so ive been doing hobby flying for about two years and finally got my part 107 a few months ago and ive been trying to break into real estate work. i did a couple jobs for friends of friends basically for free just to build a portfolio and now an actual real estate agent reached out asking for rates and i have absolutely no idea what to charge.

i looked online and the range is insane like some people say $150 for a basic package and others are charging $400-500 for the same thing. i live in a mid size market, not a major city but not rural either. the job would be photos and maybe a short video walkthrough for a listing. do i factor in editing time separately or just roll it into the package price? how long does post processing even take you guys for a typical listing shoot?

i dont want to lowball myself but i also dont want to scare away my first real paying client. any help would be appreciated

ok so this is something i went through and honestly the best thing i did was just call a few other local drone guys and pretend i was a potential client asking for quotes. sounds sneaky but its not really, its just market research. figure out what the going rate in your specific area is and price yourself in that range. undercutting everyone just attracts the clients who will also nickel and dime you on everything else.

for what its worth i charge $275 for photos only (20 edited stills) and $400 if they want the video reel too. that includes maybe 2 hours of editing depending on the property. if its a big luxury listing i charge more, plain and simple. always get a signed agreement before you fly anything, learned that one the hard way when an agent tried to use footage for a second listing without paying again.

dont forget to account for drive time and fuel if the property is far out. i made that mistake early on, drove 45 minutes each way for a $175 job and basically made nothing after gas and the time sitting in the car. now i have a travel fee for anything over like 20 miles from my home base. clients usually dont push back on it if you explain it upfront.