Trivia Question: When and where was the first real estate advertisement published? We'll give you some time to think about that. Here's a hint: It couldn't have included a photo of the property.
Do you remember the good old days when a newspaper ad brought out 30,000 prospective buyers on an opening weekend? Of course, you don't. That was in 1951 when the revolutionary Levittown opened up a completely new concept in housing. Would the ad campaign have been as successful without pictures of the three model houses? No. Even though the pictures were drawings, people needed to see just what Levittown was all about.
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pective buyers still need to see what a real estate listing is all about. Of course, now real estate marketing is about photographs. Newspapers, brochures, newsletters, flyers, door hangers—can you even imagine getting responses if there weren't photographs? When the Internet entered the fray, it was a huge game-changer in real estate marketing and in real estate photography. The new game-changer on the block is photography by drones. Or for the purists out there, photography by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.
Ninety percent of prospective home buyers go to the Internet at some point during their search. About half of them begin their search there. The others begin by contacting a real estate agent. Either way, there are a whole lot of people online clicking through a whole lot of ads. And you want them to stop on your ad and stay for a while.
You need to grab the attention of the real estate “surfer.” To do that, you need to make more than a good first impression; you need to make an unforgettable impression.
Whether you're an agent or a broker or a private property owner, a professional photographer—one who specializes in real estate photography—will give you that unforgettable impression. We at BrightSpace Media LLC are experts, now offering drone photography and videos in the Jacksonville area including Duval, Clay, Nassau, and St. Johns counties.
There is nothing quite like a soaring aerial view of a property to stop a mouse pointer in its tracks. The home, landscape, hardscape, perhaps nearby water or an immaculately kept neighborhood—all in one dramatic, compelling photograph. That's a memorable first impression! You have the surfer's attention. A video will take him along for the flight around the property, circling the home, skimming through the trees, dipping low to see details. A virtual tour allows her to experience every room in the home. And that trip around the property and home takes only a small fraction of the time as an actual visit.
We live in a busy world. It seems as though everyone is multitasking. Your clients likely have many claims on their time. They'll appreciate being able to shop without increasing that time-crunch. Plus, it saves you time. After having in-depth views of properties, prospective buyers are able to select only those that seriously interest them to see in person. Agents will have fewer days schlepping fruitlessly from property to property. Those selling their own homes will have fewer unproductive and tiring visits.
Are you scoffing and thinking that aerial real estate photography is nothing new, that photographers have been using helicopters for years? They can't get the shots a drone can. Helicopters can't go where drones can. They can't get low enough for those detail shots. They can't do a smooth 360 degrees around a home. Perhaps the most important difference is that drone photography is much more cost-effective and efficient.
Consumers today are technology-savvy, and they want to deal with professionals who are also. Using drone photos and videos to market your listings shows prospective buyers and sellers that you are going to take advantage of every opportunity to put their property in the spotlight. If you aren't embracing this emerging technology and valuable marketing tool, they will find an agent who is.
Answer: The first real estate ad appeared in the Boston News-Letter in 1704 for a Long Island, NY, estate.