Luxury house hunting takes to the skies

Some property agents are using helicopter tours to impress clients. (Photo: Flickr.com) There is a new way to go luxury house hunting. In cities like Miami, Los Angeles and Chicago, real estate agents have taken to the skies using helicopter tours to impress clients, while avoiding traffic and offering bird’s eye views of potential neighbourhoods and possible neighbours, reported The Wall Street Journal.
“We don’t do it for just anyone – they have to be very well-qualified,” said Gwen Banta, a Los Angeles-based luxury broker, who has flown clients over US$11 million and US$16 million homes in rural Southern California. “You come in over the lake and get that view and they’re sold on the area before they ever touch ground.”
But how much do these helicopter tours cost? Well, if you’re lucky, your broker will foot the bill. Prices reportedly start at US$650 to US$800 an hour for a three-passenger helicopter and pilot, should you need to pay for it. Many agents who offer helicopter viewings also provide sightseeing tours and catered lunches for clients as part of the package.
“To provide something that a really wealthy person would appreciate is not an easy thing to do,” noted Chris Feurer, CEO of Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty in Chicago. His agency began organising helicopter viewings of properties with a minimum US$1.5 million purchase price in 2015.
In order to plan the perfect viewing, pilots and agents strategise in advance to make sure everything goes smoothly. The pilot will take down the coordinates of the homes and neighbourhoods the agent wants to show, and comes up with a flight plan accordingly.
Some pilots have taken advantage of the new trend and are now getting their own real estate licences. This allows them to cut out the middleman and earn commissions on sales instead of just hourly fees. Of course, you’ll have to decide if you really want the person flying the helicopter to also close your real estate transaction. This article was first published on DDproperty.com, Thailand’s leading property site.

More from PropertyGuru:
Average DPU of 5 industrial REITs down in January to March quarter
Walking and Cycling Plan may reduce parking space for cars
79% of Singaporeans satisfied with services of property agents
Luxury home prices up 5.4% in Q1
Dismal outlook for commercial property market: RICS