Realtor Rinda Shea and Alisa and Jamie Gaylord on the HGTV show “Beach Hunters.”

GEARHART — “Beach Hunters” showcases a Portland couple’s hunt in and around Gearhart for the perfect beach home.

Rinda Shea, a broker with Windermere Stellar in Gearhart, said HGTV reached out to her colleague Lynn Brigham, a principal broker with the agency, about Shea’s oceanfront listings. Their quest debuted on New Year’s Day at 6 p.m.

Nathan Charlan, executive producer with Warm Springs Productions, an independent company working with HGTV, said the producers were drawn to the Oregon Coast and Gearhart specifically.

“We were planning two special episodes for the ‘Beach Hunters’ series because we wanted to feature one episode on the West Coast and one on the East,” Charlan said. “We were drawn to the Oregon Coast because the coastline itself provides a great contrast to coastlines in the East. The huge rocks that jut out from the waters and the dramatic cliffs, how the mountains meet the ocean — these are just some of the reasons we found Oregon to be such a special place.”

The show travels to some of the most exquisite beach destinations around the world. The series was launched this year as buyers search for their dream homes on the sand. Each episode follows a prospective buyer, usually a couple, as they work with an agent who shows them their choices before choosing a beach home in their budget where they can live their dream. Each episode is a journey as the buyers weigh their options.

Unsurprisingly, their choice often boils down to just one thing: location, location, location.

The episode features Portland couple Alisa and Jamie Gaylord, searching for a beachfront home to enjoy quality time with their two young kids. The Gaylords discover it in Gearhart, with its shingled cottages and castles uncannily resembling New England’s Cape Cod. Gearhart, the Gaylords learn, is the place to indulge and enjoy the family’s favorite beach activities: surfing, whale watching, and, yes, watching storms.

Charlan said his production company’s casting director discovered the couple through Windermere’s Shea. “She replied to our casting call and recommended Alisa and Jamie,” Charlan said. “She knew they were working on finding and purchasing a beachfront home in or around Gearhart.”

Shea said it was her first time being part of any HGTV program. “The director and crew were fantastic to work with,” Shea said. “From Day One of filming, they made me feel very comfortable and at ease.”

Charlan described the production experience in Gearhart, Seaside and Arch Cape as “very fun. The weather was moody and the production crew battled with rainstorms, but overall they were able to work well inside and out.”

A typical shooting schedule to create each half hour episode of the show is a four-day affair where each day cameras are rolling 12 to 14 hours. “The weather never got too bad,” Charlan said. “The crew loved the community feel of the area. It’s very small-town Americana with a nice West Coast style. There’s a laid-back atmosphere. It’s a welcoming beach community.”

Charlan praised not only the beautiful scenery but the delicious dining options during the shooting and the friendly local businesses.

Shea said she does appear on camera. “I’m the real estate broker who shows the buyers a selection of homes I think meet their family needs and wants,” she said. “It was a great experience and a whole lot of fun. I felt extremely honored to have the opportunity to represent my clients, Windermere Stellar, and our wonderful north Oregon Coast community to the viewers of HGTV.”

Tune in to see what property the couple chose.

“I am very hopeful that the community will be pleased with the show,” Shea said.