We Are Still Far from a Proper Understanding of Platform Operations, Divar CEO says

The CEO of Divar believes there is still a significant gap in properly understanding platform operations and the scope of its responsibilities.

We Don't Know Why Divar's IPO Has Been Halted

Following the exit of SarAva from the shareholder structure of Hezardastan Holding, the owner of Divar, in November 2023, rumors about the company's entry into the stock market gained traction. However, it appears this process has faced unclear obstacles. Ashkan Armandehi, CEO of Divar, in a conversation with Mani Ghasemi, founder of Digiato, stated: "After the SarAva deal and changes in shareholding, we submitted our request for listing on the Tehran Stock Exchange. Conditions were progressing well for about a month or two, with smooth back-and-forth information exchanges, but at some point, the process stalled. No one knows the reason, but we remain prepared for the listing."

Armandehi emphasized: "Even if we find out where the holdup is, that itself would be a breakthrough. But not knowing locks down the entire business and its planning."

94 Million Listings Published in First 9 Months of 1403

The CEO of Divar provided statistics on the platform's current status for the first nine months of the year 1403. He said: "Divar was opened on the phones of 62 million unique users by the end of Azar. Over 18 million users posted listings. More than 108 million listings were reviewed, with a total of approximately 180 million reviews conducted. The result was the publication of over 94 million listings. According to Armandehi, the company currently employs 300 technical and administrative staff and about 130 operational staff in listing review, reporting, and call center sections."

Handing Over Ads to Yektanet Was Not Related to Selling Café Bazaar to Tapsell

Earlier this year, news broke about the sale of Café Bazaar, another business of Hezardastan Holding, to Tapsell. Hezardastan stated the goal was to focus on Divar's operations. The CEO of Divar commented: "Even before this, we noticed within the holding that key individuals and departments were spending more time on Divar. Café Bazaar's presence could have diluted this focus. With this deal, the effort is to concentrate all resources on Divar and maximize its potential."

Shortly after this news, it was announced that Divar had decided to appoint Yektanet as the exclusive advertising partner for the platform. Armandehi denied any connection between this decision and the sale of Café Bazaar to Tapsell, explaining: "Many platforms offering classified ad services also display banner ads alongside listings. These banners allow businesses to showcase their products to more users. We added banner ads to Divar about a year ago so users seeking greater visibility or branding could use them. However, based on Divar's own strategy, we preferred minimal interference in the execution of these banners. As a result, a year ago, we began collaborating with three ad agencies: Tapsell, Yektanet, and DartAds. Even this past fall, we tried reaching out to non-digital agencies to diversify, but they were unwilling to enter this space for various reasons."

Working with Yektanet Posed Less Risk

He added: "Ultimately, we decided to delegate all banner ad responsibilities to a single company. At the time, we proposed this to all three agencies and deliberated until the final days between Tapsell and Yektanet. In the end, based on our criteria, Yektanet's proposal was more favorable—not necessarily in terms of contract value but due to clauses that better protected us against potential risks and harm to Divar's users. We arrived at a checklist that showed working with Yektanet carried lower risk, and over the past year, Yektanet has been a better partner in terms of sales and other performance metrics."

Publishing Loan Listings on Divar Is Not Prohibited

One of Divar's major challenges throughout its operation has been judicial interventions and bans on certain types of listings. One of the latest cases was the Cyber Police's prohibition on loan listings on Divar and Sheypoor. The CEO of Divar clarified that the main issue was the presence of phishing links in some of these listings. He stated: "No law explicitly prohibits peer-to-peer loan trading. Additionally, people may have deposits in various banks and, due to lack of personal need or eligibility, transfer their deposit benefits to others. Banks generally have no issue with this and have even defined mechanisms for it. We also cannot prohibit something that has no legal restrictions."

