Looking to Sell Your Home? Check Out How Video & Drones Get it Sold!
With nearly 95 percent of prospective home buyers searching online for their dream property, online listings need to be effective to attract attention. For a listing to stand out, selling agents need to post more than a few vacant pictures and a short description of the property. The more information a buyer can gather about a property, the more likely he or she is to reach out to see the house. To get that information available, more selling agents are incorporating video footage and using drones to help draw in buyers!
Adding Videos to Your Online Listing
To help your real estate listing stand out, add a video along with still photography. Having a well-made video tells a story, which creates an immediate connection to the viewer. Add captions, include a voiceover with some history about the home, or even use a soundtrack to evoke feelings from the viewer that will build on that connection.
If you’re filming a family home, focus on aspects like fireplaces, the gathering spot like the kitchen island, warm inviting areas around the home. On the other hand, if you’re filming a modern, urban loft, focus on the details, like exposed beams, city views, and luxury finishes. Unlike pictures, you can use a video to create a sense of flow through the home, which gives buyers a better feel for the property.
Creating an Offer-Worthy Video
While we highly recommend you hire a professional to create the best quality video, if you choose not to, be sure to follow these steps:
- Start the video with a “Wow” factor. This is your chance to make a brilliant first-impression, so make the opening shot the property’s biggest selling point.
- Focus on features a buyer will love. Unless the mudroom is a showstopper, focus on the main areas, instead.
- Shoot during the brightest time of day and bring in additional lighting, making sure to film with windows behind you.
- Get in front of the camera to introduce the property, talking about what makes the home unique, establishing a connection with a potential buyer, and welcome them “in” to the home. Then move away to film or so the videographer can shoot footage.
Using Drones to Sell a Property
Unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), or drones, are rapidly gaining in popularity in real estate. After aerial photography, real estate is the most common reason for drone usage, and over 40 percent of Realtors are using drones.
Drones make it so much easier to provide comprehensive views of a property, views that just a few years ago, were impossible to share with online viewers. How can you use a drone to provide a better online listing?
- Aerial photography allows you to showcase dramatic pictures of the property, including landscaping, nearby views, and pools.
- Highlight the neighborhood and show closer proximity to nearby amenities, features, and schools.
- Use it indoors for smoother virtual tours of the property.
- Showcase the home’s condition, such as a new roof.
Rules and Etiquette of Drone Usage
While drones are truly a game changer when it comes to real estate, there are certain things you need to consider before you get started. This is not a type of tech you can dive right into. First, you have to factor in the legal side of operating a drone, including registering a drone and becoming a licensed drone operator.
There are also strict rules for drone operation. Some of these include prohibiting operation:
- At night;
- From a moving vehicle;
- Over private property;
- Near an airport;
- Inside the 15-mile radius of Washington, D.C.
In addition to that, you also want to practice good etiquette when operating a drone, especially outdoors. This includes asking neighbors’ permission when shooting aerial shots that may include their property, avoiding shooting early in the morning when the noise may be disruptive or flying near children. When you create videos or use drone footage of your property, make sure you’re showing the home to its best advantage.
