• Real Estate Drone Photography – An Overview
• Is Drone Photography Effective for Sales?
• How to Get Started With Real Estate Drone Photography
• The 9 Best Drones for Real Estate Photography
• 6 Tips for Excellent Real Estate Drone Photography
• How Much to Charge for Real Estate Drone Photography
• FAQ – Summary
• Take Your Drone Photography to the Next Level With PhotoUp

Drone photography has become a mainstay in real estate sales and marketing.

Compelling, even breathtaking, online photography is vital in today’s real estate sales market — and drones can help you get the dramatic images you need.

Real estate drone photography captures fantastic aerial views and perspectives of properties and their surrounding landscape. 

These images and videos can be used to create virtual tours, promotional materials, and eye-catching listing photos. 

So, in this post, we’ll provide you with the ultimate guide to real estate drone photography. Let’s start by examining what precisely real estate drone photography is.

Real Estate Drone Photography – An Overview

Real estate drone photography uses flying drones to capture photos of properties from an aerial view. 

Viewing properties from above adds an entirely new perspective to the listing, allowing the buyer to see the following:

• The footprint of the property, getting a fuller sense of the boundaries and perimeter
• Nearby natural areas such as woods, lakes, parks, and open fields
• A complete understanding of the neighborhood and its amenities
• The house in relation to the homes and structures around it

Aerial drone images effortlessly give the buyer a better feel for the lay of the land and provide a 360-degree view of the property.

Another significant benefit of aerial photography is that it boosts your listing appeal by featuring dramatic, alluring images that make buyers take notice and want to know more. 

For these and many other reasons, drone photography has become one of the most valuable real estate sales marketing tools.

Is Drone Photography Effective for Sales?

Now, some real estate sales professionals don’t think drone photography is necessary or worth the extra effort. 

However, surveys and statistics show they’re wrong – real estate drone photography is highly effective in sales. For example, consider just these two facts:

• According to a National Association of Realtors study, 57% of buyers expect to see at least 8 to 10 aerial shots of most residential properties
• Buyers are 65% more likely to schedule an in-person showing for listings featuring drone aerial photography

Do you want to be one of the real estate sales professionals who disappoint buyers?

Additionally, a drone can be instrumental in marketing and selling real estate for several other reasons, including the following:

• 7 in 10 agents report that videos, virtual staging, and drone photography are more important since the COVID-19 pandemic
• 83% of home sellers prefer to work with a real estate agent who uses drone photography
• 97% of home buyers use the internet to search for homes and expect to see quality photos – and drone photography captures stunning images

Here are some other powerful real estate statistics to consider:

The numbers clearly show that drone photography can provide a unique perspective on a property and its surrounding area that isn’t possible with ground-based photography. 

This is a considerable advantage when trying to showcase the property and its location in a more captivating and attractive way.

How to Get Started With Real Estate Drone Photography

Okay, now that you understand the power and benefits of real estate drone photography, you’re probably wondering how to get started using it. We’re glad you asked!

We suggest you follow these three steps to get started:

Step 1: Learn Your Local Laws

Becoming familiar with the local law is advisable before you start employing drone photography in your practice. For example, here are a few common laws to keep in mind:

• You cannot operate drones near airfields, airports, and aircraft
• Your drone should be 150 ft away from any property and people
• Drones should be flown below 400 feet

Apart from these, other laws will vary from state to state. Remember to follow these laws to avoid getting into legal trouble.

Step 2: Obtain a License

Do your research on operating a drone properly and legally.

In every state, flying a drone requires a license. You must pass the Part 107 pilot’s test and get FAA-certified.

And simply getting the license is not enough, as the following shows:

• The license must be renewed every 36 months
• Every 24 months, you must pass the recurrent aeronautical knowledge test

We recommend contacting local authorities to learn your area’s rules and laws for real estate aerial photography.

Step 3: Purchase the Right Drone for You

Once licensed to fly a real estate photography drone, the next logical step is to find a suitable drone for you.  When looking for the right drone, you’ll want to think about the following:

• Not all drones are the same – they vary in terms of capabilities, ease of use, and price
• You’d be wise to talk with local real estate photographers to see what drones they recommend
• And you’re going to want to give yourself plenty of time to practice flying your drone before you attempt to use it to take aerial photos

With that said, here are our picks for the 9 best drones for real estate photography. 

