CLICK AND WATCH: Scheer's video of a new listing (still shot shown above) offered his East Coast clients a glimpse into the Denver-area home.

His buyers were on the other side of the country, but that didn't keep Steve Scheer from "showing" them a promising new listing.

The East Coast clients had already seen some houses on two previous visits to Colorado, but they couldn't afford to keep flying back. What if this house was the one for them and they couldn't make an offer because they were unable to see it in person?

Armed with a Flip Video Camcorder and Flickr, an online photo/video sharing Web site, Scheer sprang into action. Four hours after the house came on the market, the buyers watched a narrated video of the home with Scheer talking - and walking - them through the rooms and the neighborhood.

"Homes in their desired price range and location were going fast, so when things became available, we needed to act quickly," says the 100 Percent Club member and Broker Associate with RE/MAX Masters in Greenwood Village, Colo. "These tools alleviated some of the stress that my buyers had of making quick decisions sight unseen."

Although he had used still photos on Flickr for business, Scheer mainly used Flip Video and Flickr together for videos of family activities - never for business.

POCKET VIDEO: The Flip Video Camcorder (shown above) is a pocket-sized digital video recorder with a USB attachment for easy uploading.

That has changed.

"Videos like this give your clients the nitty gritty and show listings as they are," he says. "Buyers want to see what they're getting up front. They don't have to download anything or worry about it; all they need is a computer and the Internet. You just click and watch."

Worried that it'll be too difficult to use? Don't be, Scheer says.

"I'm not the most technologically sound person around and this was simple for me," he says. "The camcorders are small and mobile, and the software (Flickr) is easy to use and free. All you do is e-mail clients a link to your account and they can view your photos and videos."

Although the video clips are limited to 90 seconds and are not professional-quality masterpieces, it's enough to get the job done in a fix, Scheer adds. He also notes that he uses Flickr material on his Web site to display photos of his service areas in South Metro Denver.

Having that kind of Web presence has brought him new clients he never would've met otherwise.

"By blogging and showing people your photos, they get to see the real you as a person, and not just a canned image," he says. "This is what people want to see. It's today's reality. They're looking past template-based Web sites and professional listing shots. They want the real deal."

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Copyright © 2008 RE/MAX International Inc. 7/14/08