Seller's Guide

John M. Giffen, ABR, CRB, CRS, GRI, SRES Principal Broker 7127 Crossroads Blvd., Suite 102 Brentwood, TN 37027 (615) 371-1544 Office (615) 371-6310 Fax (615) 308-5900 Mobile

John M. Giffen

EXPERIENCED

REAL ESTATE MARKETING

A PROFESSIONAL YOU CAN DEPEND ON

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The Art of Selling Homes The process of buying or selling a home is no small decision. In fact, it’s one of the more significant decisions people have to make in their lifetime. I understand the importance of the decisions you have to make and want you to know that you can count on me to guide you through the process with the knowledge and expertise you deserve. As your REALTOR® and Team Leader, I’ll serve as your primary contact. I’ll oversee the entire buying and selling process, including:

• Helping you prepare your home for sale

• Keeping current on market trends to help you establish a reasonable selling price for your home to attract the greatest number of buyers, while maximizing your profit

• Generating exposure by placing your home on our real estate Web site -

www.ThinkNashville.com, the Middle Tennessee Regional MLS (RealTracs.com), Realtor.com plus 30 more Internet sites!

• Overseeing all marketing activities related to your home including community newspaper ads, direct mail, open houses and much more!

• Promoting your home to agents and buyer prospects through the web, e-cards, e-newsletter, print newsletter, office meetings, etc.

• Fielding offers and inquires

• Providing total representation to ensure a quicker sale at the best price

• Coordinate the details of your closing with all parties involved

EXPERIENCED



WHY YOU SHOULD HIRE JOHN GIFFEN & TEAM as your EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO SELL LISTING AGENT: In addition to all of the activities we do on your behalf, mentioned above, we take the immediate actions necessary to SELL your property in the shortest time period possible and at Top Dollar for today’s market. 80% OF MARKETING YOUR PROPERTY IS GETTING IT INITIALLY PRICED RIGHT.

(Our job is to bring qualified Buyers to tour and buy your property. Our initial job with the Seller is to partner together in establishing the right price to put the property effectively on the Market.) ACCURATE PRICING: The current market value of your property is determined by what a Buyer is willing to pay in today’s market, based on comparing your property to other similar properties that have SOLD recently (The Winners!) and those similar properties currently on the market for sale (The Players!) 80 percent of getting a property SOLD is properly pricing of the property. The market price is the key to maximum exposure and a satisfactory sale.

Properties priced within market range generate more showings, more offers, and sell in a shorter period of time. Over-priced properties are either:

1) Rarely shown and generate no Offers, or 2) Shown a lot and generate no Offers, or 3) Only Shown as a Comparison Property in order to sell Right Priced Properties by other Agents. (Sad, but true!)

Properties that are priced too high have a difficult time selling. The longer a property remains on the market, the lower the price must be for a SALE. It has been statistically

JOHN’S REAL ESTATE TRUTHS: “Confronting the brutal facts of our current reality”

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EXPERIENCED



proven that when a property is not properly priced from the start, it nearly always ultimately sells for far less than if it had been properly priced to start with! (See Attached Charts). A Comparative Market Analysis considers similar properties that: have sold in the past months, are currently on the market, are Pending to close, and failed to sell. An impartial evaluation of market activity is the most effective way to estimate a property’s selling price.

§ Two things we cannot change about our property: Its Location and the Current Real Estate Market.

§ The amount of cash you need from the sale of your property doesn’t affect its market value (“the market does not care what we need!”)

§ What another Real Estate Agent says your property is worth doesn’t affect its value

(unfortunately, some agents will tell you what you want to hear regarding value; only to then badger you later to keep reducing the price, once you have listed with them! That is dishonest.)

§ Home buyers rarely buy as a result of an Open House; less than 5% of the time*

§ Less than 13% of homes are SOLD by FSBOs (For Sale by Owners)

§ Reasons properties fail to sell: PRICE, EXPOSURE & CHANGES IN MARKET

§ CONDITIONS: One the Seller Controls, One the Agent Controls and One no one

controls!

