The real estate industry is becoming more and more competitive and agents will have to look for
innovations in order to stay ahead of the game. Being ahead of everyone else means using only high-
quality photos in their campaigns, like those shot with drones. Drone marketing has really swept the
industry by storm, but agents must be careful trying out the latest technology in photography. There are
a lot of things to consider and adequate liability insurance is underlined on the list.
Should you buy a drone or hire a professional?
So, you have two options, to buy a drone yourself and do it your way or hire a service provider. Here are
things to consider.
Take this into mind, while the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has lowered the restrictions for
flying drones in order for more operators to be allowed to enter the market, this does not automatically
mean that safety can be neglected in its operations, or that it is for the novice and easy to use.
A high-quality camera, which is very much necessary for great results may cost more $1000. Shooting a
house in Wasilla may be hard enough if it is surrounded by tall trees. There is always the possibility that
one might crash the drone, and that makes you lose the investment right away.
Just for those reasons, it is wise to hire vendor; or that it is the more popular choice. Instead of paying
thousands of dollars with the risk of losing it entirely over miscalculation, agents can just spend a little
more than $100 to get aerial photos of a property. On the other side, there are still some who choice to
learn the craft and they are the ones who are looking to save money in the long run. But how long?
Next Hurdle: The License
In order to become a drone operator, it is necessary to have a license. Although FAA does not require a
pilot’s license to fly a drone, commercial drone operators need to get a remote pilot certificate; this is
for those who are looking to fly drones to make a profit out of it and not just for his/her hobby. It is
referred to as the “Part 107 Certificate” or simply, “drone license”, which requires a $150 fee and
passing a written exam. In order to prepare for it, brave souls may check out FAA’s online courses, which
covers test subjects such as safety, weather, emergency procedures and other related topics.
And More Importantly, the Insurance Coverage
Drone flying may just be something you can relate to flying remote control toys you used to play with as
a kid or a teenager; it is fun and exciting and a fresh approach to doing real estate campaigns, but don’t
take them lightly. These flying machines with dangerous sharp blades and cunning agility may cause
property damage and personal injury.
Whether you choose to hire a professional drone pilot for your photoshoot or do it yourself, real estate
agents will be liable to the outcome of the activity, more importantly in the event the drone crashes.
Therefore, insurance policies must be in place. More so, there have been cases when neighbors threaten
to sue the agent or the owner of the property over claims of violation of privacy because they appeared
in the background of aerial photos. This happens in Alaska too.
The usual Commercial General Liability Insurance may not be enough to cover these issues since drone
is still considered a new technology. It may be necessary for a real estate agent to work with their
insurance company to make sure that their insurance policy will cover drone related accidents. Here’s
tip, an individual insurance for “unmanned aircraft” may be enough to cover the real estate agent’s
business while still hiring a vendor. You can also check out “Error & Omissions Policy” and “Personal
Injury Liability Policy” and see if it works for you. Then again, talk to your insurance company about this
to ensure that you have the right coverage.
Surely you don’t want to be left out in the trend, if you’re new to drone marketing, please let us know at
DMD Real Estate Photography so we can help you out with it. We service around Anchorage, Wasilla,
Palmer, Eagle River and other nearby areas. Remember to only hire a professional to get the best
results.