7 Ways to Use Drone Photography and Video to Sell a Home

By Sandy Newman

The cutting edge of real estate listings remains the use of drones to photograph or film a property. Since it's lacking in popularity among most agents, embracing this technology could be one thing that sets your business apart. Drone photography offers versatile and creative ways to capture a property—and the attention of homebuyers. Here are seven ways to leverage drone photography and video to sell a home:

1. Show Off the Details

Sometimes a home's best feature is impossible to capture from the ground. For instance, if a home sits on the edge of a cliff, or backs up to a wooded drop-off, it can be challenging to get a good photo of that detail. A drone easily allows you to access all of a home's outdoor features.

You can take the drone inside, too. Here are a few examples of how to create interesting interior shots to enhance a listing:

• To capture a room from above, position a drone high up in the corner of a two-story foyer or living room.
• Use a drone to capture a video tour of the inside of a home.
• Show off smaller spaces with ease, like tight stairwells or powder rooms.

2. Pay Less

While aerial photography is no newcomer to the real estate industry, it was limited to high-end properties due to the costs of capturing video and photography from a helicopter. Drone photography makes bird's-eye views much more affordable. If you hire a certified, commercial drone pilot, your high-quality aerial footage will cost you about one-third of what you'd pay for helicopter photography.

3. Do It Yourself

Learning how to operate a drone safely and effectively may be a wise investment. If drone photography interests you, consider taking a test to get certified with the Federal Aviation Administration to pilot a drone for commercial use.

4. Get Noticed by Buyers and Sellers

According to the National Association of REALTORS®, nearly half of all homebuyers in 2016 turned to online listings as their first step in the process. In this age of digital marketing, making excellent first impressions with the use of professional video and images matters more than ever. High-quality video footage and aerial photos can make your listing stand out from other properties.

When a homeowner is ready to sell, they'll want a listing agent who knows what they're doing. One of the first places they may look is at your current listings. They'll want to see evidence that you can make their home stand out. An aerial photo or a video of the exterior can make a much more visually-appealing first impression. Drone photography can make you look savvier than other listing agents and inspire confidence in sellers.

5. Leverage Social Media

Social media is an inexpensive way to put your listings right in front of a targeted audience, and it works. The National Association of REALTORS® also reported that 80 percent of people surveyed used Facebook to look at potential properties. Use drones to create eye-catching video tours that'll engage your audience on social. There's a bonus: According to HubSpot, Facebook's new algorithm gives priority to video content, making these posts more visible for your target audience.

6. Show Off a Property's Features

If you're trying to sell a property with land features such as a pool, beautiful landscaping or lakefront acreage, an aerial image of the entire property can be a great way to showcase its most marketable aspects. Drones can reach places that helicopters can't, and they give you more creative options. Make your property stand out from the rest by opting for a video tour of the entire property.

7. Demonstrate Proximity

Location, location, location. Sometimes a home's most desirable feature is what's nearby. Drones make it easy to highlight a property's proximity to other neighborhood features, such as a beach, a school or a downtown shopping district. Don't tell prospective buyers that a home is "just steps from the beach" or "a short walk to the school"—use drone video to show them the home's surroundings and proximity to the best the area has to offer.

If you're not already using drone photography to market your properties, now is the perfect time to see if it will work for you. Hire an experienced, certified drone pilot who is an expert in real estate photography to help you enhance your listings and attract both buyers and sellers.

Sandy Newman is a Texas-based agent for Owners.com. In his downtime, Newman is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys fishing, biking, kayaking, hiking, and more.