According to Armandehi, this ban has now been lifted, and Divar is working to address phishing links through user warnings, education, and maintaining a whitelist of verified links. Regarding the surge in cryptocurrency trading on the platform after the shutdown of crypto exchange payment gateways, he explained: "Cryptocurrency trading is not prohibited and is allowed on Divar. However, if cryptocurrencies are used as a medium for goods exchange, it is banned under Central Bank regulations. That's why we haven't imposed any restrictions on crypto trading itself."

We've Responded to Over 7,000 Judicial Inquiries

Armandehi discussed law enforcement inquiries made to the platform: "Typically, the police, following a judicial order regarding a specific number linked to fraud or harassment, request information from us, such as IP addresses, timestamps, and listing dates. By law, we are required to retain this data for six months and provide it to judicial authorities upon request. Last year, we responded to over 7,000 case-specific inquiries."

Referring to Divar's legal cases, he said: "Just this week, I was summoned again to Ahvaz to explain platform responsibilities to judicial authorities. Many cases have been filed against us. We've had cases over shoe and massage listings, and in another instance, we were accused of promoting gambling due to listings for online gaming accounts—where the court suspected gambling activities behind them. The judge told me, 'Young man, you come here often. Be honest with me—hand over the keys to all the brothels you run so we can cooperate and close this case.' The judge assumed all these listings belonged to us and that we were providing services."

Iranian Identity Hinders Regional Expansion

On the platform's plans to expand into neighboring countries, he said: "In 2016, we had experience operating in regional markets and launched Divar Afghanistan. However, due to certain reasons, we had to cease operations after two years. The biggest obstacles to entering regional markets are sanctions and our Iranian identity, which create barriers. We're still exploring how to expand Divar into neighboring countries and are eager to do so, but aside from allocating human resources, external blockers make it difficult. The issue remains on the table."

The Government Must Recognize the Benefits of Ownership Verification

Starting 20 Bahman, Divar made car ownership verification mandatory for free listings in Qom and Mashhad as a pilot and plans to roll it out nationwide soon. The CEO explained this decision was primarily to combat fake listings degrading platform quality. Armandehi noted that efforts to obtain APIs or web services from the government and other entities have been unsuccessful, forcing Divar to rely on expensive third-party services. He added: "The government must recognize the benefits of ownership verification—reducing fake listings and misuse—and assist businesses in utilizing web services."

The Philosophy of 'Kenare Divar' Is to Break Monopolies

In December 2023, Divar launched "Kenare Divar" (Beside Divar), a platform for companies and startups to offer services to users, addressing post-listing needs. Armandehi explained: "The idea emerged from recognizing that other companies or individuals could facilitate these processes better than us. We focused on creating the best discovery tool for users while outsourcing subsequent steps." Currently, 60 active plugins operate on Kenare Divar—50 within listings and 10 in chat pages. The CEO emphasized: "The philosophy of Kenare Divar is to break monopolies, eliminate exclusivity, and let people choose. Competition ensures companies strive to offer better services at fair prices."

Divar's Maximum Use of AI

This year, Divar, like many platforms, has maximized AI adoption. Armandehi stated: "We're applying AI in three areas: security, user experience enhancement, and listing discoverability. We've developed smart, personalized search experiences, largely powered by large language models (LLMs)." He added: "To elevate content quality, we use advanced filtering and monitoring systems for listings, leveraging generative AI and machine learning to review titles and listing sections. Beyond content evaluation, we employ LLMs to analyze user behavior and combat misuse."

Armandehi continued: "We're also introducing shopping assistants to facilitate transactions. These are already active in mobile/tablet, car, and laptop categories, helping users make informed choices. In coming months, we'll enhance the ad posting experience with AI integration."

We Might Revisit the 4-Day Workweek

On Divar's four-day workweek trial, Armandehi explained: "The one-month test in Mordad 2023 assessed impacts on three key areas: work-life balance, communication, and meetings. Post-trial surveys showed improved employee well-being, focus, creativity, and reduced stress, but managers reported higher daily workloads, missed deadlines, and inter-team coordination issues." While no permanent shift is planned, Armandehi hinted at future trials: "Initiatives like this aim to retain talent, though much of workforce migration lies beyond employers' control."