§ THE TRUTH ABOUT OPEN HOUSE SALES: They are great opportunities for agents to meet prospects face to face; however, those prospects rarely buy the home they toured at that Open House (less than 5% of the time *)

* Statistics from NAR: “2011 Profile of Buyers & Sellers Report”

JOHN’S REAL ESTATE TRUTHS: “Confronting the brutal facts of our

current reality”

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Pricing it Right …from the Start!

HOMES SELL CLOSER TO THEIR ASKING PRICE

DURING THE FIRST FEW WEEKS

MONTHS 2 -‐ 3

-‐3.0%

-‐5.1%

-‐6.7%

-‐15.2%

This graph shows the difference between Asking and Selling Price over time in a national study. Local experience may vary widely. Source: National Association of REALTORS® Home Buying and Selling Process

It’s a fact. Properly priced homes sell faster and for more money during the first weeks of the listing. Don’t miss your prime marketing period by setting a price higher than justified by the Comparative Market Analysis (CMA). You risk the possibility of it selling for even less at a later date in the listing period.


current reality”

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MONTH 1 MONTHS 4 -‐ 6

MONTHS 4 -‐ 6

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Pricing it Right …from the Start!

WHEN MOST OF YOUR SHOWINGS WILL OCCUR

The prime marketing time occurs during the first few weeks. Make sure your home is priced right from

the beginning!

Source: National Association of REALTORS® Home Buying and Selling Process

Showings Per Week

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12 Week 13


current reality”

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2 A new listing should be correctly priced on the first day. A brand new listing is exciting, shown more by agents and generally SELLS FOR A HIGHER PRICE than properties that have been listed on the market for a longer period of time. As time passes, fair or not, prospective buyers begin to wonder why it hasn’t already sold.

EXPERIENCED



Is Your Price On The Mark?

*According to the National Association of REALTORS®

When a home is priced right and in good condition*, you could have the following:

� An offer after 10 showings

� Average 1-2 showings per week.

“Drive bys”… over 12% off

“Drive-‐Ups” … Few Showings (6-‐12% off)

Showings, but no offers (4-‐6% off)

OFFERS


current reality”

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EXPERIENCED



The Importance of A Pre-Listing Market Value Appraisal

The real estate market in the Greater Nashville and Middle Tennessee area has changed significantly over the past few years. It also has become a much more challenging one for our listing clients. Some neighborhoods have seen continued appreciation in home values while other areas have experienced significant decreases in what a property is worth in today’s market. Many times our clients feel their home is worth more than it actually is…and, at the same time, may be “undervaluing” their property because of incorrect market information. As a result, I believe it is vital to ascertain the correct value of a Seller’s home prior to listing the home in the MLS. How do I do this? Well, it is a two-step process. First, I develop comprehensive Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) report utilizing information available to me through the Middle Tennessee Regional Multiple Listing Service (RealTracs) and public records available from Courthouse Retrieval System (CRS). Then, I encourage my clients to obtain a Pre-Listing Market Value Appraisal from a licensed appraiser. The appraisal gives my clients and me a disinterested, third party opinion of the property’s value. It also is used in confirming any information attained in my CMA. This does not replace the lender’s need for a third party appraisal before closing. However, it should be similar and may be useful in resolving a dispute if the lender’s appraisal comes in lower that the sale price or Pre-Listing Market Appraisal.


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Reasons for a Pre-Listing Market Value Appraisal

1. A pre-listing appraisal provides you and me with a realistic third party’s opinion of market value which will help set a realistic selling price so the property will attract buyers and sell quicker.

2. Ammunition in contract negotiations. If a buyer comes in with a lowball offer I can

choose to show them the appraisal to support our asking price. 3. No surprises from the buyer’s lender. Avoid finding out right before closing that

your house does not appraise for the agreed on sale price. This would likely kill the transaction after everybody has made their plans on moving in or out.

