Just about everybody I know hates realtors (including me). When my wife and I decided to shop for a house, we didn't want to deal with a realtor, but we needed the help. So we were really happy that two of our friends were realtors, because we they're good at what they do, and they don't suck.

Basically, they have the good qualities that you want in a realtor (smart, helpful, knowledgeable, competent, plus they're just interesting people) without any of the crap that makes you want to puke (fake personalities, pushing you to do what they want instead of listening to what you want, being annoying, etc.). They're there when you need them, helpful when it counts, and they give you all the room you want to do things your own way.

So if anyone is looking for cool, competent realtors in Austin who are not fake plastic puppets, check out www.escapesomewhere.com. For starters, they can hook you up on automated mailings that flood your inbox with interesting leads, and then you just give them a call when you find something interesting.