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The 9 Best Drones for Real Estate Photography

The following 9 drones are among the best available for real estate photography. 

1. DJI Mini 2 Fly More – Ultralight Foldable Drone

This model is DJI’s smallest drone yet. Perfect for beginners, it’s pretty easy to use. Here are some of its features:

• 12 MP Camera with Dolly Zoom
• Can fly up to 24 mph (38 kph) with ActiveTrack, TapFly, and other intelligent features that make your photography and video easier
• An average of 27 Minutes of Flight Time per charge

Some other features of this drone include:

• This small drone is affordable and shoots 4K video
• However, it doesn’t come with obstacle avoidance or HDR
• An excellent choice for those who want a capable, entry-level drone

The DJI Mini 2 is ideal for most real estate photography. Also, it can handle up to Level 5 Wind Resistance, providing stable video.

2. Hubsan Zino Pro 4K

A popular choice, the Hubsan Zino Pro offers a 4K camera on a 3-axis stabilized, rotating gimbal. This attractive drone features the following:

• GPS-Based Navigation System
• Up to 23 Minutes of Flight Time
• Max Control Distance 4KM
• Automatic Return Home Failsafe
• Top Speed of 22 mph

Do note that one of this drone’s more admirable features is the ability to remove the camera lens and install new lenses with built-in filters.

3. Ruko F11 Pro Drones With 4K UHD Camera

The Ruko F11 Pro offers several exciting features, such as 5GHz Wi-Fi FPV that powers real-time data transmission, an aluminum alloy motor, and an 11.1v battery for a more stable flight. 

This drone offers other advantages as well, including:

• Robust GPS positioning and air pressure help the drone hover while avoiding distortion due to camera vibration
• A solid 36-minute flight time, a 4K camera, and multiple flight modes
• A great choice for those looking for a collapsible, lightweight drone that transports easily

Do note; this drone does have two limitations. First, the battery needs to be changed every 30 minutes. Second, it doesn’t feature obstacle avoidance, so you must be extra careful when flying.

Still, this drone is more than sufficient for real estate professionals – it’s worth looking into.

4. Parrot Anafi

The Parrot Anafi is an affordable, high-quality, petite, and lightweight drone. Featuring a flight time of around 25 minutes, this drone is similar in speed and agility to the Mavic 2.

Some of this model’s features include:

• It can capture 4K video and 21MP HDR photos
• 3-axis sensor-driven image stabilization
• Dual-band Wi-Fi antennas in each leg
• 180° tilt camera Gimbal

Overall, this is a fine drone for real estate photography. 

5.  DJI Mavic Air 2 – Drone Quadcopter UAV With 48MP Camera and 4K Video

DJI Mavic Air 2 offers precise shooting functions and superb image quality, plus its safer flight features enable you to focus on your photography and not the flying. 

Here are some of this capable drone’s features:

• 48 MP photography, HDR, and 4K video capabilities
• A 1/2 inch image sensor along with 8K hyper-lapse
• 34 minutes of flight time
• It also has automatic obstacle avoidance

This model also features built-in stabilizers and a gimbal to improve performance, making it an ideal model for a newbie or the seasoned drone pilot.

6. DJI Mavic 2 Pro

The DJI Mavic 2 Pro is among the most popular drone models. Its compact size and variety of features are its highest selling points. 

The professional-grade camera, along with the drone, is from a Swedish camera manufacturer Hasselblad.

Among this drone’s key features are the following:

• Maximum flight time of 31 minutes
• A top speed of 45 mph (in sport mode)
• Video resolution of 4K 10-bit HDR Video
• Foldable/portable for compact travel
• Intelligent flight modes
• Obstacle sensing

Additionally, this model has a 1-inch CMOS sensor that provides 20-megapixel photography with enhanced HDR and color sensitivity.

7. DJI Mavic Pro Bundle

The Mavic Pro is an agile, high-speed flyer that captures high-res images and video, making this one of the better models for real estate photography. 

The following are some of this drone’s appealing and valuable features:

• Drone, Bag, Propellers & 64GB SD Card
• Gimbal-Stabilized 12MP/4K Camera
• Up to 4.3 Mile Control Range
• Up to 27 Minutes of Flight Time
• GPS- & Vision Position-Based Navigation
• Flight Autonomy with Obstacle Detection
• Top Speed of 40 mph in Sport Mode

The speed of this drone makes it useful for multiple applications, including aerial photography, and a fun option for those who fly drones as a hobby.