4. Find out if there are any repairs that would be needed for an FHA loan.

5. Have an Appraiser’s accurate square foot measurement of the home.

Having a Comparative Market Analysis and a certified appraisal provides you with the information you need so that we both can confidently make the best decisions on pricing your home. NOTE: Keep in mind that a property usually cannot sell for more than the appraised value, but it may sell for less. Having an appraisal does not guarantee that a buyer will pay that amount. You may use any Tennessee state licensed appraiser to conduct an appraisal on your home. Under state law and the National Association of REALTORS® Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice I cannot tell you who to use to appraise your property. However, we have recommended the services of Charles Winfield with Huber and Lamb Appraisal Group, Inc. in Nashville to our clients in the past. He and his team have done an outstanding job in providing very accurate and professional appraisals.

Charles Winfield Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser Huber & Lamb Appraisal Group, Inc. 5556 Franklin Road Nashville, TN 37027 Phone (615) 371-8575 FAX (615) 370-1216

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or need additional information on the property value determination process.

EXPERIENCED



UNCONDITIONAL COMMITMENT TO OUR CLIENTS

If for any reason I do not provide 100% satisfactory service in the listing, marketing and sale of your real estate transaction, just let me know and I promise to remedy the situation within 24 hours. If you are still not satisfied, I will release you unconditionally from the listing agreement with no further obligation.* I guarantee it!

*Seller's ability to cancel may only be exercised prior to the receipt of or notification of an impending offer(s).

EXPERIENCED



How We Will Sell Your Home

MARKETING

Getting Your Property Sold:

ON-LINE ADVERTISING

• Websites��

See all the places online where your property will be advertised

PRINT MARKETING

• Professional Brochures • Flyers • Postcards NETWORKING

• Agent Networking

How your property will be represented to local agents and brokers.

SELLER COMMUNICATION:

• Reports Keeping you updated on the activity and

status of your property

• Top Producer Pages

• Feedback Improving your property’s market appeal through

constructive feedback

• Client’s Choice Marketing emails, print marketing, open house, etc.

CLIENT PARTICIPATION:

• Preparing Your Home For Sale Maximizing the visual appeal of your property

CLIENT What we can do together:

PARTNERSHIP

WHY CHOOSE US?

1. Proven Results & Honest Guidance from Beginning to End 2. We Will Help You to Stand Out in the Crowd! 3. Maximum Exposure that brings results! 4. Keeping You Informed 5. Keeping Money in Your Pocket

IT’S SIMPLE

Our online marketing maximizes the potential exposure your property receives from the most comprehensive and effective real estate advertising sites on the web.

Six of the sites on which we primarily advertise are the top six most visited real estate listing websites visited online as ranked by Hitwise*.

Our secondary advertising venues provide a more personal approach, ranging from the simple classifieds on Craigslist to the virtual tours and videos created specifically for your home.

*As of April 2012

ONLINE ADVERTISING

MARKETING STRATEGIES

Websites:

ADVERTISING

ONLINE MARKETING STRATEGIES

Our Real Estate website caters personally��to interested buyers, sellers and agents. By reaching out to our online audience, we can maximize the possibility of your property finding the perfect buyer.

Quick Facts:

• Audience: Average of 2,000+ website visits a month. • Appeal:

JohnGiffen.com uses SEO, or Search Engine Optimization techniques to attract potential buyers.

• Registration: Interested buyers can sign up for news on the

listings that appeal to them.

• Map Search: �� Our Map function helps people locate

listings in their geographic areas of interest.

• Featured Listings: �� When your property is listed, it will be

showcased as a featured listing on our site for a period of time.

• Blog: ��Along with market statistic updates and articles on the ins and outs of real estate, we post your property on our blog.

Marketing Features

REALTOR.com®

Showcase Listings, a paid service, places your property in front of thousands of potential buyers

Your property profile includes images, a virtual tour, and detailed information that helps attracts buyers.

Hit statistics are sent to you monthly, showing you how many people have viewed your property online.

Benchmark’s Company Website The Benchmark Realty website is one of the most popular search sites for buyers in the Middle Tennessee area. Benchmark is the fastest growing real estate company in the Nashville and Middle Tennessee market. The site receives thousands of hits each month from visitors searching for available properties. Your home will be displayed with other Benchmark listings with all the information found on RealTracs.com and REALTOR.com

RealTracs.net (MTRMLS) The RealTracs system of the Middle Tennessee Regional Multiple Listing Service, a search tool for real estate agents, contains every property on the market - to help your listing’s appeal, we provide extra photos, a virtual tour, property condition disclosures, maps, etc.

