Drones are being used all over the United States by hobbyists and professionals alike. The laws and policies have been ever changing since drones have first been accessible outside the military, mainly in order to best accommodate safety and protection of air space, privacy and those on location. Having the accessibility of capturing aerial footage easily for marketing, troubleshooting, or inspecting damage, drones offer a huge range of benefits, especially when it comes to commercial real estate. As a result, our team members have spent time over the last couple months learning about safety, legality and quality of drone videos and how they can best be employed when listing properties for our clients.
Brokers learned there are many factors that play into having a legal drone video produced. Ultimately, the FAA has the final say about if a drone can fly within five miles of any airport, commercial, municipal or personal. In Bend and Redmond, that can present a challenge for filming because there are a high number of small airports within that five mile range. There are, however, ways to legally provide elevated footage.
The restrictions are ever changing and require participants to always follow the policies and file for permits to the letter in order to avoid repercussions. At this point, fines from filming illegally can directly impact every party involved in the video, from the person hiring the drone pilot to the drone pilot to the owner of the property. Our brokers understand the negative impact this type of liability can have and will follow best practices for client videos.
Drone videos are not all created equal. The quality of the end product should represent the property accurately. There are many components factored into creating a beautiful video, including knowing shots that are important to include, time of day, framing, tone of the video, etc. In order to create the best possible video, the brokers work with clients to have an idea of who the target audience will be and craft the video to the buyer.
According to Compass Commercial broker Dan Kemp, “Drone photography and video add a level of sophistication to the marketing of a property. Buyers and tenants can experience a property in a much more intimate way than satellite maps and still pictures can deliver. The best way to use drone images and video is to combine them with still images and video from inside the building to create a virtual tour that tells the complete story.” Dan goes on to say, “Without ever stepping foot on the property, buyers and tenants can use the virtual tour to truly determine the suitability of the property for their use which saves everyone time and energy.”
Despite the ever changing laws surrounding drones, we can expect the use of drones will stay put. Their utility goes far beyond marketing videos, and can be used for due diligence, energy efficiency, 3D modeling and surveys, and so much more. We work to provide the best marketing possible for our clients selling a property, as well as allowing purchasing or leasing clients to find the best possible property for their needs.
If you have questions about having a drone video produced for your listing, please contact your broker at Compass Commercial Real Estate Services at 541.383.2444.