LUXURY REAL ESTATE DRONE PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO
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LUXURY REAL ESTATE DRONE PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO
For successful luxury agents, aerial drone photography and video for luxury real estate agents is a vital part of your marketing strategy.
Drone photography and video has become increasingly popular in recent years as a way to showcase real estate properties.
Images and video captured by a drone provide a whole new perspective on the property and allows the agent or realtor to emphasize the beauty and surroundings of the lot and surrounding terrain.
In this post, we dive deep on real estate drone photography and video – why it’s useful, how to get started and tips for the best results.
Drones, which are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), can be equipped with high-resolution cameras that capture stunning aerial views of homes and properties.
The catch with using drone photography and video for luxury real estate marketing is twofold.
One is In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires drone pilots to obtain a Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate in order to legally fly drones for commercial purposes, including real estate photography.
You’ll also need and want different forms of insurance, plus permits will be required.
The second is that with drone photography and video, there is a considerable learning curve with selecting the right gear, finding the right angles and capturing, processing and touching up the finished product for your listings.
Our recommendation for luxury real estate agents is to research, speak with and hire a professional drone photographer with experience in real estate.
That way, you’ll ensure your images and videos are the highest quality; even with the expense, you’ll have more time to focus on the other aspects of your listing.
In this guide to real estate drone photography and video, we’ll dive into the basics of what you need to know to get started, including why drone photography and video is so necessary for your business.
We’ll provide tips and insight into what to look for when you select a drone photographer for your next luxury property listing.
You’ll come to understand the different ways drone photography and video can be applied to get the most out of your real estate drone photography.
BENEFITS OF DRONE PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO FOR LUXURY REAL ESTATE
Luxury realtors looking to make their listings stand out use drone video and photography to showcase their stunning properties.
Aerial photography and video can help make a property more appealing to potential buyers, especially if it’s a large lot with diverse landscape, contour and amenities.
Many luxury agents assume drones are useful only for aerial photos showing the property layout.
But that’s not the case – drones are useful for some other things, including:
MAKE YOUR LISTING AND YOUR LUXURY SERVICE STAND OUT
There is no denying that IPhones have changed photography and video. For real estate agents, this means that a seller’s minimum basis requirements have gone up in their expectations of what they want their listing to look like online and in print.
Even more so for luxury agents – photography and video, in high definition, using the latest drone technology still can separate basic agent services from top-shelf luxury realtors.
AERIAL DRONE VIDEO VIEWS
Drones are excellent for video.
Since drones don’t require a mount, you can use the drone’s video feature to take an elaborate and near-ceiling level walkthrough of the property.
This can be particularly stunning with high ceilings and expansive rooms that you’re showcasing.
Walking through a property without the drone initially can be beneficial before letting the drone and its operator loose – now that you have the potential to create a “bird’s-eye” perspective with your video, use that newfound perspective to seek out unique, previously inaccessible views.
Taking a step back from individual listings, investing in a drone video of a golf club community, equestrian club or private airfield and amenities and showcasing the community rather than individual properties is an excellent way to position yourself as an expert in that community versus just a single property.
Additional permits may be required in some communities, but the extra effort can be worth it in an exclusive community with amenities that a drone video helps to showcase.
SHOWCASE THE HOME AND PROPERTY’S UNIQUE FEATURES
Real estate aerial drone photography allows potential homebuyers to see a realistic view of your entire home and grounds, without having to be there in person.
With aerial photos, prospective homebuyers are able to better see the layout of the home as a whole and view it from different angles, as well as the property line to view the size of the property and the proximity to neighbors.
These videos and photos can give the viewer additional context and scale, in relation to other parts of the property or how the home fits into the landscape or terrain.
From another state or another country, a potential buyer can stroll considerably further down a buying path with a walk through video of the interior and property.
In some areas, luxury real estate buyers view the lot and terrain with as much of a discerning eye as they do the existing home. That’s because many high net worth individuals look to do extensive renovations or even full tear downs on properties they purchase.
Does that mean your drone video and photography goes to waste?
No, just the opposite.
When an expert drone operator captures the scope and scale of the entire lot from multiple angles and heights, it gives the buyer and their team a better understanding of the canvas their design team will be working with.
SHOWCASE THE SURROUNDING AREA FROM ABOVE
Luxury home buyers and high net worth individuals, when purchasing real estate, look for two sometimes conflicting attributes when they analyze a lot and community.
For one, they are looking for access.
Access to amenities, whether natural, recreational or business related.
The other is privacy.
Can both be attained?
Yes, absolutely. And it’s a question that will need to be answered early in the process when high net worth individuals look at potential properties.
- Does the community offer privacy from the general public and accompanying noise and congestion?
- Does the community give us access to the amenities, social network and business connections we’re looking for?
- Does our property provide a natural refuge from our closest neighbors?
- Will we need to create privacy with landscaping?
These are just some of the questions that can be effectively answered with a well-shot drone video and accompanying photography.
FIND A SKILLED DRONE PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO SPECIALIST
For a luxury agent competing for listings and the attention of high net worth individuals, learning all the ins and outs of video and photography gear is too much.
That’s why we recommend seeking out professional drone operators who have experience with real estate photography and video production.
When doing your due diligence, here are some expectations you should have as well as preparations you should expect to make in advance of drone photography and video shoots.
Stage the house and property with the drone in mind
Just as with traditional photography, preparing and staging a property is critical before a shoot.
With a drone, you also have to take into account nooks and crannies of the property as well as the roof(s), cabinet tops and landscaping. Make sure that the entire property is staged as best as possible. If a roof needs to be power washed because mold and fungus spots stand out from the sky, build those costs into the budget and preparation.
Timing is everything
You can control most things with the way the property will present on video and from the sky. However, with a drone, you have to take traffic, foot and vehicle, plus the time of day into consideration when scheduling your shoot.
Consider again that buyers will be looking for privacy in most cases.
If your listing has an oceanfront view with public access nearby, make sure to schedule the drone at a time when the beach is empty of walkers, joggers and animals.
Similar if the property is in a golf community or near a ski resort – pick times when the powder is clean, the course is empty and the streets are clear.
The purpose of the video and drone photographs is to capture and project exclusivity and privacy 99% of the time when it comes to luxury home marketing.
The video and photographs should reflect this.
Walk the property multiple times and plan your shots
As mentioned earlier, viewing a property through the lens of a drone is different and requires a different perspective.
That’s why it’s critical to walk a property multiple times and consider what the unique features are and what parts of the home and property you want to capture with the drone photographs or video.
Don’t rush this part. A drone can capture subtle rolls in the landscape and stunning contrasts between the home’s architecture and the land upon which it sits.
If you’re not sure HOW to capture the view but you know WHAT you’re trying to capture, ask the drone operator for advice and ask them to reflect on your request.
More often than not, they’ll be able to find the angle, the heights and the light to capture your hero shot.
Ask for references and review their past work
When you ask for and review references from real estate drone operators, you’ll get a good idea of a drone photographer’s body of work but also how they take their raw photographs and video and enhance and correct their raw production.
Much like traditional real estate photography, it’s amazing what a skilled photographer can do to enhance the original pictures.
