6 Drone Marketing Tips for Real Estate Pros

Real estate drone marketing has become an impactful media type in the last five years. And it’s not hard to see why. Drone marketing offers a different kind of perspective than plain video or photography. With drones, you capture a truly unique view of a property, whether it’s residential or commercial. It’s also a quick form of content that can be easily captured, edited and produced in a matter of days so you have great content (photo or video) to work with for your properties.

Several large real estate companies already use drone marketing as a way to stand out and sell or lease more spaces. Using drone for real estate is one of the best real estate marketing tactics out there with high ROI and great responses from audiences. It’s projected that the drone market will also grow rapidly in the next five years, so if you aren’t using drone photography and videography yet, now is the time to get ahead of the curve.

That’s why we’ve compiled some helpful drone marketing tips to help you get started leveraging this media to its fullest potential.

6 Drone Marketing Tips for Real Estate

1. Hire a FAA-licensed drone pilot.

If you want to purchase a drone to capture drone photos or video for your property, we recommend reading this first.

While drone marketing has taken off over the last few years, it doesn’t come without some conflict. It’s important to hire a drone team or agency that uses FAA-licensed drone pilots to avoid any issues and to make sure you get those amazing, professional shots taken. FAA-licensed pilots are insured, knowledgeable, follow all aerial guidelines, and even have more access to airspace. They do this for a living, so you’re sure to get spectacular aerial shots of your property.

2. Hire a local drone pilot.

Not only should you look for a drone pilot that is FAA-licensed and insured, but you should also consider hiring local. Many national agencies, like LCP360, offer local drone resources, so real estate businesses with large portfolios of properties don’t have to worry about scheduling and logistics.

Why else might you want to hire local? Someone local can get out to your site quickly and capture the right footage in a matter of hours. This way, you get a finished product much quicker than teaching yourself to use a drone or waiting on a traveling drone pilot.

3. Know which areas you want to highlight.

Drone offers plenty of opportunities to capture different spaces. Perhaps you want to capture the local area nearby, showcase local highways, and then fly in to the property. Or maybe you want to highlight the property and its variety of features, such as an outdoor space or rooftop.

Drone marketing always seems simple, but there are a lot of creative liberties you can do, especially with drone videography so it’s important to know what you want to really focus on in your drone captures.

3. Clean and prepare in advance for flawless drone content.

The beauty and downfall of drone marketing is that it shows everything. For one, that is great when you’re wanting to really showcase your entire property, but if anything is out of place or there is construction visible, it can set off a different tone. Here are few things to consider making sure you’re checked on prior to any drone shoots:

1. If you have a pool, make sure the surrounding pool deck is dry. Water that has splashed up on the deck will be noticeable to stand out in the shots.
2. Have a pond or other water source on site? Make sure it’s clean and prepped for your drone shoot.
3. Have a good window wash before any drone shoots so you have pristine, reflective windows in your shots.
4. Just as with any normal photo shoot, hide any eyesores, wires, or additional equipment that may distract from your focal points.
5. Shoot in the spring time or summer. Drones will capture tree lines and you want lush, green trees surrounding your property for the best image.

Check out our free photo shoot preparation checklist that can help you check for areas that should be cleaned and prepped prior.

4. Know the difference between a traditional photographer and a drone pilot.

Some may believe that a photographer who captures traditional photography or virtual tours is also skilled at drone shoots. This may be the case for some, but not all. The skillsets are two very different things, and it’s always best to look for a drone pilot who is licensed and has had years of experience flying drones for real estate.

5. Look for an agency that edits drone content.

Hiring a drone pilot is one thing, making sure you have an agency that also edits your drone photography or videography is another. For instance, drone photography still needs photo edits like any photo and you don’t want a raw unedited video with no transitions or music.

Not all drone pilots are editors. In fact, they typically only capture raw footage unless they work with an agency.

6. Put your drone content front and center on your property website.

Whether it’s drone photography or videography, this type of media offers truly unique views of your property that you shouldn’t have to hide in your gallery. Drone footage especially offers a special "wow" factor that traditional photos can't always convey. Put it front and center on your website as a header to really draw attention and set the tone of your property on that first impression.

Take Your Marketing to New Heights

Drone marketing is going nowhere, in fact, it’s here to stay and will only get more popular in the coming years. With COVID, it’s become a hot marketing item for real estate professionals who have already seen the benefits of this tool.

Need help with your real estate marketing efforts? Talk with us today to get started on your next project.