Real Estate Marketing & Beyond
The benefits of drones for residential real estate agents are well known – agents can use them to create dramatic videos of their listings for use in marketing campaigns. But while this is a great use for drones, the technology is not limited to high-flying, luxury properties. Drones have obvious applications in other niches, like the commercial real estate industry too.
Construction is a great example. The small size and high maneuverability of drones means they can capture clear and concise aerial surveys of a construction lot. They allow ground-based construction teams to keep track of the site’s progress easily, and use the data drones collect to keep projects on time, on budget, and improve safety for workers.
Why use drones in construction
Drones can take over the responsibility of surveying sites from humans, with advantages being a better viewpoint and tremendous cost savings. For one thing, drones reduce the time it takes to conduct a survey of the site, and they can be significantly cheaper than using a helicopter if surveying larger areas. It’s also easier from a logistical planning and execution viewpoint too.
Construction drone companies
For those who don’t want to buy and operate their own drones, there are two popular firms that provide drone-related services to the construction industry. Skycatch and Kespry pair their drones with collaboration tools and software that are able to create precise models of the construction site in 2D and 3D perspectives. These drones can also generate elevation data and contour lines for higher degrees of accuracy, take high-definition images, and more. Site managers can then rely this accurate, up to date data to developers and suppliers to facilitate construction processes.
Regulations around drone use
The Federal Aviation Administration governs commercial drone usage. Those interested in using drone technology at their construction site must ensure they comply with the provisions or apply for a waiver with the FAA. See the FAA website for details on authorizations and drone use.
Now with regulation in place and technology companies designing software specific to the construction industry, commercial drone technology is poised to find new applications in commercial real estate. Thanks to a drone’s ability to generate cost-savings and improve efficiency, expect to see growth in the field.