8. Phantom 4 ProV2.0

The Phantom 4 Pro V 2.0 is one of the most sought-after real estate aerial photography options. 

It provides professional aerial shooting and comes with the same body as the Phantom 4 but offers significant improvements. Its features include:

• 4K/60fps video
• Long transmission range with HD live view
• Adjustable aperture
• Automated modes for cinematic shots
• Multi-directional obstacle sensing and avoidance
• Mechanical shutter for high-speed shots

The Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 has multiple automated flight and camera modes, making this an attractive option for many real estate photographers. 

9. Flightelf Professional Sony Camera Drone

Sony’s Flightelf Professional offers both intelligent shooting modes and a decent-quality camera. It’s an excellent option for real estate agents and photographers who want to improve their aerial photography.

This drone’s features include the following:

• Obstacle avoidance technology and a 3-axis gimbal
• Up to 90 minutes of flight time
• 4K at 25 FPS with a digital zoom rather than mechanical
• 50x zoom
• Automatic GPS return to home

An affordable option, it’s worth considering if you’re looking to purchase a drone to expand your business offerings. 

Want to know even more about suitable drones for real estate photography? Check out this article on the best drones for real estate photography in 2023.

6 Tips for Excellent Real Estate Drone Photography

There are a few simple steps to ensure that you’re getting the best possible results when taking drone photography:

1) Safety first –  safety should be your top priority for your sake and the people around the shoot. 

First, ensure the drone is in good working condition, and check for any problems before taking off. 

Second, always abide by the regulations for flying drones, as per the FAA regulations. Make sure to be aware of the airspace restrictions, and always keep the drone in your line of sight. 

2) Plan your shoot – before taking off, plan the flight path and angles of the drone, and check ahead for the best time of day to shoot the property.

Landscaping, pools, walking paths, and backyards are essential to many buyers. Aerial photos & video allow you to highlight these advantages. 

Create your shot list focusing on the strengths of the property and the neighboring areas.

3) Check the weather – be aware of the weather conditions and always watch the sky, especially if conditions seem to be changing quickly. 

The weather and lighting go hand in hand and can make a big difference in the outcome of your photos. Typically, the best lighting conditions are early morning or late afternoon.

4) Prepare the landscape – walk the property before the shoot looking for any problems ahead of time. 

You’ll want to look for any distractions, such as trash, debris, or items out of place. Also, notice any potential hazards or obstacles before putting the drone in the air. 

5) Remember basic photography rules – even though it’s drone photography, you still need to pay attention to the basic principles such as the rule of thirds, contrast, lighting, and more.

6) Edit your drone real estate photos – as any professional photographer knows, photo editing is necessary to get crisp, clear, stunning images, and drone photography is no different.

Keeping these tips in mind helps ensure the best possible results when taking drone photos.

How Much to Charge for Real Estate Drone Photography

Since drone technology is relatively new, many photographers need help knowing how much to charge for this sort of photography. 

First, you’ll want to weigh certain factors, such as the property’s size and location, the shoot’s complexity, the number of needed shots, and the type of drone being used.

Most professional drone photographers charge an hourly rate for their services, ranging from $50 to $500 per hour, depending on their experience and service level.

However, some photographers charge per photo, so you might also want to consider this option. 

Yet another pricing approach is to charge according to square footage, with a photo package including exterior and interior shots.

Here’s an example of drone photography pricing per square footage:

While a lower price may seem appealing to remain competitive, it’s also essential to consider the quality of the work and the photographer’s experience. 

For even more information, read this article on drone real estate photography pricing in 2026. 

FAQ – Summary

Q. Is real estate drone photography really necessary? Won’t traditional exterior photos of the property suffice?

A. Real estate drone photography creates fantastic images and offers a fuller perspective of the property.  It’s the ideal way to capture photos of pools, large yards, and patio arrangements and convey the property’s overall size and perimeter. So, yes, we believe drone photography is well worth the effort. 

Q. When shooting real estate drone photography, how many shots do I need?

A. Well, that will depend on the property and its surroundings. A larger property with many exterior features will likely need a longer shot list. The neighborhood matters, too. Are their nearby attractions, natural amenities, or exciting scenery? Then these things should also be photographed. 

