The Best Real Estate Photography Drone
Without question, the DJI Mavic 3 is the best real estate photography drone. It offers everything you can possibly need to capture beautiful images and videos for your clients. DJI is is the leading name is drone photography and the DJI Mavic 3 is their flagship drone.
If you’re interested in learning about the best real estate photography drone alternatives to the DJI Mavic 3 or reading reviews and recommendations from a professional, read on!
Table of Contents
The Best Real Estate Photography Drone
DJI is the premier name in drone technology and photography, so if you choose to purchase a DJI drone, you can rest assured you’re buying the industry standard. I use a DJI drone and every other real estate photographer I personally know uses a DJI drone as well.
The decision of which is the best real estate photography drone for you will depend on two things:
- The type and quality of drone services you want to offer.
- Your budget.
If you want to offer beautiful cinematic quality videos, then you’re going to need a 4k camera with a great lens. If you’re only planning on offering photos and short video clips, you can choose one of the lower end options and still get an excellent drone.
You’ll just need to find a good balance between what you expect from a drone and how far you’re willing to stretch your budget. The reviews and recommendations below are sure to help you in the decision.
Best Affordable Drones for Real Estate Photography
DJI Mavic Mini 2
The smallest and least expensive of the DJI drones. Great for entry level but if you’re planning to use professionally, you’ll need to upgrade eventually.
You should only choose this drone if you know that you need a drone, but won’t be getting any high end requests and won’t be using it that much.
Pros:
- Very affordable
- Great battery life
- Automated camera movements
Cons:
- No 4k video
- No RAW images
- No obstacle avoidance sensors
DJI Mavic Air 2
This is the drone that I used before upgrading to the Mavic 3. I found that it was a very serviceable drone for professional real estate photography.
I upgraded when the Mavic 3 came out because I couldn’t resist the incredible low light performance and video upgrades.
Pros:
- Affordable
- 4k video
- Good image quality
- Excellent battery life
Cons:
- Very large remote control
DJI Air 2S
Similar to the Mavic Air 2, the Air 2S has a few upgrades that many real estate photographers will find helpful. It’s the best of the more affordable DJI drones.
Increased low light performance from its larger sensor is the biggest upgrade. That leads to better photo and video capabilities, the most important thing in a real estate photography drone.
Pros:
- Great image and video quality
- Solid upgrades from Mavic Air 2
- Great low light performance
Cons:
- Missing the higher end options from more expensive models
Best Alternative to DJI Drones
Autel EVO II
Arguably the best non-DJI drone currently on the market. Autel is a respected name in terms of building drones.
I have not used one personally, but if I had to buy a non-DJI drone, I would choose this one pretty easily.
Pros
- 40 minute battery life
- Excellent image quality
- 6k / 8k video capabilities
- Best non-DJI drone
Cons
- App isn’t intuitive
- Poorly designed remote
Hubsan Zino Pro
This is the drone for those looking to spend as little as possible while still getting professional quality images. You’ll sacrifice basically everything else, but the images will be good enough.
Pros
- Least expensive on list
- 4k video
- Good image quality
Cons
- Entry level type drone for photographers
- 23 minute flight time
Parrot Anafi FPV
If you NEED the VR goggles for whatever reason, but don’t want to pay outrageous prices, this might be for you. If you’re not concerned about the goggles, the Mavic Air 2 is around the same price and is better quality overall.
Pros
- Comes with VR goggles
- 4k video
- Good quality photos
- Backpack doubles as flight pad
Cons
- No obstacle avoidance sensors
- Need supported smart phone to use VR goggles
Best Overall Drones for Real Estate Photography
DJI Mavic 3
The best drone yet from DJI and probably the best drone there is for photography period.
Better image quality, better low light performance, and better video capabilities than the Mavic 2 Pro. Without question, the best real estate photography drone.
Pros:
- Hasselblad camera
- 4k Video
- Quality upgrades from Mavic 2 Pro
- Great battery life
Cons:
- Expensive
DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2.0
A more durable build than the Mavic style drones but with similar features. It’s an easy to fly drone that will produce excellent images and video.
Much larger and heavier, but that can be a good thing if you fly in an area with intense weather.
Pros:
- Excellent camera
- 4k video
- Extremely smooth and easy to control
Cons:
- Somewhat expensive
- Quite large
Recommendations
As stated in the opening to this article, if you want the best real estate photography drone, go ahead and get the DJI Mavic 3. The Hasselblad camera is unbeatable, the on-drone sensors are unmatched, and you will be extremely happy with the quality.
If you’re looking for a budget option, I would go with the DJI Air 2S. It’s extremely similar to the Mavic 2 Pro (it even has the same sensor size) and comes in at half the cost. You won’t get the amazing image quality of the Hasselblad, but you will save quite a bit of money and get a very high quality drone.
Be sure to check out our Beginners Guide. It’s full of articles with helpful tips exactly like this one. Our Business Resources page has all the resources you’ll need to get your Real Estate Photography business started on the right path.
Additionally, if you are looking for real estate photography courses to help you learn more, including the best lighting techniques, check out our article Best Real Estate Photography Classes.
Finally, go check out our Gear page to get up-to-date reviews and recommendations on todays best gear for Real Estate Photography.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to fly a drone for real estate?
The short answer is, yes. You legally need a FAA Part 107 License in order to operate a drone commercially. Meaning yes, you need your FAA Part 107 to legally use a drone for real estate photography.
How much do real estate photographers make?
Check out our article answering that exact question: How Much Do Real Estate Photographers Make?
Is drone photography real estate worth it?
In short, yes. Drone real estate photography is an excellent add on to any real estate photographer’s package of services. In many markets, drone photography is expected to be offered.