ADVERTISING


Zillow’s intuitive map search and smartphone app functions make it an attractive resource for potential buyers.

Zillow.com

As one of the major search engines on the Web, Yahoo caters to a huge audience looking for properties like yours.

Yahoo! Real Estate

Their real estate engine directs buyers to sites like REALTOR.com®.

MSN Real Estate

Instant access to a comprehensive database of current listings makes Homes.com a helpful marketing tool.

Homes.com

Trulia also provides a helpful app for listing searches, putting your property at buyers’ fingertips.

Trulia

ADVERTISING


Craigslist is a widely used classifieds site, and one of the first places people go when they’re looking for something.

Craigslist

Homefinder.com offers plenty of convenient resources for buyers & sellers, including an app for searching homes.

Homefinder

With 2.7 Million average monthly unique visitors LoopNet.com is the most heavily trafficked commercial real estate web site on the Internet.

LoopNet

Secondary Advertising: • Oodle.com �� • Backpage.com �� • Real Estate Book �� • HouseLocator.com • Postlets.com �� • Post Your Listings �� • HomeHippo.com ��• CLRSearch.com �� • HarmonHomes.com �� • HotPads.com �� • Point2Homes.com • OLX.com �� • REAMF.com • PennySaverUSA.com �� • PropBot.com �� • PropertyShark �� • RealEstateGround.com • TheHousingPages • UniqueGlobalEstates.com • PCS Realty.net • Sell.com �� • TNOL.com �� • Vast.com ...and many, many more!

ADVERTISING


Professional Multimedia Marketing Professional Photography, Videos and Virtual Tours

John Giffen: (615) 939-3330 • Benchmark Realty, LLC

ADVERTISING


Social Media allows for instant communication with thousands of people in our network, including buyers, brokers, and industry professionals. This helps us to spread the word quickly and efficiently to a large volume of people about your listing.

This also drives up the traffic to JohnGiffen.com, which in turn gets more viewers of your property on the featured listings page.

With our Social Media efforts, your listing will not only be seen by our network, but also by the friends and family linked to the people in our network.

Social Media

Yes, we tweet about your property on our Twitter account! This gives all of our followers notifications about your listing.

Each tweet has a link directing interested buyers to your property’s information at JohnGiffen.com. To keep your listing in front of our followers we tweet every time we:

• Adjust the price • Update the pictures • Change the information

Our Facebook page keeps our network updated about your property and provides other useful real estate information.

ADVERTISING


For each of our listings, we utilize top-notch designers and graphic artists to design a professional custom flyer and in-house marketing brochure for your listing. These flyers are posted at the property, emailed to interested buyers, and given to any interested agents who may need more information. All of our printed materials feature hand-edited pictures taken and arranged to highlight all of the best features of your property.

PRINT ADVERTISING


Flyers & In-House Brochures:

Postcards: For every listing that we market, we send out at least 30 postcards to the owners of the neighboring properties. Not only does this spread the word that your property is for sale, but it gives potential buyers our information in case they would like to make an offer or get more information about your property.

We market every property we represent for sale in the The Original HOMES Magazine and The Real Estate Book. Additionally, we put a half page ad in the magazine featuring several of our listings on a bi-monthly basis.

PRINT ADVERTISING


Real Estate Magazines

The Tennessean Each month we place our listings in The TENNESSEAN and many of the Gannett regional community publications such as the classifieds, the Sunday Real Estate Section, the Friday Williamson AM Real Estate Edition, The Daily Herald, and online at Homefinder. com. The TENNESSEAN is the only daily newspaper in Nashville and has been in publication since 1907.

• The Sunday Paper • Williamson AM • Real Estate Classifieds • Other Regional

Gannett Newspapers

We locate properties in the same area as yours that are listed by other agents. Each broker agrees to go on tour or hold their listing open in return for viewing all of the other properties involved. Inviting local real estate agents to visit properties that we’ve listed spreads the word and the interest about your listing.

