Drones in commercial real estate have moved well beyond marketing photography. Powered by the FAA’s Part 107 rule and rapid advances in sensors and AI, leading owners and operators now use drones for roof and façade inspections, parking-lot asset planning, thermal loss detection, stormwater monitoring, construction progress verification, and high‑fidelity digital twins.

Adoption is still far from mainstream, but capabilities, costs, and regulatory clarity are converging. The next pivotal shift—the FAA’s proposed Part 108 rule—is expected to unlock remote operations and help scale more fleets nationwide.

In this Insights by Blueprint report, we explore how drones are reshaping commercial real estate, from their growing role in asset inspections to the advantages of outsourcing drone services to upcoming FAA regulations that could expand capabilities even further. We’ll draw on results of our latest Advisory Council survey to detail how top real estate operators are using drones today.

The turning point for drones in CRE
The passage of FAA Part 107 in 2016 marked the single most impactful shift for drones in commercial real estate. By creating a clear licensing pathway for commercial drone pilots, the rule reduced regulatory ambiguity and dramatically lowered barriers to entry.

Read the full Commercial Observer article here.