The special thing about these short videos: viewers get personal insights into private apartments with their very own stories. It’s like looking through a keyhole. Or the crack in a door. What normally remains hidden comes to light through the format. Simpson has already uploaded several videos of this kind to Tiktok, Instagram and YouTube. He films an artist in her penthouse in New York, a photographer in his apartment in Paris or an architect in his self-designed apartment in Hong Kong.

Caleb Simpson and his idea

Even though he doesn’t see himself as the inventor of the trend, Caleb Simpson is one of the most well-known content creators on Tiktok, who guides people through apartments and houses all over the world. The idea for his videos came about about two years ago when he saw on social media how people on the street were “just” asked about their rent. “That’s when a light went on in my head and I thought: ‘What if I could go into that person’s apartment?'” recalls the 32-year-old American.

“At the same time, I also thought it was the most ridiculous idea,” he says with a grin. Who would let you into their apartment? But if it worked, everyone would talk about it. At the beginning, he asked about a hundred people in one day before anyone let him in, he remembers.

After his first videos, he quickly became famous, especially in New York City, Simpson says. From that point on, it was easier to film these apartment tours. He now even receives requests from people who would like to show their apartments. And some celebrities also appear in his videos – like actress Scarlett Johansson. She only shows her New York office, but this video has now been viewed by more than 50 million people.

Social media trend comes to Germany

Like Caleb Simpson, the trend itself is also spreading around the world. In France, Samuel and Victoria film expensive apartments in Paris, Toulouse and Marseille. In Texas, Spencer Moore asks strangers on the streets of Houston and Dallas about their rent. And the social media phenomenon has already arrived in Germany too.

He sees himself as a “real estate entertainer”, but definitely not a real estate agent: Leon Sandhowe, better known on social media as “Mr. Unreal Estate”. The name says it all – in Berlin, Munich and Hamburg, Sandhowe leads tours of “unreal” houses and apartments. He has always been interested in what it looks like behind the doors of other apartments. “There is nothing more private than home – except perhaps thoughts. Home simply says so much about you,” he explains.

The smartly dressed young man with a white shirt, black bow tie and suspenders has two video formats – one of them is based on the principle of Caleb Simpson. “I took it over because I thought it was super cool and noticed that nobody in Germany was doing it yet,” says the 27-year-old from Potsdam. After his launch in early 2023, “Mr. Unreal Estate” now has 240,000 followers on Instagram. In his other video series, which he invented himself, he guides you through luxury villas that are for sale.

The reason for the success

But why does a glimpse into other people’s homes excite millions of people? It is likely that these videos fulfill very different psychological needs, explains Josephine B. Schmitt, communications scientist at the Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS, Bochum). “Many people find it exciting to see and experience things that would otherwise remain hidden from them,” says Schmitt. This curiosity can be satisfied by glimpses into otherwise closed apartments.

In addition, viewers can compare themselves with others when they look into someone else’s apartment. According to Schmitt, this conscious or unconscious “social comparison” can have two effects: viewers can feel confirmed (like: “My apartment is nicer”) or want to improve themselves (like: “I want a table like that too”). These effects can arise from both insights into the lives of strangers and well-known people. However, Schmitt says that the “reference values” are much more interesting and attractive when it comes to insights into the lives of celebrities.

Apartments show a “matter of mentality”?

“How much rent do you pay?” and “Would you be willing to show me your apartment?” are apparently two questions that many people answer. Is there a pattern as to which type of person provides private insights? That is difficult to say, says Caleb Simpson. He would most likely say it is people who are on social media – i.e. 30 years old or younger.

In Germany, it is generally difficult to find people who will let you into your own four walls, says the German “real estate entertainer” Sandhowe. “It’s simply a matter of mentality here in Germany,” explains the 27-year-old. Germans are not so open about their private lives. But in his opinion, that is what makes the format so strong, precisely because it makes the “impossible” possible. So anyone who travels around German cities in the future will know what to expect when they hear the question: “How much rent do you pay?”