Drones and Real Estate

This article about an experimental drone system to deliver Domino’s® Pizza caught my eye.  Tongue-in-cheek, I wondered if the pizza was still hot when delivered.  But it made me think about a short excerpt that I saw back in March about drones (technically called ‘unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAV’s) and real estate.

A few real estate professionals have experimented with camera-carrying drones to get wonderful photos of their listings.  And why not?  In the past, if you had a large parcel of land or a magnificent estate, agents would hire small airplanes or helicopters with photographers to get photos that would show the property at its best.  Now, with drones, it can be done quicker and more affordably.

Ah, but there’s a catch. Isn’t there always?

Local law enforcement and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have ordered some drone operators to cease, citing lack of regulations for commercial use - and this is considered a commercial use.  Congress has ordered the FAA to have a plan by September 2015, although it’s expected that there will be guidelines for units that weigh less than 55 lbs or less earlier than that, perhaps by the end of this year.

Still photos are easier to get with a UAV than video footage, due to motion stability issues.  A quick internet search revealed that you can buy a drone from around $100 up to over $5,000.  Some Realtors® cited in the articles say that they paid $700-$900 for theirs.  I guess it’s OK for consumers, but for now, drones and real estate is off limits.

Domino’s® Pizza, which stirred me to write this blog entry, is an early adopter of technology.  They were the first to use an insulated heat bag to keep pizza warm, developed the first corrugated pizza box, and later started the online pizza builder and order tracking service.  For the record, I have no affiliation with them and consider their product ‘alright’.  Not the best pizza I’ve ever eaten, and certainly not the worst.

photo courtesy of victor habbic/freedigitalphotos.net