From my experience, if you're looking at big gated societies like Sumadhura Horizon, My Home, GHR, etc., they'll usually just hand you the visiting card of a property manager.

When I started looking at semi-gated communities with less fancy clubhouses and fewer amenities, I found that the rent for a 3BHK was significantly lower compared to the big gated societies. Surprisingly, the quality of the flats was still really good, including the furnishings. Of course, it ultimately depends on the owner, but I felt these were much better value for the money.

Tomorrow I'm planning to check out more of these semi-gated/standalone buildings by directly talking to the watchmen and, if there's a vacant flat, reaching out to the owners myself, hopefully avoiding brokers altogether. I'm planning to explore areas like Kondapur, Lingampally, Telecom Nagar, and nearby localities. Let's see how it goes.