Mietmakler: How Rental Brokers Shape Modern Housing Markets
On a gray weekday morning in Berlin, dozens of prospective tenants line up outside a pre-war apartment building. Some clutch printed résumés, others refresh their phones anxiously. Inside, a single professional controls the flow—unlocking doors, answering questions, and quietly deciding who advances. This person is the mietmakler, a rental broker whose influence in competitive housing…