Q. How hard is it to obtain a drone pilot’s license?

A. The FAA CFR Part 107 drone pilot exam is challenging to pass. It requires the study of Rules & Regulations, Airport Operations, Weather, Airspace, Flight Operations & Sectional Charts. Fortunately, there are many great online training courses designed to study, practice, and pass the exam with success.

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If you’ve already made the extra effort using a drone for your real estate photography, why not ensure your aerial images are simply fantastic?  

PhotoUp’s editing experts can make every one of your photos (or videos) captivating and eye-catching. 

For example, our highly experienced editors help with the following issues common to drone photography:

• Correcting improper exposure levels
• Landscape enhancement, such as lawn greening and sky replacements
• Adding drama with twilight and day-to-dusk editing
• Removing unwanted objects 
• And much more!

With a fast turnaround time of 12-24 hours and affordable pricing, PhotoUp’s expert team of editors can help to supercharge your aerial photography.

Full-Service Real Estate Marketing Company

Additionally, PhotoUp is a full-service real estate marketing company offering all the tools you’ll need to sell more listings and grow your sales business. 

Their services include these popular and powerful marketing services:

• Real estate photo editing
• AI Virtual staging
• Virtual house tours
• Single property websites
• Property flyers
• And more!

So, take the next step and start using real estate drone photography to help sell your listings.

Start now! Sign up for a free PhotoUp account and explore all we have to offer for your business.

For a limited time, we even offer 5 free credits you can use on any of our services when you sign up for an account.

We hope you enjoyed this ultimate guide to real estate drone photography. If you liked this article, you might also want to check out the following related resources:

• 5 Tips to Becoming a Great Drone Photographer
• How Much to Charge for Drone Real Estate Photography in 2026
• Best Drones for Real Estate Photography in 2026
• 4 Powerful Benefits of Real Estate Drone Photography in 2026
• How to Edit Drone Photos in Lightroom (Presets)

• What Is Drone Photography?
• 4 Powerful Benefits of Real Estate Drone Photography
• Useful and Actionable Tips to Take Great Aerial Shoots
• Get Expert Drone Editing Help!

Are you considering whether you should add real estate drone photography to your product offerings in 2026?

The real estate market in 2026 is likely to slow down after properties pretty much sold themselves in the pandemic’s early phase. As a photographer, it is now more crucial than ever to be able to offer stunning real estate photography to capture the interest of potential homebuyers. 

And that’s where drone photography comes into the picture (*pun intended)!

In this post, we’ll share 4 powerful benefits of real estate drone photography. We’ll also provide some useful tips that will help you take great aerial shots.

What Is Drone Photography?

Drone photography is the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) to take photographs and videos from different angles, which is an ace up your sleeve to leverage as a real estate photographer.

Drones are equipped with onboard cameras, allowing them to capture images from high up in the sky or from far away.

They are also able to use their rotors to hover in one place, allowing them to get a better viewpoint of the subject.

Overall, aerial photography is very powerful when selling and promoting homes for sale. Consider these statistics:

4 Powerful Benefits of Real Estate Drone Photography

If you’re a real estate photographer, you know that one of the toughest things to accomplish is to capture the full extent of a property. 

Sure, you’ll have your wide-angle lens to get as much in the frame as you can manage, but sometimes it’s still not enough. And that’s where drone photography can be advantageous in several ways.

That said, here are 4 powerful benefits of real estate drone photography.

1. Provides a Birds-Eye View of the Property

By adding in the aerial perspective, you can give buyers a bird’s-eye view of the whole property and the surrounding neighborhood as well.

This provides a unique perspective of the property. Looking down from an aerial view can give potential buyers a better understanding of the size and layout of the property, as well as provide an overview of the surrounding area. 

Additionally, the above view can also provide more interesting angles and allow for a more creative presentation of the property, adding value to the listing.

2. Allows for Aerial Photos and Videos

Using a drone also allows for aerial photos and videos of the property, which gives potential buyers a better understanding of the size and layout of the property. 

For example, aerial videos can provide potential homebuyers with a unique and immersive experience.

By being able to “fly” through the property, buyers can gain a better understanding of the property and can make an informed buying decision.