AGENT NETWORKING


Broker Open Houses

Email Blasts We showcase all of our new listings to the entire REALTOR® network in the MTRMLS/RealTracs system, using our Imprev marketing account to create and share sophisticated virtual tours of your property. Agents then provide constructive feedback on price, exterior and interior appeal, which we then forward to you.

Physical Tours If the virtual tour cannot do the property justice, or the circumstance requires, we will occasionally hold a physical tour of the listing for agents from the Benchmark office that want to participate.

NETWORKING It’s just as important to share the news about your property with agents as with prospective buyers. You never know who might have the perfect match for your property. Depending on the listing, we implement strategies like open houses, caravans and tours to get our fellow agents interested.

John Giffen is also a member of several business networking groups in the Nashville area allowing your home to be exposed to a large number of business-to-business contacts.

Our monthly newsletter is packed with helpful resources for homeowners as well as the latest real estate market trends.

AGENT NETWORKING


Email Newsletter

Email Archive:

Our monthly newsletters are available on our website:

Featured Topics Each month, we focus on useful information about a relevant topic.

Real Estate Information Here, we provide answers to real estate questions and local market statistics.

Our monthly newsletter reaches a large audience on the first day of every month. Our readers include past clients, real estate agents, third party service providers and more. Our content includes updated market statistics, community news, and special features created to drive readers to our website and your listing!

We prioritize transparency in our business practice - that means you have access to a history of all our marketing efforts towards getting your property sold. Along with the content listed below, we will be touching base with you at the end of each month to review price and to remind you of our marketing efforts.

SELLER COMMUNICATION

CLIENT PARTNERSHIP

Reports:

Once a month you will receive an email with the subject: A REALTOR.com Listing Report. This includes weekly totals for the amount of views of your property will include information regarding weekly totals for views of your property at Realtor.com.

Our business is supported by the TopProducer CRM system - the real estate industry’s leading contact and transaction management software system. We ‘ve invested in this platform so we can always be on top of the numerous components of the “contract to close” process.

Tech Tip:

Create an email rule for your Inbox to automatically send emails about selling your property to a special folder.


CLIENT PARTNERSHIP

Online Marketing Updates Activity Reports

With our online marketing, you can log-in to see everything that we do with your property. If a showing has been done, you will be able to view that information as well.

You will be given a personal log-in that will allow you to view your property’s updates and activities, as well as where your property has been advertised. You can change your log-in information at any time by contacting us.

Authentisign

Authentisign is a secure online document signing service that allows us to exchange and sign documents with you ��, such as price reductions, amendments, repair counter offers, disclosures, etc. electronically. It’s easy to use and provides simple instructions for every step of the signing process.

Property Updates Every month we re-evaluate your property’s price, the marketing being done on your property, and consider any changes that need to be made. Sometimes we need to change the price or extend the expiration date of your listing agreement - no matter what the update is, you will always be the first to know.

You will receive an updated Comparative Market Analysis report from the MTRMLS/RealTracs system on a periodic basis during the listing period of your property. This important information helps us determine if a property’s price needs to change.

Monthly Emails

Every month or so we send out an email - just to check in with you and to let you know how our marketing efforts are going.


CLIENT PARTNERSHIP

Feedback: Virtual Tours: Every Tuesday, we showcase our new listings to the entire Benchmark Realty agent group using ��a sophisticated virtual tour of your property. Agents then provide constructive feedback on price, appeal and market analysis, which we then forward to you. Keep in mind that these are simply suggestions from other industry professionals.

Expect to receive: An email with a PDF attachment of agent feedback.

Showings: “Great house... Shows very well, nice and clean. Priced correctly.” “My clients liked the home very much. A little disappointed by the power line view but otherwise a strong showing. It was one of their top two homes. They have made an offer on another property. I will keep this one on the back burner if the other property does not materialize.” “Great house... Shows very well, nice and clean. Priced correctly.”

We place a secure anti-theft SentriLock MLS lock box on all of our property listings. SentriLock is a recognized leader in smart card enabled access control technology. We can monitor from any of computers and smartphones who and when someone has had access to your home with a SentriLock access card. We never allow anyone entry into your home unless they are a member of the MTRMLS and possess a SentriLock card.

