Clients want to see big drones for there jobs.

[Drone_Pilot]

This past week I had a new client to do some real estate videos and photos of a property here in South Florida.

I took my mavic pro and went ahead and started taking videos and pictures with my mavic pro when the client arrived. The client said good morning and commented (what a cute toy drone) I continue flying taking the pictures and videos and after a few minutes the client returned and asked me if I was taking pictures and video with a toy drone for his job.

I said yes and explained to him that drones have become more high-tech and smaller thanks to technology but the client would not have it.

His comments were he has used other drone professional companies with big drones and powerful lenses that is required for these type of jobs. He also commented that that's a drone he can buy at Best Buy and take pictures himself.

Then he went ahead and told me he was cancelling the service and he wants a full refund and got it his vehicle and drove away without giving me the opportunity to explain or show him any pictures or video of the quality.

It is what it is I give his full refund and Life goes on.

 

[Saladshooter]

His comments were he has used other drone professional companies with big drones and powerful lenses that is required for these type of jobs.

This attitude should change rapidly over the next couple of years as almost no-one will be using drones bigger than Phantoms for any job other than professional filmmaking. Even the changeable lens drones are shrinking.

He also commented that that's a drone he can buy at Best Buy and take pictures himself.

Unfortunately this is somewhat true and it will be increasingly hard to convince real estate people to pay decent money for your work.

 

[Drone_Pilot]

This attitude should change rapidly over the next couple of years as almost no-one will be using drones bigger than Phantoms for any job other than professional filmmaking. Even the changeable lens drones are shrinking.


Unfortunately this is somewhat true and it will be increasingly hard to convince real estate people to pay decent money for your work.

Down here in South Florida Realtors do not want to pay what the value of the service is.

A lot of them are buying their own drones and taking their own pictures and videos without the 107 and I have told a couple of Realtors that it could cost them a headache. And their answer is no one will find out who took the pictures

 

[Chaosrider]

This past week I had a new client to do some real estate videos and photos of a property here in South Florida.

I took my mavic pro and went ahead and started taking videos and pictures with my mavic pro when the client arrived. The client said good morning and commented (what a cute toy drone) I continue flying taking the pictures and videos and after a few minutes the client returned and asked me if I was taking pictures and video with a toy drone for his job.

I said yes and explained to him that drones have become more high-tech and smaller thanks to technology but the client would not have it.

His comments were he has used other drone professional companies with big drones and powerful lenses that is required for these type of jobs. He also commented that that's a drone he can buy at Best Buy and take pictures himself.

Then he went ahead and told me he was cancelling the service and he wants a full refund and got it his vehicle and drove away without giving me the opportunity to explain or show him any pictures or video of the quality.

It is what it is I give his full refund and Life goes on.

A better answer might have been, "It's not a toy."

TCS

 

[Drone_Pilot]

A better answer might have been, "It's not a toy."

TCS

I'm almost sure that somewhere throughout the conversation I did mention it was not a toy. I guess you cannot make all clients happy and you will have those that will make your blood boil once in awhile

 

[Chaosrider]

I'm almost sure that somewhere throughout the conversation I did mention it was not a toy. I guess you cannot make all clients happy and you will have those that will make your blood boil once in awhile

Reading your story prompted a question:

How do commercial drone pilots typically get paid for real estate work?

By the job, by the hour, or...?

Thx!

TCS

 

[Drone_Pilot]

Reading your story prompted a question:

How do commercial drone pilots typically get paid for real estate work?

By the job, by the hour, or...?

Thx!

TCS

I offer them different packages and any additional add-ons they might want to add to the package

 

[vindibona1]

Down here in South Florida Realtors do not want to pay what the value of the service is.

A lot of them are buying their own drones and taking their own pictures and videos without the 107 and I have told a couple of Realtors that it could cost them a headache. And their answer is no one will find out who took the pictures

People often base judgements on preconceived ideas (prejudices, if you will) and either fail or refuse to understand what they say or or refuse to learn about before making decisions. This happens everywhere. It reminds me of an anecdote of a lady that went into a bar and told the leader of the band to turn down the volume. When he replied that they hadn't even started playing yet she remarked "but it LOOKS loud"... Much of the same can be said about the perception of firearms that provoke people because some models LOOK scary when no more dangerous or lethal than more benign looking models. We drone pilots often get challenged "just because".

If I was in your shoes I don't know that I'd give him a full refund. If I were to refund anything at all, it would be deducting an amount for my prep and travel time... and I would consider that generous. He should have let you do your thing and if he was unhappy (for real reasons about product quality) then a full refund would certainly be in order.

 

[Chaosrider]

I offer them different packages and any additional add-ons they might want to add to the package

OK. In an attempt to alleviate the worst of my ignorance...what does your standard package include, and what do you charge?

Separately, do you have a real estate license?

If there's somewhere in the forums more appropriate for this kind of discussion, please just point me to them, and I'll port the conversation there.

Thanks!

TCS

 

[Drone_Pilot]

OK. In an attempt to alleviate the worst of my ignorance...what does your standard package include, and what do you charge?

Separately, do you have a real estate license?

If there's somewhere in the forums more appropriate for this kind of discussion, please just point me to them, and I'll port the conversation there.

Thanks!

TCS

Prices depending on the house size and what the client needs & wants.

If the client wants inside photography or they want Matterport 3D those will be additional fees.

