The Most Awkward House Hunters Moments That Were Caught On Camera

There's a reason why "House Hunters" has been a mainstay on the super-addictive HGTV since 1999 — and it has nothing to do with the houses. Sure, it's interesting to watch people tour different properties as they prepare to start a new chapter in their lives, and trying to guess which house they'll ultimately select is always a fun game. Yet, the real draw of the show is watching the drama that inevitably unfolds. Sometimes an annoying homebuyer gets on a realtor's nerves. Sometimes the dynamic between a couple slowly becomes more tense as they begin to cave under the pressure of needing a new home. Every now and then, a homebuyer is bizarre in a benign way — but more often than not, the show's most gasp-inducing moments stem from interpersonal conflict. 

If you watch "House Hunters" for the unintentional comedy, you're in the right place. Here, we've compiled some of the show's most awkward moments, from inappropriate flirting attempts to a confession of love gone awry to jaw-dropping freestyle rapping. Try not to cringe as you scroll through these haunting clips (you will not succeed).

One of the most beloved "House Hunters" tropes is a couple with quirky career interests. Mikey and Amber from the episode "Fancy or Fixer-Upper in Raleigh" certainly fit the bill. Amber teaches art classes, while Mikey works in tech sales... oh, and he's a rapper. Just after Mikey reveals this information, the show cuts to a memorable interaction between the two. Amber is painting a picture when Mikey stumbles into the room. "I was, uh, writing a lyric upstairs. You wanna hear it?" he asks. You get the sense that he would share it even if she said, "No."

After Amber gives him the green light, Mikey begins spitting bars: "Seems in this democracy/winning is a hypocrisy/and I'm a liar/so I guess that you could catch me profiting." The breathless grin that spreads across his face as he awaits her reaction is a bit frightening.

Later in the episode, we're gifted with another Mikey original. He bursts into another verse while he and Amber are driving down the street — and this one is even more confusing. "I want a house with a big backyard where everything is moving/ready up in the money if necessary/and everything that you wanted to do/work with a good price/you purchase the bones to make it hurt," he recites. Amber grimaces the whole time; at one point, she even raises her eyebrows, representing all of us at home.

"House Hunters" typically features couples, but there are exceptions to this rule. Exhibit A: Flinders and Maddie from the episode "Chasing Home, Heart, and Hope in Sydney." When the realtor asks, "So, are you guys together?" there's a long pause before Flinders glances at Maddie and says, "We are... friends." "Friends is great! Friends is good!" the realtor says, trying to allay the awkwardness of the situation. Despite her best efforts, a sense of tension still lingers in the air.

Over the course of the episode, it seems more and more apparent that Flinders has some unresolved feelings for his pal. This becomes especially clear when Flinders and Maddie go for a leisurely boat ride in the Pacific Ocean. After catching a glimpse of the local wildlife, Flinders exclaims, "I love seals!" Maddie, having a great time, calls out, "I love Sydney!" Flinders chooses this moment to go for the Hail Mary. "I love... you," he says, drawing it out slowly for emphasis. Uncomfortable chuckling ensues. Eventually, Maddie touches his hand in a conciliatory gesture and replies, "Thank you."

Flinders is a determined man. Even after this apparent rejection, he continues showing Maddie grandiose displays of affection. "I have flowers for you-hoo-hoo!" he yodels near the end of the episode, surprising Maddie with a large bouquet. We can only hope they found happiness in the end, whether with each other or with other parties.

The episode "Spiritual Life in the Blue Mountains" features best friends Kyle and Stacy, two reiki healers looking to leave their corporate jobs in the U.S. behind for an adventure in rural Australia. The two have a connection with nature that's truly beautiful — but admittedly does lead to one amusing moment during a house tour.

When realtor Milton shows them a "modern mountain cottage," Kyle and Stacy rush over to the giant tree in the yard and press themselves to it. Closing their eyes, they inhale and exhale deeply, as if forgetting the world around them. They stay there so long, in fact, that Milton has to remind them to step away so they can carry on. "All right, that's enough time. You can talk to that later when you move in," he tells them. If he hadn't nudged them along, who knows how many hours would have passed?

Some "House Hunters" homebuyers are so out of touch that almost every interaction becomes an awkward moment. Such is the case in "Rebounding in Oslo." Zeke, a college student, is looking to start a new life in Oslo, Norway, after breaking up with his Norwegian girlfriend. He's eager to live on his own for the first time, but his general cluelessness reveals he still has some growing up to do.

The first place realtor Kamilla Jaeger shows him is partially furnished, with a full-size bed in the bedroom. "The bed actually fits two people, just saying," she points out. Zeke laughs for an uncomfortably long amount of time before remarking, "Nice." In the interview segment that follows, he speculates that there might have been something more to the interaction. "I'm not sure if Kamilla's flirting with me. I mean, she's married," he says. Immediately after, Kamilla's voice interjects from offscreen: "No!"

The second apartment Zeke tours also has a bed — and this time, he's the one to call attention to it. "Look at the bed!" he exclaims before leaping into the air and flying backwards onto the mattress. "Oh, yeah, so fluffy," he remarks. As if things couldn't get any weirder, just seconds later, he worries about what the neighbors might be able to see through the windows, adding, "I'm a bit of an erotic guy." Kamilla, able to diffuse any situation, has the perfect response: "Get some curtains."