3. Reduces the Need for Exterior Staging

Aerial photography can reduce the need for exterior staging and landscaping, as the photos will be taken from a higher angle and will include the surrounding area. 

Despite this, you should always consider increasing the curb appeal of your property to get people passing by on the street and potential buyers coming for a showing at the door. 

In other words, it will boost the overall value of the property and make buyers want to see more of the home. 

4. Produces Faster Results

Finally, drones can provide faster results and allow for more efficient use of time since the photographer can take multiple angles of the property in less time.

As mentioned, it allows you to take photos and videos from higher angles and in a much wider view. 

Additionally, the photographer can also quickly adjust camera settings, such as aperture and exposure, if necessary, further enhancing the speed of the shoot.

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Useful and Actionable Tips to Take Great Aerial Shoots

Now that you know the benefits of using real estate drone photography, let’s take a look at some useful tips to keep in mind when shooting aerial shots: 

Wait! There’s More…

Yes, that was many tips all at once, but we have more, so let’s break up the text a bit. With this short break, here are more tips to help you take great real estate drone photography:

Using these tips will help you shoot captivating aerial shots of properties and their surrounding areas. 

Ultimately, offering drone photography will show that you’re tech-savvy and willing to go the extra mile to create stunning images for your clients.

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Get Expert Drone Editing Help!

Even aerial shoots need to be edited to boost the overall quality and sharpness of the images. Professional drone editing can make an average aerial photo look impressive.

PhotoUp’s real estate photo editing experts can take any photo or video and make it truly stunning!

Except for drone photo editing, our team can also help with the following issues:

• HDR editing
• Improper exposure levels
• Harsh shadows, lack of light, etc. 
• Images that need cropping or other effects
• Color correction and image enhancement
• Lawn greening and sky replacements
• Noise reduction and ghosting
• Clutter and object removal
• Day-to-dusk and Twilight editing
• Line and angle corrections, etc.

But it doesn’t stop there…

Your Real Estate Marketing Partner

On top of that, PhotoUp is a one-stop shop for real estate marketing and also offers other services such as:

• AI virtual staging
• Virtual house tours
• Single property websites
• House portraits
• And more!

When signing up for a free PhotoUp account, you’ll get access to our user-friendly photo management system, so you can easily upload and receive photos.

PhotoUp Real Estate Photo Editing Uploader Demo

To see how quick and easy it is to get started with PhotoUp, check out our photo editing uploader demo:

As simple as that!

Before you go, we have another surprise for you…

…if you sign up for a PhotoUp account today, you’ll receive 5 free credits to try us out! Plus, the signup process is completely free and doesn’t require any credit card information. 

Let PhotoUp help you take your drone photography and real estate marketing to the next level.

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We hope this blog post helped you realize the benefits of real estate drone photography. If you liked this post, you may also want to check out the following resources:

• 5 Tips to Becoming a Great Drone Photographer
• How to Edit Drone Photos in Lightroom (Presets)
• Best Drones for Real Estate Photography in 2026
• Should You Use Drones in Real Estate Photography?
• Photography Basics for Real Estate Photographers

One of the toughest things to accomplish as a real estate photographer is to capture the full extent of a property. Sure, you’ll have your wide-angle lens to get as much in the frame as you can manage, but sometimes it’s still not enough. That’s where drone photography has been really valuable. By adding in the aerial perspective, you can give buyers a birds-eye view of the whole property and the surrounding neighborhood as well.

It’s another tool in your arsenal as a real estate photographer and, with a bit of practice, you should be able to deliver high-quality and engaging images that add more value to clients and more money to your pocket.

5 Tips to Becoming a Great Drone Photographer

There are a few things that you need to know and understand before you can start charging clients for your drone photography services.

Deliver Quality

It’s extremely important to deliver a high-quality product, and that means using high-quality equipment. Make sure you’re working with a high-resolution camera of at least 12MP or more. Double-check that your camera can also shoot video at minimum 30 frames per second.

When it comes to the drone itself, you need one that can manage flight times of at least twenty minutes, with a range of at least a mile and that has a built-in gimbal to provide a smooth flight and camera stability for your shots. Here are some of the top recommended drones for real estate photographers.

Know the Law

There are laws that need to be respected when it comes to flying a commercial drone around residential areas in the United States. For one thing, you are forbidden from flying near an airport or airfield or around any other aircraft. You also need to make sure that you are flying below 400ft in the air, and that you keep the drone at least 150ft away from people to protect their privacy.

