58.com Undergoes Major Listings Purge on its Real Estate Portal Anjuke

China-based classifieds giant 58.com has removed over 80,000 listings from its real estate platform Anjuke in the last nine months amid public backlash over "low-priced housing chaos."

The cleanup comes amid reports that bad actors have been using the site to post suspiciously cheap properties to lure tenants into paying scam fees for viewing properties.

According to a statement posted by 58.com’s Nanjing office on its official WeChat account, the company identified and banned 326 illegal accounts and purged thousands of misleading listings between June 2024 and March 2025. The announcement followed a report from local news outlet Nanjing Zero Distance, which alleged that traffic-hungry companies were exploiting 58.com and Anjuke to generate leads using below-market price points for listings then charging users fraudulent fees to visit the properties in-person.

"We attach great importance to user experience and media feedback," the company stated, adding that it had conducted a platform-wide review of property listings from intermediaries. 58.com said it would terminate cooperation with any intermediary found charging viewing or service fees and promised to improve rental risk warnings and user reporting tools.

Anjuke is one of China’s leading real estate verticals and is owned by 58.com. The cleanup will help the business balance traffic growth with listing integrity in a troubled rental market in China.

Founded in 2005, 58.com has established itself as a leading online classifieds marketplace in China, connecting local merchants and consumers across various categories, including real estate, jobs, used goods, and automotive services.

58.com underwent significant changes including privatization and restructuring of its business segments in 2020. The company was delisted from public stock exchanges, and its real estate business, including Anjuke, became the main entity for future listings.