patrick.net

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2014/02/04/bay-area-realtors-now-using-drones-to-market-high-end-property/

ALAMO (CBS SF) – The idea of using drone technology to showcase high-end real estate is taking off with some Bay Area realtors.

On Monday, a house in the East Bay town of Alamo was being prepped to go on the market for nearly $1.5 million. To really showcase the home and its view of Mt Diablo, the realtors brought in a drone.

"You get the scale, you get the feeling of the actual home. You can see, ‘hey, this thing's on an acre. This is what it looks like,'” said Randy Churchill of Dudum Real Estate.

Churchill hired a company to produce aerial video of the house using a small commercial drone. He plans to post the footage online as a way of marketing directly to potential buyers.

"Between social media, Twitter, you name it…they will see the video before they even contact their own realtor,” said Churchill.

The man operating the drone didn't want to be captured by KPIX 5 cameras because he knows the FAA has prohibited the commercial use of drones. Eventually they'll be regulated, but no one seems to be waiting.

"It's something that's going to continue to grow,” said the unidentified operator. "There's more and more companies that are using it…it's limitless because it really bridges the gap between something on the ground and a full-size helicopter.”

Churchill says for the $500 he'll spend on the drone video he may get 10,000 hits online, making it very cost-effective relative to hiring a private helicopter.

"This will be something that we do now on every home that we're marketing in this price-point,” said Churchill.

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