When Tom Dean took a vacation on Lake Michigan with his wife during the summer of 1996, he hoped to find out more about available properties in the area by logging onto the Internet when he returned home. Once online, he was disappointed to discover mere listings and occasional cookie-cutter photos of homes. An aerial photographer, Dean appreciated the value of a good photograph and realized the impact such photos could have on prospective homebuyers who, like him, were searching for more information online. Dean, president of Picture-Your-Business, spent eight years selling real estate in Livingston County, Mich., west of Detroit. At the time of his online revelation, however, he was enjoying a profitable business manufacturing marketing postcards for Realtors, using the aerial photographs he'd taken. That business was so successful, in fact, that Dean had retired from real estate.

But when he discovered a market in 1996 waiting to be filled -- aerial photographs on the Internet, which would provide a more thorough description of various regions for prospective homebuyers -- he decided to launch his next venture, airsho.com. The site has been active since January 1997, and the response from Realtors and Web browsers everywhere has been overwhelming, Dean says, adding that he receives e-mail from such places as Portugal, Cambodia, and Scandinavia -- all of them from real estate professionals and entrepreneurs who want to incorporate his postcards and aerial photographs into their own marketing strategies.

Dean, well-known in his neck of the woods, spent 30 years as a disk jockey in southeastern Michigan. During part of that period, he worked as a traffic reporter -- thus, the development of his aerial photography skills. He recently spoke to AgentNews about airsho.com and his much-in-demand postcard business.

A.N.: How did you get started in aerial photography? What generated your interest in the field?
T.D.: After spending 30 years as a disk jockey -- I worked for a "Young Country" station and WWJ News Radio 95 doing traffic reports -- I used aerial photos when I was selling real estate, back around 1985. I took the photos myself and used them in ads. They attracted attention from both buyers and sellers. The photos were able to show off tracts of land more effectively. I knew that the key to real estate was getting listings. I asked myself, 'How can I get my photos into sellers' hands?' I decided on postcards. Since then, postcards have become a real mainstay for me. I started producing postcards for other real estate agents and expanded from Livingston County to greater southeastern Michigan. I phased out of selling real estate in 1992, and my postcards began to be discovered by small businesses, too. I'm still licensed in real estate, though.

A.N.: And how did those postcards and your interest in aerial photography lead to the development of airsho.com?
T.D.: Nobody had visuals on the Internet back in the summer of 1996. Some people were trying to use photos -- they'd stick a camera on a mountain, or you'd find a picture of an office water cooler. A message would pop up on the screen that told you to wait while the computer "refreshed," and then you'd see a man drinking out of the water cooler. I could see where the potential for this aerial photography was.

A.N.: The concept of postcards seems like a simple one. Why have they been so popular, in your opinion?
T.D.: I think of them as collectible. My wife worked at Hallmark, and she was asked frequently for postcards of the local area. There weren't any. If you can just create something of local value for local homeowners, they'll hang onto it. If you can send them something -- an aerial picture of a local landmark, for example -- it's a view that most people haven't seen. They won't throw it away.
You've heard of the concept of "farming" -- picking out a subdivision of people and staying in front of them by continually calling or mailing them reminders that you're still busy. Sending them just a card with your address and phone number is a waste. A postcard with an aerial photo gives them something they might hang onto that ties yourself in with the aerial photo -- incorporating your picture within the picture. You don't have to make as many mailings this way. It's less expensive. A lot of agents don't want to farm because they say they're everywhere. If you pick a landmark within your community, such as a high school, people view that landmark in a way they haven't seen before. Even if they didn't send their children to that school, they pay taxes on it, and the photo will certainly get their attention.

A.N.: In the eyes of the consumer, what's so attractive about aerial shots, and what's bringing traffic your way?
T.D.: Our site attracts potential buyers because they're seeing more. If you're a seller, you see that an agent using this kind of photography is doing a lot more to market the area and your house. Houses look the same wherever you go. This photography enables you to see, for example, if there's a mountain behind those houses. Someone from Denver can get on our site and discover that southeastern Michigan is flat by comparison, or someone from Texas will consider it green by comparison. The response to our site has come from everywhere -- universities, travel agencies, government ... they're linking to the site because it's a powerful, positive presentation of the area. It's good for incoming businesses. Also, most real estate Web sites dead-end on each page, or they might contain a link to an e-mail address. Airsho usually has 10 links on each page. It goes on and on, and that's bringing the kind of response we've had. We have more than 800 pages at this point.

A.N.: Are you planning on expanding airsho.com in the future to reach beyond Michigan?
T.D.: Oh yes ... if I could pick up a corporate sponsor, I'd go beyond southeastern Michigan. I'd sell it to someone who could take it to the next plateau. But for now, it's been ranked as a top 10 site by IRED, and that was back in February, before it was developed to the point it is now.