MLS Lockbox

MARKETING

OPTIONAL CLIENT PARTNERSHIP

Certain marketing strategies aren’t always necessary for the sale of a listing. However, we want to provide your property with the utmost service we can offer. We might choose to implement these strategies, or you can request them yourself.

Although Internet marketing is much more effective and more widely used by buyers, we do advertise in several well-known print books including The Middle Tennessee edition of the Original HOMES Magazine and The Real Estate Book.

Print Marketing

Although this is optional, we recommend holding at least one open house for certain types of properties. We always make ourselves available to host. We work with you to get your home ready and determine the best date. As well as advertising the event on 10+ websites, a unique ad will appear in the The Tennessean and online at the newspaper’s website Tennessean.com notifying readers of the opportunity.

Open Houses

Flyer Delivery A physical and electronic copy of your property’s designed flyer �� will be sent to every agent with Benchmark Realty. This gets your property in front of 300+ agents who may be working with several qualified buyers looking for something comparable to your property.

OPTIONAL MARKETING

CLIENT PARTNERSHIP

Marketing Emails are a great way to make your home visible to the public. Upon listing your property for sale, we will create an email containing links to various websites. These sites feature tours of your house and more detailed information about your listing. We encourage you to forward this email to everyone in your address book - you never know who might be a potential buyer!

Marketing Emails:

Virtual Tour �� We create a virtual tour of your home with our Imprev Marketing software.

Postlets ��

Your house will be showcased in a Postlets ad, which will appear on Craigslist, Facebook, FrontDoor, Google Base, HotPads, MySpace, Oodle, Tulia, Twitter, Vast, Zillow, and more.

YouTube�� A video tour will give home shoppers a feel for the layout of your home and property.

Market Snapshot ��

A Market Snapshot shows recent homes that have sold in your area, as well as their selling prices. This shows how your home compares to others in the current market.

MTRMLS/RealTracs Your MLS Listing provides photos, maps, documents, and property details to interested homebuyers.

1. De-Personalize

Pack away photos and other family treasures - this helps potential buyers to picture themselves in their new home.

2. De-Clutter

Make sure to look for unused or unnecessary objects that detract from the key features of your house.

3. Rearrange Closets & Cabinets

Make sure that when you glance in your bedroom closet or kitchen cabinet nothing personal is visible.

4. Make Minor Repairs

Waxing floors, hanging up fresh towels often, cleaning out and airing any musty smelling areas, and dusting furniture, fan blades and light fixtures are foolproof ways to keep your property looking its best for any visitors.

CLIENT PARTICIPATION

CLIENT PARTNERSHIP

Preparing Your Home for Sale:

Serious buyers look through a lot of homes before making a decision. You can make their choice easier by bringing out the best in your property.

Maximizing the visual appeal of your home affects its online and physical presence - it’s well worth the effort to put your best place forward, so to speak. Here are some suggestions to help.

Interior Exterior 1. Curb Appeal

Curb presence of your house is the first impression. It’s what keeps the buyer interested or what makes them want to drive to the next property. Keep sidewalks clean��-Mow the lawn ��-

Paint faded window trim ��-Keep gardens trimmed��-Make sure the house number is clear

2. Be the Buyer

Take a look at your house from the buyer’s perspective. When you look at it from across the street, what makes you want to step up the sidewalk and through the front door? What leaves you disinterested?

CLIENT PARTICIPATION

CLIENT PARTNERSHIP

Preparing Your Home for Sale:

We have prepared several great resource guides for Sellers to review when beginning the process of preparing their home for the real estate market. Our “450 Ideas to Sell Your Home Faster” has been one of the most requested resources by our clients. Ask John for your personal copy of any of the guides noted below!

