HGTV’s ‘Property Virgins’ host provides advice in book form

V-103 lured Egypt Sherrod from New York City to Atlanta in 2012 with a prime midday radio hosting gig.

But she said she always has a Plan A, a Plan B and a Plan C. She had just begun hosting the HGTV show “Property Virgins” — in which she guides first-time homebuyers through the process — and continued work as a Realtor.

When her V-103 deal ended after two years, she was able to focus on TV and real estate, resulting in her new book, “Keep Calm … It’s Just Real Estate” (Running Press, $16), a how-to guide to buying a house with a focus on newbies. She will be at the Barnes & Noble in Buckhead at 7 p.m. Thursday to sign it.

Sherrod grew up in Philadelphia with uncles who were in real estate. At age 23, while working in radio, she caught the real estate bug herself.

“I learned that real estate is a foundation for wealth,” she said in an interview this week. “I started buying dilapidated properties in Newark and flipping them.”

Once she got her real estate license, she began incorporating her access to celebrities and entertainers via her New York radio job into her burgeoning business. “Every time an artist or manager or publicist would come in, I would make sure they knew I was a real estate professional,” she said.

Soon, she began buying and selling properties for famous folks whom she said she won’t name for discretion purposes.

“I was in the public eye, so I understood the need for anonymity,” Sherrod said.

She was already a fan of “Property Virgins” when the producers approached her to audition.

Since moving to Atlanta in 2012, she has shot episodes all over the Southeast but primarily in the metro area. “I think the price of homes here provides a greater variety of price points,” she said, than the Northeast, where real estate is far pricier.

The book, she said, is very reflective of who she is on “Property Virgins.”

“I give tough love,” she said, “because I care. I’m not afraid to tell the truth.”

Sherrod said she is aware there are hundreds of other books and websites with some of the same advice. “I told stories and anecdotes that involved my personal journey,” she said. “You can’t Google that.” She includes pithy notes throughout the book she calls “chill pills,” aware how stressful first-time homebuying can be.

She said the Atlanta market is strong: “Homes that are priced right are flying off the market. There is a huge influx of relocation buyers as well.” Intown properties in the $300,000 to $500,000 range, she notes, are especially hot, especially in the Inman Park/Grant Park area.

“Buyers love the walkability and the outdoor appeal,” she said. “Smyrna/Vinings properties are also in high demand. And East Point is starting to make a surge.”