Light, weather and when to shoot
Coastal light is best in the morning, before the sea breeze and the glare; summer afternoons are humid and crowded. Fall is quiet and clear on the beaches and the best time to re-shoot exteriors. Northern Delaware has the mid-Atlantic four seasons; expose interiors for the room and let the windows go bright.
What sells here, and what buyers want to see
Sussex County sells the lifestyle: the beach, the bay, the clubhouse and the pool in a 55+ community, the distance to the boardwalk. Buyers are often downsizing and want single-level living shown clearly. Wilmington and the northern suburbs sell on established neighbourhoods, older homes and the commute.
The clips to make
- Beach homes: balcony pull-back from the ocean into the great room; aerial pass along the dune line.
- 55+ communities: a tracking walk through the single-level plan, then a clip of the clubhouse and pool.
- Northern homes: front-door approach and a staircase climb for the older stock.
Rules worth checking
Delaware requires a seller's disclosure of real property condition on residential sales. Beach communities often have HOA photography rules for shared amenities, and coastal construction lines apply on the oceanfront — ask before shooting the pool deck and keep the dune in the frame.
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
Most of my buyers are from DC or Philadelphia. How long should the video be?
Long enough that they can decide without driving: the full walk-through plus the community and the beach, two to three minutes on the listing page, with a 20-second reel for social.
How do I show single-level living clearly?
One tracking walk from the front door to the primary bedroom, no stairs in shot, says it in ten seconds.
Read next
- Real Estate Video on the Southeast Coast: Carolinas, Georgia and the GulfListing video for coastal Southeast agents: beach and marsh settings, elevated homes and stilts, porches and outdoor living, relocation buyers, and the honesty a coastal video needs about water and weather.
- 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.
- 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.