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Westlake Austin · Compass RE Texas · Est. 2015
About The Council RE Group —
Westlake Austin's Luxury Real Estate Team
Three specialists. Thirty combined years. One uncompromising standard of service.
Our Philosophy
Why have one Realtor
when you can have The Council?
The Council Real Estate Group was founded on a premise that transformed how we operate: no single agent can be simultaneously exceptional at design, negotiation, and financial analysis. The best outcomes for buyers and sellers require specialized expertise applied at every stage. We built a team where each member does what they do best — so our clients experience all three disciplines at their highest expression, in every transaction.
Affiliated with Compass RE Texas — the most technology-forward real estate brokerage in the country — The Council combines the resources of a national platform with the deeply local expertise that only comes from three agents spending their entire careers in the Westlake, Cuernavaca, and Eanes ISD market.
THE TEAM
Meet The Three Specialists
Behind Every Transaction
Natasha Antonioni
Realtor & Intentional Designer
(512) 988-1741
Natasha is the creative force behind The Council’s design-driven approach to real estate. A Realtor with deep roots in the Westlake and Cuernavaca markets, Natasha brings a designer’s eye to every listing and buyer consultation. Her proprietary Intentional Design methodology — codified in her soon-to-be-published book of the same name — has transformed how luxury properties in the Westlake market are presented and sold.
Natasha’s process begins with understanding the narrative a home should tell — not generically, but specifically for the buyer profile most likely to fall in love with it and pay a premium. The result: staged properties that feel discovered rather than decorated, marketing photography that captures genuine aspiration, and sale outcomes that consistently exceed comparable listings.
Natasha represents both buyers and sellers, and her design expertise is equally valuable on the buy side — helping clients evaluate renovation potential, understand the true cost of bringing a home to their vision, and avoid costly purchases where structure or layout limitations would prevent them from achieving their goals.
Holly McCormick
Realtor · Lead Negotiator · 20+ Years
(512) 699-5590
Holly McCormick has spent more than two decades mastering the specific dynamics of the Westlake luxury real estate market. Her negotiation record — built over hundreds of transactions in 78746 and 78733 — represents a level of local knowledge and tactical skill that is genuinely uncommon in any real estate market, let alone one as specialized as Westlake.
Holly’s negotiation philosophy is grounded in preparation and principle. Before any offer is made or received, she has analyzed the specific leverage points in the transaction, the seller’s or buyer’s motivation, the competitive dynamics, and the history of similar situations in this market. She knows what a 60-day Westlake listing reveals about seller psychology. She knows how to structure escalation clauses that win without overpaying. She knows when a concession on closing timing creates more value than a concession on price.
Holly also brings twenty-plus years of Eanes ISD boundary expertise — an invaluable resource for families whose school district assignment is non-negotiable and who need absolute certainty that the home they’re purchasing will deliver the enrollment they expect.
Albina Rippy
Realtor & Intentional Designer
(713) 443-6466
Albina Rippy brings a dimension of financial rigor to real estate transactions that very few agents in any market can match. As a licensed CPA in addition to her real estate credentials, Albina approaches pricing, market analysis, and investment evaluation with the methodology of an accountant and the market intuition of a veteran real estate professional.
Her quarterly market reports for Westlake (78746) and Cuernavaca (78733) — drawn from verified MLS data and cross-referenced against Travis County public records — are the most reliable available intelligence on these specific markets. Her pricing analyses account for the specific value drivers in the Westlake luxury market (view quality, lot elevation, school assignment, proximity to Lake Austin, architectural quality) in a way that generic online estimates cannot.
Albina’s CPA background is particularly valuable for the relocation clients and investment buyers who represent a growing share of The Council’s business. She provides tax comparison analyses, investment return projections, and cost-of-ownership models that help clients make financially sound decisions in what are often the most significant transactions of their lives.
Our Brokerage
Affiliated with Compass
RE Texas, LLC
The Council RE Group operates as part of Compass RE Texas, LLC — the technology-forward real estate brokerage that has transformed how luxury agents market, analyze, and close properties nationwide. Compass’s platform gives The Council access to national marketing reach, sophisticated data tools, and a network of luxury buyer and seller agents across every major U.S. market that is unmatched by any traditional brokerage.
For sellers, this means that a Westlake listing represented by The Council is marketed not just locally but to the national Compass luxury network — including agents representing qualified buyers in California, New York, and the Pacific Northwest who are actively looking for Austin luxury properties. For buyers, it means access to Compass’s Coming Soon and Private Exclusive programs, which provide visibility into off-market opportunities before they reach MLS.
find us
Our Westlake Office
Office Address
2500 Bee Cave Rd
Westlake, TX 78746
Team Phone
512 988-1741
Councilregroup@compass.com
Brokerage
TREC #0593946
Common Questions
Working with
The Council
Do I work with all three members of The Council on my transaction?
Yes — every transaction engages all three of The Council’s specialists at the appropriate stages. In a seller engagement, Natasha conducts the pre-listing design audit and oversees staging and marketing production; Albina drives pricing strategy and negotiation analytics; and Holly leads the offer and negotiation process. In a buyer engagement, Holly leads the search and negotiation, Albina provides market intelligence and financial modeling, and Natasha contributes renovation and design perspective to property evaluations. You have one primary contact who coordinates communication, but all three specialists are engaged throughout your transaction.
How does The Council's fee structure work?
The Council’s commission structure is competitive with the Westlake market and reflects the level of service — three specialists, comprehensive marketing production, and CPA-grade market analysis — that we provide. We are happy to discuss our specific structure in a consultation call. Our belief is that the net result of our approach (faster sales, higher prices, fewer negotiated concessions) more than justifies our fee relative to a discount or solo-agent model. Contact us to schedule a conversation about your specific situation.
Do you work with buyers and sellers outside Westlake and Cuernavaca?
The Council’s primary focus is Westlake (78746), Cuernavaca (78733), and the Eanes ISD market. This geographic concentration is intentional — it’s what makes our local expertise genuinely differentiated from generalist agents who cover dozens of submarkets. We do accept engagements in adjacent Austin luxury markets (Tarrytown, Clarksville, South Lamar, Lake Travis) on a case-by-case basis when we believe our expertise translates effectively. Contact us to discuss your specific situation.
How do I begin working with The Council?
The first step is a 30-45 minute consultation call — we call it our “Strategy Session” — where we learn about your goals and situation, you learn about our process and what distinguishes our approach, and together we determine whether we’re the right team for your transaction. There’s no obligation beyond that conversation. To schedule your Strategy Session, use the form on our Contact page or call Natasha directly at (512) 988-1741.
Ready to Work Together?
Three Specialists,
One Call to Start
Whether you’re buying your first Westlake property, selling a Cuernavaca estate, or relocating from out of state — a single conversation with The Council will show you what expert representation really looks like.
