If using drones to capture footage to help advertise a listing technically runs afoul of U.S. Federal Aviation Administration regulations for the many without a permit, that’s not stopping legions of brokers and agents from employing them to give their listing videos an aerial punch — including many who’ve submitted to Inman’s #toplistingvids contest.
In this week’s #toplistingvids competition, two drone footage-filled listing videos go head to head. Watch the videos and vote for your favorite below. The winner earns a feature story on Inman.
Featuring time-lapse video techniques, a pulsing soundtrack and a color palette full of rich greens and blues, the first video showcases a two-bed, two-bath Chapel Hill, North Carolina, home going for $649,900. The home is listed by Kimberly Boyer, an agent with Coldwell Banker Howard Perry and Walston.
The competition features sweeping aerial views of a $999,000 three-bedroom, two-bathroom listing that sits on the banks of the Hudson River just north of New York City. The home is listed by Nicole DuBow, an agent with Wright Bros. Real Estate.
Voting will close on Monday, June 8 at 10 a.m. Eastern time.
Using drones for commercial purposes
Until the FAA finalizes rules for commercial drone operators, it maintains that real estate agents and other for-profit drone operators must petition for exemptions under Section 333 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012.
As of March 9, the FAA had issued only four real estate-related exemptions to operate drones for commercial purposes, and those mandate that operators be licensed to fly actual airplanes.
