DJI Avata for Real Estate (Explained)

Drones have revolutionized the real estate industry, but one aspect that many real estate videographers wanted was the ability to do interior shots with a drone.

Those with Mavics are afraid of crashing the drone into walls, and the only viable option is using Cinewhoop FPV drones with a steep learning curve.

But the newest FPV drone from DJI, the Avata, seeks to bridge that gap.

So, what makes the DJI Avata suitable for real estate?

While the DJI Avata may not replace other drones or gear you may use to create videos for real estate, it makes interior shots easier and faster, even for people who have never flown an FPV drone.

Make sure you keep reading to learn how to use Avata for real estate.

Why the DJI Avata is suitable for real estate #

Below are some reasons to add Avata to your arsenal as a real estate videographer.

Ease of use #

As mentioned earlier, many real estate videographers wish to use a drone for indoor shots, but you don’t just take a Cinewhoop or FPV drone and start flying it on the same day.

Unlike regular photography drones with GPS, altitude hold, obstacle avoidance, and other sensors, traditional FPV drones tend to be more complex.

They often can’t maintain their altitude, and the pilot has to keep balancing the height with the controls.

The Avata eliminates that since it has a position-hold feature in Normal and Sport Modes. This gives a beginner enough time to figure out the controls.

The rates are also pre-set, and the drone will be good to fly right out of the box, unlike traditional FPV drones that need assembling, customizing, and setting the rates, all of which take time and aren’t always easy to do.

Durability #

Drones like the DJI Mavic 3, the ultimate professional photography and videography drone, are not meant to fly indoors.

The size, sensors, and design make it difficult for them to do so, increasing the chances of crashing.

You could get a smaller drone, like the DJI Mini 2, but it may not give you the quality footage you want, and propeller guards aren’t always reliable.

The Avata features a compact design with enclosed propeller guards. Unless you fly too fast, if you bump into anything, the guards keep the props intact, and you get to keep going.

Its weight and compact design allow it to fit in tight spaces and minimize the impact in case of a crash, reducing the chances of damage.

Convenience #

One thing about the Avata is that it’s conveniently designed to work in the real estate setting, mainly for giving interior virtual tours.

Why? For starters, it lacks obstacle avoidance sensors. While the lack of sensors may be bad for a photography drone, it’s actually good for an FPV drone.

Obstacle avoidance and vision sensors prevent the drone from crashing into something, but houses are filled with things you can bump into, making the flight jerky, and the footage may not be usable.

Good quality video #

The Avata shoots at 4K at 60 fps, which is good enough to get you started, and you can take quality footage to add to the videos from other cameras.

It also comes with RockSteady and HorizonSteady image stabilization, and DJI has also made it possible to run the footage through Gyroflow for better stabilization.

Further, the camera has an AUTO setting if you are unsure which settings to use.

However, a GoPro camera has some benefits over Avata’s built-in camera.

For instance, you get more customization settings, such as adjusting the frame rates, bitrates, resolution, and more options for stabilizing the footage.

So, to get professional-looking footage, you may need to add another camera.

Luckily, mounts are now available, allowing you to mount an extra camera without adding too much weight to the drone.

You can also get a stripped-down version of the GoPro, like the ones designed by FlyWoo.

They design an ultralight camera based on the GoPro version you are looking for, which is perfect for FPV and won’t weigh down your drone.

Having two cameras, the one on the Avata and the GoPro, also allows you to have two aspect ratios to use as you wish.

Battery management #

Dealing with batteries in traditional FPV is a scary venture. You must know how to charge, discharge, and even unplug them when fully charged.

LiPos are very sensitive, and one slight mistake and the batteries could burn down your or the client’s house.

DJI makes it easy by building intelligent batteries that will stop charging if they are fully charged and auto-discharge if left fully charged for a long time.

If you’re not experienced in dealing with FPV drone batteries but still want a drone in your gear, the DJI Avata is a perfect choice.

Excellent range and image transmission #

While traditional FPV drones allow you to choose the flight system to use and extend the range and transmission, the Avata has a robust transmission system right out of the box, the latest OcuSync 03+.

This gives a range of up to 6.2 miles in FCC regions.

While you don’t need that much range for FPV flights, you will require a powerful connection touring a house where walls will come between you and your drone, allowing you to film most of the house in one place.

Longer flight time #

Most FPV drones will give you a maximum of 10 minutes of flight time, but the Avata comes with 16 to 18 minutes in the air.

With at least three batteries, proper flight planning, and 50 minutes of charging time, you will rarely run out of batteries.

Drawbacks of using the DJI Avata for real estate #

Below are some reasons the DJI Avata may not be the best for your drone real estate ventures.

Video resolution #

As I mentioned earlier, while the Avata has a good camera, it’s not the best, and you can get better with a GoPro mounted on a cheaper Cinewhoop.

This means you will incur extra costs for better cameras to mount on an already expensive drone.

Geofencing #

Besides not having the best video resolution quality, the Geofencing in the DJI Avata is also quite annoying.

While it keeps you out of trouble by not flying in restricted areas, when you have the authorization, it may take time to get approval from DJI, wasting time you could be flying.

How can you use the DJI Avata for real estate? #

As mentioned, the Avata will not replace your other cameras or drones. However, it’s pretty good at making virtual tours of homes look more cinematic.

You can fly in and out of the house, showing great views, the home’s interior, the backyard, and the surrounding scenery all in one flight.

With that in mind, below are some tips to get the most out of the DJI Avata when creating real estate videos.

• Plan your flight – Before you start flying, survey the house, and plan your shots so that you can produce cinematic footage.When planning, also find the area with the least interference where you will get a consistent, high-quality transmission from any point in the house.

• Use ND filters – These may not always be necessary, but they can be helpful when it’s too bright, or there is too much reflection. In most cases, an ND4 will suffice.

• Get a battery lock – One of the DJI Avata’s flaws is the battery seems secure but could easily come off. You can get a battery lock device to firmly secure the battery, especially during rigorous flights.

• Spare batteries – Get several batteries so that you are not always rushing to create footage as fast as possible, afraid you will run out of time before recharging the battery.