Are you one of the more than 5,000 real estate photographers working in this country right now? If so, you’re probably very familiar with how to take the best possible photos of the interiors and exteriors of houses. But more real estate agents are starting to expect real estate photographers to be able to capture aerial shots of their properties, too. It’s why you might want to take some time to learn about using drones for real estate photography.

Many photographers have already started to familiarize themselves with utilizing drone photography for real estate purposes. As a result, you might run the risk of falling behind these photographers in the pecking order if you don’t make it your mission to educate yourself about real estate drone photography.

Today, we’re going to talk to you about almost everything you’ll need to know about the utilization of drones in real estate photography. It’ll help give you an edge over some of your competition.

Keep reading to get the inside scoop on the connection between drone photography and real estate.

Why Are Photographers Using Drones for Real Estate Photography?

Drones have been around in some form or fashion for well over a century at this point. In fact, some people would argue that the very earliest drones date all the way back to the middle of the 1850s.

So, why is it that photographers are just starting to use drones for real estate photography? Well, there are several reasons for it.

For starters, real estate photography as a whole has shifted over the last one or two decades due in large part to the fact that the internet has made it possible for real estate agents to post as many photos of their listings as they want online. It has led to photographers aiming to capture homes from all angles to increase the chances of them selling quickly.

With this in mind, it only makes sense for agents to ask the photographers they use to utilize drones in real estate for them. Photographers are able to take aerial photos using real estate drones that can give potential buyers a better sense of just how big properties are.

Drone photography for real estate purposes has also risen in popularity because drone prices in general have come down so much. It doesn’t cost tens of thousands of dollars anymore to buy a real estate drone. It’s made the idea of using drones in real estate so much more accessible to most real estate agents and photographers.

Is Drone Photography for Real Estate Necessary?

Technically, you don’t have to use drones for real estate photography every single time you take photos of a home that’s going up on the market.

If a home sits on a smaller piece of property, there might not be much land to showcase through the usage of drone photography. In this case, it isn’t going to make much sense for a photographer to take any real estate drone photos.

But anytime that a home sits on a larger piece of property, it would be to your benefit to have a real estate drone that you can pull out. It’s going to provide amazing aerial photos that a real estate agent can use to set a home apart from many of the others that are on the market in its area.

How Can You Capture Great Real Estate Drone Photography?

Another reason why many real estate listings will include at least one real estate drone photo these days is that it’s become very easy for photographers to snap these photos. It’s not anywhere near as complicated as it used to be.

When you’re using drones for real estate photography, you can send them up as high as 400 feet in the sky to give yourself a bird’s eye view of a home and the property surrounding it. From there, it’ll be all about finding the right composition for real estate photos while also keeping things like exposure and color in mind.

It’s going to take you some time to master the art of using drones for real estate photography. But once you get the hang of it, you’ll see that it isn’t all that different from using your usual camera to take real estate photos.

The editing process for real estate drone photos also tends to be easier than the usual editing process for other real estate photos. You shouldn’t have to try to make too many edits as long as you were able to capture a property from the right angles.

What Is the Best Real Estate Drone?

If you decide that you would like to invest in a real estate drone, it’s going to be up to you to select the best one of the bunch. The global drone market is growing at a remarkable rate right now, and that means that you’ll have more than enough options.

You should shop around for real estate drones that you know will check a lot of the right boxes for you. DJI is a company that sells quite a few drones that would be great for real estate photography, like the Mavic Air 2 and the Mavic 3.

To settle on a real estate drone, you should take a handful of factors into consideration, including:

• Brand
• Size
• Capabilities
• Price
• Reputation

Don’t be afraid to ask other real estate photographers you know to see which real estate drones they like most. They might be able to recommend one that will meet your needs without breaking the bank.

Is It Worth Buying a Drone for Real Estate Photography?

As we just alluded to a moment ago, price is one of the key factors you’ll want to consider when you’re picking out a real estate drone. There are some drones that will sell for only a few hundred dollars and others that will cost you thousands of dollars.

You’re welcome to spend as much money as you’d like to on a real estate drone. But generally speaking, you should try to search for a real estate drone that’s going to land somewhere between $1,000 and $3,000.

By doing this, you’ll get your hands on a drone that will be capable of capturing high-quality real estate photos without putting yourself in a position where you’ll have to spend a small fortune on a drone that you might only use every so often.

How often you’ll utilize drones for real estate photography is another thing to think about when you’re considering if it’ll be worth it. You should only purchase one right now if you’ve already started fielding your fair share of requests for drone photography or if you suspect these requests could be coming soon.

Are Drones in Real Estate Going to Be a Fad?

There are some people who have speculated that using drones for real estate photography might not be something that is done for very long. They’ve suggested that drones in real estate might just be a fad that will pass soon enough.

But it wouldn’t appear that this will be the case if you really look at it. As of right now, drones are being used to take aerial shots of some homes that sit on larger properties. There could, however, come a time when drone technology advances to the point where drones are used to photograph almost all homes.

Some photographers have actually begun flying drones through the interiors of larger homes to give people an even better look at them. You might not need to be prepared to do this just yet. But it shows that there is going to be a place in real estate photography for drones both now and well into the future.

Is It Legal to Take Real Estate Drone Photos?

One final thing that you might be concerned about when it comes to using drones for real estate photography is the legality of doing it. You actually should be concerned about this to some degree since there are rules and regulations in place regarding the use of real estate drones.

It is legal for you to use a real estate drone. But you’ll need to register your drone with the FAA before you do it.

You’ll also need to secure a Remote Pilot Certificate with a small UAS rating through the FAA prior to putting a real estate drone to good use. It’ll make you a legit drone pilot.

If you don’t do both of these things, you could receive fines and other penalties for operating a drone without them. You should also look into whether there might be additional laws governing real estate drones in your specific state.

Start Shopping for Real Estate Drones Today

Now that you know more about using drones for real estate photography, you might be interested in buying one. Shop around for the best real estate drone possible for your photography business.

A drone like this can help take your photography business to the next level. It may help you attract more clients and help you develop a new style when you’re taking drone photography for real estate purposes.

Browse through our blog to read more great drone-related content.