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Real Estate is the second largest industry for drone use, after aerial photography, which is easy to understand when viewing the compelling aerial photos and videos in use by many realtors today. Drones are technically referred to as UAVs “Unmanned Aerial Vehicles” or when referring to the drone and ground controller unit, an “Unmanned Aircraft System” (UAS). Today, UAVs are very affordable, easy to operate and highly maneuverable. Though a pilot’s license was at one time necessary for commercial drone use, the FAA now allows operation with a remote pilot certificate (FAA Section 107 regulations).

How and Why Drones Benefit the Real Estate Industry

Differentiating property listings by offering high-quality aerial photography and video is a hot button for realtors today. Statistics show that homes with aerial images sell 68 percent faster than houses that are marketed using standard photography. Here are 9 ways in which real estate agents and brokers are benefiting from drones:

1. Drone photography offers dramatic, captivating images.

Using modern drone technology allows real estate professionals to create exceptional shots easily. The use of GPS-programmed flight paths combined with automatic point-of-interest camera targeting results in professional and appealing views.

2. Drones are able to shoot engaging virtual tours.

A camera drone can fly throughout a home or office building and travel through each room, creating a detailed virtual tour that stationary photography is unable to capture. Today’s video editing software make it easy for agents to create a professional voice-over soundtrack, giving the potential buyer a rich and compelling visual story.

3. Drone photography is able to show enhanced features of the property.

Aerial photography can capture shots of landscaping, outdoor living areas, pools, hot tubs, walking paths, nearby parks, local schools, and other interesting features that potential buyers will want to see.

4. Drone photography is attractive to sellers and will generate new business for the real estate agent.

Using drone photography and videos to market properties is a huge selling point for prospective sellers, who want their property to be presented in best way possible.

5. Drones provide realtors a competitive edge.

Real estate listings with drone-produced images and video outperform listings that only offer traditional photos, resulting in increased sales for the agent.

6. Drones are a cost-effective alternative.

Drones are inexpensive to purchase and use. Or realtors can cost effectively outsource aerial photography to professional drone operators.

7. Drones offer high level impact for luxury homes.

Drone photography is able to highlight a waterfront view, spotlight a beautiful garden, expansive grounds, unique swimming pools or water features. Aerial drone photography is able to capture the elegance of a high-end property in a way that no other photography method can.

8. Drones offer advantages for commercial real estate and property development.

Drones are used to plan high rise apartments and other residential multi-unit projects. They are used to inspect, survey and market the property to potential buyers, and for aerial overviews of the land to be developed and surrounding neighborhoods.

9. Drones aid in roof and home inspections.

A drone allows inspectors to identity roof and other issues in ways that a ladder never would. Beyond offering a safer inspection solution, they can readily identify lifting shingles, bent flashing or chimney related issues.

Current FAA Regulations

All drones weighing more than a half pound (0.55 lbs.) are required to be registered with the FAA. The cost to register drones is only $5, but the fine for using an unregistered drone can be $25,000 per UAV. Current FAA guidelines include:

• No drones may be flown within 5 miles of an airport or terminal.

• Written permission is required from each person before drones can fly over or photograph them.

• Commercial drones are limited to an altitude of 400 feet.

• Drone pilots must remain in the line-of-sight of the drone they are operating at all times.

• All operators must secure a drone/UAV operator’s license from the FAA.

Risk Protection for Realtors

While the risk of damage and injury is very low when it comes to drone photography, there are some risks involved. Every drone operator should carry commercial drone insurance. Most drone operators should consider both accidental and liability insurance. Many real estate companies require a minimum of a $1 million limit of liability for third-party operators. There are several types of coverages applicable to drones, including:

• Drone Liability Insurance

• Hull Insurance (damage to the actual drone)

• Drone Payload Insurance

• Ground Equipment Insurance

Drone liability insurance protects the operator and company from third-party claims or property damage. Some policies may extend their insurance coverage to financial loss protection associated with negligence and invasion of privacy. Every realtor using drones should review their coverages to ensure they are protected when using this growing technology.

If you are new to the world of real estate, you might be a bit confused by all of the taxes that get assessed. To many people, the words ‘property taxes’ and ‘real estate taxes’ sound like they are the same, but there are some significant differences. Let’s take a look at them.

Real estate taxes are taxes based on the property’s assessed value. They are assessed on privately owned properties and funds are collected by local governments. Real estate taxes are the ones we often hear about that fund schools and pay for road repairs.

Property taxes have two sub-categories. There are certainly real property taxes that are real estate taxes, but there are also personal property taxes. Think of real property as something that cannot be moved. These are things like the house, an external garage, a storage building, or a barn.

