'Before we started filming the television programme The School of Home Truths I honestly thought that real estate agents were basically good guys.' The School of Home Truths is a television programme aimed to help people succeed at the game of real estate. Thirteen novice buyers and sellers were taken into the school and tutored by Martin Hawes (financial adviser), Marc Wilson (psychologist) and Neil Jenman (real estate ethics campaigner). Together and separately, the three presenters set exercises for the thirteen clients, taught them how the world of property and finance worked and then sent them out into the world to put their skills into practice. Everywhere the clients went (nearly!) they were followed by TV cameras.

Martin, Marc and Neil aimed to have the thirteen succeed at selling and buying their own homes. They set out to educate their 'pupils' so that they knew what can happen when buying and selling houses, to train them to recognize the threats and opportunities before them and to use their new found skills to become winners in real estate. According to bestselling author, Martin Hawes, New Zealanders lose out in the real estate game.What he saw while making the forthcoming TV One programme The School of Home Truths confirmed that it is a game with winners and losers. Armed with this book, New Zealanders will not only earn more money on the sale of their house, they will be able to approach the very stressful transaction of buying and selling property with confidence.