Outdated real estate marketing tools are a thing of the past. In today’s real estate market, we don’t sit around waiting for our real estate agents to bring us pieces of paper with static grainy images of homes. 

The MLS print outs are no longer enough to show buyers what a home looks like and if they can envision themselves there. Real estate marketing has evolved and creative uses of real estate aerial photography are the future. 

Homebuyers and sellers in today’s real estate market demand high-quality marketing and almost everything is done over the internet. From home searches to interactive maps and drone videos of properties, real estate agents need to stay on top of the latest marketing trends to stay relevant. 

Read on to learn more about real estate aerial photography and video and how it’s changing the future of real estate marketing for the better. 

Why Use Aerial Photography for Real Estate 

To stay relevant in today’s market, real estate agents need to keep up with the latest technology and make sure they are showcasing their homes to the best of their abilities. This means investing in high-quality photos, staging, marketing, and using aerial photography and video. 

A static photo of the interior of a home is always going to be needed. There are certain listings and certain properties that demand a more in-depth view in order to do it justice. This is where aerial photography and videos can make all of the difference. 

Let’s say you have a property that sits on a couple of acres. A static photo of the front, won’t show the scale of the entire property. Or imagine you have a property that is a couple of hundred feet from a beach or boat landing. This is where aerial photography or video comes in handy. 

An aerial video or photo can show proximity and scale better than traditional photography. You’ll be able to show buyers exactly how big a property is or how close they are to a selling feature like a lake. 

An Untapped Market 

According to a study by the National Association of Realtors, 87 percent of home buyers used a real estate agent to find their home in 2018. Over 90 percent of these agent’s companies have websites that utilize the MLS and online home searches. 

A similar study showed that in 2012, 85 percent of buyers and sellers prefer to work with real estate agents who use video marketing. Only 15 percent at that time were even using videos in their listings. 

That’s a huge gap and a big untapped market. If you can be an agent who utilizes and embraces these technologies, you can really set yourself apart. When it comes to listing a home with someone who doesn’t use video technology and someone who does, sellers will go with the video every time. 

The same idea goes for a home for sale. If you’re a buyer looking at two almost identical properties, chances are you’ll gravitate towards the home with a drone video or aerial photography. 

Aerial Photos for Real Estate Listings 

Using aerial photos in real estate listings can have a huge impact on the sale of your home. As mentioned earlier, aerial photos are great for showing proximity. If your home is near a landmark, an attraction, or a body of water, these are all huge selling features. A standard photo just can’t give people the same perspective. 

When someone is scrolling through homes on their cell phones, you just don’t see the details about a home's property as a whole or its proximity to something desirable. Another example is if your home is near public transportation or if it has a great walking score. With an aerial photo, you can show just how close your home actually is. 

MLS Statistics show that homes with aerial images sold 68 percent faster than houses with standard photos. That’s a big difference. 

Aerial Video for Real Estate Listings 

When it comes to photos, the saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words” is actually a fact. According to Forrester Researcher, one minute of video footage is equivalent to 1.8 million words. A home with an aerial video is definitely going to jump off the screen more than a bunch of words. 

Buyers are usually scrolling through listings on their phones. Listings with a lot of words and no great videos just don't stand out as well as other homes that do. You want your listing to stand out and show buyers more than a standard image. 

A drone video of a home can be a great tool to show property lines, proximity, and the scope of a piece of land. A video can zoom into different selling features, fly over acres and show the distance from one point to another. You just can’t get that view from a standard photo or even walking it in person unless you offer a helicopter ride at your open house. 

Types of Drone Videos 

Drones are also known as unmanned aircraft systems or UAS. They can provide a bird's eye view of a home or a piece of property. You can use a drone to show a property as well as the surrounding land. You can also walk through a neighborhood to show people what it would be like to live there.

Drone videos also come in handy to show a home’s relation to amenities in a community as well as features of the property. You can show property boundaries, plots and surveys better with a drone than with a standard image. 

Production Costs for Aerial Real Estate Photography and Videos 

In the past, shooting drone videos was a costly process. You could spend over $10,000 to use a helicopter or plane. This just wasn’t worth the cost for most properties. With the use of drones, aerial video and photography have become a lot more affordable. 

The average price of a drone video or photographer can range from $250 to $1,000. If you consider how likely your home is to sell by using these tools, that’s a great return on your investment. 

How To Hire a Drone Photographer and Pilot 

It’s important to consider a few factors when going to hire a drone pilot. Remember that a drone can capture both stills and motion videos. Although it might seem cost-effective to buy a drone yourself and shoot these images, it’s better to leave it to a professional for a number of reasons. 

First of all, you need to know the laws and regulations surrounding local drone usage. Most real estate companies will hire a professional who knows these rules and they will hold the proper license. 

Before hiring a drone photographer, make sure the pilot has an FAA-Issued Commercial Drone License as well as liability insurance. You’ll also want to look at some samples of their past work to see that they have done some real estate shots in the past. 

Taking aerial real estate photos is a specific skill set. Hiring someone who is used to taking photos of nature or landscapes might not have the eye to get the specific photos and videos you need.  

Finally, look at the photographer's references and get a price list before moving forward. Checking these boxes will help make sure you’re getting top quality footage from a professional. 

Hiring a Real Estate Professional 

A real estate professional can help you determine what aerial video or photography is best to showcase your home. A real estate agent can help you decide what photos to take and where to shoot a video. 

These professionals know what buyers are looking for and they can direct a pilot to make sure they get exactly what buyers want to see.  

A real estate professional can also take all of that work off your hands. A real estate agent can hire the professional photographer and drone pilot, vet them, and direct them to ensure you get the shots you need. They will also take care of adding the videos or photos to your listing online and through the MLS. 

They may even work with a marketing professional to create more custom pieces for your property. If you’re interested in adding these features to your home’s listing, speak to your realtor. Your agent will have access to the technology and marketing professionals who can kick-start the process. 

The Sky is the Limit: The Future of Real Estate Aerial Photography 

When it comes to real estate aerial photography, the sky is really the limit. We’ve only just begun to utilize this untapped market. There are literally thousands of ways you can use aerial videos and photos to market your property. 

Between showing proximity to downtown attractions or showing plot lines on a property, the possibilities are endless when it comes to the uses for aerial photography and video. 

To learn more about getting your home listed with an HD aerial video, click here.