Lack of coordination or lack of interest? The relationship between the state action and the interests of the real estate market

Abstract

This essay examines the relationship between the State and the real estate market in the urban context, highlighting how the subordination of the State to private interests is intensified by the logic of capital accumulation and the appropriation of land surplus value. It also discusses how this relationship affects society in the regulation of urban land and exacerbates inequalities in access to adequate housing. Drawing a parallel with Agamben (2007), the city can be understood as a space withdrawn from common use and subjected to the cult of the commodity and land valorization. In this context, the present work seeks to understand how this relationship impacts poorer populations, particularly regarding market prices and the postmodern discourse of capitalist appropriation. As an illustration, we highlight recent research published on rental prices in the 2024–2025 biennium, the cost per square meter of real estate, and investments in short-term digital rental platforms. In light of this, the paper proposes the need to reconsider the role of the State in order to prioritize a fairer distribution and to contribute to new, less unequal pathways for populations excluded from access to this market.

Keywords: state; real estate market; society; urban inequality.