Drones changing the way real estate agents do business

CARMEL, Ind. (WISH) —  Drones are changing the way many industries operate — from the military, farming, insurance to real estate. The FAA predicts real estate will make up 22 percent of drone use by 2020.

24-Hour News 8 talked to real estate agents in central Indiana who said drones have been the biggest change the industry has seen in many years. From the sky, drones can give buyers and sellers perspective on the entire property.

“Telling a full story as opposed to one chapter of a book so to speak, they’re going to tell the complete story,” said real estate photographer Scott Perry, with ThreeSixty Indy. “It doesn’t take a lot of height to get a much different photo than we can from the ground.”

A ground view may show a pool, but a drone could show how big the pool is and where it is in relation to the house. A drone could also show the entire property, tree lines and the home’s roof.

“It works really well if the property has a lot of acreage,” said Perry.

Drone footage can also shows potential buyers how neighbors take care of their properties, how close the home is to a road and if there’s a church or school nearby.

“All that collaborative information — it’s become an essential piece,” said real estate agent Jimmy Dulin.

The gadget is something Dulin wishes he had when he started his career nearly 30 years ago.

“We paid small crop planes and things like that, the small two-seaters, they would actually take aerial pictures for us,” said Dulin.

Dulin says drone photography is now the standard for large, expensive homes. Dulin and Perry expect drone images to eventually become expected for homes of all sizes and price points.

“People don’t just buy a house, they buy a community and they buy a location,” said Dulin.

“It shows we’re keeping up with technology, technology is always changing,” said Perry.

On August 29th drone regulations will change, making it easier for real estate agents to use drones legally.