Expaterience is the unrivaled English-language TV talk show and online/social media project created by and for expats and internationals in the Netherlands. True to its name, the program focuses entirely on the stories and experiences of expats and internationals, highlighting both their successes and the challenges they face in personal and professional life, situated within the context of key social issues and current international developments.
Watch Episode #05
Double-Themed Special:
‘Solving the Housing Crisis’ & ‘Surviving Dutch Winters’
Practical Advice for Expats and Internationals Navigating Challenging Times
Original air date: Saturday, November 22, 2025
This fifth episode of Expaterience focuses on delivering concrete guidance and actionable insights to help viewers navigate today’s major housing challenges and prepare for the difficult winter months ahead.
Hour 1: Solving the Housing Crisis
Lead Host Sanjay Sharma sits down with experts and first-hand witnesses to examine the country’s ongoing housing crisis. The conversation will explore long-term prospects for market-driven solutions as well as the immediate, short-term consequences of the shortage — especially for expats, including both highly skilled professionals and labor-sector workers.
Guest line-up Hour 1:
Bart Reeser, Chairman NVM, Haaglanden branch, and Registered Real Estate Agent &
Registered Valuer at Stokman Van Duren. NVM is the largest association of real estate agents and appraisers in the Netherlands and is partnering with the Dutch government to help accelerate the building of new homes.
Marco Sark, Co-Founder/Co-Owner of FASTGOED, a real estate agency that positions itself as offering a practical, hands-on approach to helping expats and internationals find their way in the complex Dutch rental and home-buying market.
Larisa Melinceanu, Deputy Director (Policy & Communication), Barka Foundation. Named after the Polish word for ‘life buoy’, Barka is committed to supporting vulnerable EU citizens who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. These are often people from Central and Eastern Europe who have come to the Netherlands in search of work.
Simone Dulcis, Housing Crisis Experiencer and Social Media Creator of @italiantodutch. A young Italian professional who moved to the Netherlands to rebuild his life from scratch, sharing his journey of fighting loneliness, connecting with locals, and showing what it truly means to change your life in a new country.
Special Report: The Housing Crisis – Why the Netherlands Can’t Build
In a special Social Media Report, Martin Simenrud examines how the Netherlands became stuck — and why the country now seems unable to build new homes at any meaningful scale. As he discovers, the core of the Dutch housing crisis may not be the shortage itself. After all, the Netherlands has the financial means and the technical expertise to build its way out. So what keeps the shortage in place? Martin may have uncovered a three-part problem standing in the way of progress.
Hour 2: Expat Well-Being – How to Survive Dutch Winters
In her debut as host of Expaterience, Nuthan Manohar, together with her four guests, discusses the challenges faced by expats and internationals who are confronted with the Dutch winter for the first time — or who, even after years, still struggle to adapt to the country’s frequent rain, cloudy skies, and long, dark months. Together they offer clear, actionable strategies to cope with, and even enjoy, Dutch winters.
Guest line-up Hour 2:
Julie Taylor, Founder of Buzz Networking, a community supporting solo business owners in the Netherlands.
Tetyana Benzeroual, Project Lead, Volunteer The Hague — organizer of the Mix & Match Volunteer Job Fairs, with the next event taking place on Saturday, November 29.
Vassia Sarantopoulou, Psychologist, Mental Health Ambassador, Founder of AntiLoneliness and AntiLoneliness Academy.
Edyta Nales, Career Coach and HR Manager supporting international professionals and companies across the Netherlands.
Editors/Researchers: Dennis Kokkelink, Gerold Livingston, Lavanya Mirle, Martin Simenrud, Nuthan Manohar, Parnita Pandey, Sanjay Sharma — Social Media Team: Chrisma Dorzier, Dennis Kokkelink, Elisabeth Mbeng, Eylül Akdeniz, Lavanya Mirle, Olivia Wang, Parnita Pandey, Qiru Huang and others — Live Streaming Facebook & YouTube: Marcel van Geenen — Camera Team: Flavio Valcarce, Henri Power, Judy Borst, Shin van Alphen — Sound Engineer: Marcel van Geenen — Opening Title Sequence Designer: Marcel van Geenen — Music Composer: Marcel van Geenen — Guest Reception: Ting-Wen Chen — Additional Support: Fritz van der Koelen, Kees Kouwenberg — Production Coordinator/Script Supervisor: Dennis Kokkelink — Expaterience Management: Dennis Kokkelink, Fritz van der Koelen, Juanna van Hek — Director: Edgard Zuniga
Click here for the full crew of Expaterience
Watch more episodes: click here
Opportunities for content partners:
We forward to working with international organizations. Share your story, and help us develop engaging content!
Together, we can create:
- enhanced visibility
- impact in international communities
- more networking opportunities
Collaborate with us and partner with a locally-rooted non-profit aligning with your goals of fostering inclusivity and community.
E-mail us at expat@rtvdiscus.nl
For press releases and news updates from your organization:
E-mail us at expaterience@rtvdiscus.nl
For media inquiries about Expaterience:
E-mail us at press@rtvdiscus.nl
Our Partners:
Volunteer The Hague
PEP Den Haag
Den Haag Doet
