Some Great Hacks That Will Help Realtors Get Interested in Your Drone Services
Are you a novice UAV pilot who is yet to figure out the ins and outs of the drone business? Chances are that you will start off with shooting real estate. Shooting real estate is easier because of its static nature. Moreover, shooting real estate does not require a huge upfront investment. But because the entry barrier is low, competition is intense.
In this blog post, we present some Tips and Tricks which will help you carve out your own niche in this competitive space.
Want to stay ahead of the competition? Then purchase the right equipment…..
Once you have cleared your Part 107, it is time to purchase your equipment — namely the drone, drone camera and accessories. Many folks start off with an entry level drone like the DJI Mavic. However, if you can afford to invest a greater amount into your drone business, we recommend starting off with higher end equipment. The DJI Inspire 2 is a good alternative. For starters, opting for a higher-end larger drone will give you more flying days in a year.
Moreover, real estate can be viewed as the stepping stone to more lucrative projects. If you possess an Inspire 2 and a high end drone camera, you can very well take up UAV mapping jobs or power-line inspection jobs when you have mastered your craft.
For shooting real estate interiors, we recommend the DJI Osmo. The Osmo is a handheld 4k camera on a stick. When you use the Osmo, you can eliminate blur from your images. The Osmo comes in 5 variants, and we suggest you go for the Osmo Pro. Investing in Osmo accessories such as a suction cup and a dolly will also serve you well.
Remember — While your equipment is important, your craft and skills are far more important.
Pro Tip — Some of the high end drone cameras come with AEB or Auto Exposure bracketing. Using AEB, you can stitch multiple photos together. This will make the image colors really POP out — and hence, your images really STAND out.
How to market your drone business to attain visibility and generate leads
Using a mix of the traditional and the latest networking strategies is your best bet for attaining maximum visibility — and reaching out to prospects.
Commence your marketing efforts by first building a website. A basic website will do. You can build a neat website using Squarespace or Wix in a couple of hours. Highlight the various services that you are offering. Uploading a well cut demo reel to your site will give realtors a good idea of what to expect once they hire you. Print out some well-designed business cards. And highlight the fact that you are Part 107 certified on your website as well as on your business cards. Click here to learn more about using SEO, social media and email marketing to maximize your marketing efforts.
Once this is out of the way, you can start getting in touch with prospects. Traditional networking strategies include cold calling realtors or getting in touch with them through a common acquaintance. You can also consider joining a networking organization to connect with realtors.
Remember — Realtors still prefer a personalized approach. Many organizations have attempted to commoditize drone services wherein realtors can hire UAV pilots for as low as $150 through websites. However, this impersonal approach has backfired miserably.
The 5 Best Places Within a House to shoot your Drone Footage
A basic understanding of the real estate market and the buyer’s psyche is essential. Which areas of the house hold maximum appeal to a home buyer? What are some unique features of the house that you are trying to sell? Talk to the real estate agent and the home owner to gain intimate knowledge about the house you are trying to sell.
The kitchen is the first place that you should highlight. If the seller went for a recent kitchen remodel, this shall definitely help you sell the house faster. According to Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA), you have a good chance of recovering about 80% of the cost of your kitchen remodel at the time of sale.
The Master Bedroom is another area that is of great interest to the home buyer. If the bedroom offers a good view, make sure you showcase this in your drone footage. So, for instance, if you can view the mountains from the master bedroom, flying your drone through the bedroom balcony– to capture the mountains in all their magnificence will help you enhance the appeal of your drone footage.
A comfortable living area where the entire family can unwind or socialize is another huge selling point. If the living area has a fireplace, make sure you have a fire going while you are shooting your video. Turning on the lights and fans will also help grab and sustain viewer attention.
A nicely landscaped and cozy backyard with a patio and/or grill is a huge plus too. If the seller has diligently cared for his backyard, do showcase their efforts through your drone footage
Lastly, a well done and well laid out children’s bedroom is a distinct advantage. If the master bedroom and the children’s bedroom are on the same floor, this is a sure selling factor for couples with young kids.
Creating a 3D Virtual Tour will help you SELL a house faster
A 3D virtual tour is a great way of pushing a client down the sales funnel. Especially, in the final stages of decision making, a 360 degree virtual tour of the house can mean the difference between a deal and a no deal. Drone U recommended tool for generating real estate virtual tours is Matterport. Just like DJI is dominating the drone business, Matterport is the go to solution for creating a 3D virtual tour.
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