorithms existed. “In the days before Zillow, my wife and I would take our dogs for a walk and grab the flyers from the boxes out front of homes,” Casey recalls. “We’d guess the price, the square footage — whoever got closest won bragging rights. And we realized everyone does this in some way. Real estate makes people curious.” Traditionally, Casey transitioned initial concepts into television formats. But as the creator and CEO of Painless Productions -- which develops and produces non-scripted programming and digital content for outlets including A&E, Discovery, Disney+, E!, Fox, FX, GSN, HGTV, Investigation Discovery, Magnolia, MTV, and TLC -- he realized that a digital launch in the form of an app offered a more scalable, interactive opportunity. “Because of what’s going on in the TV industry — shrinking budgets, tighter margins, and the increasing difficulty of launching something truly unique — I knew this needed to go digital,” Casey said. “Most movies are sequels because studios are afraid to take risks. Doing something original is scary. I didn’t want this idea to die because people were hesitant to try it.” Casey is no stranger to bold concepts. He recalls the paranormal documentary series The Dead Files, among other series he created, as a concept that sounded improbable but ultimately ran for years. “I am most comfortable when I’m fighting for what I believe in,” he says. “What was unusual about PropQwiz was that everyone who saw it loved it. My wife and I would play it every morning. Unlike my past projects, here there wasn’t a fight to convince people. It was unusual to have an idea that everyone instinctively got and loved.” Turning Viewers Into Players “People love real estate shows because they’re aspirational,” Casey says. “They let you imagine the life you want, compare prices, and experience transformation. PropQwiz takes that same feeling and makes it interactive.” Each day, the app’s live event, PQ Daily, invites players to guess the listing price of real homes across the country. Participants get five clues — location, square footage, standout features, and more — and fifteen seconds to lock in their best estimate. The more accurate the guess, the more PropTIX users earn. Those in-game tokens translate into entries for weekly drawings and the grand prize. Between live events, PQ Minis delivers quick-hit quizzes that keep users playing, practicing, and learning about the housing market in real time — all at no cost. A Game Built for the Streaming Generation and Beyond Casey explains the PropQwiz app was designed to reach people who love real estate but may feel that homeownership is out of reach. “We looked at the statistics for Gen Z — around 65 percent think they’ll never own a home and will have to win the lottery to do it. Many young millennials feel the same. We realized these are the people we’re trying to engage, but we’ve expanded beyond them as well. Let’s face it…every demographic has an interest in real estate.” After its first four months on the market, it became clear to Casey and his team that the game’s audience was even broader than they’d initially anticipated – ranging from people who dream of someday owning a home, to people who may already own a home and simply love real estate. The team also sees PropQwiz as a potential win for realtors. Players can save properties featured in the game to their “My Faves” tab in the app, which directs them to the home listings via real estate aggregators like Zillow or Redfin. This provides value to realtors by giving their listings added exposure without relying on traditional leads, helping them connect with potential buyers in a new, interactive way. And, the national footprint of the game makes PropQwiz a valuable new pathway to showcase homes to out of town buyers. “We started small, made adjustments, and collected player feedback. You can now skip to the end in the mini games, and we’ve implemented other enhancements to improve retention. Once people start playing, they keep coming back.” Making the Dream of Homeownership Playable In short, PropQwiz transforms our collective curiosity about home values into an experience that’s part game show, part education, and part real-world opportunity. It’s like starring in your own HGTV episode — only this time, you’re holding the buzzer. With live PQ Daily events, quick PQ Minis, a $350,000 grand prize, and weekly rewards, PropQwiz isn’t just a game — it’s a chance to imagine, learn, and even step closer to owning a home. And, it is just plain fun! A major landmark for the app and its players is quickly approaching. Casey shared that the PropQwiz team is looking forward to awarding the game’s first grand prize winner before the end of December, to be announced in early 2026. Redefining Real Estate Entertainment As audiences shift from traditional viewing to interactive engagement, PropQwiz offers a glimpse into the next generation of real estate entertainment. It doesn’t just feed our fascination with homes — it invites us to play a role in it. Don’t you, after all, want to own your own home? And aren’t you curious what these homes cost? PropQwiz is available now on the Apple App Store and Google Play, with live games daily at 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET and PQ Minis available anytime.
