Is it legal for the real estate agents to hire companies that provide drone photography?

Some real estate companies are champing at the bit to incorporate drone photography into their marketing. Being able to hoist a camera up on a drone, or unmanned aerial vehicle, has the potential to be a cost-effective way to get dramatic shots of listed property, particularly for large, high-end homes or big expanses of land. 

FAA Administration was asked by congress to write the rules and regulations for commersial drones use, currently unmanned aerial vehicles or drones could be used for a recreational use only, real estate professionals can't use it to market their listings.

The Federal Aviation Administration has invited the National Association of REALTORS® to participate in its ongoing working group addressing the use of drones or unmanned aerial systems and advice real estate agents and brokers to stay away from using drones for marketing until it is allowed.

Some real estate professionals have continued to test the boundaries of FAA’s interpretation, continuing to fly drones to capture footage of their for-sale listings. But the FAA did crack down on that use this summer, issuing subpoenas to a handful of New York City’s largest brokerages, including Time Equities and Alchemy Property,and threatening fines if they did not stop flying drones immediately.

Real estate agents, for now use aerial phopography companies that take pictures from commercial planes – it is save, legal and affordable!

Article sources:

http://realtormag.realtor.org/law-and-ethics/briefs/article/2014/03/drones-in-real-estate-not-so-fast

http://realtormag.realtor.org/daily-news/2014/09/17/nar-takes-seat-in-faa-s-drone-talks?om_rid=AACTIR&om_mid=_BUGcUaB88e1Axc&om_ntype=RMODaily