Find out the latest legal requirements for flying a drone.

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Practice Flying

It’s one thing to be a good photographer. It’s quite another to be a good drone operator & photographer. Flying a drone requires practice. Lots of practice! Make sure you spend enough time honing in your flying skills; first simply just flying and then practicing taking shots as well. Get good at specific skills such as climbing, panning, approaching, pivoting, and landing before you jump right into a full-blown photoshoot. It’s fun and it’s easy to learn but you should put in the time flying a drone before you can start charging clients for your work.

Get your FAA License

You don’t need to get permission every time you fly a drone, but you do need to be licensed. Do some research around the regulations in your area for using a drone for commercial purposes. “Recreational pilots must still register their drones, fly within line of sight, avoid other aircraft at all times, and be responsible for complying with all FAA airspace prohibitions and restrictions,” according to Grupo One Air.

• FAA Drone registration
• FAA Drone License

Getting the Shot

You shouldn’t worry too much about creativity in your drone photography. That said, there are a few classic drone shots that you’ll want to get during each aerial shoot. Just focus on getting good coverage of what you’re shooting, focus on framing the different areas of the property well, and pick out a few of the best features to focus on, e.g swimming pool, the garden, garage, etc…

This is also a chance to showcase the great features of the neighborhood. For example, if there is a nice body of water nearby, or a park, school, the church then add that into your shot list. Showcasing the neighborhood from the air, using stills and video is a really valuable service that clients will certainly find value in.

Drone photography is a great addition to any real estate photographer’s portfolio and will allow you to charge a few hundred extra dollars (sometimes thousands!) on every shoot if you can provide both stills and video. It’s a lot of fun and if you stick to the basics, you’ll be shooting professional aerial photography in no time.

The business of selling a property, like so many other sectors of the economy, is facing disruption in 2020. There are so many demands on people’s time and resources that it’s all too easy to neglect the necessary tasks associated with marketing and advertising.

But that would be a mistake. In the digital economy, real estate marketing is more important now than ever before.

The key to more efficient real estate marketing is to outsource some of the key activities that can be executed quickly and easily by real estate marketing professionals, virtual assistants, or service providers. Real estate photo editing, virtual staging, floor plans and web pages are vital tools to have, but are technical, detailed tasks that take time to get just right.

Building a digital marketing campaign by yourself is hard, time-consuming and vital work. And it’s not necessarily the reason why most of us go into real estate in the first place. From updating your website, to managing your mailing list and marketing campaigns, or performing the more technical aspects of online real estate marketing such as photo editing, virtual staging designing floor plans or building single property websites, it’s no surprise that virtual assistants are becoming a more critical part of any real estate team.

In order to save time and keep your focus on gaining new clients and selling listings, consider outsourcing those kinds of tasks to real estate marketing professionals who do that work for a living. See if your real estate photographer can offer some of these services and if not, then you should consider working directly with a virtual assistant who can.

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Below is a list of the top real estate marketing tasks that you can and should consider outsourcing in 2020:

Top Real Estate Marketing Tools for Outsourcing in 2020

Real Estate Photography

It’s time to put down the iPhone and hire a professional real estate photographer. Professional photos will help any listing stand out online and is proven to increase online and in-person traffic to listings.

And professional real estate photographers typically provide much more than just taking photos of homes. The best real estate photographers will offer things like additional marketing services like real estate photo editing, video editings, virtual staging, floor plans, property websites, and flyers (just to name a few). Make sure you choose a real estate photographer that can be both a trusted photographer and a true real estate marketing professional.

Virtual Staging

Enhance any real estate photo by using beautiful digital furniture sets designed for a wide range of tastes. Let virtual staging artists take an image of an empty room and make it look like a photo right out of a Better Homes and Gardens magazine. From living and dining rooms to gym equipment, games rooms and offices – you can select the room type and style you want for your real estate marketing images and then rely on a team of experts to make it look picture perfect.

Virtual Assistants

Work with a dedicated virtual assistant who can help you manage your business while staying under budget. A virtual assistant can help with anything from scheduling meetings to answering client emails to helping coordinate your real estate transactions. Take advantage of the ability to hire another member of your team while saving time and money of having to train and onboard someone locally.

