Are you aware that Drone use for real estate marketing is regulated by the FAA? The use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), commonly known as drones, is becoming increasingly popular for marketing real estate listings. Real estate agents looking for an edge in marketing their listings are adding aerial photography to outdo their competition. This gives their listed property a 3-Dimensional perspective with views of the entire property, the neighborhood, and even inaccessible views such as the roof.
As this technology becomes more common for marketing real estate, agents have the option to hire professionals familiar with regulations for flying drones or purchase and operate a drone themselves.
In order to use drones for business or commercial purposes, agents looking to operate their own drones have to go through a certification process and abide by rules set by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), known as Part 107 (14 CFR part 107). These rules require the drone operator to be at least 16 years of age, have a Remote Pilot Airman Certificate and pass Transportation Security Administration (TSA) vetting.
Additional rules require the drone to weigh less than 55 lbs., including the weight of the camera (or registered if over 0.55 lbs.), and undergo a pre-flight inspection before each use to ensure it is in safe operating condition.
When operating a drone, it must be keep in the operator’s visual line-of-sight, fly under 400 feet, fly during daylight hours, and fly at or below 100 mph. Drones must also fly within Class G airspace and yield the right of way to manned aircraft. Further, drones may NOT fly over people or be operated from a moving vehicle.
Drone operators must also use common courtesy. Agents need to get permission from the property owner prior to flying over their property, and should consider notifying any other owner of private property who may sense their privacy is being invaded. Neighbors especially may feel uncomfortable with a drone hovering in close proximity to their property.
Aerial photography and video marketing are becoming the new standard for the real estate industry. When promoting a new listing, staying up-to-date with technology will give you an edge over your competition.