The following is a sample of letters I've received from people whose houses I have sold (contact information available on request):

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Dear Peter,
    John and I just wanted to extend our thanks to you for all the help you gave us in locating a building lot and in the recent sale of our home.  Over the years we have bought and sold three homes.  Although we never had a memorably bad experience with our realtors, many of them left us with the feeling that they did not see past their commission.  Sometimes we left a transaction wondering what they really did to earn it.
    Our experience with you left us very happy and for the first time we felt that if we ever were to buy or sell another house we would seek you out because of our positive experience.  I was impressed with your calm, no pressure demeanor and by the way you treated everyone with whom you had contact while working with us with diplomacy and graciousness.  You showed respect for peoples' feelings all around and were civil and compassionate to others.  What a treat to find these qualities in anyone nowadays- and even more so in our realtor.
    We spent many years walking lots of lots and looking in some truly 'strange' houses.  I imagine at some point most realtors would have written us off because we took so long to find what we were looking for.  We appreciate your patience and all the hours you spent showing us listings.
    As we proceed to build our new home I find myself hoping that people in this end of the home market will comport themselves with the same integrity that you always did.
    Again, thanks for everything and should you ever wish to use us for references feel free to do so.
Take care,

Christine 

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 Dear Peter,
    I would like to tell you how pleased Christy and I were with the excellent job you did in handling the sale of our home.
    From the very beginning, when we first discussed how the process would work, to the end, when we were negotiating details with the buyer, your advice proved to be excellent.
    Perhaps most important, was the care you took in helping us to set the price, an especially difficult task in a changing market.  Equally important was your advice on how to prepare the house (painting, removing carpets, refinishing floors, organizing things, etc.).
    Of course, even with hindsight one never knows which things mattered, but I suspect that the high quality of the brochure you produced also contributed to our finding a buyer so quickly.
    We particularly appreciated the fact that you always kept us informed about the progress of the sale, answering phone calls promptly and patiently explaining the ins and outs of the legal steps at each stage.
    I’d also like to thank you for finding Ron for us.  His help in cleaning out the attic and basement was tremendous.  I don’t know how we would have managed without him.
    Sincerely,
    Steve
    P.S. Please feel free to show this letter to anyone who might be interested.

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Dear Peter
You were very skillful in guiding this sale, which for any number of reasons and for factors beyond your control and ours, was a complicated one. A chief factor here, of course, is that we moved to New York City immediately after retirement from The University of Connecticut and Windham High School and needed an agent in place to take total charge of the sale. This you did very well as you addressed any number of issues from necessary inspections to last minute transfer of personal items we overlooked in moving to our next door neighbor. You were particularly effective in defining at the outset the sale parameters we were facing, and in the end your predictions of a final sale price were very close to the mark. We were pleased, of course, that you managed to secure a sale price at the top end of the current market, one thousands of dollars higher than some competitive offers. If I were to cite a single strength you manifested in representing us, it was obviously the fact you kept us informed when it was necessary and always kept your eyes on our property in our absence. It was particularly good of you even on your vacation in Canada to check your e-mail at McGill University for any ongoing interest in the property. Such attention did, in fact, lead to subsequent showings. In all then, we would like to thank you once again for all your efforts in effecting this sale. If you ever have clients who would like an elaboration on any of the comments above, please don’t hesitate to have them get in touch with us at the address above. In the meantime, we do hope your work goes very well.
All best wishes,
Sincerely
John 

Dear Peter,
    Thank you for handling the real estate transaction for my parents.  Even though we live in California, the distance did not seem great because of the way in which you handled the sale.
    We appreciated your ability to tap into a data base of professionals that could mitigate the various issues with the house.  We also welcomed your oversight of these tradesmen, given that we are about 3000 miles away.  The buyers seem happy with the work of the tradesmen, which provides another recommendation on your behalf.  We would never have been able to accomplish this work without your valuable assistance.
    We needed your wisdom, expertise and calmness when things got a little dicey.  You obviously know how to work with people, both buyers and sellers, and to make both understand the basis of a fair transaction.  We always felt that you treated us fairly, forthrightly and professionally.  You kept us informed of all of the issues.
    Janet and I sensed early on that we could trust you.  You did what you said you would do.  You were never “pushy”.  You got things rolling and kept them rolling, which demonstrates perseverance.
    Your sensitivity to our family dynamics was also much appreciated.  I think that all of my family would be pleased to utilize your services, if they lived in the area.  I know that if we had other real estate work to handle in Connecticut, that we would use you to handle it.  We enjoyed working with you and we truly appreciate your help. I know it is Allstate’s slogan, but it also applies to you: “You are in good hands with Peter.”
    All the best and every blessing,
    Warren and Janet