Light, weather and when to shoot
Grey winters with bright snow days; expose for the snow and use the bright ones for exteriors. Summer is short and lake water goes to glare by late morning — shoot the dock at seven. Fall colour Up North and in Door County is a re-shoot worth making.
What sells here, and what buyers want to see
Brookfield, Mequon, Waukesha and the Milwaukee suburbs sell schools, basements and lots; the city's East Side and Bay View sell character. Madison sells on neighbourhoods and the isthmus lakes. Lake country — Oconomowoc, Lake Geneva, the Northwoods — sells frontage, the pier and the boat lift.
The clips to make
- Milwaukee suburbs: a slide down to the rec room and a truck along the attached garage.
- Lakes: backyard reveal to the pier; aerial pass along the shore from summer stills.
- Door County and cabins: front-door approach down a wooded drive; a clip of the beach or the boat launch.
Rules worth checking
Wisconsin requires a Real Estate Condition Report on most residential sales; the video should match it. Piers on lakes are regulated by the DNR and local ordinances — say what the pier and lift transfer and whether the frontage is deeded. Shoreland zoning limits what can be built near the water.
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
Is winter footage acceptable for a lake home?
As a supplement to summer footage, yes; on its own, no. Buyers of a Wisconsin lake home are buying July, and the caption should say when the water clips were shot.
How do I show a Milwaukee basement that is half the square footage?
One clip down the stairs and one across the finished space, with the bar or the rec room as the landing frame. It is often the second living room.
Read next
- Real Estate Video in Michigan: Lakes, Detroit Suburbs and Up NorthListing video for Michigan agents: Detroit's suburbs and neighbourhoods, Grand Rapids growth, inland lake homes, Lake Michigan and Up North cottages, snow and summer seasons, and the Seller Disclosure Act.
- Real Estate Video in Minnesota: Twin Cities Suburbs, Lakes and Long WintersListing video for Minnesota agents: Minneapolis–St. Paul suburbs, the lakes that define the state, cabins Up North, winter shooting, heated garages and mudrooms as features, and seller disclosure.
- 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.