Real Estate Drone Photography Near Me

Why Real Estate Drone Photography is Essential for Modern Listings

The use of drones for listing photography has become increasingly popular among real estate agents. What better way to display a home’s beautiful pool or expansive yard? Drone photography can also highlight a property’s proximity to the beach or other desirable areas, making it one of the best ways real estate agents can promote their listings. A drone is a great tool for showcasing homes with unusual exteriors and unique designs. While it may seem straightforward to do real estate drone photography, there are some barriers to entry. In addition to being able to fly the drone, you will need to know where to get proper FAA licensing, how to register your drone, and how to get permission to fly in certain areas.

Becoming a Certified Drone Pilot for Real Estate

Real estate agents can certainly purchase a drone and take photographs of homes themselves. Alternatively, you may find it easier to hire a drone pilot to take the photos. If you choose to become a drone pilot, perhaps you’re a creative real estate agent dreaming of taking to the skies. Awesome! Just remember that it will take some time to get there. This is the first thing to understand when considering real estate drone photography. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires a Remote Pilot Certificate before you can use drones for commercial purposes, including taking real estate photos. This Part 107 certificate is often referred to as a drone pilot’s license or certificate.

Obtaining Your Part 107 License

The Remote Pilot Certificate is fundamentally a commercial drone pilot license, required if you use drones for any source of income. Part 107 of the Federal Aviation Administration requires anyone wanting to operate a drone commercially to obtain a drone pilot license, formerly known as a “small UAS remote pilot certificate.” A written test is required to get it – similar to the permit test you took when you were 15 before getting your driver’s license. There are about 700 testing centers in the United States where you can take the test, which consists of 60 multiple-choice questions. People new to drones should be aware that unless you have pre-existing airspace knowledge, passing the test won’t be easy (and you may need to sign up for a Part 107 online course).

Registering Your Drone

The process isn’t over even after you pass the Part 107 test. Your drone needs to be registered as well. The application process is simple and only costs $5, so it isn’t a big deal. You also need to know where you can legally fly and how to do so. After you obtain a license and register your drone, you can legally fly for commercial purposes. However, a few restrictions still apply.

Understanding Airspace & Flight Restrictions

Unless you’ve received an FAA waiver, if you fly under Part 107, you will have to follow certain parameters, including (but not limited to):

• Operating a drone from a moving vehicle or aircraft.
• Maintaining visual contact with the drone.
• Flying in controlled airspace (like near airports) requires approval from LAANC. You will be flying in uncontrolled airspace or you will have received LAANC approval.

However, you shouldn’t be alarmed about airspace. The vast majority of it is Class G, or uncontrolled airspace. If you are within five miles of an airport, chances are it is not Class G airspace. On the FAA’s official Know Before You Fly website, you can find out if you can legally fly in the airspace you intend to fly in. Simply type in the address of the home you want to photograph, and the FAA will tell you if it is okay to photograph it or not.

Choosing the Right Drone for Real Estate Photography

All that work demands a good drone, of course. Fortunately, whether your budget is $400 or $4,000, you can find a flying robot with a camera that fits your needs. Most of the time, it won’t cost much more than a standard digital camera. Drones are perfect for taking wide shots of a property to display its proximity to desirable amenities, such as how close it is to the beach. In addition to showing how close properties are to one another and to main roads, drone shots are incredibly useful.

Key Drone Specifications to Consider

It really depends on what your needs are when it comes to specs. Are high-resolution photos needed for print ads, or can an image at a medium resolution be used for a slideshow on some website? Would you rather have obstacle avoidance sensors for maximum safety, or would you rather rely on your piloting skills? What is your timeframe for battery life? Do you need 30 minutes or just 15 minutes (and maybe a spare battery)?

Beginner’s Guide: Buying Your First Drone

Here’s a pro tip for new drone users: To get started, buy a $30 toy drone (always start cheap!). You can even start cheaper! Due to their low price, cheap drones don’t have automatic takeoff, landing, or hovering features. This means they are harder to fly. As soon as you fly a “real” drone, it will feel effortless. The odds of you crashing into the pool, on the other hand, are better at $40 than $400 or $4000.

Hiring a Professional Drone Pilot

That all sounds too complicated and stressful, doesn’t it? Real estate photography can always be outsourced to a professional drone pilot. Make sure they’re Part 107 certified. Businesses can connect with licensed drone pilots via a number of services. You should always ask for a copy of a pilot’s Part 107 license if you plan to hire a drone pilot to ensure they are compliant with FAA rules. Even when hiring a pilot, it’s beneficial to be familiar with FAA rules regarding drone flight and where drones can legally be flown. You don’t want to realize later that the home is two miles from an airport and that you can’t fly there. Under $1,000, you can get high-quality photos and videos with a drone like the DJI Air 2S.

