Tomfoolery with estate agents in Hong Kong and beyond

I was shocked to read that in Sydney, prospective renters and homeowners get to see flats only for fifteen minutes. All at once. Not a fifteen minute time limit on one person's visitation, but everyone who wants to view a flat has to see it during the same one ninety-sixth of the day. It's ridiculous. It's almost as if the arrangement was designed purely for the convenience of the estate agent, without any thought for the customer.