WACO, Texas — Mario Gonzalez doesn't usually look like this at work, regardless of what you might have seen.
Days before Christmas, Gonzalez, a real estate agent at Coldwell Bankers Apex, Realtors in Waco, found one of his real estate signs had been given a less-than-flattering makeover.
A prankster had graffitied over Gonzalez' face on the sign, giving him buck teeth, huge round glasses and angry-looking eyebrows.
It may seem like a harmless prank at first, but Gonzalez said the signs can cost upwards of $100, and realtors are responsible for paying for them themselves.
However, instead of being angry at the unwanted artwork, Gonzalez found an even better way to respond.
Gonzalez bought some eye black from the store and, with a little help from his sister, recreated the vandal's art on his own face.
Gonzalez shared a picture of himself posing next to the sign with his matching facepaint in a social media post that soon went viral.
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"I found one of my real estate signs and though it is frustrating, I couldn't help but to laugh," Gonzalez said in the post. "Why? Because it's a reflection of this year in real estate! Full of chaos and uncertainty. So you either roll with it and make the best of it, or let it roll over you and take you out! And I'm rolling with it!"
Gonzalez realized the sign was a perfect marketing opportunity and a great way to spread some laughter and positivity over the holidays.
"I'm going to turn this into something positive because I'm not gonna find who did this," Gonzalez told 6 News. "I mean, there was no cameras of where or who did this. And so I said, 'You know what? The real estate market has already been chaotic. So let's make something even more chaotic and make it funny.'"
As of Jan. 4, Gonzalez' post has over 124,000 interactions on Facebook, along with 3,000 comments and 4,100 shares.
"I really thought when I did this it was going to get like maybe 20 or 30 likes," said Gonzalez.
Gonzalez said the internet's reactions to his post have been great and have even created networking opportunities. Not only that, some people have even offered to replace the vandalized sign.
"I did not know it was gonna go this big and more than that, I've had so many realtors from all over the country reach out to me," Gonzalez said. "Tell me they liked the pose, let's exchange numbers, let's talk business. And yeah, it's been a very positive thing."
Gonzalez said sometimes in the business you just have to roll with the punches, and if life gives you lemons, sometimes it's a sign you're headed in the right direction.
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