Grandma at 30?

I was reading a blog today. Good blog, well written, well thought of. And when I read that the Member has married children, and has a 6 year-old grandson, I look back at the photo. Is this a photo of her daughter? A nice-looking late 20- early 30ish female… Nope, the photo is of the member…

Recently I met an agent, whose photos I have seen so many times on his signs. I did not recognize him when we met. The guy introduced himself and I was looking at someone my age, not my son’s age, and that’s how he looks on his signs.

Another good agent is using a photo on all her advertising materials, which is very flattering. She squashed the width. So now she is taller and thinner. It does not look very natural, but that is what she uses.

90% of people use Internet to search for properties. So next comes this exciting moment when the customers walk into the office, and then start looking around for their agent, as they do not recognize this young and thin agent in a grandmother sitting in front of them.

Look at their face. It often reads “You? You gotta be kidding me…” And how funny it sounds when you have to explain that for the last 28 years you did not have time to get yourself a new picture…

I think it creates more awkwardness and uneasy feeling rather than helps. Where it puts the agent. From liar to delusional? In terms of branding it is like making one step forward and two huge steps back.

The whole point of a photo is making them feel they know you. Real Estate is not about dating, and if we are not all Angelinas and Brads, it is fine. But if they come and find that you are not really you, then what is the point of flattering ourselves?

Is she really 30? No, it is an optical illusion.  And we are illusionists...

*  Image courtesy of daniel spils via Flickr.com