And Now, a Drone-Video Walkthrough Tour of a $560K North Montrose Townhouse Behind TJ Maxx

Sure, high-above drone still shots now regularly pepper real estate listings, but a reader wonders whether the effort shown above — and included in this for-sale website — might constitute the first video tour by quadcopter ever to appear in Houston’s MLS. It probably isn’t, if only because (as of early this afternoon), the 3-story townhouse at 1611 W. Clay St., which backs up to the TJ Maxx store on W. Gray St., isn’t actually listed for sale on the MLS (it last sold in 2012, for $462,060). But the video was only posted on Monday, so give it some time. Asking price: $560,000.

The flying-remote-camera footage begins with an awe-inducing golden-hour survey of the home’s exterior and moves onto the amazing views of downtown and the surrounding neighborhood that might be available were the townhouse to be 3 or so stories taller than it is. But more notable is the moment about 44 seconds in, when the flying-around-the-house quadcopter camera footage cuts directly into an interior walkthrough, starting from the front door (leaving out, of course, the awkward around-the-side-of-the-garage entrance common to homes of this type).

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If you aren’t expecting it, the switch to the inside view can be jarring. Has the same drone that was just flying up and down outside now entered the house, under the remote control of an amazingly skillful operator who brushes it past doorway casings and at the very last moment commands it to avoid being caught in mirror shots? It’s only after a few gotta-be-from-walking gentle bounces up the stairs that it becomes absolutely clear that the same wide-angle camera has been switched from hobby copter to stabilized hand operation for the inside shots. One day, though.

Video: Century 21 Olympian / Clarity Team

Real Estate Listing Innovations

11 Comment

  • actually you can tell before the stairs since there’s a reflection of the operator in the shower stall door

  • Why do we need a guided tour? If you’ve seen one of these heinous beasts, you’ve seen them ALL!

  • Lol. I’ve done the same for our properties. Just never posted on HAR. I have some awesome footage of the building at 3704 fannin (on loopnet but not har) but I didn’t include the drone footage because I fired that was more just goofing off for fun.
    .
    Maybe I need to post those vids!

  • Thanks for the write up! This property is currently live on the MLS! MLS#: 86005351

    Brokers open on Friday, check the mls for times. Please rsvp. There will be bites to eat and tasty beverages.

    Public Open House on Saturday Aug, 9, from 4-7pm.

    Come on through!

  • Nice property. This style of property is popular and represents nice infill in the inner city. If I had the money, I’d buy a place like this in a heartbeat.

  • @Dan: For all the crap these Inner Loop townhomes take, I agree. What would people rather have, a McMansion? ‘Cause those are way worse.

    Not a huge fan of the architecture on a lot of these townhomes but I am definitely a fan of the townhome form replacing sprawling single family houses. That’s how you get density going. Hopefully parking requirements will eventually be relaxed so that some of these can turn into duplexes and triplexes for even more density.

  • Obvious the copter was not used for the interior footage, but still a nice presentation.

  • I’ve done interior shots with my copter. Crap, I really need to get some of them uploaded. Some are kinda funny :)

  • FYI using drones is a gray area as FAA does not allow for commercial use……..I still use mine for marketing although FAA is threatening $10k fines……..

    http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregorymcneal/2014/07/11/faa-intimidates-coldwell-banker-and-other-realtors-into-shunning-drone-photography/

  • Thanks Jo, I appreciate the heads up on the FAA. I am aware if the “issues”. Hopefully they will get it straightened out soon…we need to be able to all we can to market for our clients and every marketing tool helps.

  • Cody, I’d love to see some of your “funny” videos.