Light, weather and when to shoot
Bright, cold winter light on snow is excellent for exteriors if you expose for the snow; grey days are better spent inside. Summer is short and the lakes go to glare by late morning, so shoot the water at seven. Fall colour on the North Shore and around the lakes is a genuine re-shoot.
What sells here, and what buyers want to see
Edina, Eden Prairie, Woodbury, Maple Grove and the rest sell on school districts, the finished lower level, the heated three-car garage and the lot. City neighbourhoods in Minneapolis and St. Paul sell on character and walkability. Lake homes and cabins sell on frontage, the dock, the boat lift and the drive time from the metro.
The clips to make
- Truck along the heated garage; a clip of the mudroom — buyers here notice.
- Slide down into the lower level; truck & pan around the fireplace.
- Lakes: backyard reveal to the dock; aerial pass along the shoreline from summer stills.
Rules worth checking
Minnesota requires seller disclosure on residential sales, with limited alternatives if the buyer waives it; the video should never soften what the disclosure says. Lakeshore is regulated by the DNR and local shoreland ordinances — say what the dock and lift transfer and whether the frontage is deeded.
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 wait for summer to list a lake cabin?
List when the seller needs to, with the best summer footage you have and a caption saying when it was shot. Add a winter exterior if the cabin is four-season.
Is the mudroom really worth a clip?
In Minnesota it is the room buyers use most in winter. Ten seconds of it, with the bench and the closet, says the house understands the climate.
Read next
- Real Estate Video in the Midwest: Value, Space and Four SeasonsListing video for Midwest agents: showing space and value, finished basements and garages, four-season exteriors, and buyers who compare listings carefully on a budget.
- Real Estate Video in Michigan: Lakes, Detroit Suburbs and Up NorthListing video for Michigan agents: Detroit's suburbs and neighbourhoods, Grand Rapids growth, inland lake homes, Lake Michigan and Up North cottages, snow and summer seasons, and the Seller Disclosure Act.
- Waterfront Listing Video: Showing the Water Without Overselling ItHow to make a video for a lakefront, riverfront or oceanfront home: the moves that show the water and the access, when to shoot, and how to keep the video honest about what the property actually has.