How To Get Better Drone Photos And Video
A drone photo or video work can work really well in a real estate campaign for the right property here in West Michigan. There are many times when only the aerial view of a home or the property location can show potential buyers the lifestyle, features, and convenience of a particular listing.
However, as mentioned previously in “The Importance Of Using A Certified Drone Pilot“, you want to be sure the drone pilot you hire is professional operator who is fully licensed and has adequate insurance for any third-party damage they might cause.
Once that step is done, the next thing to do is properly prepare the home for a drone photo or video. What that entails is not always obvious because the view a drone captures is going to be significantly different to the one we see at ground level.
So what do you need to do?
Five Things You Should Do To Get More Out Of Your Real Estate Drone Photos:
1. Clear the yard of all clutter, such as toys, hoses through the garden, bikes and trash bins. You will want the yard looking immaculate for the photos. Removing all of that excess allows you show more garden, more of the lawn, and the entirety of the porch or deck. This all translates into the perception that the property is more spacious overall.
2. Clean the pool, paving, or decking a day or two before the drone shots. This will ensure that everything has time to dry (assuming water is used to clean all of the surfaces around the home). This gives the homeowners ample time to complete all the clean up and account for any mishaps. As a photographer, I have arrived at many homes at the scheduled time only to find the owners or agent still cleaning the yard because things didn’t quite go to plan. This makes things difficult for everyone, since there is limited time for a photo session. Avoid those issues, and get things done early so that the day of the shoot runs perfectly.
3. The roof will be clearly visible in most drone shots, so have the roof and gutters cleaned out. You want buyers to see that the home is well maintained. A damaged, dirty, or leaf-covered roof and guttering is not the message you want to be sharing with potenital buyers. Arrange to have everything professionally cleaned and you will have buyers that are even more interested in the house, not buyers running away.
4. Inform your neighbors that you will be having a drone photo shoot or video. Give them details about the day and time of the photo session so that they know what’s going on. We don’t want a situation like this one where the neighbor was enjoying a topless sunbathing session, or where the kids are out playing in the yard next door, clearly visible in the video. Keep everyone clearly informed on what is happening and when. This all translates to a much better video or image collection and happier neighbors.
5. Make sure the weather is ideal on the day of the shoot. An overcast day isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and can actually help with some properties (as the difference between the bright areas outside and the darker areas under a porch will be lessened on a cloudy day), but if it’s raining then the drone won’t be able to fly. Be sure to peak to the photographer if you have any questions about when they are able to fly.
Conclusion:
Having a great drone photo shoot or video is a great way to promote some properties, so be sure to make the most of your photo session by doing the right things before the day of the shoot.