Vancouver brothers Jordan and Russ Macnab have a new weapon for marketing local real estate: high-flying drones.
[youtube id=”IXc-cTFXg-E” align=”center”]
The drone might be best known for its military combat and surveillance usages, but there are now small, commercial models available that allow drone technology to be used to sell real estate properties.
The family real estate team’s drone is essentially a remote-controlled helicopter with a camera attached to its base to take videos and photos. “They give us the opportunity to show off a million more angles of the homes we are trying to sell,” said Jordan.
“We usually produce amazing real estate trailers using our SLR camera and equipment, but now we can fly over the house, through the loft, around the neighbourhood and as high as a few hundred feet to showcase all the surroundings. The possibilities and options are endless.”
As a local first, their $3,000 ‘quadcopter’ drone, propelled by four rotors, and associated equipment has taken their real estate listing videos to a whole new level, particularly with larger homes and mansions that allow for more ‘extreme’ footage.
Some of their clients prior to their acquisition of drone capability are even coming back to them for re-shoots using their new quadcopter.
However, for the brothers, safety considerations are always prioritized above anything else. They have had their drone for a few months and have been practising as much as possible to become expert pilots.
In addition, every time they use their drone for commercial purposes there is some red tape that must be overcome as they are required to acquire a special flight permit from Transport Canada. “Because we are using for business purposes, we are required by Transport Canada to get a Special Flight Operations Certificate every time we fly,” said Jordan.
“There are a bunch of limitations as to how high and how close you can fly to things and people. For interior shots, we even need to submit a flight plan for the route the quadcopter will take inside a home.”
The use of drones for commercial purposes is expected to skyrocket in the coming years. Last year, Amazon announced it would be exploring the possibilities of using drones to deliver packages to customers’ doorsteps.
Image: The Macnabs
Follow Channels and Categories