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
£39bn boost for affordable homes programme
Following today’s Spending Review where affordable housing has been allocated £39bn over the next 10 years, here are some thoughts from the Industry. Alex Slater, Rightmove’s housebuilding expert: “Today’s news is a really positive boost for the housebuilding industry and a step in the right direction. There aren’t enough affordable homes, so we welcome any…
Read More 
Comment on Today’s Spending Review
Andy Jones, Group Director of Corporate Sales, Lettings & BTR at LRG: While the considerably increased funding for affordable housing is welcomed and will help provide a boost to new homes and affordable housing development, from a property investment perspective I feel that the Chancellor has missed an opportunity to tackle the development viability crisis…
Read More 
Small builders must be at the heart of the housing solution
The Chancellor’s decision to spend £39bn to boost social housing projects is a welcome move to help tackle the housing crisis, but the delivery of these homes needs to be open to small local housebuilders who are often shut out of the procurement process, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). Brian Berry, Chief Executive…
Read More 
Selling Dubai Property to UK Clients
A Practical Guide for Real Estate Agents Selling Dubai property to UK clients is a smart way for real estate agents to grow their portfolios. British investors are actively looking for high-yield opportunities abroad, and Dubai Real Estate offers exactly that—strong returns, no capital gains tax, and a desirable lifestyle. Why UK Investors Are Buying…
Read More 
For HMO landlords, bigger is better when it comes to yields
As Bradford emerges as the HMO yield capital of England, new insight from COHO, the HMO management platform, reveals that larger HMOs generate stronger yields than smaller ones despite requiring higher up-front investment costs. But should landlords be looking for even stronger returns by focussing their attention on the next generation of housemates? COHO has…
Read More 
Chancellor intervenes to solve housing crisis
The Chancellor is expected to announce the biggest boost to social and affordable housing investment in a generation, allocating £39 billion over the next decade as part of a new Affordable Housing Programme. Richard Beresford, Chief Executive of the National Federation of Builders (NFB), said: “Rachel Reeves is backing up her planning reforms with the…
Read More