“I Didn’t Want to Look Back Wondering, ‘What If?’”: William Tan on HomeRun Season 3
The veteran marketer turned property agent opens up about vulnerability, editing-room truths, and why being polished isn’t the same as being relatable.
Reality television rarely waits for a good moment. For William Tan, the cameras kept rolling through real client deals, a lost challenge, and a brush with elimination, and they caught a side of him he says he never knew existed.
Tan is a property agent who spent more than 20 years in marketing before moving into real estate. He took part in Season 3 of HomeRun, where cameras followed agents through live transactions and staged scenarios. He describes the decision to join as one he couldn’t pass up.
“I saw HomeRun as one of those rare opportunities that might come along only once in your career,” he says. “I didn’t want to look back wondering, ‘What if?’”
Why He Said Yes
For Tan, the appeal went beyond personal ambition. His marketing background had convinced him that the profession was bigger than the stereotype of closing deals. He saw the show as a chance to put the creativity, strategy and human side of being an agent in front of a wider audience.
He also wanted to test himself. “I went in wanting to test my abilities,” he says, “but came away discovering sides of myself I never knew existed.”
Unscripted, and Unpredictable
Real estate is unpredictable on its own. Adding cameras made it, in his word, “surreal”.
Nothing on the show was scripted, which meant Tan and his fellow agents had to think on their feet, respond to real situations and handle whatever surfaced. He hopes viewers came away with a sense of the work that rarely makes it on screen: the research, preparation, problem-solving and emotion behind every property transaction.
Did the cameras change how he served his clients? Not in any way that mattered to him. “I’ve always believed in being authentic, whether the cameras are rolling or not,” he says. If anything, being filmed made him more conscious of explaining his thought processes and the reasoning behind his advice.
His priorities stayed fixed. “My responsibility remains the same: putting my clients’ interests first. That’s something I would never compromise for a good television moment.”
The Hardest Moment: Losing the Reel
Asked about the toughest stretch of the competition, Tan points to the video reel challenge. His video drew great feedback, but one decision near the end cost him the win and left him facing possible elimination. “Especially knowing how close I came,” he recalls.
Yet the bigger challenge, he says, was internal. Professionally, Tan is used to being confident and composed. The competition put him in unfamiliar territory where he had to confront self-doubt and let his guard down.
“The bigger challenge throughout HomeRun was learning to embrace vulnerability.”
What’s Real, and What’s Edited
Like any viewer of reality television, audiences may wonder how much of what they see is shaped for the screen. Tan is candid about both sides.
The competition, the emotions and the reactions were real, he says. There were no scripts, and the contestants often had no idea what was coming next. But hours of footage are condensed into short episodes, and editing inevitably shapes the story. Off camera, there was plenty more going on, including laughter, friendships and camaraderie that never made the final cut.
His summary is a fair one: “The moments are real, but they aren’t always the complete story.”
Marketing Skills, and Their Limits
Tan’s marketing career gave him a head start in front of the camera. It taught him how to tell stories, connect with audiences and communicate ideas, skills he also applies to marketing properties.
But he is quick to draw a line between the two worlds. Presenting a multimillion-dollar home is one thing. Revealing your vulnerabilities on camera is another.
The lesson he took away may be the most quotable of the interview. “Being polished doesn’t necessarily make you relatable,” he says. “Sometimes, it’s our imperfections that allow people to connect with us.”
Clients, Trust and a “Conversation Starter”
Tan admits that appearing on a reality show made for some interesting conversations with clients. “It’s not every day your property agent appears on a reality TV show,” he says.
His clients, though, know him first as their real estate advisor, and that has not changed. Trust, in his view, doesn’t come from screen time. “Trust is earned through consistency, transparency and delivering results, not television appearances.”
The Art and the Science of Selling a Home
What does he hope viewers take away about buying or selling a home? First, that the job involves far more than opening doors and negotiating prices.
Tan describes property marketing as both an art and a science. The science lies in understanding market trends, pricing and buyer behaviour. The art lies in storytelling, presentation and understanding people’s emotions.
“We’re not just dealing with properties,” he says. “We’re helping people make important decisions about their homes, aspirations and financial futures.”
Rethinking the Agent
Property agents are sometimes stereotyped as overly sales-driven. Tan hopes HomeRun has helped viewers see a different side of the profession, one where agents bring very different strengths. Some are great negotiators, some are natural relationship-builders, and others excel in strategy, creativity or presentation.
For him personally, the show reinforced a long-held belief: there is no single formula for being a successful agent. It also reminded him that success isn’t measured only by deals closed or commission earned. “It’s about the value you bring, the people you impact and the professional standards you choose to uphold.”
On a more personal level, the experience was a lesson in humility. “No matter how experienced you are, there’s always room to learn, evolve and surprise yourself.”
After the Cameras Stop
It is still early to measure the business impact, Tan says, though HomeRun has opened doors to new audiences and opportunities. He is wary of reading too much into visibility, however.
“Being recognised doesn’t automatically make someone a good agent,” he says. “It’s what you do with that trust that matters.”
And would he do it all again? Without hesitation. “Absolutely! Although perhaps without the sleepless nights and emotional roller coaster!”
What’s Next
With just two episodes of HomeRun Season 3 still to go, the race is nearly at its end, and the stakes have never been higher. Will it be the agent with the sharpest negotiating instincts, the natural relationship-builder, the charismatic storyteller or the strategist who keeps everyone guessing? Tan’s own journey is a reminder that nothing on this show is guaranteed, and that even a near-miss can change everything.
We are certainly betting on William Tan as the winner of Home Run Season 3.
So tell us: who do you think will take the title? Drop your guess in the comments, then tune in to the final two episodes to see if you called it right.
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