If you’re a fan of HGTV, don’t be surprised this fall if you see some familiar sights – and maybe even a familiar face.

The home & garden network was in Charlotte in early August taping two episodes of its popular series “Bang for Your Buck,” a show about home remodeling. Before coming to the Queen City, network producers chose local realtor Valarie R. Brooks to serve as an on-camera real estate expert.

Brooks, an agent with the Valarie R. Brooks Team, housed under ReMax Executive Realty, said being picked for the show was gratifying.

“It is an honor to be appreciated for your knowledge and to be respected for your hard work and commended for it,” she said during a recent interview. “I’m still smiling.”

That same week, Brooks also was notified that for the fifth straight year she was selected to Charlotte Magazine’s Five-Star list of real estate agents. She also was notified of her induction into the ReMax Hall of Fame, which honors the top 1 percent of the company’s agents.

It’s a situation she scarcely could have imagined earlier this summer when she spent 28 days in a hospital battling a health scare that nearly claimed her life.

In fact, the self-described “hardest working woman in real estate” was recuperating at home when an email arrived from HGTV inquiring about her interest in the show.

“I ignored the email at first, because I was sick,” Brooks recalled.

But after some prodding by her assistant, Brooks shot a five-minute demo (which actually took two hours) and uploaded it to YouTube.

Whatever the network producers saw they apparently liked. She was chosen from among 15 other local realtors who auditioned for the spot.

When Brooks later emailed the network to ask why she was chosen, an official wrote back: “We loved your personality and your enthusiasm. Your expertise is very apparent. We could tell you are really passionate with real estate and treat your clients very well. We could also see your dedication to your craft and felt that you have great real estate knowledge.”

The day before taping, Brooks was busy with last-minute preparations. Publicity photos needed taking, hair appointments kept.

According to the HGTV website, the show is one of the network’s top five programs. In each episode, three homeowners from the same city renovate the same room in their homes with the same budget. After the renovation, experts determine which project was the best investment.

An HGTV spokeswoman said the Charlotte show had not been scheduled but would likely air this fall.

Brooks, who preferred not to discuss specifics of her hospital stay, said she is recovering nicely. But the woman who once took pride in being a workaholic says her bout with near death taught her to value other things as well.

“While life is long, you really should put forth great effort in being balanced,” she said. “It made me realize that I need to not only nurture my business but nurture my friends and family life with as much passion as I nurture my business.”

By her own admission, for much of the last 13 years, Brooks’ life has revolved largely around real estate. She was first named to Charlotte Magazine’s Five-Star list in 2006 and has been a perennial member ever since. Agents make the list based largely on the testimonials of their clients.

Brooks said she routinely put in 75 to 90 hours a week.

“Many people think that real estate is about going out there showing houses,” she said. “They don’t realize the intricate details that have to be taken care of while (clients) are at work or at play.”

To make more time for self, Brooks said she resigned from some of the organizations that used to compete for her attention. But cutting back on work, she concedes, may prove easier said than done.

“A lot of people say to me, ‘Valarie, you work too hard.’ But I don’t see it as working because I’m absolutely passionate about my career,” she said. “I may not know publishing, I may not know golf, I may not know how to repair a motor on a car. But Valarie R. Brooks knows real estate -- loves it. I’m blessed to be in a career I love. I really am.”
 

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