Celebrity Real Estate Agents: Lisa & Michelle Thomson

If anyone was ready to win Season 25 of “The Amazing Race,” it was the sister team of Lisa and Michelle Thomson. After all, they were physically fit and had mentally trained for it for years — albeit unwittingly — by choosing careers in real estate.

“We always joked about our lives in real estate being an ‘amazing race’ because you never know what your day will entail,” Lisa remarked. “It’s basically the same on the show: You wake up, read a clue and who knows what you’re going to wind up doing?”

Although they had turned down other offers to appear on several Hollywood shows, Lisa and Michelle eventually agreed to audition for “The Amazing Race” when its producers reached out to them.

“We’d watched the show off and on since we were little and we thought we’d do well because we’re very good at accomplishing tasks,” Lisa said. “Problem solving is all you do in real estate, so it was easy to say ‘Yes.’”

“It was pretty nerve-wracking,” Michelle admitted. “But we said, ‘Why not? Let’s try something crazy.’”

Fierce competitors on-screen and off

It took Lisa and Michelle nearly a year to prepare for “The Amazing Race” — including filling out paperwork, traveling to Los Angeles, and completing a battery of tests for fitness, compatibility and emotional readiness — and 30 days to shoot once they were selected.

Despite being workout fiends (“It’s the only way to deal with real estate,” Michelle said), the sisters were initially taken aback that the race itself wasn’t as physically demanding as they had expected. So it was a surprise to them, their family and fans when they were eliminated so early. Even host Phil Keoghan commented, “I don’t think anybody expected to see you as the last team to come in today.” Not used to losing, Lisa and Michelle reflected on-screen about their strategy, saying they’re ruthless in business and should have been the same during the competition.

All about the family

Born and raised in South Florida, Lisa and Michelle know the local lifestyle and enjoy selling others on it, whether their clients are intrastate relocations or soon-to-be Floridians looking to retire in the sun. Lisa and mom Jennifer — the third member of The Thomson Team — took real estate courses and started selling on the same day in 2006. Underage at the time, Michelle helped with open houses and paperwork, then got her license on her 18th birthday.

All three have worked virtually nonstop since they started selling real estate. Today the Thomson Team ranks among the top teams in unit sales both nationally and for the state of Florida.

For Lisa and Michelle, family has always been a priority — the family appeal of “The Amazing Race” is one of the reasons they chose to compete.

“It’s not about making enemies; it’s tasteful and a family show,” Michelle remarked.

“It was hard to say ‘No’ to appearing on the show because everyone can relate to the different people on it,” Lisa added. “We’re actually the best of friends with the firefighters, Michael and Scott!”

Real life beats reality TV

The month it took the sisters to compete on “The Amazing Race” was their only significant time away from work in years. Nonetheless, they couldn’t wait to get back to their real lives after the show. With market values on the rise, Michelle continues to welcome buyers from the Midwest and New York seeking second properties. Lisa is excited to watch Miami’s new construction boom because her new home buyer clients love the top-of-the-line properties while her seller clients take it as a sign of a strong market. She also got married a month before shooting started on “The Amazing Race.”

Looking back, the sisters are pragmatic about what they took away from their experience.

“It’s cool to say you were on it and I’m glad I did it — it was great for us,” Lisa observed. “But it’s a reality show, which means that after it’s off the air, people forget. I just wanted to get back to work.”

“Our business did well before we did the show and it’s still doing well,” Michelle noted. “We didn't want to get back to work because we had nothing else going on; we wanted to get back because we love our clients and we love selling real estate.”