Can Drone Aerial Photography For Real Estate Listings Violate FAA Rules?
Lately I'm noticing a new trend to add to the listing agent's toolbox. I'm seeing more and more Aerial photograpy done by drones and I can say they are VERY cool! I'd LOVE to have these done for my sellers but am a tad bit worried though when it comes to a higher density area where a listing can't be isolated.
A recent Inman News article titled "FAA says Realtors who fly drones to shoot listing photos are not hobbyists " goes on to say "In a notice interpreting the special rule governing model aircraft, the FAA explicitly stated that “a Realtor using a model aircraft to photograph a property that he is trying to sell and using the photos in the property’s real estate listing” is not engaged in a hobby or recreation.
Nor is “a person photographing a property or event and selling the photos to someone else. Realtors and other commercial drone operators "are subject to all existing FAA regulations, as well as future rule-making action,” the FAA said."
Where does NAR stand on this? From the article:
In April, the National Association of Realtors and nearly three dozen other groups sent a a letter to the FAA urging the agency to speed up its process for issuing rules that will govern the commercial use of drones.
In a statement, NAR said the trade group’s “policy experts are reviewing the notice closely and haven’t decided if we will submit a comment or not. We’ll also be discussing the notice with our coalition partners to see how/if we will respond together.”
NAR President Steve Brown said that while NAR “does not have an official policy on the use of drones at this time, the association recommends against members’ use of drones for real estate marketing purposes and against hiring companies to do the same until such time as the FAA issues regulations providing for the commercial use of unmanned aircraft.”
Are you using these do advertise your listings? I'm thinking if I had a listing that I could be isolated to not get any other homes in it where you aren't at risk of violating the privacy of neighbors, then OK. Otherwise, I'm gonna sit back and wait on this one!
What do you think of this? I'm thinking this is the new thing to come and a great way to give buyers a different view. Yes, there is google earth, but can you get the same effect? Who knows!
*Photo by By Peter van der Sluijs (Own work)
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