Use drone photography to get head and shoulders above the rest
The world of property marketing is changing fast, with the majority of all searches now starting with a scroll through the online portals. Agents are under increasing pressure to produce eye-catching images as part of their marketing package.
Drone photography has exploded over recent years, so agents that can offer aerial images alongside the standard fare will stand a better chance of winning more instructions.
Why use drone photography?
Once upon a time, you could only capture a birds-eye view by hiring a helicopter, but since the advent of drone technology, you can get the same result without breaking the bank.
- Drone photography can look quite dramatic on the property portals. It can really give the ‘wow’ factor to your listing when you have just seconds to grab the attention of someone scrolling through hundreds of images.
- Rural properties or estates with a substantial amount of land look spectacular when viewed from above and you can capture the full extent of the grounds in a single image. Beautiful locations can be showcased, be they remote countryside, pretty villages or coastal areas. Our drone services are in big demand from agents selling coastal properties who want to show off a property’s proximity to popular beaches. View our recent Cornwall video
- Aerial views are also of great benefit to house builders wanting to highlight the location, boundaries and plot sizes of a new development. Incorporating drone shots into promotional videos is now a really popular a way of giving a quick overview of an estate.
- And despite being a bit trickier to get permission to fly in city locations, it’s certainly not impossible. Where city centre locations can look uninspiring from ground level, an aerial view can give a totally different perspective. A unique architectural feature can be better appreciated when viewed from above. Check out our recent London water tower video for some inspiration.
- Building the on the old adage that ‘a picture paints a thousand words’, drone video can take things to the next level. Recent research by Forbes finds that video gets 1200 more shares than text and images combined.
What about the changes in regulations?
Drones sometimes get a bad rap, as when used without the required permissions or over congested skies, they can cause chaos. We’re all aware of the recent occasions when Gatwick Airport has ground to a halt thanks to irresponsible drone operators.
Following these incidents, there is a new requirement (since November 2019) for everyone handling a drone to be registered by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). This applies to personal users, one-man bands as well commercial operations. As well as registering with the CAA, all operators now have to pass an online training course.
At NicheCom, we welcome the tightening of regulations as all our drone pilots are already CAA approved. For more information about flying drones, visit the CAA website.
Why use NicheCom for drone photography?
- As we have alluded to all our drone pilots are experienced, qualified and carry the required level of insurance.
- Unlike with other drone companies, all our pilots are trained property photographers first and foremost, and members of the Royal Photographic Society. Combined with our local knowledge, this means we are best placed to capture those winning shots of a property that should appeal to a prospective buyer. We always strive to go the extra mile while keeping within safe limits!
- Our drone pilots, being highly experienced property photographers are also familiar with dealing with vendors and understanding what makes them tick. More and more vendors are appreciating that using high quality images of both the interior and exterior as well as aerial photography is the ideal way to promote certain types of residence.
- We use class-leading DJI Mavic Pro 2 quadcopters to fly up to 120 metres altitude with Hasselblad cameras that photograph in high resolution RAW and can video in 4K.
- We perform a full pre-flight survey, including planning aeronautical, O/S and flight restriction maps, liaising with local authorities, air traffic control, military establishments and check that we are operating safely and within the law before we even turn up.
- If we are already visiting a property to do the photography, floorplans and EPC, you can request some additional drone photography visit for a minimal extra charge. You might be pleasantly surprised to find out how reasonable it can be.
Elevated photography
If you don’t feel a property merits the investment in drone photography, then a very cost-effective way to get a more interesting external image is add an elevated shot to your package. In London, where producing a pole for an elevated photograph sometimes arouses suspicion, we use the slightly smaller monopod (as standard) which lifts the focus of the image from the ground level.
Read more about elevated photography in our recent blog.
Find out more about our drone photography services or view our gallery of images. Contact us for a free quote.