Should I use drone photos when selling a property?

Short answer: Drone photos are not remotely essential when selling a property – unless you want to show off something specific in the surroundings, such as a large green space around the property, a nursery school nearby or another genuine selling point. If there is nothing like that around, a drone shot can actively put people off, because it shows very clearly how close the neighbouring houses are and how the property seems to disappear into a densely built neighbourhood. Photos of the property’s own strengths usually deliver far more.

When do drone photos work?

There is one test that applies: is there something in the surroundings that sells the property? If the answer is yes, a drone shot can be powerful. For example:

• A large open green space, a recreation area or a beach within walking distance.
• A nursery school, primary school or sports facility right nearby, where the proximity is best seen from above.
• A view that is a genuine asset and hard to capture from ground level.
• A large plot, an unusual plot layout, or a property standing on its own.

In those cases the drone shot is showing something the buyer cannot see in an ordinary photo – and that is the only reason to use one.

Why can drone photos work against you?

This is the part people underestimate. A drone shot shows the whole environment, including the parts you would rather the buyer didn’t notice until later:

• How close the neighbouring houses are. From the air, the density is far more obvious than it is from the street.
• The condition of the neighbouring houses. The rusty roof next door ends up in your photo.
• The property disappearing. In a densely built neighbourhood your house becomes one of many identical houses in the frame – and nothing draws the eye to it.

You have then used one of the first photos in the sequence on a viewpoint no buyer ever actually experiences. It is a perspective only a passing bird sees.

What should you show instead?

What matters to people are the spaces they are going to live in and use every day:

• A bright, spacious living room.
• A sheltered deck or a good patio.
• A roomy utility room with proper worktop space.
• A kitchen with real worktop space and storage.
• Bedrooms where you can see that a bed and wardrobes will fit.

These are the things a buyer compares between properties, and these are the photos that produce viewings. When the property is then marketed through paid social media advertising, which Baldur fasteignasali (the licensed real estate agent) specialises in, it is these photos that stop people mid-scroll – not the aerial shot.

Are drone photos available when they do make sense?

Yes. Baldur fasteignasali offers drone photography when it is appropriate – that is, when there really is something in the surroundings that sells the property. In that case it is shot as part of the visual package alongside the photographs and the video.

The difference lies in the decision being made on the basis of the property itself rather than automatically. When the property is assessed ahead of the shoot, the question is whether an aerial shot adds anything – and if the answer is no, it is simply left out. That is a better option than using visual content that dampens interest.

In short

• Drone photos are not necessary when selling a property in most cases.
• They earn their place when something specific in the surroundings sells the property.
• If there is nothing around, they can put buyers off by showing density and the condition of neighbouring houses.
• Photos of the property’s own strengths deliver far more.
• A viewpoint the buyer will never experience does not sell the property.
• Baldur fasteignasali offers drone photography when it is appropriate and assesses that for each property.

Frequently asked questions

What if the property is in a quiet, attractive neighbourhood – is a drone shot worth it then? Only if there is something tangible to show, for example a green space, a recreation area or a school nearby. “A quiet neighbourhood” on its own is not visible in an aerial photo and sells itself better in the text and in photos of the property itself.

Is it fine to put one drone shot at the end of the sequence? That is a better option than putting it first, because by then the buyer has already seen the property’s strengths. Before using it, though, it is still worth asking: does it show something that helps, or does it show something that dampens interest?

Get in touch

If you are unsure whether drone photos suit your property – what to show and what to leave out – the simplest thing is to go through it before the shoot takes place. Contact Baldur Jezorski, licensed real estate agent (löggiltur fasteignasali), on 450-0000 or send a message via 450.is for more information about drone photography and the rest of the visual content for your property. Free and with no obligation.

Related articles

• How much do photos matter when selling a property?
• Does video matter when selling a property?
• How do I get a higher price for my property?

Thinking of selling? Get a free valuation from Baldur Jezorski, licensed real estate agent in Hafnarfjörður, reply within 24 hours.

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