Chris Polychron, president of the National Association of Realtors, testified on Thursday to Capitol Hill that government approval of the commercial use of drones will be a big boon for real estate and other industries and should be made a legislative priority.
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“Commercial use of UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] has the potential to create new jobs and businesses specializing in their uses,” Polychron told the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet.
“NAR and its members are excited about these possibilities but also understand the need to balance them with protecting the privacy and safety of citizens and other users of the country’s national airspace. As end-users of drone technology, Realtors want clear regulation that permits the commercial application of UAVs in a way that is affordable to users and safe for their communities, both on the ground and in the air.”
NAR has cautioned its members against using drones until the Federal Aviation Administration issues its long-awaited final guidelines on flight permissions. NAR has been serving on an ongoing workgroup with the FAA to address to the use of UAVs, and earlier this year, the Realtor organization joined the “Know Before You Fly” campaign.
In his testimony, Polychron said Realtors have shown a consistent interest in safe, responsible use of drones. Their wide-scale commercial use is currently prohibited, but the FAA has granted a waiver process for individuals and businesses interested in using drones. To date, the FAA has issued more than 1,300 of these waivers, with many going toward those working in the real estate business.
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