Light, weather and when to shoot
Humid summer haze; spring — cherry-blossom weeks especially — and October are the exterior seasons. Rowhouses have windows front and back only; shoot when the light is in and use lamps. Winter is grey; interiors carry it.
What sells here, and what buyers want to see
Capitol Hill, Petworth, Columbia Heights and Brookland sell rowhouses on the block, the porch, the parking and the rental unit below. Condos from Logan Circle to Navy Yard sell the building, the roof deck and the walk to the Metro. Buyers ask early about the English basement's legal status and the flood history of the block.
The clips to make
- Interior reveal front to back through a rowhouse; staircase climb to the upper floors.
- A separate clip of the English basement with its own entrance shown.
- Condos: the condo guide — corner dollies, a view push from a roof deck.
- Façade glide along the block from across the street — the ground-level substitute for an aerial.
Rules worth checking
The District requires a seller's disclosure statement on residential sales. The whole city sits inside the national capital's flight restrictions, so drone video is effectively unavailable; do not plan on it. English basements must be legally permitted to be marketed as rental units — caption the status. Historic districts regulate exteriors.
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
Can I use any drone footage in DC?
No — the airspace is restricted across the District. A façade glide from across the street and a roof-deck view push cover what an aerial would.
How do I show an English basement as income?
A separate clip through its own entrance, with the certificate of occupancy status in the caption. Investors want both the space and the paperwork.
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 Virginia: Northern Virginia, Richmond, the Bay and the Blue RidgeListing video for Virginia agents: Northern Virginia's commuter suburbs, Richmond's neighbourhoods, Virginia Beach and the Chesapeake, Charlottesville and the Blue Ridge, four seasons, and the state's buyer-beware disclosure form.
- Multifamily and Investment Property Video: One Building, Many UnitsListing video for duplexes, fourplexes and apartment buildings: what to show investors, how to handle occupied units, and how to build one video from a model unit plus the building.