David Visentin Opens Up About 17 Years on 'Love It or List It'

Love It or List It has been on air since 2008 — and so has its co-host and realtor David Visentin.

"The questions [homeowners] battle in this show are still relevant today, which is why Love It or List It has had the longevity it's had," says David.

Seventeen years on the network is a feat not many HGTV hosts can say they've accomplished, and now David is joining Love It or List It on a new adventure. The show's premise remains the same — a designer and real estate agent compete to convince homeowners to either stick with their current, newly renovated home or list it and start fresh in a new house — but with renewed energy. Page Turner, host of Fix My Flip and two-time Rock the Block competitor, is stepping into the designer role. (And with this change, may a new era of David-Page banter commence!)

We know David the realtor: He's funny, witty and knows a lot about how to sell buyers on a house. But who is David when he's not on HGTV? We sat down with him ahead of Season 18 to learn more about his life (i.e., how did he get this gig all those years ago?), what he's been up to since last season and what filming the new iteration of Love It or List It with Page was like.

In Conversation With David

David Zooms into our call from a vacation cottage outside of Toronto. Right away, it's clear he likes to stay busy. Besides filming and his real estate career, he tells me he goes to all his sons' sporting events, competitively swims, golfs and even goes clubbing with his sister on occasion. He's friendly and inquisitive about my life, even though we're on a call to talk about him exclusively.

On Real Estate, Life and His Start at HGTV

HGTV: New episodes of Love It or List It haven't aired since 2021. What have you been up to since then?

DAVID: Well, lots of stuff. Real estate. I've sold real estate throughout my career in television.

HGTV: You work for your family's real estate business, correct?

DAVID: Well, my dad recently retired. He's turning 90. Doing real estate and television is fine, but running an office and doing television … I didn't want to do it. My sister works for a real estate company, so I joined her and we rebranded — my sister, me and my brother. She sells in the city. I sell in the country. The truth is, I couldn't have kept doing real estate and television if I wasn't working with my family. They picked up the slack. I was filming in the States for almost four years on and off, back and forth.

HGTV: So now it's you, your sister and your brother?

DAVID: Yep. We're with a bigger company.

HGTV: But you started in real estate with your dad?

DAVID: My dad was a broker. I was basically in real estate as a kid, because he was always taking us to see properties he was selling. He always had a weekend place in the country, whether it was a farm or a little cottage — there was always something to fix up. So, as a kid, I was learning real estate. Then, in my mid-20s, after I finished doing whatever else I thought I wanted to do, I got my real estate license and started selling real estate for my dad.

HGTV: How did HGTV happen?

DAVID: I've always had an inkling I wanted to be doing television or theater. My siblings did theater, and I ended up doing it too. We all kind of got into television. My sister worked for W Network in Toronto, which is the network that aired the first episode of Love It or List It.

HGTV: Was it a coincidence she worked there?

DAVID: She called me and said, "They're auditioning real estate agents for a new show! You should go down there." I thought, "Sure, why not?" I auditioned with a bunch of other real estate agents, and about a week later, my sister said, "OK, you're in the top three. You're going to be auditioning with the designer." About 10 days later, my sister called me and said, "They're going to be calling you. They're going to shoot a pilot." She was super excited. We shot the pilot in 2008 and uh, you know, now 250 episodes or so later …

HGTV: That's awesome. All thanks to your sister.

DAVID: I know, I know. I thank her all the time.

HGTV: I think I interrupted you. Let's backtrack. What have you been up to since 2021?

DAVID: For one, real estate. I also train four or five days a week for triathlons. And US Masters Swimming — which is usually people that are over the age of 30. You [swim against swimmers] your age, so that's very cool. My parents are getting older and I hang out with them as much as I can and my son is in sports constantly.

HGTV: Favorite hobbies outside of filming and work?

DAVID: Running, golf. I love to read Stephen King. I've read probably 50 or 60 of his books.

On the New Chapter of Love It or List It

HGTV: You've been on the show forever. What was it like for you stepping back into the role that you've always been in but working with someone totally new?

DAVID: It was fantastic. It was exciting. It's always exciting to do new things. Page is awesome to work with. I've met a lot of people in my life in this business and she's so positive and has great energy. She was willing to work at it. We hit it off right away. We did a screening test where we filmed with each other all day. They wanted to see what our banter would be like and what we'd be like together. Right off the hop, we just had fun. That's when you get good television: when two people like working with each other. The job becomes enjoyable and it doesn't feel like work.

HGTV: What makes the dynamic between you two work so well?

DAVID: She's very honest. She doesn't filter herself — which is really good. And it took a little while. There's [always] going to be more retakes in the first couple of episodes until we get our footing with each other and see where our boundaries are, because we're trying to push the boundaries a little bit. But what I notice with Page is that every time I push the boundaries, she takes it. I'm used to going off the cuff, and I found out very quickly I could do that with her. That's what made it what it was and what it is.

HGTV: It felt like a comfortable space.

DAVID: Yes, and part of the show for me is just doing what I do. I don't change myself. I am who I am. I put it out there and I see how it lands. Obviously, things might land differently [now] than they did in the past. So, that's what I found out — what I look like to her [in this setting]. And that's part of the learning process, being yourself and seeing how it lands differently than it might have in the past. That's the fun part too.

HGTV: It's funny you say that. When I asked Page about the dynamic between you two, she was like, "David, is exactly the same on camera and off camera." In the intro to Episode 1, you two bring up the fact that you're on a new journey. What has been your favorite part of the journey?

DAVID: The best part is not knowing what was coming all the time. As much as I could know Page [after] a day or two [of filming], there's still going to be times when I'm going to be like, "Oh, that's what she's like." Finding all that stuff out firsthand, on camera — which is different than real life — was a lot of fun.

HGTV: What is one thing you want viewers to know about this new season of Love It or List It before they tune into Episode 1?

DAVID: I've been doing this since 2008. I've enjoyed every single moment of doing it. I've enjoyed this season just as immensely, and I hope [viewers] enjoy it too. There's some wackadoo houses. There's one insane roller coaster of a house I would have walked away from. I can't remember ever seeing such a drastic [makeover].

HGTV: I can't wait to watch that one. Do you watch yourself on Love It or List It or do you prefer not to?

DAVID: First four or five seasons I watched, and then I stopped watching myself because I was watching myself and cringing sometimes. So, I watched the first two episodes of this season because they sent them to me and I'm like, "I better watch these, right?" They were doing some different things in this season with [the type of] cameras they used for Top Gun. They [also] have two things happening on the screen at once. The transitions are beautiful; it's so beautifully shot. The show has never looked as good as it does.

HGTV: Anything else you want fans to know?

DAVID: Well, I don't think you're ready for Page's outfits. She must have a wardrobe the size of a store. She's got some great clothes, I'll tell you. It's like a fashion show every time she shows up. Also, get ready for fun. Page and I had so much fun. It's a nice next chapter.