Floor Plans

Using an outline of the floor plan or even a hand drawn sketch, your online service provider can create sophisticated 2D and/or 3D floor plans for your listings. Make sure you have the ability to customize your floor plans to include your colors, logo, and text on the final product. Floor plans are another great marketing tool to help you stand out over the competition.

Drone Photography

Aerial photographs of properties have never been more popular. By working with a drone photography professional, you can get shots that show off your properties’ best features and let potential buyers see a birds-eye view of their new home. Ask your real estate photographer about their drone photography options as they’re sure to help you impress homeowners and homebuyers alike!

Single Property Websites

If you’re not already, you should consider using single property websites when marketing your listings. Single property websites help your properties stand out from other listings and bring an extra level of exclusivity and luxury to the listing. Use one of the beautiful templates offered by a website builder, upload your photos, videos, and 3D tour to create a stunning website with its own unique URL. Use the website to help tell a story of the property and showcase its best features.

Find a Partner That Works For You

All of these services are activities that eat up a realtor’s time and prevent them from doing the more people-oriented work that leads to sales. Realtors who are able to outsource these particular technical tasks and hire a virtual assistant to stay on top of their marketing workflow have a distinct advantage when it comes to real estate in the 21st century.

Create a PhotoUp account to discover the many ways that we help real estate professionals provide more products, services, and value to their clients, all under one roof.

Originally, drones were intended for surveillance purposes in the military but fairly recently and with the introduction of compact action cameras, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued licenses and permits to use drones for commercial purposes.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, professional real estate photographers are now looking at the idea of using drones to take unique photos of homes, apartments, offices, and other properties.

Why should you consider using a drone in your real estate photography business?

1. A drone provides you an encompassing overhead view of the entire property. You can have a vantage point higher than any ladder or tripod extension can provide. You will be able to move around areas that are otherwise difficult or even impossible to access.
2. You will be able to take photos at an unusual angle. That will definitely set you apart from other real estate photographers in your market.
3. In the past, photographers spent hundreds or thousands of dollars to rent helicopters or small aircraft so they could take overhead photos of real estate developments. The advent of drones made elevated photography affordable and accessible to everyone.
4. Aerial photos and videos make an impressive aerial tour that will surely delight a potential property buyer.
5. Having the ability to take aerial photos establishes your reputation as a creative, tech-driven, and innovative real estate photographer.

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These myriads of benefits should give you a good reason to buy a drone. So how do you take impressive overhead real estate photos using your brand-new photographer in the sky?

Here are some simple but practical tips:

1. Practice, practice, practice!

Flying an aircraft, even if it’s a remote control, is not like simply clicking the shutter of a digital camera. You need to master the controls, maneuver it skillfully, and ensure that you are flying the drone safely. We recommend spending a few weeks to familiarize yourself with the capabilities of your drone before you use it in your work.

2. Increase the altitude.

You might have come across real estate photography tips that recommend moving close to the property to emphasize details. While this is okay for “normal” photography, the opposite holds true for aerial photography. Shoot at a higher altitude to take stunning, encompassing overhead photos of the property.

3. Mount your camera on a gimbal.

Your drone’s camera moves a lot due to the wind, propeller vibration, and normal movement during flight. To keep it steady so it can take sharp photos, install your camera in a gimbal. A gimbal is a gravity-assisted pivoted support system that allows smooth and balanced movement cameras and lenses. In other words, a gimbal helps keep the camera steady when the drone is in action.

4. Check the weather.

This is especially important if you are flying a smaller drone. High winds and gusts can cause your drone to move a lot and be unable to hover steadily. Thus, it is best to shoot during windless days to ensure high-quality photos.

5. Make use of photo retouching software.

No matter how carefully you shoot, you can get rarely the aerial photo that you exactly want due to the drone camera’s limitations. Thus, you need to enhance the photos with PhotoShop, Enfuse, Lightroom, and other photo-editing software. Don’t feel guilty; even the best photographers use various photo-editing software to improve images.

Even if you don’t have the necessary skills to use this software, you don’t need to worry. There are photo editing experts like those at PhotoUp who can professionally touch up your photos.

With a drone, the sky’s the limit—literally—when taking photos of real estate properties. You now have a new tool in your arsenal that will identify you as a unique and creative photographer.