Ghaziabad rentals: What's the real scene?

My lease ends in 3 months and I'm honestly shocked by Ghaziabad rental prices. I work in real estate, so I thought I knew the market, but finding a good place for myself is different. Rentals in Indirapuram and Vaishali have shot up like crazy, some places 30-40% in two years. Is this rent-rise justified, yaaron? Matlab, infrastructure theek hai (Delhi-Meerut Expressway, Metro), but itna jump? Will it stabilise soon or is this the new normal? I'm looking around Raj Nagar Extension and Crossings Republik too. For young professionals, which areas offer the best price vs convenience tradeoff? Honestly, not sure if I should go semi-furnished or bare shell. Also, broker charges are eating into my budget. Can you even find direct landlords anymore in GZB, or have brokers gatekept everything now? Any tips for avoiding that extra 1-2 months' rent?