For realtors

Listing media that clears the MLS

Aerial and ground media that sells the property, follows the aviation rules, fits your board's photo rules and keeps the neighbours out of your marketing.

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What aerial adds

When a listing needs a drone, and when it doesn't

A drone earns its place when the story of the property is bigger than the house: lot size, water or mountain views, distance to the beach, a big yard, acreage, a rooftop deck, or a building the buyer needs to see in its neighbourhood. For a mid-block condo with no view, spend the money on interiors, a floor plan and a tour instead.

The best listings combine a few aerial frames with strong ground work: interiors, twilight, a 3D virtual tour and a floor plan. Listing packages bundle the usual combinations so you order once.

Everything for a listing lives on one project record: the order, the invoice, the shots, and the approval. You pick the frames you want from the set, pin comments on an image ("remove the hose", "brighten the sky"), and the edited version comes back with its history. Your seller and your assistant can see the same link.

When a listing needs a drone, and when it doesn't: Illustration

What goes wrong

The listing-media problems that cost you time

An uncertified or unauthorized flight

A cheap aerial shoot near an airport, heliport or hospital pad can be an illegal flight. In Canada, controlled airspace needs an Advanced pilot certificate and an authorization through NAV CANADA. In the US, the pilot needs a Part 107 certificate and LAANC or other FAA authorization. If the flight broke the rules, it is your listing in the photos.

How we handle itTransport Canada certified pilots, with airspace checked before the booking is confirmed. →

Neighbours in your marketing

A wide aerial can show the neighbour's pool, backyard or a person on their deck. That brings complaints, and in some cases privacy claims.

How we handle itFrame on your listing, avoid lingering over neighbouring lots, and retouch identifiable people and plates before delivery. →

Photos rejected or edited by the MLS

Boards set rules on image count, size, branding, text on photos and misleading edits. Media that ignores them gets pulled or reworked.

How we handle itTell us your board and we deliver in the sizes and style it accepts, with branded and unbranded versions for tour links. →

Weather and timing

Wind, rain and flat light ruin aerials. Twilight has one window a day.

How we handle itBook the ground shoot and aerial together, with a backup window for the aerial if weather turns. →

Rules that shape your listing media

Canada and the United States side by side

Topic	Canada	United States
Aviation rules	Transport Canada, CARs Part IX. Basic or Advanced pilot certificate depending on airspace and distance from people. Drones 250 g and up must be registered.	FAA Part 107. Remote Pilot Certificate, recurrent training every 24 months, registration and Remote ID.
Airports and heliports	Controlled airspace needs an RPAS flight authorization from NAV CANADA.	Controlled airspace needs LAANC or FAA authorization.
Listing content	Your board and CREA set rules for MLS content and syndication. Provincial regulators (BCFSA, RECO, RECA, OACIQ) require advertising that is accurate and not misleading.	Your MLS sets rules on photos and requires a licence from the participant to use listing content. NAR recommends written agreements on photo ownership.
Language	In Québec, commercial advertising must be in French; other languages can accompany it. Text on photos and video captions need a French version.	No federal language rule.
Privacy	PIPEDA, or provincial private-sector laws in BC, Alberta and Québec, applies to personal information collected in commercial activity.	No single federal law. Several states have drone or surveillance statutes; check your state.

Brokerage rules and licences

Get the paperwork right before the photos go up

When you upload photos to the MLS, you are telling your board you have the right to use them and to let the board and its syndication partners display them. In Canada, CREA and the local boards run the MLS system and set rules for what goes in a listing and where it is shared. In the United States, each MLS sets its own rules under NAR's MLS policy, and participants give the MLS a licence to use listing content. Either way, you need a licence from the photographer that covers the MLS, syndication and your own marketing of that listing.

Check four things with every media vendor: the pilot's certificate, liability insurance, who owns copyright, and what uses your licence covers. Many brokerages keep an approved-vendor list for that reason. Ask your managing broker before your first order, not after a complaint.

Edits matter too. Replacing a grey sky is widely accepted. Removing a power line, a neighbouring building or a highway is misrepresentation. Virtual staging usually needs to be disclosed. When in doubt, follow your board's rules and your regulator's advertising guidance.

Get the paperwork right before the photos go up: Illustration

The people around the job

Who needs what on a listing shoot

Seller

They need from you: To know when the crew arrives and what to tidy.
You need from them: Access, a clean house, cars moved, and consent to fly and photograph.
On the DroneLink record: Send them the prep list from the order, and the approved photos by link.

Managing broker

They need from you: Proof the media was lawfully captured and properly licensed.
You need from them: Your brokerage's rules on vendors, insurance and photo ownership.
On the DroneLink record: The order and invoice sit on the project record with the operator's certification.

Strata or HOA

They need from you: Notice before anyone flies from or over common property.
You need from them: Permission to use the roof, courtyard or parking area as a take-off spot.
On the DroneLink record: Ask the property manager early; we confirm the launch point before the day.

Neighbours

They need from you: Not to appear in your marketing.
You need from them: No complaints to the board or the pilot.
On the DroneLink record: Tight framing and retouching; the pilot talks to anyone who comes over.

Buyers' agents

They need from you: Tours and floor plans that answer questions before the showing.
You need from them: Fewer wasted showings.
On the DroneLink record: Branded and unbranded tour links from the same capture.

What to order when

A listing timeline that doesn't slip

Listing appointment

Decide if the property needs aerials. Check the address against airspace when you book, not the night before.

One week out

Book ground, aerial, twilight, tour and floor plan together. Send the seller the prep list.

Shoot day

Interiors first, exteriors and aerials when the light suits, twilight last. The pilot confirms weather that morning.

Selection and approval

Pick frames, pin comments, approve. See review and approve.

Go live

Upload the MLS set, post the vertical clips, send the tour link. Keep the licence terms with the files.

A listing timeline that doesn't slip: Illustration

Questions

Do realtors need a drone licence to fly their own listings?

In Canada, flying a drone of 250 g or more for any purpose requires a Transport Canada pilot certificate, and Advanced for controlled airspace or flights near people. In the US, flying for business requires an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. Check the current rules, which changed in Canada in November 2025.

Can I use drone photos of neighbouring houses in my listing?

Keep the focus on your listing. Incidental context is normal in an aerial, but identifiable people, backyards and plates should be avoided or retouched. Privacy laws and board complaints are the risk.

Who owns the listing photos, me or the photographer?

It depends on the agreement. Often the photographer keeps copyright and gives you a licence to market the listing, which must cover the MLS. Read the terms before you syndicate or reuse photos.

Can a drone fly near an airport for a real estate listing?

Often yes, with the right certificate and authorization. In Canada that is an Advanced certificate plus NAV CANADA authorization; in the US, a Part 107 pilot with LAANC or FAA authorization. Some spots stay off-limits.

How long does listing media take to deliver?

It depends on the package, the weather and edits. Ask for a delivery date when you book; we don't promise one before we know the shoot.

Is a 3D tour worth it for my listing?

For homes buyers relocate to or shop from out of town, a tour answers questions and filters showings. For a small condo, a floor plan and good photos may do more.

Do I need French captions on listing videos in Québec?

Commercial advertising in Québec must be in French, and another language can appear alongside it. Plan text overlays and captions in both from the start. Check the current rules with your brokerage or the OACIQ.

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