Everything agents need to know about booking aerial photography or video with Open Homes — from pricing and airspace to shoot day logistics and turnaround.
TL;DR: Aerial photography and aerial video can be booked as standalone services or added to a full Open Homes shoot. If you need clear skies for view shots, keep an eye on the forecast and reach out to us to reschedule at least 24 hours before your shoot. Photos are delivered the next business day by 9:00AM; video is delivered within two business days.
Key takeaways
- Aerial can be added to any shoot — or booked as a standalone service for vacant lots, vineyards, landscaping refreshes, etc.
- Airspace authorization is handled by us. You don’t need to research FAA restrictions or file anything yourself.
- Drones can fly on overcast days — but not in rain or high winds. For view-dependent listings, clear weather matters.
- No cancellation fee for weather-related reschedules on aerial shoots, but please give us as much notice as you can!
How to book aerial real estate photography with Open Homes
Aerial photography and aerial video can be booked as add-ons to an existing photography or video shoot, or as standalone services if you don’t need interior coverage.
For most agents, the add-on is the more natural fit. If you’re already booking a full shoot, aerial is an easy complement to that order.
Standalone aerial is best for situations where interior photography isn’t needed — vacant lots, vineyards, or a landscaping refresh mid-listing:
- 10–15 aerial photos: $300
- 1–2 minutes of aerial video: $450
Add-on aerial is priced for agents adding it to a full on-site shoot:
- 1–7 aerial photos: $200
- 15–30 seconds of aerial video: $250
To get a quote, use our instant quote tool — no login or credit card required. Once you submit your order, our team will reach out to confirm scheduling. Your order is not confirmed until you receive a confirmation email from us.
What happens before shoot day
Weather monitoring
Bay Area aerial shoots require a bit more planning than a standard photo shoot — weather can be a real variable, and microclimates make generic forecasts unreliable. One day before your shoot, we’ll send a reminder email that includes the Weather.gov forecast for your listing’s city. That’s a good time to check the weather for the specific neighborhood in which your listing is located, and reach out to our team if you have concerns.
We can operate drones on overcast days, but not in rain or high winds. For listings where aerial value depends on impressive views — Bay views, hillside lots, a well-known landmark nearby — clear weather is essential. If that’s your situation, keep an eye on conditions in the days leading up to the shoot and reach out as soon as you know you want to reschedule.
There’s no cancellation fee for weather-related reschedules on aerial shoots. We just ask that you give us as much notice as possible so we can let our Visual Artist know before they’re on their way.
Airspace authorization
All commercial drone operations in the US require FAA Part 107 certification. The Bay Area has several areas of controlled airspace — particularly around SFO, Oakland International, and Moffett Federal Airfield — that require additional authorization before a drone can fly. We handle all of this as part of your booking. You don’t need to research restrictions or file anything yourself.
If your property falls within a restricted zone, we’ll confirm authorization before shoot day and let you know about any limitations on altitude or flight path.
In rare cases — like the Blue Angels air show over San Francisco — airspace that’s normally accessible may be temporarily restricted. We typically know about these in advance and can help you find an alternate date. If we find out on-site, we’ll reschedule at no charge.
If you’re curious whether your listing falls in restricted airspace, you can look up the address using an FAA airspace app like this one, or reach out to our team before booking so we can check for you.
What to expect on shoot day
How long it takes
The aerial portion of a shoot typically takes 20–30 minutes, assuming cooperative weather and no airspace complications.
If you’re combining aerial with a full interior and exterior shoot, aerial is usually the quickest part of the day. Our Visual Artists have their own preferences — some prefer to start with aerial before moving inside — but if you’d like things done in a specific order, just let them know on-site and they’ll accommodate.
What the drone pilot needs from you
A few things help the shoot run smoothly before the drone takes flight:
- Clear the driveway and remove any vehicles parked directly in front of the property
- Remove temporary items from outdoor areas — trash bins, garden hoses, construction equipment
- Giving a heads-up to neighbors can deter mid-flight interruptions (not required, but appreciated)
- If you won’t be onsite, be reachable by phone in case the pilot needs to flag a last-minute condition change
For a full pre-shoot checklist, see our post on How to Prepare Your Home for Photography.
