When people think about commercial real estate, they most likely think about it in terms of its monetary value. But one of the reasons why commercial real estate is so exciting and profitable is because it’s an ever-changing market. One moment, your property may be at the height of its success, and a few years later, it may be completely out-of-date. Luckily for property owners, there is a way to effectively showcase your property in the present and the future: commercial real estate drone videography.

Here’s a complete guide to commercial real estate drone videography so you can see what’s possible.

What is Commercial Real Estate Drone Videography and How to Get Started?

Commercial real estate drone videography allows you to showcase the full size of your property. Wide shots are perfect for this, as they allow viewers to see all aspects of your property at once, but there are many other options. You can also utilize shots that highlight the surrounding landscape, like the sun setting behind your property or a bird’s eye view as you pan to your property. You can even capture shots of each room or showcase the property at different times of day!

Commercial real estate drone videography is all about capturing shots that are beautiful, unique, and engaging. This can be done in many different ways, but there are a few tips that can help you to get the most out of commercial real estate drone videography.

Preliminary Steps for Real Estate Drone Videography

To fly a drone for commercial use, a drone license is required. For those who wish to fly a drone for profit or to advance any type of business, that is considered for commercial use. If you wish to fly recreationally, however, you are exempt from this requirement.

There are many resources that go over FAA Part 107 requirements for UAV flying. When certified, you can fly a drone in any state or US Territory! If you’re not certified or have no interest in getting drone certification, you may want to consider hiring professional, FAA-certified drone videographers. 

Another thing to consider is local drone laws. Some state or city laws may contradict FAA regulations, or you need to contact local authorities to ask for permission when flying. Some places, such as airports or state parks, may be considered no-fly zones.

Additionally, never attempt to fly a drone indoors! Many professional drone companies that do fly indoors use special-made, custom drones specifically for making tight turns and flying in smaller spaces. Always use a professional drone company for real estate drone videography. These professional drone pilots will know FAA rules and regulations, and will ultimately be key in making the experience safe and productive for everyone involved.

Step 1: Finding the Right Location

Choosing the right location for you to capture commercial drone footage for your property is very important because it will determine the type of shot you get. If you have a beautiful building, but it’s surrounded by ugly structures, then you’re going to want to find a nice area for it.

Here are the factors to consider when choosing your location:

Visual Appeal

Commercial real estate drone video is a fantastic tool for showcasing the visual appeal of your property. If you’re going to be investing in a commercial real estate drone videography service, make sure that your property is located within a highly visual area. By investing in this form of advertising, you’ll be able to highlight the unique features of your property.

Visibility

Your property must be highly visible, which will ensure that you’re effectively marketing your property to passersby. To see just how effective the right commercial real estate drone videos are, consider companies that specialize in aerial cinematography. These companies generally use the latest aircraft technology to capture top-quality footage of properties that are well off the ground.

How to Find the Right Location

Now that you’ve considered the above factors, you’re ready to choose a location to shoot your real estate drone videography for your commercial property. Here are three of the best places to consider:

Popular Tourist Areas

Tourist areas and destinations are fantastic places to shoot your commercial real estate drone videography because they will attract a lot of attention. With the help of the latest technology, you’ll be able to showcase your property in a way that’s never been done before. Keep in mind any local or state laws when flying near tourist areas.

High Visibility Areas

Commercial real estate drone videography and high visibility go hand-in-hand, as they’re both fantastic for attracting customers. By showcasing your property in a visually appealing way, you’ll be able to outshine the competition and generate more interest.

Centers of Activity 

Businesses generally thrive in areas that are home to a wide range of shops and amenities, so consider capturing footage that has a strong center of activity.

Step 2: Making the Most Out of the Aerial Footage

You’ve chosen your location and a company to film your commercial real estate—now it’s time to turn the footage into a powerful piece of marketing material for your property. Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your footage:

Before and After Shots

One way in which commercial real estate drone videography can be used uniquely is through before and after videos. The footage captured in your aerial shots can easily be edited in the future to showcase the latest renovations that you’ve made to your property.

