Drones are getting more and more attention, but most people still aren’t familiar with all the possibilities that come with that piece of technology.
For average people it’s nothing more than a remotely piloted aerial system, that’s used to do something which is otherwise difficult or risky.
But what the world is doing with drones can’t remain in the background.
Companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Walmart, NASA, BBC and Easyjet are making use of drones in more ways than we thought were possible.
The US Military and UK government are implementing drones in their strategies, be it to target suspected militants in Pakistan or surveillance.
Drones have become a great addition to daily life now, assisting with farming, shopping delivery, safety inspections, study purposes (to observe wild animals in their natural habitat, for instance, without disturbing them or breaking any laws), finding missing people (a drone would do the job faster than local policemen in most cases), filming events, or even finishing buildings (as is the case with the famous Sagrada Familia by Gaudi).
Whenever a new piece of technology shows up, especially a smart one like that, there’s another group of people whose creative juices get flowing – the entrepreneurs.
Luckily, drones have never been more accessible – both affordable and easy to get and use – to anyone who’s got an idea of how to benefit from them.
Because new ways to build and market products, reach people, and – basically – make money, are found at any moment of the day, it was just a matter of time for drones to be used to improve businesses.
One particular field that has even more advantages when drones are used is real estate.
If you want to take your career to the next level or are just starting out as a real estate agent and want to build a name for yourself soon, here are some ways to do that:
1. Let your clients experience the property.
The integration of drones in the real estate market is not to be underestimated.
Imagine what difference it makes to let your potential customers check out what could turn into their future home, but from a much better perspective. That is, from above, together with the whole area or neighborhood.
Actually, real estate photography is a whole field now. Everyone knows that better pictures, accompanied by video, would affect people much more than simply telling them facts and numbers.
The second huge advantage of this marketing strategy for real estate agents is the convenience it offers.
If it’s wealthy people who live far away, maybe you can even make a sale without ever meeting them.
For locals, it can save you unnecessary meetings, as one would do assuming you’ll present them the property online too and let them get a feeling of anything that’s surrounding it.
To take things further, and use basic psychology such as evoking emotions in the potential buyer and letting him imagine what it would be to own the place and be living there, you can imitate their daily life once moved in.
That can mean filming what jogging on the streets around the house would feel like, or getting to the center, going to the nearest bus stop, driving around, or walking your dog.
In addition, with a drone you can highlight way more features of the place, create virtual tours and thus grab attention and engage the viewer instead of just talking and letting them get distracted.
2. Become popular on YouTube.
Let’s face it, video content is the best way for people to learn things, even when making buying decisions. And the best platform for that is YouTube.
While you might be staying away from it because video is just not your thing, or you thought it wasn’t necessary to include that to your marketing efforts, you’re missing out on a lot. After all, it’s where content marketing is, and it will only grow from here on.
Every single industry can benefit from quality videos, shared in the right place. Together with that, you’ll be much more recognized if you appear where potential buyers are. And be sure that they’ll be visiting Youtube often, and will enjoy finding you out there.
That becomes part of your personal brand. Just like you’ll have your own real estate website and will be present on all important social media channels sharing content and engaging with followers, you also need to be making video, and to invest enough time in it.
That’s when drones come in handy.
Because there’s a lot of competition on YouTube, one thing that will help you stand out (other than your personality and the way you talk) will be the quality of your videos. And what better way to capture yourself talking and showing places (and satisfied customers) and whole areas other than with a camera drone.
3. Study the competition.
As it is in any other market, in real estate you’ll have to be aware of what the competition is doing too. Most importantly, in order not to be left behind.
We aren’t talking about stealing their clients or properties, or imitating their marketing strategy in some way. It’s all about information. Then, you can sit down to brainstorm ideas on what to do to be a better real estate agent, think of new, creative ways to show homes and persuade clients, and test strategies or new digital platforms that you haven’t thought of.
What you can specifically use drones here for, is knowing if a competitor is expanding, seeing their number of employees, what new areas they are getting, how often they have viewings, any special events they are hosting, etc.
Now that you know why using video in real estate marketing is a lucrative opportunity, you should start checking out the models out there and get your hands on one as quickly as possible so you can start benefiting from it soon.
They can raise your agent’s profile, bring you new clients, help you build a reputation online, create buzz for new listings, and – ultimately – sell more properties.
