Entrepreneur

The Property Brothers' Business Empire Depends on One Thing: Their Very Strong Partnership

Drew and Jonathan Scott have conquered the real estate, design, and entertainment worlds. And they know that they're better together.
Source: Jake Chessum
Jake Chessum

Drew and Jonathan Scott were about to enter their first-ever escape room. This was a decade ago, before the rooms -- containing a series of puzzles that must be solved before time runs out -- had become an international trend. The identical twins and hosts of HGTV’s blockbuster series Property Brothers were traveling through Budapest, and their mother suggested they try the activity. So the brothers made their way into the basement of a building and apprehensively asked how it works. 

“We lock you in; you try to get out,” the owner replied, in what Jonathan describes as a menacing Eastern bloc accent. 

“We thought for sure we were being kidnapped,” he adds. 

Instead, the brothers became each other’s worst enemy. Drew barked orders at Jonathan, while Jonathan obsessed over small, inconsequential problems. They made it out -- but barely. 

Related: The Craziest Plan That Worked: How Richard Rawlings Hustled His Way Into the TV Show 'Fast N' Loud,' Then Used It to Build a Multimillion-Dollar Brand

The ironies here come in sizes small and big. Small: The Scotts’ brand is all about creating rooms you’d never want to they help buyers purchase a fixer-upper and then spend a couple of months on renovation and . The two are dynamic partners and charmingly goofy, which keeps viewers going until the end of each episode, when there’s a big reveal, TV-worthy gasps, and joyful tears. It’s a formula that has worked for 13 seasons and counting, and has inspired six equally hot HGTV spin-offs (the latest of which, debuts later this year).

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