Air Time

In addition to showcasing the unique features of your commercial real estate, aerial footage can be used to capture the sheer size of your property. Plus, the beautiful footage will give you an idea of how stunning your property is.

Re-Shoots

If you’re not completely satisfied with your aerial footage, you can always choose to re-shoot your commercial real estate drone footage.

Prioritize Clarity

The first thing anyone will notice about your drone videos is how clear it is. If your video isn’t up to scratch, you’ll be doing yourself a major disservice. High-quality clarity is always worth investing in, especially if your drone videos will be used for promotional material.

Step 3: Mix It Up a Bit

Commercial real estate drone videography is fantastic for showcasing your property, but you must make sure to use a variety of different shots to keep it engaging and interesting. Here are some tips:

Close-up Shots

A great way to give viewers close-up shots of your property is by using a combination of different aerial views, such as a top-down, birds-eye perspective, and a first-person perspective.

POV Shots

First-person shots or POV shots capture viewers’ attention and allow them to feel as if they’re almost exploring the property themselves. It may be viewed as similar to a real estate virtual tour as both use the first-person perspective to give viewers an accurate idea of what the property is like.

Landscape Shots

Not only are landscape shots great for showcasing the size of your property, but they’re also highly effective when it comes to showcasing the surrounding landscape.

Step 4: Timing is Key

The time of day can have a significant impact on your video footage. Consider shooting during the golden hour, especially if you want to create a more visually appealing and romantic image. Or choose a day with more or fewer crowds to make the property look abandoned or very busy.

For example, for drone videography for luxury hotels, the footage could potentially look better in the evening when there are fewer crowds. At this time, the hotel would look empty and the sky could be filled with beautiful colors.

Step 5: Play Around With the Camera Settings

Commercial real estate drone videography is a creative medium, and that means that there are no rules. In addition to the tips listed above, consider playing around with your drone’s camera settings and experiment to see what works best for you.

Step 6: Add Some Editing Magic

Editing your video footage can be a great way to give it an individual feel and allow you to share the unique features of your property. Here are some tips for editing the shots you’ve captured using commercial real estate drone videography:

Music

Adding music can be a great way to liven up your commercial real estate drone videography. Take time to consider what genre of music will work best for you, as different genres are more effective in different scenarios.

Titles

You can also add titles to your commercial real estate drone videography, which is a great way to include your logo and company details.

Adding Text

A simple way to make your drone videos more engaging is by adding text to show details such as the name of the property and details about a feature.

Step 7: Promote Your Commercial Real Estate Drone Videography

Once you’ve completed your commercial real estate drone videography, it’s time to promote your footage so that you can get the most out of it. Here are three tips for promoting your commercial real estate drone videography:

Social Media

Take advantage of social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to promote your drone videos and connect with your target market. It’s a great way to let the world know about your business while showing off your videos.

Commercial Property Listing Sights

You can also promote your drone videos by listing your properties on large platforms such as CREXi.

Incorporate into Other Marketing Efforts

Utilize your commercial real estate drone videography in a variety of ways to promote your brand. This could be displayed on your website, included in the company newsletter, or even printed out and used as postcards to promote your brand.

Check out our full guide on creating a commercial real estate marketing strategy for more information!

So there you have it! If you follow these simple steps, commercial real estate drone videography will become as easy as 1-2-3.

Save Time & Money with Our Commercial Real Estate Videography Services

As you can see, shooting your own commercial real estate videography is a ton of work. That’s why we recommend working with a professional team of drone videographers that can shoot, edit and deliver commercial real estate videography of the highest caliber.

We offer commercial real estate drone services for a wide range of commercial properties like retail, luxury hotels & resorts, medical facilities, restaurants, commercial shopping malls, and more.

Contact us today and let’s get started on creating something spectacular!