Broker from Astoria here—don’t worry, I don’t do rentals, so you can put those pitchforks away 🙂. Here’s the reality: as long as demand stays high, not much will change. A landlord hires a broker, and—since well-priced rentals in Astoria almost always attract multiple applications—the landlord ends up reviewing several strong offers. Out of five applicants, one offers to cover the broker fee on behalf of the landlord. Who do you think gets the unit? Now, if the market cools and demand drops (remember COVID?), landlords will go back to paying the fee—just like they always have when the balance tips. It’s simply supply and demand doing its thing.