David Barr's Sarasota and Venice Real Estate Blog

Drones have been around in real estate marketing for a while now, but like everything else in the real estate business, they way they are (or should be) used is constantly evolving. Back when drones first made headlines, they were touted as a camera platform to get unique photo shots, mostly of luxury homes.  They had limited range, flying time, and photo options.  At first, the public thought drones were a huge invasion of privacy.  From my own experience, I can tell you that public acceptance of drones has increased tremendously, and I'm no longer excoriated by a passerby or threatened with a call to the police. I got my first drone, an Autel X-Star Premium, back in November of 2016.  I flew it hundreds of times, capturing video and learning along the way.  I now have a total of 4 drones, partly for back up and partly for different uses, such as client video or creating photos and video for social media.  Flying a drone is one thing, knowing what to ...

Everyone in the real estate business has been talking about drone video and photography in real estate.  Like most topics in my industry, I have an opinion about their use. The only question one should ask (as a property owner or Realtor) when considering drone use (when and if it becomes available), is will the end result produce a sale? I don't think so, in most cases involving residential real estate.  While I provide a basic video walk-through of a property for sale, and offer a full complement of high quality photos, the fact is that most Realtors haven't mastered these more basic tools that actually do sell a property. When you are ready to put your Venice FL home or condo on the market , please contact me .

People are still talking about using drones in real estate for photography of properties.  I'm all for high tech, but not for tools or time wasters that may not help sell homes. DJII Phantom from Hobby Wow Proponents of drones say they are particularly useful when photographing large estates, or giving a unique perspective of a large luxury home from above.  In real use, drones present issues with permission to overfly neighbors and license questions from the FAA. I'm not rushing out to buy a drone any time soon.  The amount of time necessary to learn to fly one, much less take a clear picture from one, is time diverted from other activities.  The value they bring to home sellers is still questionable, since most internet savvy buyers can use Google Earth to get a bird's eye on homes for sale.