Personal property is defined as things that can be moved, like furniture. These taxes are sometimes called excise taxes. Your car is also personal property. Believe it or not, but that licensing fee you pay for your car is a type of personal property tax. If you have a business that repairs items or sells merchandise, that inventory is personal property. In many cases, you are exempt from taxes on the first $50,000 or $100,000 of inventory, depending on your state.

If you own an RV, this is counted as personal property because it can be moved, even though you might be living in one full time. If it is sitting on land you own, you might have to pay real estate taxes on that land, but not in combination with the RV.

So what is the assessed value that these taxes are based on? Each local government has a department that looks at what the value of a property really is. They look at the structure and the land value itself. Sometimes they calculate these values separately and sometimes they are looked at together. The assessment rate is a lower percentage of the assessed value. For many areas, the assessment rate is 70% – 80%, which then reduces the value of the house, and therefore the amount that the tax rate is calculated against.

It should be noted that HOA or condo association fees are not the same as real estate or property taxes. Those fees go directly to the association to cover costs of common area repairs and maintenance.

Personal property taxes are assessed as a percentage of the value of the item. Each state and county will have their own regulations on how they calculate personal property taxes. Also, each state as well as the federal government allows for a tax deduction on personal income tax forms for real estate taxes that have been paid in a given year.

There are also exemptions that certain homeowners might qualify for that help reduce the tax burden. These exemptions are often for wounded military, the disabled, and the elderly.

Hopefully this has helped clear up the differences between property taxes and real estate taxes. Though they sometimes do overlap, they are also quite different. It just depends on what the item is that is being taxed.

For most of us, the value of our family home, represents our single – biggest, financial asset! Therefore, wouldn’t it, make sense, to hire, someone, who might make the biggest difference, in your results, from easing the process, to getting the deal, transacted? However, since, many find this period, stressful, etc, quality teamwork, and mutual trust, are essential (what is often called, being, on the same – page)! Before hiring someone, ask yourself, why do you (or don’t you) trust that individual, and what is needed, for a real estate agent, so he EARNS that vital bond! With that in mind, this article will attempt to, briefly, consider, examine, review, and discuss, using the mnemonic approach, what this means and represents, and why it matters.

1. Empathy; emphasis; efforts; excellence; endurance: It’s wise to thoroughly, interview potential representatives, before deciding, who, to hire, as your real estate professional/ agent! During this process, consider, whether the individual, is ready, willing, and able to effectively, listen, far more than he speaks! Does he seem to be able to customize his discussion, or, does it seem, like he is using some sort of script? Only, when you hire someone with genuine empathy, will he proceed with the understanding of your, specific needs, and priorities, and place his emphasis, accordingly! Are you convinced, he will place his efforts, on proceeding, with quality, and excellence, instead of the same – old, same – old? Since, there are often, obstacles, and challenges, you should seek, someone, with the endurance, persistence, etc, to make a difference, for you!

2. Attitude; aptitude; articulate; attention; actions: Great agents possess a positive, can – do, attitude, combined with a well – developed, aptitude, and skill – set, to serve their clients! Paying keen attention to details, articulating a message, which inspires potential buyers, to seriously consider, and bid, on your house, and proceeding with the best strategic and action plans, and, proactively, taking the actions, which produce results, are essential, to earning trust, and respect!

3. Responsive; region; relevant; reliable; responsible: To earn your trust, an agent must be responsive to your specific situation, etc, and produce, reliable, responsible approaches, to achieve, the finest possibilities, and results! To do so, he must know you region/ area, in – detail, and proceed, forward, in the most relevant way!

4. Needs; neighborhood: No two people, are exactly, alike, and, thus, it’s important to address the specific client’s needs, and priorities! In addition, he should be a neighborhood – expert, so he provides the best combination of knowledge, marketing, and input!

5. System; solution; service: Examine an agent’s suggested system, and consider if it addresses, and produces a quality, viable solution, to serve your best interests! The finest agents, consistently, provide the best service, etc!

Before hiring a real estate agent, do all you can, to ensure, he EARNS your trust! That’s the best way, to protect, your enormous investment, in your house!

