新京报讯(记者张静姝通讯员秦天)蒋女士与顾先生在优品公司(化名)谈判房屋买卖事宜，但未能就中介 费等问题达成一致。两日后，顾先生与蒋女士通过惠灵公司(化名)签订房屋买卖合同。优品公司得知 后，认为蒋女士、顾先生恶意"跳单"，将蒋女士、顾先生诉至法院。北京市海淀区人民法院经审理，认 定蒋女士与顾先生系在优品公司提供中介服务的基础上签订合同，故优品公司有权主张相应的中介费。 法院最终判决蒋女士、顾先生各向优品公司支付25000元。 优品公司诉称，蒋女士向公司员工咨询购房问题，公司持续就购房事宜进行咨询、沟通，还向蒋女士推 荐、介绍并带看顾先生的房屋，且多次联系顾先生磋商价格、组织见面谈判，但因中介费问题未谈妥。 后经查询，涉案房屋已通过其他公司私下成交并过户至蒋女士名下，公司与蒋女士、顾先生多次沟通支 付中介费被拒绝。 蒋女士辩称，其与优品公司对于中介服务合同的主要条款未达成一致，双方之间的中介合同始终未成 立，不存在履行合同及违约责任的问题；优品公司只是带看房，没有协助完成按揭贷款、登记过户，最 终未促成交易；优品公司也不是涉案房源的独家代理，故不能阻止通过其他中介公司达成交易。 顾先生辩称，从未以任何形式授权 ...

Core Insights - The intermediary industry in China is becoming a unique window to observe the country's economic transformation amid global economic restructuring and deep changes in the domestic consumption market [2] - China's commission rates for intermediaries are significantly lower than those in developed countries, with real estate agency fees ranging from 0.5% to 2.7%, compared to up to 6% in the US [2] - The low commission rates in China are a result of various structural factors, including intense market competition, government-imposed price ceilings, a large price-sensitive consumer base, and relatively low labor costs [10] Intermediary Industry Analysis - In the OTA sector, major foreign players like Booking and Expedia charge commission rates of 12% to 15%, while China's Ctrip has a rate of about 4.4%, indicating that foreign OTA fees are 2 to 3 times higher than those in China [4] - Despite lower OTA commissions, the hotel industry's revenue decline is attributed more to changes in supply and demand dynamics rather than high OTA fees [5][6] - The increase in hotel supply has led to a decline in key performance indicators such as RevPAR and ADR, with Marriott's RevPAR in Greater China dropping from $83.53 in Q4 2019 to $79.52 in Q4 2024 [5][6] Market Dynamics - The shift in hotel revenue sources has moved from maximizing ADR to increasing occupancy rates (OCC), necessitating lower prices and reliance on OTAs for customer acquisition [7] - The perception that OTAs are responsible for profit declines in the hotel industry is partly driven by hotels seeking to negotiate lower commissions and new entrants in the OTA market trying to gain support [8] - The concept of "friction-free capitalism" proposed by Bill Gates has not materialized as expected, with the number of intermediaries increasing rather than decreasing [9] Future Outlook - The low commission model may attract more users and market share in the short term, particularly benefiting price-sensitive consumers and small businesses, but it poses risks for long-term industry innovation and health [13] - Continuous low commission strategies can lead to detrimental price wars, reducing profit margins and resulting in an "involution" state where resources are heavily invested without corresponding returns [13] - The intermediary industry must find a balance between innovation and low fees, focusing on technological advancements, service upgrades, and process optimizations to enhance overall efficiency and competitiveness [13]