Take your marketing game to new heights with drone technology
By Megan Craig
The use of drones is rising in popularity. Since the Federal Aviation Administration started requiring licensing in August 2016, more than 100,000 people have become drone pilots. Drones can capture high-definition aerial photography and video, so if you’re not using drone footage to market your listings, you may be missing out.
“The drone work just immediately added to our videos due to the better visuals,” says Dan Erickson, CRS, president and managing broker of Town & Country Real Estate in Sequim, Washington. He started using drones last year in a series of videos to market not only his listings, but to highlight his unique area of the country. Think you’re ready to take your marketing to new heights? Consider this:
1. Follow the rules
You can’t just buy a drone online, read the instruction manual and start taking videos of your listings. Anyone flying a drone for any commercial purpose must be licensed under Part 107 by the FAA as a drone pilot. To use drone footage in your videos, you’ll have to either hire a licensed pilot or take the test to become one yourself.
Take It To the Next Level
Almost any drone can capture high-definition aerial photography. But to make the most of this technology (and your marketing dollars), consider buying a circular polarizing filter for your drone, says Drew Coleman, CRS, of The Drew Coleman Team at Hasson Company, REALTORS® in Lake Oswego, Oregon.
“They’re relatively inexpensive and will bring a ton of pop to your images by cutting glare off the vegetation, so all the greenery will appear greener,” he says. “It will also deepen blues in the sky.”
The test to become a certified drone pilot is thorough and includes detailed questions on weather, air density and air space, says Mark Fanning, managing broker for Alsted Real Estate in Moses Lake, Washington. Fanning, who works with his business partner and wife Susan Fanning, CRS, on the company’s marketing strategies, became a licensed drone pilot in 2016 and has since used his skills to boost the duo’s listings.
“Susan and I recognized very early that these drones are not toys and could be very dangerous without proper diligence,” he says, noting that following the rules is what keeps people out of YouTube blooper reels.
The licensing test isn’t the only hurdle—after that comes bi-annual renewals, waivers based on proximity to airports or other restricted airspaces, and constant monitoring for frequent changes to the many FAA rules surrounding drones.
2. Prepare the property
Overhead footage can add flair to your listing videos, but from above, potential buyers will be able to see the entire property. That can be great—or terrible, if the property isn’t ready to be seen. “There are many situations where a seller thinks they can hide things in that rarely used side yard or behind the shed, but the drone will catch that,” says Drew Coleman, CRS, of The Drew Coleman Team at Hasson Company, Realtors in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Coleman suggests storing unused equipment and old furniture in the garage—along with your trash cans and cars, with the garage door closed. Adding mulch to your gardens or shrubbery will add color to the landscaping, and a well-watered, recently mowed lawn will look fresh and welcoming.
And don’t let the basics go by the wayside: “Sweep your decks, rake the leaves, coil up the hose and clean out the gutters,” he says.
3. Know when to drone
Not all properties are the same, so not all listings will benefit from drone footage or photos. “With homes in town, it sometimes looks from above like a house jammed into a neighborhood—it doesn’t seem to work,” Erickson says. “And with pieces of land, if it’s heavily forested, I don’t know that drone video will help.”
A great use of drone technology? Empty lots. Erickson said he found it much easier to sell pieces of land in his beautiful area of the country—especially those on the waterfront—once he was able to incorporate images from high above.
The technology also is useful in higher-density areas with high-rise condo developments, like those sold by Susan Polakof, CRS, associate broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Phoenix. “The sale of high-rise condos benefits greatly from elevated photos and views of rooftop pools and vast views taken from high elevations,” Polakof says.
4. Highlight the area, not just the listing
Drones provide an advantage to market a listing highlighting that property’s unique features. Consider going above and beyond by flying over anything in close proximity to the property being marketed.
“Aerials are the only shots that can give the buyer a sense of how close they are to beaches, shopping, schools, access to major highways, sidewalks where kids can walk, etc.,” says Lucia Fernandez, CRS candidate and REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty in the Jacksonville, Florida area. “Drones can help orient out-of-town buyer prospects who are not familiar with an area to get a better sense of the community.” 
Avoid Common Mistakes
Drones aren’t right for every situation.
Don’t pay so much for your drone work that it has to be used as the primary marketing tool. Instead, work with someone to take just enough footage that your drone visuals will be a nice addition to your videos, rather than the main focus, suggests Dan Erickson, CRS, president and managing broker of Town & Country Real Estate in Sequim, Washington. Try to limit drone footage to about 10–15 percent of a listing video.
Pay attention to time of day. Sunrise and sunset aren’t the ideal times for aerial footage because they cause shadowing and shading, says Susan Fanning, CRS, of Alsted Real Estate in Moses Lake, Washington. To help determine the best time of day and amount of light to capture the listing, consider using an app like Golden Hour.
This is not a roof inspection. Drones take footage from above, which means people are bound to see the roof of the home being listed. Don’t let your footage focus on the roof, Erickson suggests, since that’s boring and not the visual people want when they’re thinking of buying a house.
