Cart

Your cart is empty.

Couldn't find what you were looking for?

We'd be happy to help out! Get in touch using the enquiry form below.














Drone use in real estate and architecture

Published by Josh Spires on 23 April, 2018

Drone use in real estate and architecture
Real estate – home selling from another dimension

Drone use in real estate is not new. This said, not all agents have made the leap and are now being overshadowed by their technology savvy competition.

Utilising drones (and drone imagery) as key tools for selling homes and commercial property has now become standard operating procedure for progressive real estate agents. Drones are now the ‘flagship’  tool to beguile and mesmerise prospective buyers into parting with their (or at least the banks) hard earned cash.

These agents are increasingly engaging this cost-effective technology including video, 3D-imagery and photography to provide a better overview of not just the property, but also of the surrounding areas – to give buyers a wider perspective of their new ‘hood.’

Drone imagery allows agents (and vendors) to really tell the story of the property. By visually communicating the essential points – such as block size and where the home sits on the property – buyers get a much clearer and more engaging visual rather than the traditional (and very droll) ground shots.

Indeed, drone imagery allows for the painting of a much wider picture, providing buyers with a perspective of where the property is located within the neighbourhood, proximity to parks, public transport, shops and schools.

Architecture – an aerial twist on the traditional

Architecture is often viewed as a traditional practice, with a firm resistance to technological change. With drones and advanced aerial imagery sweeping the world, however, this position has undergone a radical transformation.

Until recently, satellite imagery for site planning in architecture was a common process. The downside was these visuals were often low resolution, the data less accurate and the timing, well, generally poor with a wait of several days not uncommon.

Today, drones are now producing much higher resolution images instantly and the data – much more accurate allowing for better architectural outcomes.

Photograph and video footage captured by drones is becoming an increasingly commonplace method of representing the ‘built’ environment. This increasing usage of drones within the architecture industry is mirroring a boom in the commercial use sector at large, primarily because high-specification, high-output drones have become more affordable.

It is now common to outfit drones with high-definition cameras, infrared scanners and thermal sensors that allow for gathering important data that can affect a project as early as the design phase. They can survey sites, inspect construction quality and photograph completed buildings, with more powerful and longer flight capabilities thanks to improvements in battery life.

Indeed, data collected by drones may completely eliminate the need for hiring land surveyors for creating topographic surveys!  Instead, architects can use this information to build accurate 3D models of the terrain and site and import them directly into drafting and modeling software.

So what drone and imaging equipment do we recommend for these applications?

DJI Inspire 2 Drone + Zenmuse X7 camera

This is an all-new image processing package that can record at up to 6K in CinemaDNG RAW, 5.2K Apple ProRes and more, making this a truly perfect option for both real estate and architecture applications.

The DJI Zenmuse X7 itself,  is equipped with a Super 35 video sensor featuring 14 stops of dynamic range for more detail in low-light conditions. Its low-noise image capture enhances grading flexibility by preserving details in both highlight and dark areas while enabling a shallow cinematic depth of field.

To meet the rigorous requirements of high-end real estate and architectural applications, the Zenmuse X7 captures the highest image resolutions ever seen for an integrated drone camera!

Getting underway

If you are new to drone technology or simply want to learn more, we highly recommend you speak to a UAV specialist that can advise you on both drone options and the best approach to their commercial use in real estate and architectural applications.

Sphere Drones is arguably Australia’s leading source of expertise on commercial drone technology solutions in Australia.

Their Sydney-based operation is a state-of-the-art solutions development facility with some the UAV industry’s leading personnel – making it (or their website) a logical first stop to identify a solution for your commercial needs.  

Interested? Talk to our team

For inquiries or more information, please fill out the form below, and our team will contact you as soon as we can.

Interested? Talk to our team

For inquiries or more information, please fill out the form below, and our team will contact you as soon as we can.