Cool toys that pay for themselves
Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes and 48 seconds
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Today we have an interesting idea that gets a little technical, but I promise we can keep it non-tech enough for anyone to start with a little practice.
If you are anything like me, you look for any opportunity to buy cool toys. When they pay for themselves that’s even better.
You could rent them out to others, but that’s lame. You don’t want random people messing with your stuff.
Here’s how you can buy a $1200 drone and get all your money back while building a photography business.
The premise is simple. Real estate agents are always looking for opportunities to showcase homes to as many people as possible.
There’s is 3D tour technology but let’s be honest. Those are hard to use and don’t really look that great. Here’s a tour that is artistic and very pleasing to watch.
This video shows an awesome level of skill and preparation. I love the details where the pilot flies just past running water, or out the window on the first floor and up into the second floor while showcasing the awesome outdoor porch.
I never thought I’d want to move to Alaska, but this video has me rethinking it.
Imagine how much value this adds for real estate agents. If this helps to sell a home faster, you could easily charge $1,000 for 30 minutes of work. You could even get creative and charge the realtor .025% of the home’s sale price.
$500,000 * .0025 = $1,250
Startup Costs
Are drones expensive to buy?
Well, that depends.
The above video was filmed with a FPV(First Person View) drone. Those are the ones with the goggles and it looks like you are flying from the drone’s perspective.
The technology on these drones is pretty incredible. Typically they are used for racing along at high speeds and are the toys of serious hobbyists.
You can get a fully built FPV drone from DJI for around $1,200.
Typically FPV hobbyists build their own setup to customize it to their liking and flying style. Here’s an article claiming you can build your own FPV set up with only $434.
Alternative Options
The DJI Avata is the best option for flying indoors, but there are a few alternatives that might still work and be a little more budget friendly.
The DJI Mini 2 can be flown FPV or manually with a screen. It’s definitely designed to fly outdoors but it could be repurposed for indoor flight.
At only $650 it could be a great way to get started to nail down other details before investing more.
Go to market
The beauty of providing a service to realtors is that they advertise EVERYWHERE. They constantly hand out business cards, advertise on billboards, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
If you can’t figure out how to come up with 50 nearby realtor leads then I’m sorry, I don’t know how to help you. You can always check out this previous newsletter for more help.
Call them, text them, email them, and show off your skills. Make a template video at your own house or your parent’s house showing how you can display a home’s features in a beautiful way.
Start by offering really cheap videos as you hone your skills and build your network. As demand increases, ramp up your prices.
$250 a home * 2 homes per day * 20 days a month = $10,000 a month
What do you say to realtors? What would make them want to use me as an aerial photographer? I’m on the younger side with no experience in real estate and not much experience in photography so I’m worried about not being taken seriously.