When UK estate agents first used drones for photography in 2012 it was assumed they would be hired - but now with devices costing under £1,000 it seems even modest sized agencies are buying their own.
The latest to take this route is M&M Properties in Gravesend. Director Nigel Miller has himself learned how to use the drone - the type his company has purchased is called a quadcopter - which is used to capture images of larger homes.
The response so far has been positive.The vendors love it. I probably spend more time showing them the camera than I do taking the pictures Miller has explained to Kent Online.
In an interesting observation on changing technology for agents, he says that it was only 20 years ago that a processing company would pick up rolls of film from the agency office and deliver it back - in the form of hard-copy photographs - the next day.
"Then digital cameras came out and we could do our own. Then there was the internet and we could upload them ourselves - this is just another of those things that is seeing the business changing as technology moves forward he says.
Some drone devices are on sale online now in the UK for under £500 although there remains debate over the precise legal status of when and how these can be used, as reported previously in Estate Agent Today.
Comments
As a company that has just launched its first drone for estate agency pictures, we have had to jump through every hoop you could imagine. We have spent many thousands to make our UAV operative legal. We have also spent thousands on a professional drone with incredible camera equipment to make sure our clients get the best quality. No licence means, no insurance, illegal flying and short changing companies that do this correctly to protect the public and our reputation.
The CAA are handing out large fines for companies that don't comply, and we are delighted with this, as you wouldn't hand someone a car and expect them to drive correctly and safely without lessons and a full licence. This amounts to the same...........
There are many layers of red tape you need to cross to be able to use these. It's not just a case of buying a drone and then using it willy nilly. As far as my research goes, you must have a license and request all sorts of permissions each time you use it. I would seek legal advice before using these for business. You are likely to end up with a very hefty fine.