Real estate agents have long understood that in this highly visual age, online photos and videos can have a substantial impact on whether a prospect buys or passes on a property. For many years, professional videography has been used to display property details, accentuate its positive attributes, and communicate a sense of presence to potential buyers and lessors. Now drones are well-positioned to revolutionize the market by providing these values through unique and unseen angles and perspectives.
In a March 2016 post on Cisco’s website, numerous uses of aerial footage via drone were highlighted for real estate marketing. The author points out that some of the early adopters of drone photography were brokers that were also licensed pilots – those that have long appreciated the visually striking views possible from above.
Unique Qualities of Drone Footage
Today, drones take real estate photo/video marketing to new heights, quite literally. Aerial footage is uniquely positioned to show off a property’s attributes, such as architectural design, acreage, professional landscaping and a property’s relationship to its surroundings.
For example, imagine drone footage of an oceanfront property that captivates the viewer as it takes him or her over the rooftop and out toward the setting sun. Although such higher-altitude image capture is stunning, real estate footage captured from a drone flying just a couple of feet above the driveway or above the surface of a backyard pool also provides exciting and descriptive views of a property’s key attributes.
Although the ability of a drone to show off a stunning waterfront mansion or complex industrial property via 4K ultra HD video is evident to most observers, it is also possible to gain a marketing advantage with many other properties through an astute use of drone footage. For example, both commercial and residential brokers can use aerial views to show off available lots and land parcels, highlighting their size and important topographic features like mature trees and ponds.
Camera-equipped quadcopters can even be used for interior shots when adequate space is available. When space is not available, glidecam, or slider, footage can readily supplement the drone footage. In commercial real estate sales, indoor footage of dramatic lobby entrances, interior appointments and even warehouse interiors is very appealing.
Important Drone Capabilities
Given the growing appetite for real estate marketing using aerial footage, drone videographers are at an advantage. Camera drones useful in the creation of high-quality real estate footage often include these key features:
- 4K ultra HD camera
- 3-axis gimbal
- Well-designed flight controller
- Advanced flight control software
- Extended flight times
- Decent range
- Live video streaming
Although most camera drones incorporate cameras capable of at least 720p images, 4k ultra HD video is the wave of the future. The 3-axis gimbal that you see protruding from the underside of such a drone is responsible for the image-stabilized, flowing video associated with professional drone videography. The gimbal is key to producing the imagery that real estate purchasers will want to see.
A gimbal includes gyroscopes to keep the camera steady as well as electric motors to alter the camera’s orientation during flight. Gimbal-equipped drones allow the zooming, panning and tilting essential to generating high quality aerial footage. Professional quality drones often feature integrated flight planning as well, making it possible to map out camera positions in advance.
The DJI Inspire Series, Mavic, Phantom 4, and Yuneec Typhoon H are just a few examples of pro-level camera drones which often feature flight times of 20 minutes or more and ranges of 0.5-1 mile or more. In general, avoid lesser drone videography which may communicate a lack of professionalism to prospective buyers.
In ultra-competitive commercial and residential real estate markets, gaining a marketing advantage via drone footage is certainly worth considering. Given the strong trend toward 4K ultra HD and the dazzling detail of which it is capable, it is incumbent upon brokers to look at aerial photography created by premium 4k camera drones.
If you’d like to learn more, please check out some of our other drone photography tutorials, or simply follow dronegenuity on our social media channels: YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and subscribe to our mailing list for regular updates.
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