| Government Affairs |
FAA Approves Use of Drones for Real Estate on Case-by-Case Basis
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has released a twenty-six-page docket that grants REALTORS® the right to use drones on a case-by-case basis. In order to legally use one of these unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for commercial purposes, you must have the expressed permission of the FAA. As of last month, only 12 out of the 214 commercial entities that have applied for one of these exemptions have been approved. What does the FAA consider as "commercial use"? There are three main categories that make up "commercial use": 1) Selling photos or videos taken from a UAS; 2) Using a UAS to provide contract services; and, 3) Using a UAS to provide professional services.
If you want to legally fly a drone to promote your real estate listings, it is imperative you read and follow ALL instructions in the FAA's docket and there's still no guarantee you'll be granted an exemption.
