Denial of Government Supporters' Media Reports; Real Estate Union Member: Prices Have Not Decreased, Transactions Have Reached Minimum

While some government-affiliated media report a decrease in housing prices, a member of the board of the Tehran Real Estate Union stated that the number of transactions in the housing market has reached a minimum, making it impossible to have a real estimate of a declining market. Saeed Lotfi, a board member of the Tehran Real Estate Union, announced that there are no transactions in the housing market where a 'slight decrease in the exchange rate' is evident, stating to the ILNA news agency: Unless individuals have 'clairvoyance' to declare this decrease in housing prices, they are mostly seeking a 'psychological atmosphere' in the market. He added that currently, buying and selling transactions in the housing market have 'reached the minimum possible' and the housing market has sunk into 'deep recession.' He questioned the basis on which some claim that housing prices have decreased by '20 percent.' The state news agency IRNA quoted an expert claiming that housing prices have been 'declining' in recent weeks, stating that housing prices in northern Tehran have experienced a '20 percent drop' and that the downward trend in housing prices will continue. Meanwhile, the board member of the Tehran Real Estate Union pointed out that 'all 22 districts of Tehran are experiencing recession,' noting that in this situation, the '5th district of Tehran' has the highest number of buying and selling transactions due to the different sizes of units available. He acknowledged that the type of recession in 'district one of Tehran' is also different from other areas, stating that this area 'belongs to luxury residents' and buyers do not wait to sell their assets to increase their purchasing power. The Research Center of the Islamic Consultative Assembly also reported in mid-June, amid claims from government-supporting media about 'the decrease in housing prices,' that the housing situation in Tehran is critical, with a '950 percent increase' in prices over the past five years. The newspaper Donya-e-Eqtesad published in Tehran also noted on June 7 that economic pressures on 'Iranian tenants,' high inflation in the housing and rental sector, are causing a 'decrease in calorie consumption' in this segment of society, stating that research results about the hidden aspects of poverty and the impact of inflation on household welfare show that 'calorie deficiency' for tenants forced to 'cover housing rental costs' has been reported more severely. A labor activist stated that the government is 'manipulating statistics' to 'control inflation.' The consequences of stagflation on Iran's economy; the share of clothing in household spending has halved. The Research Center of the Islamic Consultative Assembly: housing prices in Tehran have increased by 950 percent. Statistics speak; inflation has disrupted social relations.