We are breaking down the best real estate drones for 2019. In the past decade, online real estate listings have really stepped up their game. Realtors now have images with higher resolution, more detail, and a stronger overall aesthetic. Drone photography is the next frontier in marketing listings.

By capturing properties at all possible angles, agents can set their listings apart from the rest. Using drone photography is the most cost-efficient, practical way to add professional style aerial images to real estate listings. And with the proliferation of manual drones, it is now affordable for large brokerages and solitary agents alike to utilize this technology.

And thankfully, in 2019, real estate agents won’t need to pay a drone photography firm to take professional-grade aerial photos for them. Drones are now user-friendly and durable enough that agents can afford them and figure how to use them pretty quickly.

What Realtors Should Look For in a Real Estate Drone?

There are many variables when choosing the perfect real estate drone. They are not all created equal. So jumping on Amazon and buying whatever is sale will probably not work in any agents favor. The drone market is full of different products catering to specific needs.

There are drones built for durability, drones built for speed, and drones built for other niche uses. For real estate photography needs, agents need a specific type of photography drone.

While there is some flexibility when seeking out real estate drones, it is important that they specialize in the four following areas:

Real Estate Drones Should Shoot in High Resolution

While it is important to find a well-built drone, remember to confirm the drone’s camera resolution. Most now come with a camera standard, but not all cameras are created equal. Buying a top-tier drone that does not deliver in the camera resolution department will not benefit your real estate photography needs.

Realtors should remember to check the following specs before making a drone purchase:

Resolution (at least 600 hp)
Frame Rate
Megapixel Level
File Type of Photos/Videos (make sure they are compatible with your devices)
Available Shooting Modes (filters, rapid shoot, etc.)

Real Estate Drones Should Have Sufficient Transmission Range

Another important feature of drones is the transmission range. That is the distance you can transmit commands from the remote control to the drone.

A drone with weak control range can cause headaches. Just imagine trying to get a good aerial shot of your property, but your real estate drone goes out of range, causing you to lose control, waste battery time, and loose footage.

Real Estate Drones Should Have Sufficient Battery Life

The battery life (or flight time) of your drone is dependent on the strength of its batteries. A good rule of thumb is to seek out a drone with a strong enough battery that, when fully charged, can operate for at least 15 minutes. It is always a good idea to buy a second battery that can be charged and switched out during a photo shoot. This ensures adequate photography time.

Real Estate Drone Should Be Easily Maneuvered and Stable

It is important a real estate drone is not only stable but can be easily maneuvered during a real estate photo shoot. The last thing an agent wants is a real estate drone that shakes, begins to lose altitude, or has a tough time staying level.

The Best Indoor Drone for Real Estate Photography

Altair Aerial AA818 Plus Hornet

The Hornet is pretty amazing. It is under $300 and is designed specifically for photography. The Hornet has a battery life of 15 minutes and 720 hp high-definition camera. It is controlled and synced with any tablet or smartphone. It also has automatic orientation adjustment. This drone is great because it is designed for beginners and is really easy to use.

Get the AA8181 Plus Hornet, here.

Best Drones For Outdoor Real Estate Photography

Yuneec Typhoon H Pro

With a retail price of $1100, the Yuneec Typhoon H Pro offers the types of features you need in a reliable real estate drone.
The Typhoon H Pro has a 4K HD camera that shoots in 12 megapixels. With a range of 1.6km, the battery life provides flight time of up to 25 minutes.

While there are other cameras on the market with higher levels of megapixel resolution, the photos are still high quality, and the video quality is still up to snuff (4k HD).

Beyond the quality of the images shot with the Yuneec, this drone offers some of the best manual piloting available in a photography drone. The high-quality controls of this drone allow for stable flight and easy maneuvering. The Typhoon H pro also comes with sensors that prevent collisions with nearby objects.

Designed for the professional photography market, the Typhoon H Pro is a great option for Realtors looking to use real estate drone photography.

Get the Yuneec Typhoon H Pro, here.

3DR Solo

Coming in at around $500, the 3DR solo offers flexibility when it comes to camera choice. While the drone itself does not include a camera, the device is compatible with several GoPro models (Hero 3, Hero 4), giving you flexibility when it comes to camera quality.

The 3DR solo is highly durable; its built like a little tank. The drone offers multiple flight modes that are perfect for your real estate photography needs.

With an 8km range and a 25 minute flight time, the 3DR gives you what you need to take the best photos for your real estate listings.

Get the 3DR Solo, here.

DJI Phantom 4 Pro

With a retail price of $1200, the DJI Phantom 4 is definitely built for the professional market. While pricier, it boasts a variety of modes, a great camera and video capabilities, and long battery life.

The DJI Phantom 4 Pro offers 4k video and 20-megapixel resolution, a range of over 7 kilometers, and a flight time/battery life of 30 minutes.

Not only does this drone offer high-quality images with the burst mode feature, but you can also get plenty of “quick shots” for your image gallery.

Other modes include bracket mode, which is very helpful in creating HDR composites.

Get the DJI Phantom 4 Pro, here.

Final Thoughts

As Online real estate listings continue envolve by offering more interactivity, drone photography and videography is a great opportunity to market properties. Real estate drones are great for aerial or angle shots you cannot easily get with a traditional DSLR camera.

Remember it’s all about the right drone for the job. Discounted drones, drones designed for kids, or even more touchy drones built for hobbyists won’t do the trick. For real estate drone photography drones need to be solidly built, with either a built-in camera or compatibility with an action camera such as a GoPro. If you go with the built-in camera option, remember to select a drone that shoots in high-quality resolution.

Your drone should offer a high level of flight stability, easy maneuverability, a high-quality camera, sufficient flight range, and a flight time that can last through your real estate photo shoot.

Need more ways to showcase listings? Single Property Sites offers free accounts for listing websites that can show off all of your drone photography, videos, virtual tours, and more.