The Guide to Drones

There is no better way for a potential home buyer to visualize a neighborhood and its surroundings online than aerial photography. Residential clients are typically real estate agents looking for 8 to 10 glamorous aerial shots to choose from. These listings could include places like apartment complexes or houses with small acreages of land. Commercial real estate agents looking to sell larger plots of land find more benefit in capturing the entirety of the property using the same techniques, but from a much higher perspective.
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Whether it is how close the home is to the beach or the highway, home buyers often value location as a top priority. Drone shots allow customers the ability to view the home in perspective to nearby amenities and landmarks. This is especially valuable to transferees who are first moving to the town or neighborhood. Listing agents who use drones for real estate could see an increase in listings as high as 73% and deal closing increases as high as 68%. This value creation for your customers makes offering drone shots a big opportunity for your business.
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Now that you have decided you want to offer aerial photography, you need a drone. Drones can range from $500 to $2,000 and beyond. While you explore different drones to purchase you will keep running into the name DJI. The commercial drone giant has over a 77% market share with no other competitor holding over 4%. When looking for a drone you may only need to visit one place, dji.com. DJI sells consumer and professional drones alike. If you are just starting out you may look at something such as the DJI Mavic Mini in the $400 range. If you value a superior flight experience and optimal camera quality you may be better off with the new Mavic Air 2S in the $1,000 range.
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Now that you have a drone you are able to go shoot your first aerial content for your client right? Unfortunately, this is not the case. If you’re looking to fly a drone for any non-recreational purpose, you must get a Remote Pilot Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This certificate is commonly known as a drone license or a Part 107 license. The cost of acquiring your Part 107 is usually under $500 and takes about 4-6 weeks to get. You can sign up for an online test prep and training course with a website like, https://www.dronepilotgroundschool.com/drone-license/
After you receive your license, you are all set to take to the skies and offer aerial content!