I rented a Shadyside apartment through Valinsky Realty last year. I moved out because of a job opportunity in a different city. Valinsky Realty is a family-owned business which for me, brought some relief given my horrible experiences with bigger realty companies. The apartment itself was nothing special but it was in the perfect location as a new Pittsburgher. From what I have hear from my native Pittsburgh friends, the rent was comparable.
The owners themselves were wonderful people. My point person was Dayna and she was receptive and responded to my emails/texts within hours. I only had one maintenance request (fixing a lock) the entire year, and it was fixed in the same day. I'd rent through them again if I ever moved back to the burgh.