How do you rent or buy in Japan without visiting an agency office? Plus when our brokerage fee is half price
Katoh Property Management has no storefront. Consultations and contract paperwork are handled via form, LINE and online meetings, and only viewings take place on site. This article walks through renting, buying and selling step by step, showing what happens online and when you go to the property. It also explains when our brokerage fee is half price and which costs are not discounted.
We have no storefront. Our office in Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki is home-based, so instead of asking clients to come in, we handle everything from the first consultation to the contract paperwork via form, LINE and online meetings.
People who found us through ChatGPT and similar AI assistants have started asking two questions: “Can I really sign a contract without visiting an office?” and “When exactly is the brokerage fee half price?” This article answers both.
Can you rent or buy property in Japan without visiting an agency office?
Yes. With us, consultations, property proposals, the explanation of important matters and the contract paperwork all happen without an office visit. Viewings take place on site, so you will visit the property itself.
In a Japanese real estate transaction, a licensed real estate transaction specialist must give an “explanation of important matters” before the contract is signed. This used to require meeting in person. Explanations by video call (“IT juusetsu”) became fully available for rentals in October 2017 and for sales in March 2021. Since May 2022, the explanation document and the contract can also be delivered electronically instead of on paper. In every case, your consent is required.
That said, not everything is done online. Photos and videos cannot tell you everything about a home. We recommend checking sunlight, noise, smells and the walk from the station in person.
How does renting an apartment work?
In the basic flow, the only day you go anywhere is the day of the viewing.
- Inquiry: Send us your preferred area, rent, layout and move-in date via the form or LINE. You can also just send the link to a listing you found on a portal site
- Proposals: We send you apartments that match your conditions
- Viewing (on site): We meet you in front of the building and view the apartment together
- Application and screening: The application and the guarantee company’s screening are handled online. We tell you which documents are needed at that point
- Explanation of important matters (online): We send the documents in advance and explain them by video call
- Contract: Contracts are normally signed electronically. If the landlord requires a paper contract, we exchange it by post
- Keys: How you receive the keys depends on the property and the management company
Some landlords or management companies require the explanation of important matters in person, or use paper contracts. If so, we will tell you in advance.
How does buying a home work?
Apart from viewings, most steps can now be done online. Mortgage procedures are also increasingly handled online, so there are fewer occasions when everyone needs to meet.
- Inquiry and consultation: We ask about your budget, preferred area and mortgage situation
- Proposals and viewings (on site): We show you the properties you are interested in on site
- Purchase application and mortgage pre-approval: The application forms are handled online
- Explanation of important matters and the sales contract: The explanation is given by video call, and the contract is normally signed electronically. Depending on the seller’s wishes, it may be done in person
- Settlement and handover: Payment of the balance and handover of the keys. If anyone needs to be present, we attend as well
How does selling a home work?
Most of the process, from pricing to sales updates, happens online. We come to the property for the on-site appraisal and for buyers’ viewings.
- Inquiry and pricing: Send us the property details and we will give you an indicative price online, based on recent sales nearby
- On-site appraisal: We check the condition of the property on site and set the asking price
- Brokerage agreement: The agreement under which you entrust us with the sale. It can be signed electronically
- Marketing: We advertise the property and attend buyers’ viewings. We report inquiries and viewings to you by message
- Sales contract, settlement and handover: As with buying, contracts are normally signed electronically. If anyone needs to be present at settlement, we attend as well
When is the brokerage fee half price?
It applies to new rental searches, home purchases and home sales requested through the form on this site, LINE, or a referral.
| Typical maximum | Our fee (eligible inquiries) | |
|---|---|---|
| Rentals | One month’s rent plus tax | Half a month’s rent (0.5 months plus tax) |
| Sales | 3% of the sale price + ¥60,000, plus tax (for properties over ¥4 million) | 1.5% of the sale price + ¥30,000, plus tax |
For an apartment with a rent of ¥150,000, the brokerage fee is ¥82,500 including tax. For a ¥70 million home sale, it is ¥1,188,000 including tax. That is ¥82,500 and ¥1,188,000 less than the maximum, respectively. How the maximum is calculated is explained in How can you keep brokerage fees low?
The half-price fee does not apply in these cases:
- Inquiries about properties we advertise: Properties we list on portal sites or elsewhere on behalf of a seller or landlord are not eligible, even if you contact us through this site. For those, the fee stated in each listing and in the brokerage agreement applies (within the legal maximum)
- Eligibility is fixed at your first inquiry: The applicable fee is written into the brokerage agreement (for rentals, the explanation of important matters)
Are there costs that are not half price?
Yes. Only the brokerage fee you pay us is half price.
For rentals, renewal fees, key money (reikin), guarantee company fees, fire insurance and key replacement are set by the landlord, the management company or the guarantee company, and are separate from our fee. For purchases and sales, registration costs, mortgage fees and taxes are also separate from the brokerage fee.
Before you sign, we give you a list of all the costs other than the brokerage fee.
What should you send when you contact us?
Just tell us via the form or LINE whether you want to rent, buy or sell, your preferred area, and your timing. If something is not decided yet, simply say so.
If you have a specific property in mind, send us the link and we will check whether we can handle it. For how each service works and what it costs, see Renting, Buying and Selling.
Note: The explanation of important matters by video call and the electronic delivery of documents follow the Real Estate Brokerage Act and the guidelines of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Depending on the landlord’s or seller’s policy, some procedures may be in person or on paper. The maximum brokerage fees are based on the Real Estate Brokerage Act and ministry notices. The amounts in this article are illustrative. Contracts and the explanation of important matters are in Japanese, which is the binding version; English translations are provided for reference (points to be confirmed for each transaction). This English article is a translation for reference; the Japanese version is the original.