Light, weather and when to shoot
Clear, bright and windy; shoot exteriors on still mornings and keep aerials for calm days. Winter is bright on snow more often than grey. The Black Hills have pine-shade and granite light that is best in the morning; summer afternoons bring thunderstorms.
What sells here, and what buyers want to see
Sioux Falls's south and east sides sell newer construction, basements and garages to relocating buyers. Rapid City and the Hills sell the view, the pines, the acreage and the drive to the lakes and trails. Ranches sell water, fencing, grass and outbuildings.
The clips to make
- Sioux Falls homes: a slide down to the lower level and a truck along the garage bays.
- Black Hills: balcony pull-back from the view; drone fly-over of a wooded lot.
- Ranches: aerial pass along the fence; tracking drive in from the road.
Rules worth checking
South Dakota requires a seller's property condition disclosure on residential sales. Black Hills properties raise wildfire-interface questions — see the wildfire guide — and ranch listings should caption what is included: water rights, fencing, leases. Wind and winter access belong in the caption for rural listings.
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
How do I show a Hills lot's trees and slope?
A fly-over from a licensed pilot's stills for the extent, and a tracking drive in for the grade. Buyers from the coasts underestimate both.
Is a winter exterior workable?
On a still, bright day, yes — the light on snow here is excellent. Expose for the snow.
Read next
- Real Estate Video in North Dakota: Fargo, Bismarck and the PrairieListing video for North Dakota agents: Fargo and Bismarck neighbourhoods, lake cabins on Sakakawea and the Turtle Mountains, long winters and bright light, heated garages and basements, and seller disclosure.
- Farm and Ranch Listing Video: Land, Buildings and Working AssetsHow to video a farm or ranch for sale: aerial moves for the land, ground moves for the house and barns, what to show of working infrastructure, and how to organise a long video.
- Real Estate Video in Colorado and the Mountain WestListing video for mountain-town and Front Range agents: views, seasons, decks and outdoor access, second-home buyers, and how to shoot in snow and altitude light.