In the old urban and rural markets in China, there were middlemen who negotiated transactions and collected commissions for buyers and sellers. This phenomenon was born in the Han Dynasty. There were official teeth and private teeth in Ming and Qing Dynasties. Official teeth are designated by the government, and private teeth can only be opened after obtaining the printed stationery (that is, administrative licensing documents, equivalent to the current business license and other documents) with the approval of the government. Dental dealers need to get dental stickers (business licenses used by dental offices), pay dental taxes on time (equivalent to transaction taxes), and have the responsibility to collect taxes on behalf of the government.

A "dental dealer" is a businessman in a "dental shop". Is the middleman who matches the sale of goods. Then why is it called "tooth"? It turns out that "tooth" was a common word for "mutual" in ancient times. "Tooth market" means "mutual market", and "Tooth people" are "mutual market people" who exchange goods.

In the past, the "Yangfang" in Fuzhou was a big market for selling live sheep. Sheep farmers transport sheep to Fuzhou "Yangfang" and give them to the owner of Yangfang Store for sale. Dental shops wholesale and retail vendors and vendors. The owner of the dental shop collects the commission from the consignor, and then pays the money to the consignor after all the goods are approved.

In the Qing Dynasty, brokers were called "foreign firms" in foreign trade. A special foreign trade broker "comprador" appeared in the late Qing Dynasty. During the Republic of China, with the emergence of stock and bond trading, securities brokers appeared for the first time in the history of China.

At the beginning of the founding of New China, China adopted the policy of restricting and banning brokers, stipulating that brokers must operate in designated places. At the same time, a trust brokerage institution owned by the whole people and collectives has been set up to operate the intermediary business between buyers and sellers. 1958, banning brokers. However, in rural fair trade, individual citizens are allowed to carry out intermediary activities to promote the trading of agricultural and sideline products. After 1980, brokerage activities began to resume, but brokerage activities were only an undisclosed "underground" intermediary activity. After 1985, the broker went underground and engaged in brokerage activities in an open and legal capacity. Since 1992, brokers have been in the stage of gradual development, and the state has adopted the policy of "supporting, managing and guiding" to brokers, so that brokerage activities gradually become formal. 1995101October 26th, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce promulgated the Measures for the Administration of Brokers, which further standardized the activities of brokers.