Jonathan Scott and his Chrysler 300.J.P. MOCZULSKI/The Globe and Mail
Jonathan Scott
Profession: Contractor and TV host
Age: 34
Hometown: Vancouver
The car: 2013 Chrysler 300
Notable achievements
- He and his brother Drew have managed real estate investments for nearly 15 years; they bought their first house at 18 and sold it the following year, making a profit of $50,000
- Co-founded Scott Real Estate Inc., a real estate investment company with offices in Vancouver, Calgary and Las Vegas
- Runs a production company called Scott Brothers Entertainment
- Started performing at the age of 7 as an actor in small theatre productions and on weekends as an apprentice clown; he later acted onscreen in TV and film and performed as a magician/illusionist
- Property Brothers airs in more than 16 countries, including W Network in Canada and HGTV in the United States
Currently
- Buying and Selling airs on W Network Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT
*****
He's a licensed contractor who has turned his passion for renovating homes into an international hit real estate show.
Jonathan Scott and his twin brother, Drew, a real estate expert, are best known as TV's Property Brothers. Their latest series is called Buying and Selling, which airs on W Network in Canada and HGTV in the United States.
Whether he's on or off the job site, Jonathan drives a 2013 Chrysler 300 sedan, which he just upgraded from a 2008 model. And no matter where he's shooting, his wheels always come along for the ride.
Why did you buy a Chrysler 300?
On Buying and Selling, Drew actually drives my car most of the time because it has more space for the clients he's driving around.
We've had fans message in and they say, 'Look guys, I think it's a little pretentious that you're driving a Bentley.' Ah, yeah? It's a Chrysler 300.
But I will admit one of the reasons I bought the Chrysler 300 is because it looks very elegant and has that Bentley kind of feel, especially the new one.
It has that mobster look to it. Living in Vegas, too, driving around in a mobster-esque vehicle is cool. The one I have is fully loaded. I like to have a vehicle that's big and roomy and functional, but it also has to be elegant. And I'm meticulously clean.
You get to see my car a lot on Buying and Selling, but I don't drive it. It's actually nice. Drew is chauffeuring me around in my own car.
We're on the road 10-1/2 months a year. I have one creature comfort of home – they ship my car to me everywhere. I've had my car in Toronto, in Austin, Texas. They'll send it to Vancouver when we're there. I like having one creature comfort of home and it's my vehicle.
What does a Chrysler 300 say about you?
I'm a big guy because it's got a lot of room.
Actually it's just like the show. You can get this million-dollar look when we're renovating a home for a fraction of the price. The Chrysler 300 gives me this elegant, classy – what some people assume is a Bentley look – for a fraction of the price. I paid only $33-grand for it – fully loaded, that's pretty good. That's Vegas as well, so the price is a lot cheaper than Canada.
Sometimes people think, being on TV, these guys are going to do big-budget spending. No. I'm pretty good with my money.
I don't go out and party. I work a heck of a lot so when I'm not working I want to be comfortable. I'm willing to pay for something that can do the job and if it happens to look good, that works for me, too.
Do you prefer North American vehicles over foreign-made ones?
I have no problem with foreign vehicles.
I follow the economy very closely and I understand the value of the imports, but I like domestic vehicles. I've always bought domestic vehicles. And growing up, my dad was always a Ford guy. Some people gave him a hard time for that.
I don't get caught up in the politics of what everybody else says. I just know I've had a lot of success with them.
You know your way around home renos; what about cars?
I do. I used to work in a garage. A friend of mine out of Vancouver owned a chain of mechanic shops with his uncles, so I worked in one for a while doing everything from changing tires to rads to even working on A/C systems. Now, cars are more complex and computer-driven than they were back then so I don't know what I would be able to do now.
If I get a flat tire, I'm not waiting for CAA, I'm changing it myself.
What was your first car?
My parents never just gave us anything. We had to work for it.
My parents said that if we were going into university, but we were still doing well in school, they would pay half of our vehicle up to $2,000. So that meant to fully max the situation, we could only get a vehicle under $4,000.
So I got a four-door grey Oldsmobile and, being a young kid and maybe not so smart, I got into an accident with it. I dented the bumper when I backed out of our house and into another car. Then I got into another accident and had to write off the car. Nobody got hurt; I just didn't see a stop sign.
So Drew and I bought this Chrysler E-Class. It was a talking car. The car would say, 'Your door is ajar.' And my Dad would say, 'No it's not. It's a door' every single time he was in it.
We had that for a summer and then we bought a Thunderbird. It was a sexy, deep maroon colour with power leather seats – I thought that was the greatest thing! It was a beautiful, beautiful car. We drove that thing into the ground.
I remember I had this crush on a gorgeous girl back in grade 11. She came over and she's like, 'Oh my goodness, take me for a spin.' I thought it was the best investment ever! But in the end, she ended up dating this other guy in the school. But I had the car.
What's your driving style like – do you like to drive fast?
I like speed, but I follow the rules.
Drew is definitely an aggressive driver. My parents prefer driving with me.
I don't mind if I miss an exit. I'll go to the next exit. Drew – wait a sec, six lanes over, I've got this one!
He does that. That's the biggest difference between the two of us. I'm more laid back. I'm not in a rush to get anywhere.
Any accidents trekking your tools/equipment in your cars?
I did crack the window in Drew's car. If he's using my car with his clients for his business, it's a two-way street, my friend. If I'm using his car for my business, I have to put lumber in his car. I've opened up his ski-access and I've put 2x4s in there. I've put tools in the trunk.
He usually never finds out. But if he does, he doesn't like it.
We shared vehicles growing up. My older brother, JD, had a vehicle when we were younger. And we were loading a bunch of 2x4s for a project. Once they stack up they slide along each other. I had them stacked up on the dashboard and I slid one of the 2x4s through and it went right through the windshield in a perfect 2x4 size. I didn't think it was possible. I gave JD his car back and I thought maybe he won't notice. I'll put a little sticker on it. No. He was mad and I had to replace his windshield.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
Twitter: @PetrinaGentile
Correction: Jonathan Scott's first name was spelled incorrectly once in an earlier version of this story. It has been corrected.
Petrina Gentile