Got something bizarre and creepy in the mail this week. It was a 2008 calendar from a couple of neighbourhood real-estate agents (Marie-Claire Le Pessec and Yvan Pelland) but it wasn’t the usual schlocky type. You know – stock photos of quaint landscapes and big pictures of the agents.
On this one, the photos of the agents were there, of course, but the main artwork was a picture of my house. It appears to have been taken early in the fall, with my street address and license plate clearly visible.
Not quite as bad as Google slapping a picture of me picking my nose on Google Street View. But it’s still creepy and a violation of my privacy – or am I just paranoid?
The calendar was accompanied by a bilingual note. The English version said (the italics are mine): “Dear neighbour, We are pleasd (sic) to offer you this 2008 calendar, personalized with your home picture. This photo is exclusively yours and will not be used for any other purpose. We hope that you will enjoy this calendar and find it useful. Please accept our best wishes for a Happy and Peaceful Season. Marie-Claire Le Pessec and Yvan Pelland.”
So the agents obviously knew they were treading a fine privacy line. Then why do it?
A lot of them have been sending Christmas cards for years in a similar method: taking a picture of the house (usually from the summer) and making it the cover art.
They’re in real estate. It’s weird, but it’s what they do.
Really? But what’s the point? If I wanted a picture of my own house, why wouldn’t I just snap it myself?