Meeting an ex-estate agent

I've just come back from an interesting meeting with a woman who used to work as an estate agent, who dealt with a variety of clients and properties.

It was strange at first, a little intimidating possibly - but after the unease had settled, I felt more comfortable in the situation, which, was almost therapeutic.

We talked about the worry in society, the ego building in sales and the snobbery often involved. I also got the chance to discuss my own worries and what the project meant to me. 

I mentioned the idea of walking into an estate agent with no budget in mind to produce some more fictional imagery, but as we talked, she made me realise something which made me feel very uneasy.

She raised the issue of the homeowner selling their house, and how traumatic a case like this would be - if I were to say have a viewing and bring false hope to said person. An issue which I should have thought about, but it hadn't come to mind until we spoke about it. I think that pulling off such a stunt would make me feel more anxious about the homeowner and the false hope I am raising, rather than the fictional character I would be imitating. For me, this would ruin the concept and I would definitely not feel comfortable in this situation.

It was a useful meeting, as I said - she raised this issue and it is completely valid. We also talked about how rooms are made to look bigger, or made to 'reach their potential' by the way they are pictured. It was interesting how she explained that as an estate agent, she felt more like she was in the middle, of angry clients and customers. It seems strange that I felt so intimidated by the thought of meeting this woman, as if she were to judge me - even if she doesn't sell properties anymore. It made me feel sad, the fact that I had pre judged the situation on my own experience and pre conceptions, when in reality it was a lovely experience, with a sociable open woman.