Basic package with us starts at $699 for 15 basic edit pics or or 2.5 basic edit video no add-ons like music or text. Includes a 45 miles point A to point B back to A

A typical home here of a middle class family
starts at about 300,000 all the way to about 10 mil or more here. And lot of highrises here also.

 

[Drone_Pilot]

OK. In an attempt to alleviate the worst of my ignorance...what does your standard package include, and what do you charge?

Separately, do you have a real estate license?

If there's somewhere in the forums more appropriate for this kind of discussion, please just point me to them, and I'll port the conversation there.

Thanks!

TCS

I don't understand what your issue is with this discussion is in the general discussion forum. Nothing unappropriate about it

 

[dozzn]

Maybe this is something you could mention within your contracts or advertising. Mention which drone you will be using and some of the specs of the drone.
That would, at least prevent these kind of surprises.

 

[Drone_Pilot]

Maybe this is something you could mention within your contracts or advertising. Mention which drone you will be using and some of the specs of the drone.
That would, at least prevent these kind of surprises.

That could work thanks for the idea.

 

[Ty Pilot]

. . . . He also commented that that's a drone he can buy at Best Buy and take pictures himself.

We do real estate photography here in Central Florida and yeah, realtors are cheap here too. We've heard all kinds of excuses to try and get lowers prices and in the end this is what nearly 99% are after. As I read your story one thing stuck out to me (quoted above)

Obviously this guy hired you, so I am assuming he knew or possibly has seen some examples of your work. But he would have us believe that he was used to using companies that had high end professional drones - why did he quit using them? Cost too much perhaps?

And how did he know he could get a drone like yours at Best Buy? My guess is he is planning on doing just what he said, getting his own drone and doing it himself. At least two of our former clients have done this very thing.

Good for you to stick to your guns and just move along. I will say one thing, and that is that drones are no different than any other camera gear when it comes to looking the part and there is something to be said about larger drones. Even though I have a Mavic 2 pro, I will still show up to a paid job with my Typhoon H Plus. Even though the M2P can shoot raw on par with the Plus, it is a big six rotor design and looks the part - nothing like what most people have ever seen and even the controller looks like a far more advanced piece of gear.

 

[Chaosrider]

I don't understand what your issue is with this discussion is in the general discussion forum. Nothing unappropriate about it

I don't have any issue. I asked because there might be a forum custom about it that I don't know about. I'm still a noob.

If it's fine...it's fine!

TCS

 

[Saladshooter]

The client said good morning and commented (what a cute toy drone) I continue flying taking the pictures and videos and after a few minutes the client returned and asked me if I was taking pictures and video with a toy drone for his job.

Time to buy an Inspire shell to place on scene while you are doing the bulk of the work with your "toy". There are more than one professional drone company that employs this tactic. They lay the big boy out for cred then do almost all of their work with Phantoms and Mavics.

 

[Chaosrider]

Prices depending on the house size and what the client needs & wants.

If the client wants inside photography or they want Matterport 3D those will be additional fees.

Basic package with us starts at $699 for 15 basic edit pics or or 2.5 basic edit video no add-ons like music or text. Includes a 45 miles point A to point B back to A

A typical home here of a middle class family
starts at about 300,000 all the way to about 10 mil or more here. And lot of highrises here also.

Good information!

My environment is a bit different, in Douglas County, Nevada. It's mostly rural ranch/farmland, and relatively low density, flat suburban.

Not counting the casinos in the South Lake Tahoe area (Stateline), I don't think there's a single building over 5 stories tall in Douglas County.

Thx!

TCS

 

[Drone_Pilot]

Time to buy an Inspire shell to place on scene while you are doing the bulk of the work with your "toy". There are more than one professional drone company that employs this tactic. They lay the big boy out for cred then do almost all of their work with Phantoms and Mavics.

I have an inspire and the inspired 2 to but I have the big bulky case made by microcopter that as so much weight to the portability of the drone

Time to buy an Inspire shell to place on scene while you are doing the bulk of the work with your "toy". There are more than one professional drone company that employs this tactic. They lay the big boy out for cred then do almost all of their work with Phantoms and Mavics.

I have an inspire and inspire 2 and each one has the microcopter cases and they are heavy. The mavic pro is my go-to Drone I'm up in flying in a couple of minutes.

 

[Drone_Pilot]

Good information!

My environment is a bit different, in Douglas County, Nevada. It's mostly rural ranch/farmland, and relatively low density, flat suburban.

Not counting the casinos in the South Lake Tahoe area (Stateline), I don't think there's a single building over 5 stories tall in Douglas County.

Thx!

TCS

If you come to Miami and go to downtown miami you'll be flying over buildings that are 800+ feet tall like the Panorama Towers and the good thing is if you need to fly over 800 feet Structure you can add the additional 400 that the FAA gives you if you need as long as you're 400 feet from the structure and 107 certified.

 

[RobW01]

For my first job after getting my licence (Australian RePL), the manager making the decisions told me he wanted a Phantom because it had “a 20 megapixel lens”. At the time I only had an Autel Evo 1, but hired a friend’s Phantom 4 Pro (we had been on the same course together and had trained with Phantoms). So I did the job and the manager was happy. Later, I got him to look at video and pictures taken with the Evo and he was amazed. I did a couple more jobs with the Evo without getting any complaints. The bottom line: it was a real estate company and the material was only for their internet site and a local newspaper (now defunct). Since selling the Evo, I’ve been using an MA2, and can hire a Phantom as required—which isn’t often.