Much like Zeke from "Rebounding in Oslo," Johan from "Returning to Australia, Where It All Began" is socially clueless — but, unlike Zeke, who assumes his realtor is making a move on him, Johan brazenly flirts with his realtor, Maxine Pemble, over the course of the episode. When they discuss his preferences for housing and she says, "We need something with a good vibe," he volleys back, "Just like you — a good vibe." She rolls her eyes and smirks, showing that she's not exactly pleased with his attempt.

Later, during a house tour, Johan compliments the decor and tells Maxine, "You really know how to class the place up! Look at you." She answers, "I did none of this, but thank you so much." A few moments later, she lets her true feelings slip when she remarks, "You're the first person I've met from Miami. Lucky me!" and makes an exaggerated cringing face.

During an interview segment, Johan talks about his desire to settle down with a partner. "Who knows, a real estate agent might be the perfect woman for me to start a new life [with] here," he says, not very smoothly. Maxine immediately replies, "That's it! I am buying you a ticket back to Miami, USA." Moments later, while she's in her car, she comments, "Again, nice guy, but he's a lot." That's the understatement of the year.

The "House Hunters" episode "Couple Seeks Old Home That's Not Haunted in Massachusetts" features two newly engaged house hunters looking for a home with colonial charm. They seem relatively flexible — except the fiancé has one major condition. "No. 1 dealbreaker: I do not want ghosts. We have a friend who recently purchased a house, and she told us that if you stand in the bathroom at a certain time of day, you can hear a dinner party downstairs. I don't need that kind of anxiety in my life. I don't want ghosts," he exclaims. A little eccentric, but fair enough. Then he goes on: "I don't want trees close to the house because that's where the ghosts hide."

You might think he's joking around, but, later on, he doubles down. When the realtor shows him a home adjacent to a cemetery, he's immediately hesitant but not just because of the headstones on his horizon. The backyard gives him pause, too. "The yard's relatively big, but there's a lot of trees," he says. Perhaps a nature appreciation course with the duo from "Spiritual Life in the Blue Mountains" would be useful for him.

When we first meet house hunters Mac and Dane in the episode "Cats First, Wife Second in NJ," the narrator states that Mac's "desire for projects is causing some friction." Cut to the two in a bathroom, examining the sinks. "We can, you know, change out the vanity," she remarks. His reply is harsh: "No. Top of the budget and knock a wall down?... You don't buy a house to fix it." Yet, there's a sense of hypocrisy lurking behind his words. It's soon revealed that Dane has a project of his own in mind — and, by no means, is it minor.

"His brilliant idea: He wants to build a 'cat tube' to connect..." Mac begins while meeting with Dane's family. "From the house to the garage?" his dad cuts in. "See, you already look excited and I didn't even finish talking," Mac tells Dane. During interview segments, the tension continues to rise. "He cares about his cats and himself, and the wife is secondary," she asserts at one point; in response, he awkwardly flashes two thumbs up at the camera. Later, he asks, "Do you know how much value a cat tube would add to our home?" and she shakes her head. "I'm gonna say zero."

At the episode's end, they select a house with the detached garage Dane dreamed of. He wastes no time drawing up a diagram showing cats scurrying from point A to point B.

Sometimes you see a couple on "House Hunters" and can't help but wonder if divorce is around the corner for them. Such is the case with Michael and Shannon in "Out of Time in Montana." Is their relationship out of time? Judging by the way they talk to each other, one might think so.

The episode begins shortly after Michael and Shannon have accepted an offer for their home. Now they need to find a new home — and fast. As they embark on their search, tempers flare. "Shannon is very vocal. It's, 'Here's what I want, and I don't really care what you want,'" Michael says in one jaw-dropping moment during an interview segment.

The episode then shows a conversation between the two. "So far, it's been everything that you want. I want to get what I want, too," Michael insists to Shannon. "What do you want to add to this list?" she replies. His answer: "Where's my hidey-hole at?" Cut to a shot of Michael working on a rudimentary-looking sketch of a wolf. Turns out that he needs a spot to work on his art, set apart from the rest of the house. Throughout the episode, he judges each house by whether or not it would be conducive to a "hidey-hole," leading to plenty of cringeworthy interactions.

Plenty of "House Hunters: International" episodes star creative types hoping to dive headfirst into their passions overseas. Such is the case with "Finding a Voice in Nice, France," an episode featuring John, an aspiring singer. John is aware that making it in the music world requires more than just a good voice. "I will have to learn to not just be a singer, but I have to learn to be an entertainer," he says in an interview segment of the episode. Knowing that experience is often the best teacher, friend and realtor Adrian Leeds dares him to deliver an impromptu performance in a bar.

"Come on, you want to sing? Prove it!" she calls out. The bartender meets the camera with a somewhat nervous smile, seemingly surprised to be caught in the crossfire. Finally, she offers some hesitant words of affirmation: "You can do it!"

Soon, John is standing before the bar, microphone in hand, belting out a ballad. All the while, the camera cuts between the expressions of various onlookers, resulting in some unintentionally comedic moments. Adrian bobs her head, feeling the beat. A man's face remains frozen in an uncanny grin; a woman purses her lips, looking unnecessarily critical. When we see the bartender again, she seems just as lost as she did the first time. John's voice is great, but the expressions of confusion and amazement that settle over everyone in the room are absolutely priceless.