DENVER – We all know Denver’s real estate market is about as hot as the sweltering temperatures outside, but realtors are hoping it could heat up even more when they break out the drones to capture jaw-dropping video of homes for sale.
“In construction, drones are very important for surveying, for ICD’s, for everything,” said Vincent Coleson, who’s built and sold dozens of homes in the Denver metro area.
Drones are not new to his workflow; they’ve become critical to getting things built fast and accurately. But when it comes to showcasing the finished product, there’s a new way to show-off that new home for sale: Mini-drones – and they are becoming wildly popular.
“It’s going to change the game, it might just replace photos, replace the 3D Google Maps as you walk through a home,” Coleson said.
Coleson has recently turned to a mini-drone company called Virtual Drone Tours to give his clients… well, a virtual drone tour.
“What we create is that one-shot where we actually enter the home, fly around the entire home, leave the upstairs balcony, fly around the home, and it’s all in one shot,” said Cain Costin, who started the company with his wife Sarah. The couple are now raising the bar for real estate videos. They use FPV, or first-person view drones, to get a unique bird’s eye perspective of a home which they can showcase to potential clients.
“(We’re) able to create an unbelievable perspective that people are just eating up,” Costin said.
These drones aren’t something you can just grab off the shelf. And piloting them takes some skill – flying smoothly through a house isn’t easy.
“It is hard. A lot of people are interested in it, and want to be a part of it, but don’t have the skill to pull it off," Costin said.
But the end result is grabbing the attention of home buyers.
“We’re always looking to up our game a little bit and stand out from the competition,” Costin said. “And this is next level type stuff. It’s flawless, and it’s beautiful."
In the last year, during the age of COVID and contactless selling, drone tours really took off.
"We provide a very safe way to view any property without ever having to step foot inside," said realtor Nick Folkedahl. "It gives people a chance to see the home without even stepping foot in the property."
Realtors like Folkedahl say it’s more than just limiting people showing up at an open house.
“From the client’s perspective, it allows them to see the home and almost fly through the home. You are flying through the home, right?" said Folkedahl.
It’s a unique perspective that can add value to an already hot housing market.
“It pays for itself tenfold when you get multiple offers and a lot of times, it’s because of the drone footage," Folkedahl said.
So, keep an eye out for a virtual open house coming soon to a home near you.
“I think it’s just beginning. I think we are just at the cover of the book with this one,” Costin said.