The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has begun to issue waivers for some drone operators to legally and commercially operate. There are over 200 companies with real estate related purposes that have the waivers and can operate legally. Without a waiver from the FAA, commercial use of drones is prohibited. The waivers are issued through Section 333 of the FAA Modernization Act of 2012 and are known as Section 333 waivers. NAR has created a list of operators who offer photography, inspection, appraisal and other real estate services using drones. The list is not an endorsement of any operator, it is a restatement of information that is publicly available from the FAA.
For more information on NAR's position on UAVs in real estate, please visit www.nar.realtor/drones.