Chinese Real Estate Blogger With 1 Million Followers Permanently Banned From Douyin

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A prominent Chinese real estate commentator known for his bearish views on the country’s housing market has been permanently banned from Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, sparking debate over online speech restrictions as the nation’s property downturn deepens.

The blogger, who goes by the name “Yi Lu Xiang Bei,” had more than 1 million followers and was widely known for his repeated warnings that property prices would continue to fall. In multiple videos, he advised followers to “de-real-estate” their assets, arguing that cash would hold greater value than property in the years ahead.

His Douyin account appears to have been suspended on Feb. 17, the first day of the Lunar New Year. Chinese media NetEast and several independent X accounts also reported the ban. Douyin has not publicly disclosed the specific reason for the suspension.

Observers have speculated that his commentary, which frequently projected further declines in property prices, may have been deemed as “talking down” the economy or reinforcing negative expectations, potentially crossing the line for the Chinese regime’s censors.

A Chinese netizen surnamed Huang told The Epoch Times that the ban itself was more concerning than the blogger’s views.

“In the past few months, we’ve noticed far fewer posts discussing falling home prices, restaurant closures, or shops going out of business,” Huang said. “I calculated that more than 95 percent of that kind of content appears to have been blocked. Even bloggers who indirectly express bearish views on real estate are quickly identified. Now I don’t talk about it anymore.”

China’s property sector is a key pillar of the country’s macroeconomy. Some legal experts argue that both bullish and bearish market opinions should be part of normal public discussion.

A lawyer in Henan Province surnamed Chen said that excluding pessimistic views from public discourse would be unfair to consumers.

“People who want to buy a home need access to non-official commentary to understand the real market price [trends],” Chen said. “Whether you’re optimistic or pessimistic, what’s presented online is an opinion. Viewers can make their own judgments.”

The ban comes amid broader efforts by the Chinese regime to tighten control over economic narratives online.

In September last year, Chinese state media People’s Daily reported that the regime’s Cyberspace Administration was targeting online content that “maliciously provokes negative emotions.” As a result, compared with previous years, videos depicting empty streets or declining foot traffic have become less common online.

Archived and reshared clips of “Yi Lu Xiang Bei” show him frequently discussing property trends, household financial risks, and broader economic changes during livestreams. He repeatedly warned viewers that housing prices could continue to decline, secondhand home listings were increasing, profit margins across industries were shrinking, and it was becoming harder for ordinary people to make money.

A China-based independent scholar told The Epoch Times that the issue goes beyond market analysis.

“In China’s system of state propaganda narratives, the question is not whether speech aligns with facts, but whether it aligns with political needs,” the scholar said. “What people are allowed to know or see has never been entirely their own choice.”

According to China’s National Bureau of Statistics, prices of new and secondhand homes across 70 major cities in January extended their month-over-month declines, with the market described as entering a “deep adjustment cycle.”

In China’s major metropolitan areas, new home prices fell 0.3 percent from the previous month, while existing home prices dropped 0.5 percent. On a year-over-year basis, existing home prices in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen declined by between 6.8 percent and 8.7 percent. Prices in smaller cities also continued to fall.

Douyin’s decision to permanently remove one of the country’s most prominent bearish housing commentators comes as China’s property sector remains under sustained pressure, with public discussion of the downturn drawing increasing scrutiny online.