Life’s Experiences, Lessons learned, Classes taken, Books and Articles read, and then summarized for your viewing pleasure in the following article on Commercial Real Estate Negotiating tips

1. Don’t let contract negotiations go back and forth more than twice – the more back and forth, the harder it is to get a deal done. Round 1 and both are focused on the sale. Round 2 and the focus changes to money. When you get past Round 2 parties can begin to nitpick, start to resent each other and lose focus. Issues can then become personal.
2. Focus on completing the sale. Don’t get sidetracked by emotions, unimportant details, unforeseen challenges or difficult situations that arise.
3. Endeavor to put all contract offers and subsequent pertinent details in writing. This avoids the misunderstandings, misrepresentations and omissions that typically accompany verbal communications and lead to a breakdown in the process.
4. When you give a concession, ask for something in return. You might not always get it but the fact that you’ve given in on an issue ought to give you the standing to ask for and often times receive something in return. Just by asking and not receiving you avoid the other side continuing to ask concessions of you and your Client.
5. It’s best to not take the first offer too quickly or too easily. Wait at least a few hours. When talking about it with the other Agent don’t talk about the ease of getting the property under contract. The other side will immediately think they made a bad deal and from that point forward the closing process can become more difficult than it should be.
6. If you get to an impasse, change the focus and resolve less complicated issues. Then go back to the difficult ones. The process will go smoother and once you have worked through the easy ones, momentum will help get things finished.
7. If you aren’t sure how to reply to a request or if you know the answer but want to soften the blow, use the “limited authority” approach. “I’m not sure, let me check with my Partner”, or “Let me take a look at such and such data” so that you can better provide a more meaningful reply.
8. In order to support your position, rely on precedent. Suggest that this is the way that issues like these are typically addressed or that you’ve done such and such before with great success.
9. Ask the other side for something that isn’t critical to making the deal so that perhaps you can trade this item away for something more important to you.
10. Negotiations are a process. It doesn’t matter how quickly you want things to move, the process will move based upon the comfort level of your Client. Maintain focus, but keep in mind that the process will most likely not move as fast as you want it to.
11. Stay away from high pressure tactics including ultimatums, demands or anything that sounds final and/or threatening. Most of the time it doesn’t help and it can lead directly to emotional responses that then creates animosity.
12. Work towards a win / win. In order to have a successful negotiation, both sides need to win on some points. Give and take. Strive to achieve most of your goals understanding that the other party is trying to do the same.
13. Present all of the facts to your Client. It’s your fiduciary duty as a Realtor to apprise the Client of all related facts to the negotiations – good and bad. Don’t push for the higher dollar offer if other terms of the offer put the Client at undue risk.
14. Remember who you are negotiating with. Sooner or later you’ll be back at the table again with the same Agent. Don’t burn any bridges by transacting in a less than professional manner.

Real estate investing is satisfying and lucrative, when done right. It can help you diversify your investment portfolio as well as generate extra income. Many of the real estate investments don’t require you to deal directly with tenants. Also, you can purchase a property by paying only a fraction of the total price and then clearing the balance and interest over time. Here are four real estate investing options.

Rental Properties

Investing in residential rental properties can be great, especially for individuals with renovation and DIY skills, and have the fortitude to deal with tenants.

Pros

• Provides regular income
• Properties can appreciate
• You can optimize capital through leverage
• Many of the expenses are tax-deductable

Cons

• Managing tenants can be tedious
• Vacancies can reduce income
• Tenants can damage property

House Flipping

You can purchase underpriced properties that need a bit of an upgrade, renovate them inexpensively and then resell them at a profit. House flipping, however, comes with some risks. First, your estimate of repair costs must be precise, which is not a simple thing to do. Second, the longer the property is in your hands the less money you’re likely to make because you’ll be paying a mortgage without it generating income.

Pros

• Ties your capital only in the short term
• Potential quick returns

Cons

• A hot market may cool unexpectedly
• Requires deep industry knowledge

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

REITs are traded in major exchanges, similar to stocks. A REIT comes into being when a trust/corporation uses investors’ money to buy and manage income-generating properties. To maintain the REIT status, 90 percent of the taxable income of the trust/corporation must be paid out as dividends. REITs can enable you to invest in nonresidential properties, like office blocks and malls that, may not be capable of purchasing directly.

Pros

• Highly liquid because they can be traded
• They are in essence dividend-paying stocks
• The holdings are typically cash-producing long-term leases

Cons

• Doesn’t offer the leverage that’s usually available in traditional rental property investing

Online Platforms

These online platforms link investors with developers who need capital for their real estate projects, either through equity or debt.

Pros

• You have the option of investing in a single project or a diverse range of projects
• Geographic diversification

Cons

• Typically illiquid and speculative
• Management fees

Conclusion

The four real estate investment options available to investors include rental properties, house flipping, REITS, and online platforms. Ultimately, the ideal real estate investment opportunities are those that align with your investment goals.