From my experience in Tbilisi, it’s usually a mix of both. When I arrived, I didn’t really know anyone, so I went through an agent for the first apartment just to avoid confusion. The contract was pretty straightforward, nothing too heavy, mostly basic terms about rent, deposit, and duration. After that first month I actually switched to dealing directly with a landlord because it was cheaper and surprisingly easy once you’ve already seen how things work. Language can be a small barrier, but honestly many people involved in rentals are used to foreigners, so communication ends up being simpler than expected. I didn’t feel like I needed legal help or anything like that, just basic attention to details.