Drones have become an essential tool in many different industries and professions, including real estate. Being able to show dramatic images and Hollywood-style video clips of properties has been a game changer for realtors around the world. In this article, we'll go over what makes drones such an ideal fit for shooting real estate, some of the shots you can achieve with them, and some tips to use out in the field. So, whether you're a freelance real estate drone pilot or realtor looking to expand their skill set, let’s dive in.
A Unique Perspective
Among the many property-selling tools at a realtor's disposal, nothing can beat the capabilities of a drone. Pull one from a case and in short order you can capture videos and images that are both stunning and immensely informative. First and foremost, drones are perfect for capturing scale. From single family homes with a long backyard to expansive multimillion-dollar estates, drones can show you the entire property in a single image.
In addition to the property itself, drones can help realtors highlight its immediate surroundings and the neighborhood that lies beyond. Capturing these three levels of scale is something we recommend any budding real estate drone pilot utilize on a consistent basis. Up close, clients get a clearer understanding of property lines and what they're potentially buying. At the neighborhood level, you can add labels when editing, showing clients exactly how close (or far) general points of interest are from the property. You can even specifically tailor this to the client. For a family, show them where schools, parks, and libraries are, or for someone with commuting concerns, exactly where public transit or highway access is located.
What to Fly
Considering how integral a drone can be in closing a sale, we suggest the prosumer range as a bare minimum, as the category provides the essential features you'll need for this type of work. Those features include photo and video quality, battery life, wind resistance, and obstacle avoidance. One optional feature you may also want to consider is integrated flight modes. If you completely trust your piloting skills, then you can ignore this one, but for many, manually recording smooth clips can be a challenge. With integrated flight modes, a tap will produce shake-free clips with a bit of Hollywood flare, as the drone automatically flies a specific flight pattern while recording. With that being said, let's look at the pros and cons of three affordable options.
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Potensic ATOM 2: 48MP photos and 4K30 video with a 1/2" CMOS sensor. It has six flight modes and a vertical setting for social media. Each flight is up to 32 minutes and it can handle breezes up to 24 mph. One drawback is the lack of obstacle avoidance.
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DJI Mini 4 Pro: 48MP photos and 4K100 video with a 1/1.3" CMOS and D-Log M support. This equates to better quality footage, slow motion, and easier post processing. It also has six flight modes with vertical shooting, but its gimbal rotates in flight for true vertical shooting. Flight time is slightly better at up to 34 minutes and wind resistance is identical to the ATOM 2. The huge difference is the inclusion of omnidirectional obstacle avoidance.
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DJI Air 3: In the feature set that we've laid out, the Air 3 is nearly identical to the Mini 4 Pro: 48MP, 4K100, 1/1.3" CMOS, D-Log M, six flight modes, vertical video, and omnidirectional avoidance. What sets it apart is its wind resistance of 27 mph and much longer flight time of up to 46 minutes.
Inside Immersion
With the increased availability and affordability of FPV drones, filming homes and buildings from the inside is now a real possibility, adding a unique touch to your presentation to potential buyers. The key to flying indoors in a real estate setting is the immersion. An FPV drone doesn't just tell clients about the home, but what it will feel like to live in it. Clients can more easily envision themselves walking from room to room. Sure, a camera on a gimbal can achieve something similar, but FPV drones don't require you to walk everywhere and can easily provide videos that transition between the property's exterior and interior.
These transition shots can start outside, go through the front door, in and out of rooms, then out the back, all in a fluid sequence. Now, utilizing FPV flying in real estate doesn't come without its risks. Flying from a distance via goggles can be disorienting to beginners and there's always the chance of damage to a home's brand-new fixtures, appliances, and painted walls, even if you're a proficient pilot. So, we recommend lots of practice for beginners and to take it slow, regardless of your skill level. As far as which drone to pick, we only have one suggestion for this inside job, and that's the DJI Avata 2. It has 4K video, a 1/1.3" CMOS sensor, D-Log M support, up to 23 minutes of flight time, and the drone’s frame features integrated protective propeller guards.
Drone Tips
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Plan Ahead: In addition to the basics of checking the weather, charging batteries, and testing your gear, take a look at Google Maps or Google Earth. They can be invaluable in learning what's around a property and could give you a few new ideas to add to your checklist of shots to capture.
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Time Is Money: When preparing your shot checklist, always capture more than you think you'll need. You'll never know which angle will show off the property the best or perfectly frame it against surrounding landmarks. Also, if a client asks for a shot after the fact, you'll likely already have it ready to go. The last thing you want to do is waste time revisiting a location.
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Be Aware: This is maybe more of a reminder than a tip, but always look up and take note of power lines and surrounding trees and structures. These things are a near constant on real estate shoots and you don't want to be so consumed in the job that you wind up crashing your drone in the process.
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Gear Up: As a general drone rule, you can't have enough propellers and batteries in your bag. Nothing is worse than a wasted day because you ran out of power or couldn't fix your drone. When it comes to real estate flying, we'd also highly recommend a car battery charger and filter kit. You'll likely have multiple shoots in a day, so charging as you drive can save the day. The same goes with filters, which let you optically manage exposure, reflections, and glare; saving you time in continually adjusting the camera's settings. We recommend a kit with ND and ND/PL filters in as many values as possible. If you plan to shoot when the sun starts to go down, grab an LPR (Light Pollution Reduction) filter too. It blocks wavelengths used in the artificial lighting found in streetlights and urban areas, giving you better results.
We hope this article has given you an appreciation of the increasingly significant role drones play in the real estate industry, and the information needed to begin to use one for yourself. For more information about the products mentioned here, or drones in general, be sure to check out our expansive selection of drones and accessories.
