Real estate for rookies

[envisionabove]

Wow, some of you it seems this work fell right in your lap. I wish I could say the same for myself. I've been trying to do a little side business with my Phantom for quite a number of months now. I printed up some business cards, flyers and setup a decent webpage with a small photo gallery of homes I've done aerial photos of for fun. I mailed out like 60 flyers to various real estate agents and not even 1 call or inquiry from any of them. What a bummer.

If you want goto open house's, see if you get in on with the agent. Get information....find your competition see what they are doing. Junk mail has a reason it's named that. It's all about who you get to know.

Do you have a shop that knows you buy name? Check out the webpage create a better one being careful of hurting feelings.

Still cold

 

[johan]

Wow, some of you it seems this work fell right in your lap. I wish I could say the same for myself. I've been trying to do a little side business with my Phantom for quite a number of months now. I printed up some business cards, flyers and setup a decent webpage with a small photo gallery of homes I've done aerial photos of for fun. I mailed out like 60 flyers to various real estate agents and not even 1 call or inquiry from any of them. What a bummer.

Are there any agents in your area doing aerial video of their properties? Are there any agents in your area doing video of their properties at all?

When it comes to marketing, everyone tends to do whatever everyone else is doing. And everyone tends to stay away from what everyone else is staying away from. The logic being, if my competition is or isn't doing it, there must be a reason.

 

[dataway]

I have done quite a bit of commercial flying for profit and the one thing, especially as a beginner is to learn to fly in ATTI mode and when you can do that with confidence then get insurance, I was able to add a rider onto my homeowners umbrella policy and proved very cost effective. I do have a 333 and I have found that shooting for the movie industry they require it even on a closed set and of course insurance. Flying for real estate they usually do not...so go practice and make this hobby pay for itself...


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[lonjsnyder]

Bryce ... FYI as a hobbyist in the U.S., a membership in the AMA provides liability insurance. Flying commercially, it doesn't.


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[johan]

I do have a 333 and I have found that shooting for the movie industry they require it even on a closed set and of course insurance.

Out of curiosity, do you also have a pilot cert and are you current? I'm not looking to slam you if you don't. I'm just curious how intense the movie industry is about requiring drone operators to be legal i.e. whether simply having 333 is good enough for them or whether they also go as far as to require operators to adhere to every last required detail of their 333.

 

[dataway]

Out of curiosity, do you also have a pilot cert and are you current? I'm not looking to slam you if you don't. I'm just curious how intense the movie industry is about requiring drone operators to be legal i.e. whether simply having 333 is good enough for them or whether they also go as far as to require operators to adhere to every last required detail of their 333.

Hi Johan,

Yes I have a current pilots license for both fixed wing and Heli. The movie industry is pretty strict with the guidelines but once you are in it can be very lucrative as a side job and helps pay for this great hobby..


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[johan]

Interesting. So they actually check that you hold a pilot cert and also that you've got a current flight review then? Well makes sense I suppose. They've got a lot of money on the line in their productions.

 

[johan]

Umm... FAA certified commercial pilot here. :wave: Nice post. Unfortunately you're comparing apples to bicycles.

Currently you would have an extremely difficult time doing anything with a drone that would ever land you in jail. And if you were to manage to figure out exactly how to do something with a drone that would land you in jail, having a 333 and pilot certificate wouldn't help you in the slightest.

As for civil suit liability, what's already been said is pretty accurate. If you're doing a commercial shoot and you damage some property or hurt someone, you're going to be responsible for damages. Having pilot cert and a 333 is not going to prevent you from being sued nor being liable for damages. And not having a pilot cert or 333 would not result in being sued for any greater damages then you would otherwise be responsible for.

Having a pilot cert and 333 might make it easier for you to get insurance. But any insurance you're likely to be able to get is almost definitely going to have a deductible. And since most damages you're likely to incur with a 2lb drone would likely be $1000 or under, you're going to be out of pocket for the total cost of damages in most cases regardless of whether you have insurance or not.

 

[lonjsnyder]

What if your accidentally crashed drone results in bodily injury to someone? That is the real potentially large liability exposure.


