85% of buyers say that photos are the most important factor when deciding which home listings to view. In addition to other types of photos and videos, drone photography can make a big impact on a real estate listing.
Aerial footage can be a great addition to a real estate listing and can help give buyers a good sense of a home's surroundings and exterior appearance. However, while there are many drone photography companies around these days, not all of them deliver high-quality work.
Before hiring a drone real estate photography company, make sure that you know what to look for. Here's how you can pick a company that specializes in drone photography.
What Is Drone Real Estate Photography?
Drone real estate photography is aerial photography that is captured with the help of an unmanned drone.
Drones can allow photographers to get photos and videos of a property from a bird's eye view. Real estate drone photography can be used for many reasons such as for land management and inspections but is often used in property listings.
Media that has been captured by a drone can be a great help when marketing and listing a property as an agent or a seller. It can allow buyers to get a more complete look at a property.
While a great real estate listing will likely include traditional photography as well, adding drone photography and videography can be well worth it. Drone photos and video can improve a listing and make a home seem more attractive to buyers.
Benefits of Drone Photography
So, what are the benefits and advantages of drone photography in real estate? Here's what you should know.
Cinematic Photos and Videos
By using drone footage in real estate marketing, the media for your listing will have a more cinematic look. Drone footage is great for storytelling and allows you to showcase a property in a unique and compelling way.
With high-resolution, 4K drone footage, you'll capture the essence of a property and be able to show a home's exterior in a beautiful and interesting way.
Clearly Shows a Property’s Roof and Surroundings
Practically speaking, drone footage can be useful to use in real estate listings because it can help to give buyers a better sense of a property's exterior condition and style. The roof and other harder-to-see areas are much easier to see in aerial drone footage.
Additionally, drone footage also shows a home or property's surroundings very well. It can give buyers a good sense of where a property is located, what the neighborhood is like, and where the home is in relation to amenities and local commercial areas or parks.
Stand Out From Other Real Estate Listings
When you use drone footage in your real estate listing, your listing will stand out from the pack and will seem more interesting.
Since many property and home listings don't make use of drone photos and videos, using it in your own listing can help your property to stand out more. As a result, your listing will grab the attention of home buyers more easily and you'll sell your home faster.
How to Pick a Great Drone Photography Company
While great drone photography can go a long way in improving a real estate listing, not all service providers will do a great job. Here's what you should consider when looking for a drone photographer for real estate.
Research Area Photographers
A great way to find a reliable drone photographer to use is to do some online research.
A great first step is to scope out the competition. It's a good idea to try to find out what photographers other real estate agents and listings are using. Add them to your list of potential candidates to hire.
You should also search Google for drone photographers in your area. You can also do some other types of online research to find photographers you may want to hire. Checking out Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or Instagram to find local drone real estate photographers could be helpful.
Understand the Equipment
One of the first things that you should find out about a drone photography company is whether they're using professional equipment and technology or not. You should be sure that the company uses professional-level drones and cameras. Their equipment should do a great job of capturing and presenting your property in the best light.
Be sure to ask questions about the drones and cameras they use along with the editing software to make sure that they'll have high-quality tools at their disposal.
Check Their Reputation
One of the best ways to find a great drone photography company is to learn about a company's reputation. Asking family and friends for suggestions, reading online reviews, and searching for a company's name in search engines can tell you a lot about a real estate photography company you’re considering hiring.
There's a lot of information online, so you may be able to find some honest opinions about the drone photographer. This can help you get a better idea of whether you should hire them or not.
Know Whether You Need Photos or Videos
When seeking drone photography services, you should also know what kinds of media you're interested in. Be sure to speak with the company and make sure that they can offer quality work and can provide both photos and videos, depending on your needs.
While most drone photography companies will be able to provide both types of content, you'll want to verify this and discuss your needs with them before hiring them.
Learn About the Included Services
Before hiring a drone photographer, be sure that they'll offer all of the services that you'll need. In addition to providing a combination of drone photography and videography, you should also ensure that they can handle the editing and post-production of the videos as well.
Consider whether you need to take other photos, videos, and virtual tours for your real estate listing. If so, you may also want to look for a single company that can offer all of the different services you need.
Check Their Portfolio
When hiring a photography or videography company, you should also be sure to look at their portfolio and check out samples of their work. Be sure to view the company's website to find samples of their work or speak to them directly to get access to their portfolio.
A professional and reliable drone photography company will have plenty of past projects that you can review to get a better idea of the level of quality that they can offer.
Decide on a Budget
To find a real estate drone photographer to work with, you should consider your budget carefully. Be sure to learn more about a drone photographer's rates and understand exactly what services you'll be paying for.
Some drone photographers will charge separately for production and post-production while others will bundle services together. You should speak with the photography company and understand exactly what you'll be paying for.
Be sure that the drone photographer works for your budget before making use of their services.
Check Their Credentials
When hiring a commercial drone operator, you need to be sure that they're authorized to provide services. Be sure that the company's drone operators have the FAA Part 107 UAV Operator's Certificate to ensure that the company is legitimate.
You should also ensure that the company has liability insurance as well. This way, any accidental damage that is caused by the drone will be completely covered.
Ask Plenty of Questions
Before hiring a real estate drone photography service, make sure you speak with them at length about your needs. Come up with a list of questions to ask the drone photographer and make sure you ask them about anything you're concerned about.
Learn more about the company's equipment, services, and processes. Speaking with them and asking questions can help you find out more about how they can help meet your needs. Doing so can give you a much better idea of whether they'll be a good choice or not.
Consider Communication
When speaking with a representative of a drone photography company, be sure to consider their personality and the level of customer service they provide as well. Consider how easy the drone company's representatives are to interact with and communicate with.
A reliable videography company should respond to messages or phone calls in a timely manner and should be professional and courteous at all times.
Finding the Best Real Estate Drone Photography Company for Your Needs
If you're interested in improving your property and home listings, then you should look for a reliable drone real estate photography company to hire.
Adding aerial drone footage to your real estate listings can be a useful way to make your listing stand out. It can be useful for attracting buyers when selling a home.
Are you in search of a reliable drone real estate photographer? Learn more about our real estate visual services now.