HGTV's Property Brothers' Original Show Title Was Wildly Different

HGTV's hit show "Property Brothers," featuring twin brothers Drew Scott and Jonathan Scott, is one of the most popular home renovation and design programs on the network. Since premiering in 2011, the series has launched the Scott brothers into the television stratosphere and sparked an ever-growing franchise that includes spin-off shows such as "Celebrity IOU" and "Brother vs. Brother," among others. However, few know that "Property Brothers" almost had a very different (and very bad) title. As a matter of fact, there were several other titles the Scott brothers tried on for size before settling on the iconic "Property Brothers" moniker. And who knows? Perhaps the list of HGTV fans who can't stand the Property Brothers would be longer if they had chosen differently. 

Initially, producers and the brothers brainstormed options that included "Bungalow Brothers," "Builder Brothers," "Brothers In Business," and even "Bros Before Renos" — according to the HGTV account on X, formerly known as Twitter, this is the name that almost won out. The final title, "Property Brothers," was not an immediate favorite among the crew, and Drew initially disliked it. Jonathan told "The Carlos Watson Show" that his sibling "put it on his list [of potential names] originally, but he kept going back and saying, 'No, no, no. I don't think it's right.' Drew jumped in to explain, "[What] I'm thinking is, 'If we go 'Property Brothers,' they could probably find two other brothers that renovate and replace us very easily.'" Jonathan also pushed back on the "Property Brothers" name, preferring something more unique to their fun personalities. How in the world were they eventually convinced to go with the "Property Brothers" name in the end?

Despite Drew Scott and Jonathan Scott's lack of enthusiasm for the "Property Brothers" name, it's the name that stuck in the end. From today's perspective, it's hard to imagine the show achieving the same level of success with any other title. (Especially "Bros Before Renos" ... which hardly makes any sense, considering the bros are the ones actually doing the renos to begin with.) What makes the "Property Brothers" name so iconic is that it taps into the Scott brothers' twofold appeal: They're actually brothers, and they both specialize in the home (Drew handles the real estate, Jonathan handles the contract work).

Before becoming TV stars, Drew and Jonathan struggled to break into acting — the Scott brothers even considered careers as musicians and magicians. Their pivot to real estate was born out of necessity, as they realized they needed a reliable backup plan. Before they knew it, they were flipping properties and learning the ropes of home renovation. That's why the "Property Brothers" name is (and always was) perfect. Forget about those fears Drew shared on "The Carlos Watson Show" — "We should have something more specific that makes it harder for them to replace us," he said — the Scotts have navigated this career path together, and their HGTV show's title reflects this better than any of the other options.