收入可观的地产经纪日益成为犯罪分子的袭击目标（观点）

2024年8月9日，安大略省万锦市的一位颇负盛名的房地产经纪人梅玉英（Anita Mui）突然神秘失踪。她消失前的最后行踪是出现在Whitchurch-Stouffville的一处房产，据称她在这里见了客户胡志雄（Zhixiong Marko Hu）。几天后，案件形势急转直下，人们在偏远地区发现了她被烧焦的尸体，案件也因此由失踪案转为谋杀案。梅失踪后，有三名青少年在使用梅的信用卡后被逮捕，使该案看似为财杀驱使。此外，警方还发现了被遗弃的梅的豪华轿车，进一步显示谋杀动机与盗窃或抢劫有关。目前主要嫌疑人胡志雄已逃往香港，引发国际追捕行动。

On August 9, 2024, Anita Mui, a respected real estate agent in Markham, Ontario, vanished under mysterious circumstances. Her last known whereabouts were at a property in Whitchurch-Stouffville, where she was believed to have met with a client, Zhixiong Marko Hu. Days later, the case took a grim turn when her burned remains were discovered in a remote area, shifting the investigation from a missing person to a homicide. Adding to the suspicion of a financial motive, three teenagers were charged after being caught using Mui's credit card around the Greater Toronto Area following her disappearance. Her luxury car was also found abandoned, suggesting that the motive behind her murder could have been related to theft or a robbery gone wrong. Hu, now the prime suspect, has fled to Hong Kong, triggering an international manhunt.

梅玉英的悲剧性命运与美国阿肯色州的另一宗震惊全美的案件有类似之处，这宗案件涉及著名房地产经纪人贝弗利·卡特（Beverly Carter）。2014年9月25日，卡特在小石城外的一个偏远地区向一名客户展示房屋时被绑架。两周后，在一个浅坟中找到她的尸体。她的绑架者亚伦·刘易斯（Aaron Lewis）和他的分居妻子克里斯托尔·洛瑞（Crystal Lowery）计划绑架卡特以索取赎金，而计划失败后则将其残忍杀害。这对夫妻之后被捕，刘易斯被判处两次终身监禁，而洛瑞则被判处30年监禁。作案动机？刘易斯冷酷话语将该案背后的因财杀人动机暴露无遗：“卡特是个有钱的经纪人，一个独身出行的女人。”

Anita Mui's tragic fate mirrors another shocking case in the United States involving Beverly Carter, a prominent real estate agent in Arkansas. On September 25, 2014, Carter was abducted while showing a house to a prospective client in a remote area outside Little Rock. Her body was discovered two weeks later in a shallow grave. Her abductors, Aaron Lewis and his estranged wife Crystal Lowery, had plotted to kidnap Carter for ransom. When their plan failed, they murdered her. The perpetrators were later arrested, with Lewis receiving two life sentences and Lowery a 30-year sentence. The motive? "She was just a woman that worked alone—a rich broker," as Lewis chillingly stated, highlighting the financial lure that made Carter a target.

这两起令人毛骨悚然的令人震惊的谋杀案揭示了一个令人不安的趋势：曾经被认为是一项相对安全的职业的地产经纪，如今在加拿大和美国却越来越多地成为暴力犯罪的目标。根据美国劳工统计局的数据，2022年有23名房地产专业人士在工作中遭暴力袭击而丧生。同年，美国全国房地产经纪人协会（NAR）进行的一项安全调查显示，2%的住宅房地产经纪因职位而成为犯罪的受害者。这意味着在150万名经纪人中，有3万人举报遭抢劫、身体攻击或性侵犯。此外，23%的受访者表示担心人身安全。

These two chilling, high-profile murders highlight a disturbing trend: real estate agents, once considered to be in a relatively safe profession, are increasingly becoming targets of violent crime in both Canada and the United States. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 23 real estate professionals were killed on the job due to violence in 2022. A safety survey conducted the same year by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) found that 2 percent of residential real estate agents were victims of crime while on duty. This equates to 30,000 out of 1.5 million agents reporting incidents of robbery, physical assault, or sexual assault. Furthermore, 23 percent of respondents expressed concerns about their safety.

威胁房地产经纪人身安全的隐患包括，独往独行、与陌生客户打交道，以及工作场所不定等。然而，这一行业可观的收入状况却是一重要因素，常常被人忽视。

Several factors contribute to the growing risks faced by realtors: working alone, meeting unfamiliar clients, and operating in locations outside their control. However, a less frequently discussed yet critical factor is the financial aspect of the profession.

随着房价的持续上涨，房地产经纪人的佣金也在飙升。即使行业的房屋量与十年前大致相同，经纪人的薪酬会在十年内翻倍。在加拿大和美国，佣金率通常在房产售价的4%到6%之间，由卖方代理人和买方代理人平分。

As home prices continue to rise, so do the commissions earned by realtors. Agents' compensation would double over a decade even though they sold roughly the same number of homes then and now.  In both Canada and the U.S., commission rates typically range from 4 to 6 percent of a property's selling price, with the seller's agent sharing this fee with the buyer's agent.  

加拿大统计局的数据进一步证明了这一趋势：地产经纪的佣金从2012年的$11.8亿加元猛增到2022年的$24.3亿加元。同一时期，该行业的营业利润率从25.3%上升到31.3%。飙升行业收入引无数英雄竞折腰，以致美国房地产从业人员数量激增至目前的160万人以上，加拿大则超过16万。当然，一笔笔客观且招摇的高佣金使房地产经纪人沦为绑架、勒索甚至谋杀等犯罪的牺牲品，成为谋求一本万利的犯罪分子的行动目标。

Data from Statistics Canada highlights this growing trend: commissions paid to real estate agents and brokers skyrocketed from $1.18 billion in 2012 to $2.43 billion in 2022. During this period, the industry's operating profit margins rose from 25.3 percent to 31.3 percent. The potential for substantial earnings has attracted a large influx of individuals into the profession, with the U.S. real estate workforce swelling to 1.6 million and over 160,000 agents in Canada. These significant commissions make realtors prime targets for criminals seeking quick, large gains through kidnapping, ransom demands, and even murder.

除了直接的安全风险外，飞涨的佣金已经达到不合理的水平，进一步刺激了犯罪活动。随着房价的持续上涨，重新评估佣金结构至关重要，其不仅可以减轻买卖双方的财务负担，还能适当遏制图财动机犯罪以降低房地产经纪人面临的人身危险。

Beyond the immediate safety risks, soaring commissions have reached unreasonable levels, further incentivizing criminal activity. As real estate prices continue to rise, it is crucial to reevaluate the commission structure, not only to alleviate the financial burden on buyers and sellers but also to curb the financial motivations behind crimes targeting the profession.