每经热评 | 二手房交易不需要更“聪明”的中介，需要更透明的市场

Core Viewpoint - The recent incident involving a Shanghai intermediary agency highlights a deeper crisis in the second-hand housing market, characterized by a systemic lack of price transparency and the manipulation of market dynamics by certain intermediaries [1][2]. Group 1: Market Dynamics - Some intermediary agencies are employing tactics such as concealing transaction prices and hiring "actors" to pressure sellers into lowering prices, transforming the information asymmetry between buyers and sellers into an unequal "power game" [1][2]. - The current second-hand housing market exhibits three main characteristics of transparency deficiency: hidden transaction prices, information asymmetry, and lagging regulation [3]. Group 2: Impact on Buyers and Sellers - Buyers, unaware of historical transaction prices, may mistakenly accept intermediary-recommended prices as fair market values, giving a small number of intermediaries significant operational leverage [3]. - The phenomenon of "psychological warfare" in price negotiations lacks clear legal definitions, making it difficult for buyers to gather evidence for claims [3]. Group 3: Complaints and Market Trust - From 2022 to August 2025, over 4,000 complaints related to second-hand housing transactions were filed on the Black Cat Complaints platform, with the total amount in dispute exceeding 500 million yuan, indicating issues such as opaque fees and deposits [4]. - The transformation of property transactions into a stage for intermediaries undermines market order and erodes public trust in asset security, emphasizing the need for a more transparent market rather than smarter intermediaries [4].