Light, weather and when to shoot
Humid haze by mid-morning; exteriors early. Spring and October are clean. Lake water goes to glare at midday; shoot the dock early or at sunset.
What sells here, and what buyers want to see
Ballantyne, Waxhaw, Fort Mill and Huntersville sell schools, newer construction and the community; Myers Park and Dilworth sell the older house and the canopy; Lake Norman and Lake Wylie sell the dock, the cove and the view. Buyers from the Northeast ask about basements, the HVAC and the crawl space.
The clips to make
- A community clip, then front-door approach and the full walk-through.
- Lakes: backyard reveal to the dock; drone fly-over over the cove.
- A plain clip of the crawl space entrance or the encapsulation, with the inspection date in the caption.
Rules worth checking
North and South Carolina both require seller disclosure statements — Fort Mill and Lake Wylie are across the state line. Lake Norman and Lake Wylie docks are permitted through the utility that manages the lakes; say what transfers. Airspace near the airport restricts drones west of the city.
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
Buyers from New Jersey expect a basement. How do I handle a slab house?
Say it in the caption and show the bonus room over the garage, which is where the square footage went. Do not let them discover it at the showing.
Is Lake Norman a drone market?
Yes — the cove and the dock are the sale. Use a licensed pilot's stills; three along one line make the fly-over.
Read next
- 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.
- Real Estate Video in South Carolina: Charleston, Greenville, Myrtle Beach and the LowcountryListing video for South Carolina agents: Charleston's historic peninsula and suburbs, Greenville's growth, Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head, Lowcountry marsh views and elevated homes, relocation buyers, 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.