Drones have soared in popularity (pardon the pun) over the past decade, thanks to cost-saving innovations that helped make these aerial tools accessible to the general public. It isn’t uncommon to see hobbyists flying their drones at a park on the weekend or modern wedding photographers taking a group shot of the party with a video drone.
Unsurprisingly, since the technology rose in popularity, several industries have boarded the bandwagon. But few industries have extracted quite the same value from drones as the real estate industry.
This article explores a few ways that real estate practitioners and adjacent professionals use drones and aerial photography to elevate the industry, as well as a few considerations for applying drone photography. If you’re a real estate professional in any capacity, consider the following points.
Marketing Materials
When asked what the coming decade held for the industry, real estate tech expert Regan McGee told Superb Crew, “We will see further use of technology like drones and virtual tours, and AI-supported bots that will help pre-qualify buyers.” All of those predictions have been spot-on.
When he predicted a rise in drone usage in real estate, McGee was likely referring to its use in marketing. According to some research sources, listings with aerial photography perform appreciably better than those with conventional photography. (This is especially true for expensive estate-style houses and mansions, but even mid-range houses have been shown to benefit from drone photography). Buyers like to see their prospective purchases from every angle and discern how the property is situated within a surrounding neighbourhood or natural setting.
Appraisals
Forward-thinking appraisers are also seeing the value in drone photography. Property appraisals used to rely heavily on close-up, often grainy digital photography to single out features and systems affecting property value. The problem was that they didn’t paint a compelling picture of the property as a whole, preoccupied instead with individual components. And the other main problem was that they often couldn’t access hard-to-reach areas like roofs.
Drones allow appraisers to deliver an engaging, thorough, holistic and high-resolution overview of the property.
Routine Servicing and Maintenance
As drones and aerial imagery become more sophisticated, their use cases grow. Take servicing and maintenance as a great example. Property management companies and maintenance experts have been leveraging drone technology for years to get a peek at roofing and façade conditions, allowing them to remain proactive about maintenance.
But recently, we’ve seen companies combine thermographic photography with drones to achieve an even higher level of inspection. Thermography (or thermal imaging) shows changes in heat loss or gain, which can tell a property manager numerous things: the efficiency of a property’s windows/doors, the declining r-value of fiberglass batts/insulation, areas with water damage, potential electrical shorts, etc.
Considerations
Drones are an exciting facet of modern real estate marketing, management and appraisal. But you can’t use them indiscriminately or thoughtlessly. There are a few key things to consider before leveraging drones and aerial imagery in your real estate work:
- Weather: Drones work best in visibly clear weather with mild wind conditions
- No-fly zones: You need to clear your flight path before you fly to avoid “no-fly zones.” As such, drone photography may not work to market/assess every property.
- Licensing: Professional drones weighing more than 250 grams usually require a license. Check your local jurisdiction for licensing laws and regulations.
- Piloting: Drone photography works best with an able, experienced pilot at the helm who can get clean, well-framed images.
Hopefully, this short overview of drone technology in real estate helps you plan for the future. If you work in real estate sales, appraisals or management, consider researching whether aerial photography can benefit your business.
