January 15, 2018 www.lvb.

com

Drone videos taking flight in

home-marketing strategy
By BRENDA LANGE
Special for Lehigh Valley Business

When marketing homes and

properties, it’s true, pictures are
worth thousands of words.
Virtually no one would buy
a home sight-unseen. Print ads
routinely include photos. Real
estate websites generally include
a video tour of the home and,
in the last few years, that video
increasingly includes images
taken by a drone, or unmanned
aircraft system.
The growth of online video
has opened a new door for pho-
tographers and videographers,
such as Tim Croy, founder of CS
Film Productions in Allentown.
In business for five years, Croy
has focused mostly on wedding
videography and began using his
DJI Phantom 3 Advanced drone
to showcase wedding venues,
golf courses, farms and barns,
resorts and other commercial
properties.
He recently brought the com-
pany into the world of real estate
and plans to increase his use of
this technology to market homes
and properties in 2018.
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
“Drone video creates a visual Tim Croy of CS Film Productions maneuvers his DJI Phantom 3 drone over a property in Emmaus.
story showing off scenery that
and can help show details and
hasn’t been possible before,”
the property as a whole.”
Croy said. It captures a unique
She stressed that drone oper-
perspective of the property itself
ators and agents have to be
and surrounding area and tells
respectful of privacy issues and
the viewer, ‘This is where you
must adhere to local and federal
want to be.’ ”
regulations. The Federal Aviation
Croy said studies show four
Administration regulates the
times as many consumers prefer
use of drones for recreational
to watch a video about a prod-
and commercial uses, requiring
uct than to read about it and, by
operators to register their drone,
2019, videos should represent 80
be certified and follow its regu-
percent of all online content.
lations.
“For the right home and prop-
FOLLOWING THE RULES
erty, drone video can add signif-
icant value to an agent’s market- Members of the Reading-
ing efforts,” said Croy, who melds Berks Association of Realtors
hand-held and drone video to are referred to the website of the
tell a more complete story for his National Association of Realtors,
where they can find the latest CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
clients. “The facts are that use of
rules and government regula- Tim Croy demonstrates his DJI Phantom 3 Advanced drone, which can fly up to three miles and 3,000 feet vertically
drone video in real estate pays (capped at 400 feet because of regulations). The drone is fitted with a camera that can record 2.7k or 4k
back quickly. It’s a good return tions about the use of drones, resolution video and features a variety of flight modes, including live streaming.
on their investment.” according to Kathy Stoica, direc-
tor of communications for the not lend themselves well to tra- emerging technologies,” Stoica or vast acreage, have historically
TELLING A STORY
local organization. ditional photography.” added. been harder to capture.”
“The marketing of homes
That website encourages NAR It also noted that other appli- MEETING BUYERS’ NEEDS Croy said video delivers a
and properties is really all about
telling their story,” said Paula members to explore the options cations of unmanned aircraft A 2017 report by Fox News stronger, more emotional con-
Meilinger, a Realtor with BHHS presented by drone video use, systems in real estate include reiterated the importance of nection to potential buyers.
Fox and Roach Realtors in saying: “Technological advances insurance inspections, apprais- video to marketing real estate “Consumers are demanding
Macungie. have made it efficient and cost als, building management and properties. a more fluid interaction when
“When it makes sense because effective to take pictures and vid- heat-loss imaging.” “Today’s savvy buyers do their making purchasing decisions,”
of the landscape or unique fea- eos from drones. … Real estate “Our association offers our research online before they even said Croy, who was FAA certi-
tures of the property, a drone may professionals working with res- members a host of educational pick up the phone to call an fied last year. “And drones have
be the perfect tool to help con- idential, commercial and land classes, a newsletter and social agent,” the report stated. “The a unique way of capturing the
vey that story,” she said. “Drone parcels can all benefit from the media, including topics on how interiors may have looked beau- moment and allowing you to see
images provide aerial shots and images. Many commercial prop- to better market a property, to tiful, but other selling points, like the surroundings in ways you
enhance additional acreage … erties or large parcels of land do help them stay up-to-date on landscaping, outdoor features couldn’t before.”

Reprinted with permission from Lehigh Valley Business. Copyright © 2018. All rights reserved.