Japan real estate agent fees: a legal cap, from each side.
// Short answer
Japan caps brokerage fees by law. For a sale, a broker may charge each client 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, and the same again from the seller if the broker acts for both. For homes of JPY 8 million or less the cap can rise to JPY 330,000.
Where agent commission is capped, who pays it and the VAT, in twenty-one countries side by side: real estate agent fees by country.
Rules and rates as of October 2026.
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How much can a Japanese real estate agent charge?
The Real Estate Brokerage Act lets the land ministry set the maximum, and a licensed broker may not charge more. The ministry's notice sets bands, consumption tax included, for each client separately.
| 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. That is where the familiar shortcut, 3% plus JPY 60,000 plus tax, comes from; the notice itself uses the bands. Every other cost: Japan property buying costs.
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Who pays the agent fee in Japan, buyer or seller?
Each client pays their own. The cap applies to each client separately, so a broker acting for both buyer and seller can charge each of them up to the cap.
A buyer's fee is agreed in the brokerage contract with their own broker; ask for it in writing before viewing starts.
What is the JPY 330,000 rule for cheap houses?
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. It applies to any property at that price, not only empty houses.
On a JPY 5 million house the normal cap would be about JPY 231,000; under the special rule it can be JPY 330,000. It matters for akiya buyers: the real cost of a Japanese akiya.
Japan agent guide
Choosing a broker in Japan? The questions to ask first
Japan caps what a broker may charge, but the cap is a ceiling, not a price. How to read a licence number, the 12 questions to ask, the deposit rule, general or exclusive contracts, a first-call script and a worksheet that turns two quotes into yen.
How do I check a Japanese real estate broker is licensed?
Licensed brokers (takken gyosha) are listed in the land ministry's public company search, with their licence number. The fee caps apply only to licensed brokers.
Consumption tax is 10% at the standard rate, already inside the caps above. The register you will be entered in as owner: the tokibo explained.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the real estate agent commission in Japan?
Do both buyer and seller pay agent fees in Japan?
What is the agent fee on a cheap house in Japan?
Is consumption tax included in Japan's agent fee cap?
Header photo: Panoramio user 1572443, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. All credits: image credits.