How aerial photos and video are delivered
Turnaround
Aerial photos are delivered the next business day after your shoot, typically by 9:00 AM. Aerial video is delivered within two business days. If you have a hard deadline, note it when booking and our scheduling team will confirm whether that timeline works.
File formats and delivery
Aerial photos are delivered as high-resolution JPGs in your Atrium dashboard — both a print version and a web-optimized version, ready for your property website, brochures, or MLS listing.
Just like ground-level photography, if there is signage visible in the photo (for example, a sign in the window or a sign rider in the yard), any affected aerial stills will have two versions: an unedited version and an MLS-compliant version (with the sign blurred).
Aerial Video will also be added to your Agent Dashboard as a downloadable file, and as a Vimeo link (this link is not visible to the public unless you choose to share it).
What to do if weather grounds the shoot
Weather cancellations for aerial photography are handled separately from standard photography cancellations — because the two services have different dependencies. Standard photography can proceed in any conditions. Aerial cannot.
If weather makes the drone portion of your shoot unsafe or impractical, we won’t charge a cancellation fee. The interior and ground-level photography portion of your shoot proceeds as planned. And as always, our blue sky replacement service — included with every photography order — means overcast skies in your ground-level photos can be corrected in post. See blue sky replacement examples here.
Aerial Twilight photography
If you want something more dramatic than a standard daytime aerial, Aerial Twilight is shot at dusk with the home’s interior lights on and the sky transitioning behind it. It’s particularly effective for luxury listings or properties where the evening light over the Bay or hills is a selling feature.
Aerial Twilights are available from Open Homes for $400.
Frequently asked questions
Can I request specific angles or shots?
Yes. If there’s a feature you want captured from above — a pool, a view corridor toward the Bay, the relationship of the home to a nearby park — let the operator know before the shoot. Our Visual Artists are experienced with Bay Area real estate aerial photography and will work to capture what matters most for your listing. Final shot selection is subject to what’s achievable given airspace restrictions, altitude limits, and conditions on the day.
Note: FAA rules generally prohibit drone flights over areas where people are present and haven’t consented to the shoot, so we typically can’t capture adjacent parks, schools, or busy public spaces.
Will the drone fly inside the property?
In most cases, our operators stick to exterior footage. Interior drone shots are possible if you request it in advance, the space is large enough, and the pilot is comfortable flying indoors — but it’s the exception, not the default.
A lesser-known option for indoor coverage is our First-Person View (FPV) aerial video, which uses a specialized drone to move fluidly through both interior and exterior spaces in a single shot. It’s a highly specialized service, so it isn’t listed on our Order Form — reach out to our team if it’s something you’d like to add.
For most listings, Video Tours and standard photography are the right tools for interior coverage. A common approach is pairing an exterior aerial shoot with a Video Tour — our editors combine the two into one video that moves through interior, exterior, and aerial footage in sequence.
How do I know if my listing is in restricted airspace?
You don’t need to check this yourself. When you submit your booking with the property address, we handle any required authorizations before shoot day. If your property is in a zone that can’t be authorized, we’ll let you know.
Can aerial photos be used for MLS listings?
Yes. Aerial photos are delivered in MLS-compliant formats and resolutions, and meet the technical requirements for Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, and property websites.
What’s the difference between standard aerial photography and aerial twilight photography?
Standard aerial is shot during the day. Aerial Twilight is shot at dusk — interior lights on, the sky transitioning in the background. The result is a more dramatic establishing shot, and it’s a particularly strong option for luxury listings or properties with evening views worth showing off.
What happens if weather prevents the drone shoot after we’ve already started the full shoot?
We won’t charge a cancellation fee for the aerial portion. The rest of your shoot — interior and ground-level exterior photography — proceeds as planned.
Have other questions not answered here? Check out our post on The Top Questions We Get About Drones in Real Estate Marketing or reach out to our team!
Ready to add aerials to your next Bay Area listing?
Get a quote instantly at app.open.homes/request or view full service details at open-homes.com/aerial-photography-and-video.