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[johan]

What if your accidentally crashed drone results in bodily injury to someone? That is the real potentially large liability exposure.


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I know of no recreational drone owners who carry liability insurance. So how does the fact that you're doing a commercial shoot make that scenario any different than if you were flying recreationally in a public park when it happened? IOW, this is a risk scenario that EVERY SINGLE DRONE OWNER became exposed to the moment they took their first drone out of the box.

 

[envisionabove]

Lot's of good Information here. All great points from both sides I mite add.

 

[lonjsnyder]

AMA provides up to $2mil
http://www.modelaircraft.org/files/InsuranceSummaryMembers.pdf

But not for commercial flying.


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[Bryce]

What if your accidentally crashed drone results in bodily injury to someone? That is the real potentially large liability exposure.


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If they can PROVE damages in court... then yes.... we pay. But that is to be expected.

If they get nicked on the finger or arm... go to the hospital and pay for a laceration and stitches... I will pay for their medical costs... Great!

But if you are filming around people... that is the risk you take. Filming a house with nobody around???? .. I can imagine that MANY people wouldn't think twice about it. Who cares if it crashes into the side of a house... Big deal. If you are filming a house with a babies 1st birthday party going on in the back yard... well, that would be an issue.

Flying at 1500 feet over a lake? Nobody around? I wouldn't' think twice about it. 1500 feet over a golf course? wouldn't think twice about it. Golf courses are loving these drones now. Tell me what hole you are on... I'll flying right behind your shot and follow as long as I can... they are really cool shots. Same with soccer shots in the goal with a good peel off type pan when there is good curve on the ball... nothing is better.

 

[Huskerfan]

This was my first attempt on my own house. Yes, I'm in the picture. Yes, I probably linger to long on the 2nd shot but overall not too bad. I am trying to charge $200 for a video like this for acreages and $50 per still shot. Hope this helps the op a little with his questions. What do y'all think?

 

[Bryce]

This was my first attempt on my own house. Yes, I'm in the picture. Yes, I probably linger to long on the 2nd shot but overall not too bad. I am trying to charge $200 for a video like this for acreages and $50 per still shot. Hope this helps the op a little with his questions. What do y'all think?

Looks great. That is all that people are looking for really. Don't need a "333" or anything. Just put it up, get the footage, send them a usb stick.

the back house transition would look better if it was a fade/black I think.. but good soft motion. They want to see the house, what it looks like compared to the neighborhood from each side..and bonus, general higher up of the entire neighborhood to put it in perspective.

A Dossier on a house can include google maps from up above.... then anything from 1600 feet down you can provide. Anything in the same neighborhood you can already have your stock footage in place and just "copy and paste" flyover's leading into the area.

Kids playing in the yard can be editing in later on... as UAV police will jump

 

[Lofty Visions]

Flying at 1500 feet over a lake? Nobody around? I wouldn't' think twice about it. 1500 feet over a golf course? wouldn't think twice about it. .

Just popped back in here to see how this thread is going, mainly over concern and interest in this subject.

Look i get some people don't agree with the current laws (me included to some extent) but what I am concerned about more is trying to give helpful advice for people to be safe under the current laws to prevent accidents.

Let me give you an example. Before I was qualified I used to fly my Phantom along a very quiet local beach. Nobody around so I thought ok to fly. After doing my CASA training and learned how to read VNC maps I was shocked to find that most of the airspace in my local area is controlled. Most of it is R rated meaning restricted. I found out that to mean military training flights after looking up the ERSA. I also found out that the beach is in a VFR flight path (visual flight rules), meaning there would be light aircraft in the area. Now had I gone up to 1500 feet as you're suggesting even with nobody around I would have been in a whole heap of trouble if something had happened. Fortunately I didn't go above 400ft and never have, but at least now I know that it is important to be aware of your surroundings even if nobody is around. You really need to know if the airspace you're in is controlled or not if you're flying at that height, despite the fact that we're limited to 400ft AGL (but let's not go there).

I know I was comparing apples to bicycles earlier but it was simply a vague analogy to help people understand. From what people have stated since I guess it's a bit like the excess on your car insurance, you still pay a bit even if you're insured. I also understand that there are different rules for different countries - I can only comment on what I know of Australian law.

