Light, weather and when to shoot
Hot, dry summers — exteriors and pools at first light; the delta breeze cools the evenings and the last hour is workable. Winter fog in the valley some mornings. Spring is green and the best exterior season; fall in the foothills is a second.
What sells here, and what buyers want to see
Midtown and East Sac sell the tree canopy, the bungalow and the walk; Roseville, Rocklin and Folsom sell new construction, schools and the pool; El Dorado Hills sells the view and the lot. Buyers from the Bay want the garage, the office and the yard they could not afford there.
The clips to make
- Backyard reveal to the pool and shade; pool glide at first light.
- Older grid: front-door approach under the canopy; staircase climb.
- Foothills: view push; drone top-down of the lot from a licensed pilot's stills.
Rules worth checking
California's natural hazard disclosure applies, and El Dorado Hills and the foothills are wildfire-interface — the wildfire guide covers showing defensible space. Flood zones along the rivers and the delta apply to parts of the city. Airspace near the airports and the bases restricts drones.
Disclosure, drone and privacy rules change and differ by MLS and municipality; confirm the current version with your broker before you rely on anything here.
Questions
Bay Area buyers are comparing Folsom and El Dorado Hills. What helps?
A community clip and the full walk-through, plus the commute in the caption. They are choosing a town they have driven through once.
How do I shoot a pool in July?
At six in the morning, with the shade and the water still. A noon pool in Sacramento is a white glare.
Read next
- Real Estate Video in California: Indoor-Outdoor Living, Views and a Video-First BuyerListing video for California agents: indoor-outdoor moves, hillside and ocean views, small urban lots, wildfire-area honesty, and buyers who expect a polished video on every listing.
- Listing Video in the Bay Area: Views, Small Lots and the Most Researched BuyerMaking listing video for San Francisco, the Peninsula, the East Bay and the South Bay: view lots and Victorians, small city lots, suburban schools, tech buyers who read every disclosure, fog and microclimates, and the disclosure package.
- Listing Video in a Wildfire Area: Showing Defensible Space and HardeningHow to video a home in a wildfire-prone area: defensible space, roofing and vents, access roads and water sources as features, where hazard-zone facts belong, and what the video must not gloss over.