Buyer's agent in Japan: a licensed broker, with a legal fee cap.
// Short answer
Japan caps broker fees in law, and each client pays their own licensed broker: at most 5.5% of the first JPY 2 million, 4.4% of the next 2 million and 3.3% of the rest, consumption tax included. On a JPY 30 million apartment that is JPY 1,056,000 from the buyer. So a broker on your side is normal in Japan. Brinkman Data is an independent property research service: it analyses every listing for sale in your city and budget and sends you the five worth buying, with a spreadsheet of every listing. Not an agent, no commission, paid only by the buyer. $499, delivered in 5 days.
Updated 19 October 2026. Agent rules and fees as of October 2026 and buying rules as of September 2026, as published on each country's pages on stanbrinkman.com.
On this page
Is a buyer's agent a licensed role in Japan?
Yes. Brokers need a licence under the Real Estate Brokerage Act and are listed, with licence number, in the land ministry's public company search. Before the contract, a licensed real estate transaction specialist must give you the Explanation of Important Matters, a statutory duty under Article 35. The fee caps apply only to licensed brokers.
Search the licence number before viewings start. The fee rules: Japan real estate agent fees.
Sources
Who pays the broker in Japan, and how much?
Each client pays their own broker, up to the cap. The cap applies to each client separately, so a broker acting for both buyer and seller can charge each of them up to it. The bands already include the 10% consumption tax. Agree your fee in the brokerage contract, in writing, before viewings start.
| Part of the price | Maximum fee, tax included |
|---|---|
| Up to JPY 2,000,000 | 5.5% |
| JPY 2,000,000 to 4,000,000 | 4.4% |
| Above JPY 4,000,000 | 3.3% |
Worked on JPY 30,000,000: 110,000 + 88,000 + 858,000 = JPY 1,056,000. Every other cost: Japan property buying costs.
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What does a buyer's broker charge on a cheap house in Japan?
Since 1 July 2024, for land or buildings priced at JPY 8 million or less, a broker may charge above the normal bands to cover costs, up to JPY 330,000 including tax. On a JPY 5 million house the normal cap would be about JPY 231,000. The rule applies to any property at that price, not only empty houses.
It matters most for akiya buyers, where the fee can be a large share of the price: the real cost of a Japanese akiya.
What does a buyer's broker do in Japan?
Takes your offer, an application to purchase, gives the Explanation of Important Matters, prepares the sale contract and deposit, and coordinates settlement, where the balance is paid and ownership registration filed the same day. A non-resident buyer then has 20 days to file a FEFTA report to the Minister of Finance through the Bank of Japan.
Since 1 April 2026 the report covers almost every non-resident purchase, including your own home. The full process: buying property in Japan as a foreigner.
Sources
Is there a notary or lawyer in a Japanese purchase?
There is no notary step. Registration at the Legal Affairs Bureau is usually filed by a judicial scrivener (shihō shoshi), commonly under power of attorney for overseas buyers. Since 1 April 2024 an owner with no address in Japan must name a domestic contact on the registration. From 5 October 2026 every new owner declares a nationality.
How the register works: the tokibo explained.
Where does independent research fit when buying in Japan?
Alongside the broker, before you pick the property. Brinkman Data analyses every listing for sale in your Japanese city and budget, checks rents against real lets, adds the purchase taxes and fees, and sends you the five worth buying with a spreadsheet of every listing. It is not a broker, takes no commission and is paid only by the buyer. $499, delivered in 5 days.
Japanese purchase taxes run on assessed value, not price: acquisition tax at 3% for land and residential buildings acquired by 31 March 2027, and registration tax at 1.5% on land and up to 2% on the building. Those lines change the ranking between listings.
The order that works: research first, then an agent to view and negotiate, then the notary and your own lawyer. The full comparison: how to find a property to buy abroad. What an independent analyst does: independent property analyst. A real report, page by page: the sample report.
Sources
// Buying in Japan? No commission here.
I analyse every listing for sale in your city and budget and send you the five worth buying, with the full spreadsheet. Not an agent, paid only by you. Delivered in 5 days.
See a real report — $499Frequently Asked Questions
Does the buyer pay the real estate agent in Japan?
How much is the broker fee for a buyer in Japan?
What is the broker fee on a cheap house in Japan?
Is there a notary in a Japanese property purchase?
Is Brinkman Data a buyer's agent in Japan?
Header photo: Panoramio user 1572443, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. All credits: image credits.