A bird in the sky...

Drone images and videos coupled with first-class professional photography can maximum impact when marketing a property. Richard Stewart and Hannah Christiansen report.

With millions of potential buyers making the internet their first port of call when looking for a new home, first impressions are essential.

Before reading any level of text, potential buyers will scroll through photographs and, as they say, a picture paints a thousand words. this is the make or break moment: do they stop scrolling and make plans to view?

Professional photography is a key investment for any seller and galbraith has worked hard to build strong relationships with highly skilled and experienced photographers across the country. they ensure your property not only looks its best but also stands out. Although the kitchen and bathroom photographs along with the perfect sitting room are essential, there is the growing importance of lifestyle images which capture, for example, the beauty of the countryside that lies beyond the property and all that it might offer potential buyers.

We are often asked what should be done to present the property for photographs and our advice can be summed up in three top tips:

Clear away clutter: You are selling your house and people need to be able to see it.

Make the house look like a home: We don’t want all your personal effects in the photographs, but small well placed items can be extremely useful. Wellies at the back door subtly show there are good opportunities for walking and a bright vase of flowers on a bare dining room table can make all the difference.

Don’t do half a job: There are numerous situations where a property may be partially furnished. it is important that the property is either furnished or empty. Having a half furnished house can leave a property looking soulless and doesn’t allow people the freedom to insert their own furniture as they would do instinctively with an empty property.

Videos and drones

The strong national and international reach of galbraith means buyers may travel from far and wide to view a home, and videos give them confidence and reassurance before making the trip. With this in mind we need to maximise the impact of the visual snapshot we show of the property.

Drones allow us to give a powerful and eyecatching overview. they can highlight picturesque settings, proximity of rivers, hills, beaches and other points of interest. it can often be difficult to get that covershot photo of a property that has been designed to maintain a level of privacy; drones allow us to take to the skies and show the property clearly.

It is a legal requirement to hold a CAA licence for all commercial aerial work and we have sourced the best drone photographers who are licenced and insured. From a bungalow in Braemar to a mansion house in Musselburgh we will tailor a package to suit you.

The Cisco Vni forecast predicts that internet video will account for 79% of global internet traffic by 2020. At galbraith we want to be ahead of the game and we are working with our photographers to promote Scenein, which provides a quick overview of a property in a 30, 60 or 90 second video optimised for social media. For bigger properties, there is the option for bespoke packages but the key is keeping the video snappy.

We want to entice people into viewing the property in the same way a film trailer makes a film a must-see. these videos boost exposure and are seen by people mostly through auto play which stops them in their tracks while scrolling through their news feeds. they’re watching the video without consciously setting out to do so.

Video is a crucial component in property marketing and can catch the eye of potential purchasers like no other. A walk-through of the property from room to room or a stroll up the grand driveway with the striking impact of the property ahead really allows potential buyers to imagine themselves living there and connect with the lifestyle.

Drone photography and footage can also help to open up the true potential of a property that comes with more than a few acres of land.