Alexander Maly and the Photographs

June 2025. The decision is made: We're selling the house. But before I can sell, I need photos. Good photos. Not the kind agents shoot on an iPhone — photos that carry a feeling.

So I called Alexander Maly. A friend. Photographer and videographer. The only person I know who understands what I mean: Not "real estate photography" — but "home photography."

"Alex, what are you up to?"

He came over with his camera. And before he took a single shot, he looked at me and asked: "Alex, what are you actually up to?"

I told him the truth: "I want to sell the house and move to Cyprus."

Silence. He was shocked. But also — I could see it in his face — somehow glad. Maybe even a little envious. He said he admired us for it.

The story that changed everything

While he was taking the photos — room by room, light by light — he told me a story in passing.

He knew a guy who had built a website for a homeowner. The homeowner had spent over 2 years trying to sell his house on his own. No luck. The guy went to him and said: "If I sell your house in one month, you give me a percentage of the sale."

The guy pulled it off. In 2 weeks. Not one month. Two weeks. The homeowner couldn't believe it.

I asked immediately: "Who is this guy? How did he do it?"

Alexander didn't have a name. No website. Just the story.

The engine kicks in

But the story was enough. Inside my head, the engine fired up. Instantly.

I wanted to marry two worlds: My world — online marketing, funnels, storytelling, conversion. And the real estate world — which has been using the same methods for 30 years.

I asked myself: What if I applied my online marketing knowledge to my own house sale? Lead capture. Emotional website. Storytelling instead of a listing sheet. Tracking.

Nobody does this. Not a single agent I'd met had ever built an emotional website for a single house.

So I did it myself. wghf.de. The website that proved 3 agents wrong.

But I didn't know that yet. All I knew was: I'm going to try this.

What I learned

The best ideas come from conversations — not from brainstorming sessions. Alexander came over to take photos. Not to advise on my business. But one offhand remark, one casually told story, changed everything. Listen when people talk. Especially when they're not talking about business.