Light, weather and when to shoot
Winter is long and its light is hard; interiors carry the season with lamps on, and exteriors get re-shot in May. Cape and island exteriors are best in June and September, when the light is clear and the beaches are quiet. Fall in the western hills is a re-shoot in its own right.
What sells here, and what buyers want to see
Boston condos sell on the neighbourhood, the floor, outdoor space and parking; triple-deckers sell as investments and want each unit shown. Suburbs from Newton to Lexington to Hingham sell on the town and the schools. Cape Cod and the islands sell water access, the outdoor shower and the walk to the beach; buyers ask about the septic early.
The clips to make
- Old houses: staircase climb, tilt up for ceilings and mouldings, then the basement and boiler clips from the older home guide.
- Condos: the condo guide — corner dollies and a view push.
- Cape and islands: backyard reveal to the deck; aerial pass along the shore from a licensed pilot's stills.
Rules worth checking
Massachusetts has no general statutory seller disclosure form, but federal lead-paint disclosure applies to pre-1978 homes and the state's Title 5 rules require a septic inspection on most sales with a private system — buyers of Cape and country houses ask about both early. Boston condo associations often restrict photography in common areas.
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
Should I show the septic or the Title 5 report?
Put the report in the documents and say in the caption that it is available; a clip of the leach field tells a buyer nothing. Show the basement and the systems instead.
How do I video a triple-decker?
Exterior first, then one unit properly and the others briefly — the multifamily guide covers it. Investors want the condition of the whole building.
Read next
- Listing Video for an Older Home: Character, Condition and Not Hiding EitherHow to video a historic or older home: showing original features with the right moves, being straightforward about condition, the systems buyers ask about, and where inspection facts belong.
- How to Make a Condo Listing Video That Shows Space, Light and the ViewHow to shoot a condo or apartment listing video from photos: the moves that make small rooms feel bigger, how to lead with the view, and what to show of the building.
- Real Estate Video in Connecticut: Colonials, Commuter Towns and the SoundListing video for Connecticut agents: colonial and cape housing stock, Fairfield County commuter buyers, shoreline homes on Long Island Sound, four-season exteriors and the state's property condition report.