Real Estate & ‘Drones’ – Useful Information for Agents
August 24, 2018
You simply can’t get away from them these days. They’re in the news, usually reported under ‘bad’ news rather than the good they bring, your friend may own one or you may have even bought one yourself. They have a few names dependant upon the aircraft; Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs), UAVs, RPASs, etc. or as the media like to call them – ‘Drones’ – it seems like they’re everywhere.
Love them or hate them, one fact is undeniable and that is that drones continue to ‘fly high’ within industries that have embraced them and continue to make headway in to new market opportunities.
Marketing in general, but in particular within Real Estate, has become a large consumer of UAS service providers and although tempting as it may be for Estate Agents to pop down to the nearest shop that sells the latest and greatest drone out there to take some footage for their client themselves, it’s not quite as simple as that.
And this is why.
A drone is in actual fact an ‘aircraft’ and from a Commercial standpoint, requires the ‘Remote Pilot’ (the person in command of the aircraft) to;
1. Have successfully completed the appropriate training with a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) approved National Qualified Entity (NQE) and be certified by the NQE that they are competent pilots and have the required standard of knowledge and skills as set out by the CAA
2. Have the mandatory insurance in place which is in accordance with the requirements of regulation (EC)785/2004 (the minimum level of insurance cover required for all air carriers and operators) and includes at least the minimum amount of Liability insurance for the individual operation to be conducted
3. Be approved by the UK CAA by way of Permission for Commercial Operations (PfCO) – note this is not a license but is based on a permissions and exemption system and is the current industry standard
As recently as 30th July 2018, new regulations came into force that tightened up the law with regards to flying an unmanned aircraft in UK airspace and further regulation and law is currently planned for late 2019. Expect this to continue.
So unless you’re fortunate to have an employee in your own Estate Agent that holds a PfCO, insurance and their own aircraft, it really is necessary to hire a professional operator to undertake any aerial footage on your behalf, otherwise the law could be broken.
Additionally, partnering with a UAS operator to take aerial footage on your behalf ensures that firstly, you as an Estate Agent are operating within the law but secondly, this approach future proofs your business as you leave all of the regulatory items, insurance requirements and all other aviation nuances to the professionals.
Written by: Neil Rutter – neil@gorilladrones.co.uk
You May Also Enjoy
How much is a Halloween home from Hell?
Halloween homes from Hell will cost you an average of £448k The latest property market insight from Yopa reveals that Hell is the most expensive Halloween-related road name in England, but those living on a road with Lantern in the name have seen an almost paranormal property price increase of 44.8% in the past year.…
Read More 
Halloween house price drops hit 1 in 4 areas
The latest research from The Property DriveBuy has found that the vast majority of homeowners are in for a treat this Halloween, with just 24% of local authority areas across the UK seeing house prices fall since last October. However, homeowners in Westminster, Kensington and Ceredigion have seen the most haunting house price drops in…
Read More 
Nine in 10 young flat sharers say they’ve lived with a ‘housemate horror’
Leaving dirty crockery in the sink and blasting music or the TV at antisocial hours top the list of most common ‘housemate horror’ traits New types of frightful flatmates have emerged including ‘Nocturnal Gamers’, ‘Persistent Puffers’ and ‘WhatsApp Micromanagers’ 64 per cent of house-sharers say ‘horror housemates’ have cost them money by not paying their…
Read More 
How Local Market Trends Affect Your Home’s Selling Price
Introduction When planning to sell your home, understanding local market trends is crucial. Whether you’re working with estate agents in Selby or estate agents in Leeds, these professionals emphasize the importance of market dynamics on your home’s selling price. Local factors such as supply and demand, interest rates, and economic conditions influence property values. These…
Read More 
The biggest Halloween rent hikes
Revealed – Where tenants have been haunted by the biggest Halloween rent hikes The latest market analysis from London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, has revealed which areas of the rental market are haunting tenants this Halloween, having seen the largest increase in the average monthly cost of renting since this time last…
Read More 
The UK’s anti-social behaviour hotspots revealed as Halloween looms
As Halloween looms, the latest research by over-50s property specialist, Regency Living, has revealed the nation’s most anti-social postcodes, based on the proportion of crime related to anti-social behaviour (ASB), with Ealing, Fylde, Westminster, West Lancashire and Chorley topping the table. Halloween may be a time for good-natured spooky fun, but for some, the fright…
Read More