so ive been flying for about two years now, mostly recreational stuff but ive done a few jobs for friends and a local realtor who keeps asking me back. she mentioned she'd pay me properly if i could invoice her like a real business and honestly that got me thinking. i have my Part 107 already so thats sorted but everything else feels like a big unknown.

like do i need an LLC right away or can i just start as a sole prop and figure it out later? and insurance ? i know i need it but there are so many options and i dont really know what coverage actually makes sense for someone just starting out doing mostly real estate aerials. ive looked at Skywatch and Verifly and the monthly stuff but honestly reading the fine print on those policies makes my brain melt.

also pricing. the realtor has been paying me like $150 a shoot which feels low but i dont know what to charge without scaring her off. im in a mid-size market in the midwest if that matters. just feeling a bit lost on the business side of things even though the flying part feels pretty solid at this point.

okay so i went through basically this exact thing about 18 months ago so maybe i can help a little. the LLC question is worth taking seriously sooner rather than later ? it's not that expensive to set up (did mine through my state's website for like $50) and it separates your personal stuff from any liability if something goes sideways on a job. sole prop is fine to start but the moment youre invoicing real clients regularly id make the switch.

on insurance, i use Thimble for per-job stuff and then moved to a monthly policy once i was busy enough that it made more sense cost-wise. for real estate aerials you probably want at least $1M liability which sounds like a lot but most property management companies and realtors will actually ask for a certificate of insurance before they'll let you on certain properties. Skywatch has been fine for me, no complaints, never had to file a claim knock on wood.

and yeah $150 is low for a real estate shoot. i was charging $175 when i started and have since moved to $250-300 depending on the property size and how much editing they want. dont undersell yourself, realtors in a decent market are billing thousands on commissions and your photos and video are literally what sells the listing.

not super experienced with the business side myself but one thing i heard from someone at a local drone meetup ? dont forget about contracts. even just a basic one-pager that covers what you're delivering, turnaround time, and what happens if weather cancels things. apparently it saves a lot of awkward conversations later on. good luck with it, sounds like you've already got a foot in the door which is the hardest part honestly