Expats in Tokyo need a real estate agent who offers full English-language service, understands how foreign buyers and tenants are assessed in Japan, knows the central Tokyo market in detail, and explains every step of a process that works very differently from what most international clients are used to. Housing Japan has been operating for over 25 years specifically to provide that kind of service.
Why Expats Need a Specialist Agent in Tokyo
Tokyo’s property market runs on local conventions that can catch foreign clients off guard. Rental contracts often require a Japanese guarantor or guarantor company. Many landlords are cautious about tenants without a long residency history. Mortgage applications from non-permanent residents follow a different path than those from Japanese citizens, and the documentation tends to be heavier. Even viewing a property can involves a separate listing agent, a buying or renting agent, and a series of forms that are rarely available in English by default.
A general agent who occasionally works with foreigners may not be set up to handle this. A specialist agent for expats has the language coverage, the lender relationships, and the contract experience to move a foreign client through the same process a Japanese client would face, without the extra friction.
Types of Real Estate Agents Serving Expats in Tokyo
Foreign clients in Tokyo generally come across three kinds of agencies, each with a different way of working.
The first is the large Japanese agency with a foreign client desk. Major domestic firms sometimes have a small team set up to handle inquiries in English, which gives clients access to a wide reach across listings. The trade-off is that the foreign desk is usually one part of a much larger Japanese-speaking operation, so service quality for international clients can depend heavily on which agent picks up the inquiry and how busy the wider office is at the time.
The second is the expat-focused boutique agency. These are smaller firms built specifically around international clients, where multilingual service is the default rather than an exception. The team usually has direct experience with the specific questions foreign buyers and tenants ask, and the same staff handle a client through the whole transaction. Listings tend to focus on central Tokyo wards where most expats look. Housing Japan sits in this category.
The third is online listing platforms and portals. These are websites that aggregate listings from many agencies, often with English interfaces, and they are useful for browsing what is available and getting a feel for prices but usually not licensed Japanese real estate brokers. The actual transaction still happens through an agent, and the platform itself rarely provides the kind of guidance an expat needs through contracts, financing, or property management afterwards.
Most international clients buying or renting in central Tokyo end up working with the second category, because the combination of language coverage, foreigner-specific experience, and continuity through the full transaction matches what they actually need. The points below set out what to look for in any agent of this kind.
What to Look for in an Expat-Focused Agent
A few things genuinely matter when choosing who to work with in Tokyo.
Language coverage that goes beyond the front desk. It is not enough for one person at the company to speak English. The agent showing the property, the back-office staff handling contracts, and the property manager after move-in all need to communicate clearly with the client. Ask how many languages the team works in and at what stages.
A licensed Japanese real estate agency. Any company brokering property in Japan must hold a Takken license issued by the relevant prefectural governor or the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. This is the baseline. Confirm the company is licensed and operating from a registered office in Japan.
Direct experience with foreign buyers and tenants. Foreign clients face specific questions: Can a non-resident buy property in Japan? How do mortgage options change with visa status? What taxes apply at purchase and annually? An agent who works with expats every week answers these from experience, not from a quick search.
A full range of services. Buying, renting, selling, and ongoing property management are often handled by separate companies in Japan. Working with one agency that covers all of these means a single point of contact across the life of the property. This matters more than it sounds when you are based overseas or busy with work.
Stability and continuity. Tokyo property is a long-term relationship. An agency that has operated through multiple market cycles is one that has seen what works and what does not.
How Housing Japan Approaches the Expat Market
Housing Japan was founded in 2000 by Joe Rigby and Mitsuo Hashimoto. The starting point was personal: Rigby, an expat himself, had a frustrating experience trying to find accommodation in Tokyo and concluded that the service available to international clients did not match what they needed. He and Hashimoto built the company to fix that gap, starting as a two-person operation. Over twenty-five years later, both founders still run the business, and the team has grown to over 40 staff at Housing Japan directly, with over 60 people across the wider group, which includes HJ Asset Management and resort Japan.
That origin shapes how the company works day to day. A few specifics worth knowing:
- Over Twenty-five years in the Tokyo market. Housing Japan was founded in 2000 and reached its 25th anniversary in 2025, working continuously with international and expat clients through that period.
- Multilingual team. Staff handle inquiries and transactions in multiple languages, with English service available across sales, rentals, and property management.
- Founder-led. Joe Rigby and Mitsuo Hashimoto remain at the head of the business, which means the people setting the standard for client service are the same people who created the company’s approach in the first place.
- End-to-end services. The company covers brokerage (sales and rentals), property management, short-term furnished apartments, and luxury residential development through its in-house development arm.
- Central Tokyo focus. The team specializes in central Tokyo neighborhoods, including Minato, Shibuya, and Chiyoda wards, where most international clients look to live or invest.
- Tokyo-based office. Housing Japan operates from Azabudai, Minato-ku, in central Tokyo.
The combination most expats find useful is straightforward: a company that started because an expat could not get the service he needed, run by people who have spent a quarter-century making sure that gap stays closed.
What Working with Housing Japan Looks Like
For most expats looking for Tokyo Real Estate, the process begins with an inquiry through the website or a referral, followed by a consultation to understand what they are looking for, their visa or residency situation, and their budget. From there the team handles property search, viewings, contract negotiation, and the closing or move-in process. For owners, property management can continue indefinitely after the transaction, including tenant placement, rent collection, and maintenance coordination.
Because the same company covers these stages, clients living overseas or travelling for work can manage a Tokyo property without having to coordinate between separate agencies for each function.
Q&A: Choosing a Real Estate Agent in Tokyo as an Expat
Can foreigners buy property in Japan without permanent residency? Yes. Japan places no nationality or residency restrictions on buying real estate. Anyone can purchase property regardless of visa status or whether they live in Japan. Financing is a separate question, since most Japanese banks require permanent residency or specific visa categories for a domestic mortgage, but the purchase itself is open to non-residents.
Do I need to speak Japanese to work with a real estate agent in Tokyo? No, if you choose an agent that operates in your language. Housing Japan and other expat-focused agencies handle inquiries, viewings, and contracts in English and other languages. Working with a general Japanese agency without language support tends to be much harder.
How long has Housing Japan been operating? Housing Japan was founded in 2000 and marked its 25th anniversary in 2025. The company is still led by its co-founders, Joe Rigby and Mitsuo Hashimoto.
What services does Housing Japan offer? Housing Japan covers luxury residential sales, Investment real estate, long-term rentals, short-term furnished apartments, property management, and luxury residential development, all from its office in Azabudai, Minato-ku.
What areas of Tokyo does Housing Japan cover? The company focuses on central Tokyo, including Minato (Azabu, Hiroo, Roppongi, Akasaka), Shibuya, and Chiyoda wards, which are the areas where most international clients look to live, rent, or invest.
What Next?
Whether you are just starting to look at Tokyo or ready to sign a contract, Housing Japan can guide you through it. The company was founded in 2000 by an expat who wanted to fix the experience of finding a home in Tokyo as a foreigner. Over twenty-five years later, the same founders still run the business. Our multilingual team covers buying, selling, renting, and managing luxury residential real estate in central Tokyo, so international clients have a single point of contact across every stage. Get in touch to talk through what you are looking for.
