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Whether you’re marketing a home, a block of land or rural acreage, a development site, a commercial property or an off-the-plan development, an aerial photo or video is always a useful perspective for buyers and renters. Indeed, sometimes it’s the clincher.

By capturing your listing from 15 to 200 feet above ground, it’s possible to clearly show its proximity to important landmarks and destinations. Schools, bus stops, train stations, shopping centres, cafe strips, beaches, parks, hospitals, key commuter motorways can all be captured. Don’t just tell them it’s close, show them.

Aerial photography can also show the relative size of the listing compared to neighboring properties and structures. Plus you can clearly convey its layout – the distance from neighboring properties, for instance, or the position of a house on its block, the position of dams on an acreage, the hardstand on an industrial listing, or the parking lot on a commercial property. You can even illustrate possible views from an office or apartment window in a yet-to-be-constructed high-rise building by having us shoot from a specific height (e.g. 100 ft to simulate views from a 10th floor apartment window).

While the debate rages on regarding the use of drones — also known as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or unmanned aircraft vehicle (UAV) — for military and intelligence purposes, some far less controversial uses have emerged in the real estate industry. With the new regulations implemented August 29, 2016, it is easier than ever to use a drone to video-record or photograph your listings. The NAR even participated in the writing of the new rules in anticipation of the opportunities this presents in real estate marketing.

According to the NAR’s recent member survey, nearly 20 percent of realtors not already using drones say that they plan to in the future. One likely influence in this development is the fact that the profile of today’s realtor is trending younger, bringing more tech-savvy members to the industry.

 While more than half of realtors (56%) say that they are not using drones currently, 18% say they plan to use them soon, which will swing the balance to put those using drones for photographing their listings into the new majority.