Mastering Drone Photography & Marketing Your Shots

Having an awesome drone and following FAA rules is not enough for real estate agents. The next step is to figure out how to market and sell the photos once you’ve taken them. Your Part 107 license means nothing to potential home buyers! That beautiful drone shot of your home’s backyard oasis soaring over the trees is what they really want to see. Lighting, shooting direction, editing, music, and more can sell the shot. A drone photo course will help you improve your skills in drone photography and videography. There are some courses that offer advice on accelerating the editing process, repurposing (often hefty) 4K footage, and turning bland, flat footage into an engaging video with the perfect color balance.

You’re one step closer to generating listing photos that stand out from the competition, whether you’re looking to increase your drone photography skills or hire a drone pilot. Bring prospective buyers on a virtual tour of the property that compels them to make an offer without ever seeing it in person.

Drones are most commonly used for photography, as you might have guessed. Every type of photographer can find the right drone for their needs, no matter their budget. DJI makes the majority of camera drones, but there are also quality competitors from other brands. No matter how much money you spend on a drone, you’ll be relieved to know there are incredibly high quality flying robots out there that come equipped with cameras for much less money than just a standard digital camera on its own.

Top Drones for Real Estate Photography

$400 will get you a decent drone with a camera. You can expect to spend upwards of $2,000 for professional image quality (such as if you’re shooting a wedding or real estate). DJI is the clear winner among our picks for the best drones for photographers. A recent study by Drone Industry Insights found that DJI had 76.8% market share in the U.S. based on FAA drone registration numbers. Even though DJI dominates the list, there are tons of options to suit all types of photographers.

Skydio 2: Intelligent & Crash-Proof

With six cameras, this drone is freakishly smart. Skydio 2 can, therefore, see everything from every angle, which means that it should never crash. It’s perfect for pilots who need to fly in complex environments, such as a pine tree-covered mountain following a snowboarder, or navigating down a trail following a biker. Skydio 2 can record videos in 4K and capture images in 12MP. Skydio is a San Francisco-based company that is also attractive to consumers who prefer to buy drone technology from American companies.

DJI Mini 2: Lightweight & Regulation-Friendly

In case you do not want to register or use Remote ID, the best drone is the DJI Mini 2. By introducing the DJI Mini 2, DJI proved the idea that ‘smaller and cheaper’ doesn’t equate to ‘worse’. Our top pick, the Mavic Air, was stripped of many features in order to make the Mini 2. Despite its small size and low price, the drone is still capable of recording 4K video. The DJI Mini 2 really stands out because of its small size. As a hobby drone weighing only 249 grams, DJI’s Mavic Mini isn’t subject to the FAA’s regulations. No registration is required, and no Remote ID rules need to be followed. FAA only requires hobby drones that weigh 250 grams or more to be registered and registered with Remote ID. Thus, the Mini is far more accessible for those who don’t want to worry about adhering (or not adhering) to federal laws when they fly their drones.

DJI Air 2S: Value, Quality & Safety

Among the features of the DJI Air 2S are its combination of new and innovative tech, its high-quality camera, its seamless flying experience, smart safety features, and its reasonable price. The best value for your money is usually found here. The DJI Air 2S follows in the footsteps of both the DJI Mavic Pro and DJI Spark, combining the best of both worlds. It’s about the size of a Spark in flight, but folds up to become even smaller than the Mavic Pro. Besides the gesture control of the Spark, it also has 4K video of the Mavic Pro. In addition to having great safety features, it also has front and back collision avoidance sensors. In terms of its most notable feature, it offers 20-megapixel photos and 5.4K videos on a 1″ sensor. The same features are available in the Mavic 2 Pro, which is larger and more expensive. Additionally, the sensor has a 2.4mm pixel size.

DJI Mavic Mini: Budget-Friendly Option

You can’t go wrong with the DJI Mavic Mini if you’re on a budget. Its video quality isn’t quite as good – 2.7K on the Mavic Mini versus 4K on the Mini 2 (and most other DJI drones). It’s an older model of the DJI Mini 2, but it’s $100 cheaper. On the other hand, if you’re on a budget, it’s fine. Compared to its big sibling drones for more than $1,000, this drone costs only $399. In addition, this drone only weighs 249 grams, just like the Mini 2. It is ideal for casual pilots who are not concerned with registering or complying with Remote ID rules. A hobby drone weighing 250 grams or more must currently be registered and comply with Remote ID requirements if it is flown for hobby purposes.

Frequently Asked Questions