Here in Spokane, we're lucky to be surrounded by lakes, rivers, mountains, awesome parks, and beautiful nature. So it's easy to see why drone photos and video are two of our most popular services! Getting that aerial perspective allows us to capture the views, the extent of a large property, and a house's proximity to attractions like a neighborhood park, a nearby lake, or a great school. Drone photography doesn't always make sense for every listing, but it does for a lot of Spokane real estate. Here are some of the questions we get asked (a lot) about drone photos:
1. When do you recommend getting drone photos?
When a house has a larger-than-typical lot, when the location is awesome (such as on a lake, near Manito Park, etc.), when there's a steep yard that will make it hard to get good photos from ground level, and whenever you need to show the boundary of the property (like for land listings or commercial properties).
2. When do you NOT recommend getting drone photos?
If the aerial view will highlight something that's negative - like if the roof is in poor shape, if the neighbor's yard is full of junk and old cars, or if the house is on a super busy road. We can still take drone photos and frame them strategically - but we'll be limited on the angles we can shoot. Beyond that, there are a few reasons why we may not be able to fly the drone, like if it's raining or if there are heavy winds. If it's a foggy or smoky day, your drone photos won't showcase the view like they would on a clear day. And if the house is in restricted airspace, we have to submit a request to fly in that zone, which may not be approved.
3. What's the process for getting approval to fly a drone in restricted airspace?
With multiple airports and Fairchild Air Force Base in our region, the greater Spokane area has quite a bit of restricted airspace. For anything in these restricted zones, we have to submit a request to fly the drone, at least 48 hours in advance. That means if you're considering adding drone to your listing media (even if you're not 100% sure), let us know ahead of time so we can keep that option open. Areas that often fall in restricted airspace here include Medical Lake, Deer Park, Millwood (near Felts Field), downtown Spokane, and the lower South Hill. It's also worth mentioning that just because we submit a request in time, doesn't mean we will be approved. That's up to the appropriate air traffic control and depends on a variety of factors.
4. Are there any other restrictions that might affect real estate drone photography in Spokane?
Yes, one thing to note is that we can usually only fly the drone up to 400 ft above ground level. This means that for very large properties (30+ acres), or for properties with a lot of elevation, it may be difficult for us to capture the full property in one photo. But of course, we can do our best!
5. Are your drone pilots FAA-certified?
Yes, absolutely! We have our FAA Part 107 certification and understand how to safely and legally fly drones. This is super important to us as a business, and for you as the one hiring us. As a friendly PSA, real estate agents could be charged huge fines for hiring a drone operator who is not FAA-certified (we're talking over $10,000 per occurrence). Additionally, if the drone were to crash & cause any damage, it's unlikely that someone who isn't certified would have insurance to cover that damage. Here at Inside Spokane, we're both licensed & insured - so you can have peace of mind hiring us.
6. What are the benefits of drone photos?
Beyond showing the scope of the property, a huge benefit of drone photography is that it can make your listing stand out from all the other ground level shots on the MLS. In addition to the high-up shots that show the neighborhood and the entire property, we always make sure to shoot a few drone photos from just-above ground level. These usually offer a better angle than what we could get from the ground, and are great for grabbing attention as your first listing photo.
7. What's the difference between drone photos, drone video, and drone video footage?
We offer three main drone services: Drone photos: These are still shots (aerial photos) that can be posted on the MLS along with all your other real estate listing photos. Drone photos are essential for land listings, commercial properties, and houses with a great property or location that you want to show off. We can also add property lines or location pins to these (included for free).
Drone video: This is a standalone video created using all drone footage (no ground level, no interior). This is perfect for land listings or houses where the property is the main selling point, and is included in our Land Bundle.
Drone video footage: This is an add-on to a full real estate video. We love including drone/aerial footage in your real estate videos because it allows for more dynamic motion (& sellers LOVE seeing the aerial view of their house!). Besides bringing the wow-factor, drone video footage also provide viewers a sense of the neighborhood, surroundings, and size of the property.
Here is an example of a standalone drone video for land:
And here is an example of a drone video + agent intro:
Hope this is helpful! Shoot us an email or DM if you still have any questions about drone photography or drone video in Spokane.