If you’re looking for inspiration involving realtors and properties, look no further than these novels. Entertaining, funny and even educational, these books will show you the other side of real estate in all its humorous, gritty glory.

Red Hot Property by Devin O'Branagan
Devin O'Branagan's new book "Red Hot Property" follows four real estate agents as they begin their careers. Sometimes it's a bumpy road, filled with dangers and pitfalls. They’re not always in the open houses; Molly O’Malley and Valentino DeMitri also have to wade through the perils of office politics. Despite the wholesome safety warnings, O'Branagan manages to keep the book an exciting, believable read.

Cracks in the Foundation by Erica Ferencik
Ginger Kanadoo has been coasting along on a notoriously slow real estate market in Squamskootnocket, NY, so she plans to make the most of her latest listing... an outhouse. Teaming up with her 93-year-old aunt and her Wiccan daughter against arch-rival Tandy Brickenhausen, Ginger fights to keep a toehold on real estate representation. This is a very funny book with a lot of truths about real estate and the selling of it hidden behind the laughs.

Fatal Fixer-Upper by Jennie Bentley
New York textile designer Avery Baker inherits a 1870s Victorian cottage in Maine from her aunt and decides to renovate it herself. She throws herself into reclaiming the home with the help of a good looking handyman, Derek Ellis… pity that they clash so much on modern vs. vintage. Home renovation takes a deadly twist, though, when she starts finding clues that could mean that her renovation project is turning deadly…

The Ruthless Realtor Murders (Wyn Lewis Mysteries) by David A. Kaufelt
The third book in the Wyn Lewis Mysteries, “The Ruthless Realtor Murders” has realtor/lawyer Wyn Lewis trying to solve the murders of local realtors involved in condo developments in Wagg’s Neck Harbor. Can she find out who is bumping off everyone in the real estate profession before she gets nailed for a crime she didn’t commit?

Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk
A real estate agent sells haunted houses repeatedly because the buyers can’t live in them. An investigative reporter finds that there is a correlation between the haunted homes and crib death via a lullaby that kills.

Dracula by Bram Stoker
The legend of Dracula has been so overshadowed by the allure of the vampire, most people forget that it all started with a real estate transaction. This book is definitely a safety-first warning to agents who go into the boonies to meet an unknown client.  Rob Thomson