"We finally chose between three houses in varying states of finish. One would have been a gut remodel, and to help us decide if we wanted to undertake such a big job, Sean offered us his own experiences with remodels...He never tried to sell us on a house, and even told us we shouldn't offer more than $30K less than the asking price on one. And when we decided on THE house, he helped us formulate a competitive offer that included the sellers paying our closing costs."

You do not try to sell. That's another golden rule of good business. Instead, you try to help people accomplish their goals. Buying and selling a house is tough, so why should you create a bad reputation to people who need your help? Genuine desire to accommodate people is an awesome way to create a reputation that rocks in any type of business. Even more important in real estate.