In the last few years, you may have noticed a trend toward using aerial shots to market real estate. It wasn't too long ago that you'd have to rent a helicopter or a plane in order to get photography of large ranches or luxury homes with acreage. Today, thanks to technological advances, it's much more affordable to get a "bird's eye" view of your property.

Some real estate agents use photographers that trailer a boom camera behind their car. The boom goes up to about 60 feet with a camera attached and then captures digital images of the home from various angles. The downside of the boom method is that you only get shots where the trailer can go. They're good, just limited.

I prefer a company called High Shot that uses a radio-controlled helicopter with a digital camera attached for aerial photography. Owner Jaime Kelce has been photographing real estate this way since 2005 and shoots about 120 properties a year. The heli can go up to 200 feet with the ability to hover around your entire home and zoom in on those unique angles. Better yet, the service only costs $195, which yields 10 high-resolution digital images at different altitudes. The only limitation of this method is distance. Jaime can only maneuver the copter within his view, so you would not be able to shoot a 35- or 50-acre property. If you need to catch the boundaries of a large ranch or land for development, then you'll need to use a real helicopter.

If you're living in an area with a lot of preplanned, production homes placed close together, don't spend your money on aerial photography. It won't help you sell your home. The best real estate use of this technology is for homes on two to 10 acres. Want to know more about High Shot? Visit Jaime's Web site at www.highshot.net.

Dan Polimino is a Realtor with Fuller Towne and Country Properties. He can be reached at DPolimino@fullerproperties.com and www.CoDreamHouse.com.