Light, weather and when to shoot
Humid summer haze from late morning; spring dogwoods and October in the Blue Ridge are the exterior seasons. Bay and ocean light is clearest in the morning. Winter is grey more than snowy in the east; interiors with lamps on carry a January listing.
What sells here, and what buyers want to see
Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William sell the commute, the schools and the finished basement to buyers who rotate through with government and military postings. Richmond's Fan and West End sell character; Short Pump sells newer construction. Virginia Beach and the Northern Neck sell the water and the pier. Charlottesville sells the view and the farm.
The clips to make
- Commuter homes: a Metro-and-street clip, then front-door approach and slide down into the lower level.
- Waterfront: backyard reveal to the pier; rise over roof from the road side.
- Blue Ridge: balcony pull-back from the view; aerial pass along a farm's fence line.
Rules worth checking
Virginia's Residential Property Disclosure Act gives buyers a disclosure statement that is largely a buyer-beware notice rather than a condition report, so the video and the listing remarks carry more of the load; show condition plainly. Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act rules limit shoreline work; military-adjacent airspace restricts drones around Norfolk and Northern Virginia.
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
My Northern Virginia buyers are on a PCS timeline. What do they need?
Everything, fast: the full walk-through, the basement, the garage, the commute. Many buy from a screen before they arrive; the video is the showing.
Can I fly a drone near Washington?
Much of Northern Virginia is restricted airspace; use a licensed pilot who knows the rules, or a ground-level approach and façade glide instead.
Read next
- Real Estate Video in Maryland: DC Commuters, the Chesapeake and Baltimore RowhousesListing video for Maryland agents: Montgomery and Howard County commuter homes, Annapolis and Eastern Shore waterfront, Baltimore rowhouses, four-season shooting, and the disclosure-or-disclaimer choice.
- Real Estate Video in North Carolina: Charlotte, the Triangle, Mountains and CoastListing video for North Carolina agents: Charlotte and Raleigh–Durham relocation buyers, Asheville and the mountains, the Outer Banks and Wilmington coast, humid summers and fall colour, and the state's disclosure statement.
- 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.