Email John Giffen at [email protected] for your personal copy of these guides

450 IDEAS TO HELP YOUR HOME SELL FASTER! � MOVING WITH CHILDREN � MOVING WITH PETS

John M. Giffen, CRB Principal Broker Benchmark Realty, LLC

• Tennessee Real Estate Broker’s License #289736

• Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager (CRB) • Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) • Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI) • Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) • Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) • Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource (SFR) • e-PRO Internet Technology Certification • Certified Real Estate Success Coach (CRESC) • TREC Approved Real Estate Course Instructor

A Trusted Professional

• National Association of REALTORS® • Tennessee Association of REALTORS® • Greater Nashville Assn. of REALTORS® • Williamson County Assn. of REALTORS® • Council of Real Estate Brokerage Managers • Council of Residential Specialists • Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council • Senior’s Real Estate Council • ERC Worldwide | Relocation • Real Estate Educators Association

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS

John Giffen has been directly and indirectly involved in the real estate industry for over 26 years as both a professional REALTOR® and the owner of numerous real estate properties. He has close to 30 years of sales, marketing and management knowledge including owning and managing a packaging and printing design company many years ago. He has extensive experience in sales training, agent development and broker management including serving as a managing broker for two franchise offices affiliated with ERA and Real Living Real Estate. He is a Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager (CRB) and currently serves as the Principal Broker of Benchmark Realty, LLC – a fast-growing independent real estate firm in Brentwood, Tennessee. He oversees the activities of close to 340 affiliate broker and real estate broker licensees in the Brentwood office.

In addition to his responsibilities as a managing broker, John is an approved Tennessee Real Estate Commission (TREC) course instructor. He teaches continuing education classes throughout the region on professional ethics, real estate contracts, agency agreements, buyer representation, and property marketing - just to name a few.

John continues to oversee his personal real estate practice by serving the needs of clients who either need to sell their current home or are relocating to or within the Greater Nashville and Middle Tennessee area. He is a Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) and has also earned the distinguished GRI (Graduate, REALTOR® Institute) designation. His knowledge of complex real estate issues is a great benefit to his clients.

RESUME &

REFERENCES

Client Feedback: “John did a great job of using his superior knowledge and professional expertise in helping me purchase a house. He was always there when needed and provided wise guidance along the way. I highly recommend John!”

Mark Garner, Franklin, Tennessee

"Thank you so much for all your hard work in helping us purchase our first home. You all are a great team and we appreciate all the small and big things you did to help us along the way. Keep up the great work - we hope to send many people your way! Thanks again and we love our home!" - Mitch and Misti Comstock, Spring Hill, Tennessee

"Thank you so much for everything you did helping us find a house. We are finally feeling settled and are very much enjoying being back in Tennessee!" - Tim and Katy Bert, Franklin, Tennessee "We chose John Giffen as the listing agent for our house, because we believed that he would go the extra mile to sell our property. Due to his marketing efforts and hard work, we had a contract on our house in less than two weeks. After the sale, he put in countless hours helping us find and purchase our dream home. He guided us through every step along the way and his family even brought us dinner the night we moved in. We've got a "Realtor For Life" in John!"

-Marty Dodson, Franklin, Tennessee

"Our (real estate) journey has been easier because of you!" - Mark and Kaye Whitlock, Nashville, Tennessee

"John served as our Realtor during the recent sale of our home. The sale of a home can be a trying process. Our situation was complicated by the fact we were moving

out of state (to North Carolina from Nashville), starting new jobs, and expecting our first child. John understood the pressures we faced; he was patient, thoughtful, and reassuring. He was also quick to return our phone calls and inform us of any developments. We would recommend him and his team without reservation!"

- Chuck and Kelly Ybema, Winston-Salem, NC

“John, it was great working with you! Thanks for making this easy!”

Brenda White, White House, Tennessee

"I have been in this business myself for a long time and unfortunately there are very few true Real Estate professionals. I count you among the professionals."

Jack Sullivan, CRMS First Community Mortgage

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!...for ALL of the work and time that you put into us and this transaction.”

- Chad and Angie Grissom, Franklin, Tennessee

“Within 30 minutes of contacting John Giffen he called and scheduled an appointment to meet me, my wife and the builder to sign contracts on our new home. GREAT JOB!!”

- Michael and Lisa Valletta, Nolensville, Tennessee

…and we have more!

7127 Crossroads Blvd., Suite 102 Brentwood, TN 37027 (615) 371-1544 Office (615) 371-6310 Fax (615) 308-5900 Cell

Documents

Seller's Guide