Insurance aside, someone also stated earlier something like that it is hard to go to jail for anything to do with drones. Sorry but I disagree, I would hate to be the first person to bring down a manned plane even by accident, because I am sure the FAA etc wouldn't be impressed. After all, the FAA/CASA etc all state ignorance is no excuse. It's hard to say what legal ramifications of bringing down a manned aircraft may be but I am sure it won't be pretty. You just have to look at all the news articles about people flying near airports to see that dangerous flights aren't tolerated. I really hope that never happens for all of our sakes.

As for my earlier posts, I'm no policeman, just a CASA certified pilot trying to offer informed advice on a forum, which is what forums are for. At the end of the day you take your risks, it's your life mate. No harm intended.

 

[Bryce]

AMA provides up to $2mil
http://www.modelaircraft.org/files/InsuranceSummaryMembers.pdf

But not for commercial flying.


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This part of the fine print is worrisome: (attached) I'm not a lawyer.

http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g373/brycerichert/Capture_zpsgro55dv9.jpg

 

[Bryce]

Just popped back in here to see how this thread is going, mainly over concern and interest in this subject.

Look i get some people don't agree with the current laws (me included to some extent) but what I am concerned about more is trying to give helpful advice for people to be safe under the current laws to prevent accidents.

Let me give you an example. Before I was qualified I used to fly my Phantom along a very quiet local beach. Nobody around so I thought ok to fly. After doing my CASA training and learned how to read VNC maps I was shocked to find that most of the airspace in my local area is controlled. Most of it is R rated meaning restricted. I found out that to mean military training flights after looking up the ERSA. I also found out that the beach is in a VFR flight path (visual flight rules), meaning there would be light aircraft in the area. Now had I gone up to 1500 feet as you're suggesting even with nobody around I would have been in a whole heap of trouble if something had happened. Fortunately I didn't go above 400ft and never have, but at least now I know that it is important to be aware of your surroundings even if nobody is around. You really need to know if the airspace you're in is controlled or not if you're flying at that height, despite the fact that we're limited to 400ft AGL (but let's not go there).

I know I was comparing apples to bicycles earlier but it was simply a vague analogy to help people understand. From what people have stated since I guess it's a bit like the excess on your car insurance, you still pay a bit even if you're insured. I also understand that there are different rules for different countries - I can only comment on what I know of Australian law.

Insurance aside, someone also stated earlier something like that it is hard to go to jail for anything to do with drones. Sorry but I disagree, I would hate to be the first person to bring down a manned plane even by accident, because I am sure the FAA etc wouldn't be impressed. After all, the FAA/CASA etc all state ignorance is no excuse. It's hard to say what legal ramifications of bringing down a manned aircraft may be but I am sure it won't be pretty. You just have to look at all the news articles about people flying near airports to see that dangerous flights aren't tolerated. I really hope that never happens for all of our sakes.

As for my earlier posts, I'm no policeman, just a CASA certified pilot trying to offer informed advice on a forum, which is what forums are for. At the end of the day you take your risks, it's your life mate. No harm intended.

All points humbly taken, however, I just don't think having a "license" helps in it. Anyone can find out no fly zones in their area without having a "333" or whatever it is. Obviously I know what a "333" is... but referring to it as "whatever it is" doesn't unnecessarily give it its ado. I want to quote Shakesperes "much ado about nothing" at this point, but not sure it represents.

 

[sergekouper]

All points humbly taken, however, I just don't think having a "license" helps in it. Anyone can find out no fly zones in their area without having a "333" or whatever it is. Obviously I know what a "333" is... but referring to it as "whatever it is" doesn't unnecessarily give it its ado. I want to quote Shakesperes "much ado about nothing" at this point, but not sure it represents.

It still doesn't go through apparently. There is no "yes but" in that case. There are things that are authorized, and things that are not. Simple. Only rogue pilots write their own rules.

 

[Bryce]

It still doesn't go through apparently. There is no "yes but" in that case. There are things that are authorized, and things that are not. Simple. Only rogue pilots write their own rules.

Well, rogue, is the few... so really... I'm not in the few, cause most people do it this way.