Drones: The New Tool in Going Above and Beyond for Your Listing

It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No, it’s a drone.

Drones are being used much more these days, especially after President Obama signed the Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act in 2013. This law allows drones to be used for commercial purposes, which includes them being used by real estate professionals.

What Drones Are Used for in Real Estate

Drones are little flying machines that have cameras inside of them. When they are in flight, they can snap photos or take videos of what is below them.

What does this mean for realtors?

Aerial shots of real estate listings weren’t common before drones because the price of either hiring someone to fly over the property or doing it yourself was way more than it was worth. With drones, it’s easy to get those shots of properties.

With the drones, realtors can take photos of the rooftops of buildings and homes, show off backyards and  even give guided virtual tours of the neighborhood because the area a real estate listing is in is just as important as the actual listing.

Besides just knowing what is around the property, those in the real estate market are able to see how the home sits on the piece of land. They are also able to see how large the property is from above. All of these details that drones can provide greatly help the sale of listings because potential buyers are able to see many more benefits than they would from the ground.

How to Start Using Drones and If You Should Use Them

Realtors are using drones much more these days because they understand how beneficial they are to their business. According to the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, there were 153 permits issued for real estate purposes midway through 2015.

The process of getting a permit is not simple. The FAA requires users to have a private pilot’s license. This means that users must be trained and pass requirements for those who are interested in flying an actual airplane.

The reason permits aren’t being handed over as easily as many realtors wish is the government’s fear that terrorists will begin using them to attack the country. This is an understandable concern, but it stifles the use of this tool for realtors.

The good news is that there may be an alternative way to get your hands on a drone. The Federal Aviation Administration has purposed rules that would limit the size of a drone for real estate use. These drones should weigh 55 pounds or less. These rules are not expected to be passed until 2017.

Does this mean you can’t use drones?

No, it doesn’t. If you’re willing to go through the current requirements to use a drone, you’ll be able to use it and you may just come out on top in the real estate industry.

It’s important to know that realtors are getting exceptions to use drones all of the time. They are going above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to selling properties. When sellers find out realtors have this tool, they are more likely to want to use them because they know they have an upper leg on those who do not use drones.

When considering whether you should go through the time-consuming process of learning how to fly, just know that you could be ahead of the pack with drones. When FAA imposes the new rules, which they probably will, many Realtors will jump at the chance to have them. Remember though, those drones will only be less than 55 pounds. You will still be able to use the larger ones, which will likely produce better quality video and photos. The benefits of using drones for your real estate business are too many not to do it. Look into it today.

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