Simultaneous Media Attack; 'Real Estate Agents' Under Accusation

The housing market is currently in a poor state, with all experts and even official reports, including a report from the Research Center of the Parliament, attributing the current conditions to 'wrong policymaking' over the past four decades. Meanwhile, some Iranian news agencies have simultaneously pointed their criticisms at real estate agents. The state-affiliated news agency 'IRNA' quoted a housing expert stating that the number of real estate agencies in the country, accounting for 200,000 units, is approximately 1.8 times greater than the number of schools. IRNA emphasized that experts consider the role of real estate consultants, both 'legal' and 'illegal', as one of the reasons for the increase in housing prices in the country. The agency also reported that, according to the director general of the Government Trading Regulations in Alborz province, 310 violating businesses in this sector have been shut down since the beginning of this year as part of a supervision plan on real estate consultants. In this regard, Hojjatollah Herati stated that 1,440 inspections have been carried out, resulting in the closure of 310 units. The news agency 'ILNA', affiliated with the Workers' House, also quoted the vice president of the Real Estate Consultants Union stating that around 185,000 licensed real estate consultants are active across the country. According to Davood, there is one real estate consultant for every 440 people. This news agency raised the question from this union official, 'Do every 440 people need to engage in real estate transactions?' and added, 'In fact, a catastrophe is occurring in relation to real estate consultants.' While the media identifies 'real estate agents' as one of the main factors disrupting market order and increasing housing prices, the latest report from the Research Center of the Parliament indicates that four decades of government planning in the housing sector have not been favorable for the 'low-income' groups, who have been the losers of ineffective decisions, especially in large cities. The Research Center of the Parliament also reported on June 8 that the housing situation in Tehran is critical, with prices increasing by '950 percent' over the past five years. The website 'Tejarat News' also addressed the performance of Ibrahim Raisi's government in the housing sector on the occasion of the government's second anniversary, stating that house prices have increased by 109 percent in two years, reaching over 65 million tomans per square meter. The Research Center of the Parliament noted that six deciles of society have lost access to housing. The Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance provided statistics on the distribution of 'Qeymeh'; government officials are contemplating an Islamic government while the people suffer from poverty. The performance record of Raisi's government is halfway through; housing has become nearly 110 percent more expensive in two years. The housing crisis in Iran has made the presentation of housing statistics a security issue. Criticism of Raisi's government has increased; the media states: 'a regression to the past' accompanied by a severe decline in public services.