Testimonials are not filler. When they are chosen and displayed carefully, they answer the exact objections prospective clients have — objections you will never hear on a first call because those prospects never call.
What good testimonials actually do
Prospects arrive at your site with quiet worries: Will this agent understand my situation? Will they push me? Will they disappear after the offer is accepted? A strong testimonial resolves one of those worries in a sentence, in the client's own words, more credibly than any claim you could make yourself.
Choose testimonials that address objections
The most useful testimonials are specific. A quote that says "we were relocating on a tight timeline and needed someone who could move quickly" is worth ten quotes that say "great agent, highly recommend." Sort your existing testimonials by which objection they answer, and lead with the ones that resolve the most common hesitations in your market.
Display them where the doubt happens
A testimonial belongs where a prospect is likely to hesitate — near a pricing block, on the seller resources page, at the end of a neighborhood guide — not only on a standalone testimonials page. Placement is at least as important as content.
Keep them credible
Full names beat initials. A neighborhood or transaction type beats no context. A recent date beats an undated quote. And, always, permission before publication.