Maverick broker touts ‘legal way to get drone-like views’

Some real estate agents may be tempting fate if they use drones to capture aerial images of homes without obtaining authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration. But Surefield, a broker that uses a proprietary camera to produce virtual 3-D tours, says it's cooked up a way to capture drone-like aerial imagery without running that risk. Click to view Surefield virtual tour featuring 3-D aerial views The discount broker -- which has stirred controversy for offering only $2,000 in compensation to buyer's agents for bringing a buyer to a sale -- is incorporating immersive, panoramic views into its 3-D tours that let users virtually soar over its listings. "We found a legal way to get drone-like views that are movable so you can get a 360-degree look," said Cynthia Nowak, a spokeswoman for Surefield. Surefield uses a carbon-fiber telescoping pole to hoist its camera up to 30 feet above the highest point of a home, and then capture much more detailed v...