Real Estate Listings Reach New Heights with Zoom Towns & MMS Messages

Take your listings to new heights, whether you specialize in residential or commercial real estate, by zooming your focus far, far out — with aerial photography.

Drone photography (as well as drone video content) is among the most buzz-worthy real estate trends to play to your advantage by pairing with MMS marketing — delivering timely info to your leads where they really live: their mobile phones.

But don’t take it from us. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) advises brokers of the very same on their website: “Many commercial properties or large parcels of land do not lend themselves well to traditional photography.”

And this goes double for residential homes, where NAR notes that imagery from drones (aka Unmanned Aerial Systems) are an “incredible tool for potential homeowners moving to a different city, buying a second home, or trying to streamline the research process necessary to buy a new home.”

Add to that our current pandemic reality, where many buyers may opt for viewing properties virtually — not physically. Some are even moving to homes in far-off locations, further complicating the ability to entertain traditional open houses.

Aerial photography offers a birds-eye view of listings and their surrounding neighborhood, panoramic scenery, area attractions, traffic concerns, proximity to main thoroughfares, parks, schools, and more.

Like Staging the Property From The Sky

Agents already know good staging inside the home can dramatically boost sales and ROI. As Forbes describes, according to NAR —  for every $100 invested in staging, the potential return is up to $400. Staged homes can sell for an average of 17% more than a non-staged home, and 95% of staged homes sell in 11 days or less.

Good interior staging of a property lets buyers imagine themselves in the home, no imagination necessary. Stagers put in all the effort for them: selecting beautiful furnishings, showing off the best features, creatively hiding flaws, making a house (or an apartment) a home with an interior decorator’s classic touch.

Competition is fierce in the real estate market — not only from other properties but also the high expectations delivered by HGTV.

If you’d go to all the expense of staging the interior of your listing, why skimp out on the exteriors?

The Multiple Listing Service estimates that properties with accompanying aerial imagery are 68% more likely to sell than those without — and according to NAR, 83% of home sellers prefer agents who use drones to market their property. Commercial real estate and properties with large areas of land (like golf courses, farms, and ranches) sell exponentially faster as well — and at higher prices.

And it’s no wonder. Aerial imagery and videos trend on social media, attracting more clicks on Google, and powerfully grabbing subscribers’ attention on MMS texts.

“Zoom Towns” Are The New Boomtowns

If anything, the pandemic has also exacerbated the need for high-quality images and tech marketing.

Since your clients’ Zoom meetings can now happen, literally, anywhere — the ‘Zoom Life’ is packing up and moving into highly coveted vacation destinations from coast to coast.

There’s a large section of the remote workforce who no longer want to pay exorbitant rents just to minimize their (now nonexistent) commute — and they are among the driving force of the current real estate boon. So too are the most affluent execs who are purchasing a second home in dreamy vacation destinations like Lake Tahoe, Aspen, the Hamptons, and Cape Cod. These homes, with their picturesque views, are part of the growing trend known as “Zoom towns,” markets that are booming thanks to our new WFH status quo.

"Right now, national home prices are up 8% from this time last year, so quite a big increase," noted Daryl Fairweather, the chief economist of Redfin.

Capitalize on this opportunity with vivid aerial shots that can be texted to prospects currently looking for a new home via attention-grabbing MMS images. Perhaps even more than their primary residence, “Zoom Town” buyers are likely to be laser-focused on the scenery and local surroundings.

Text & MMS — Crucial Branding Tools In A Crowded Market

Aerial footage doesn’t just sell properties, it sells you as an agent willing to go (er, fly) that extra mile to make the sale.

Drone photography can include photos, videos, and enough visual data to create 3D or orthomosaic property maps. They provide unique angles for amazing shots.

Leverage drone photography to ideally showcase your listing by texting images or videos with MMS messaging. You’ll save both time and money — for you and your clients.