Owner’s Representation for Real Estate Projects in Japan
with Bridging Cross-Cultural and Practical Gaps
Services and Pricing
The Agent-S works independently on the client side, connecting with professionals, businesses, government authorities, and local communities in Japan while taking a strategic view of the project as a whole.
Particularly for countryside properties, kominka, agricultural and mountainous areas, and heavy-snow regions, careful research and realistic strategic planning from the project planning stage are essential. This requires not only publicly available and online information, but also on-site research, communication with local stakeholders, and coordination with relevant professionals.
At The Agent-S, I also consider cross-cultural bridging and relationship-building with local communities to be important forms of risk management from the perspectives of sustainability, operations, and the impact on exit strategies, and address these areas as appropriate for each project.
The Agent-S does not replace the specialized work performed by licensed real estate brokerages, architects, tax accountants, lawyers, judicial scriveners, administrative scriveners, or other professionals and licensed specialists, nor does it perform operational tasks such as property management or cleaning. I coordinate with appropriate professionals when necessary, but decisions and work within their respective areas of expertise are handled by those professionals. I may provide advice based on my practical experience, but where professional investigation or specialist judgment is required, I will advise you accordingly.
In all services, final decisions regarding the project, and responsibility for those decisions, remain with the client.
Liaison-Based Owner’s Representation
This is Owner’s Representation with a strong emphasis on the liaison function.
I join the project as the client-side point of contact, coordinator, and advisor, providing necessary research and site visits, communication with professionals, relevant parties, and local communities, coordination, progress management, advisory support, and consulting.
Particularly in the countryside, with kominka, in rural and agricultural communities, and in heavy-snow regions, publicly available information and explanations from local real estate brokers alone are often insufficient. Adapting to local culture and society, and building relationships with local businesses and communities, can have a significant impact on the sustainability and long-term risks of a project. In these fields, relationships between people are also important, beyond contractual and business relationships alone.
For this reason, under Owner’s Representation, I personally visit the area. In addition to inspecting the property and its surroundings, I investigate local conditions, available services and personnel, and the characteristics of the area, while also building relationships through ongoing communication with local businesses and residents.
Even after the property begins to be used or business operations start, I do not simply leave everything to local management providers. I make periodic visits and meet with contracted service providers, directly reviewing maintenance, management, and operations on behalf of busy clients. I may also visit the area in order to help maintain the relationship between the client and the local community.
Fees
Initial fee: from JPY 600,000
Monthly retainer: from JPY 600,000
Additional fees may apply depending on the scale, difficulty, location, number of parties involved, and other factors.
The monthly retainer includes a reasonable range of out-of-pocket expenses associated with ordinary on-site support, including transportation and accommodation, as well as local activities related to research and relationship-building.
Additional fees may apply depending on the distance, frequency, and nature of on-site support required.
Advisory
This service provides strategic advice on real estate projects in Japan, taking into account the client’s objectives, budget, target market, customer segments, location, operating structure, sustainability, risks, exit strategy, and other relevant factors.
Public information and market research, document review, and analysis may be conducted where necessary. However, on-site research, relationship-building with local communities, communication and coordination with Japan-side parties, and progress management are not included.
If you would also like me to conduct on-site research or relationship-building that requires local visits, please consider Liaison-Based Owner’s Representation.
Initial Advisory
This is the initial consultation with The Agent-S.
I review your current situation, the objectives of your project, any candidate areas or properties, your budget and intended use, and, where a business is planned, the target customers and business concept you are considering, as well as any current questions or concerns.
Based on this information, I review the current plan from a strategic perspective and provide my view on the main issues that should be considered at the current stage, matters that should be confirmed, and the direction in which the project should proceed.
This service can be used not only by clients who are unsure where to begin, but also by those who already have a candidate area or property, those who are already moving forward but are uncertain about the direction of the project, or those seeking a second opinion on an existing plan.
Fee
JPY 50,000
This includes review of basic materials provided in advance and an initial consultation.
Following the Initial Advisory, I may recommend the Strategic Advisory Retainer where ongoing strategic advice is appropriate, Owner’s Representation where on-site research or practical Japan-side support is required, or TheYUI where the required research or confirmation work is limited and clearly defined.
Strategic Advisory Retainer
This service provides ongoing external advisory support for projects where the client already has an operating team and relevant professionals in place to carry out on-site research, relationship-building, and other practical work.
In addition to providing advice and second opinions on the overall direction of the project, decision-making, risks, and how the project should move forward, I also advise on how to connect effectively with Japanese culture, society, and business practices. This can include appropriate approaches to negotiation, how to communicate with Japanese counterparts, and how to engage with local residents and communities in ways that may not be obvious to overseas clients.
This service may also be used after Owner’s Representation, once the project team and Japan-side operational structure have been established and day-to-day implementation has been transferred to the existing team, but the client would still like ongoing advisory support.
On-site research, relationship-building, ongoing communication and coordination with Japan-side parties, and progress management are not included.
Fee
From JPY 150,000 per month
Spot Support — TheYUI
TheYUI is a time-based spot support service that allows clients to use only the amount of support they need, when they need it.
It is suitable where the required work is clearly defined and limited in scope, such as research, information gathering, confirmation, document review, market analysis, inquiries, communication support, and second opinions.
Time spent on emails, research, communication with relevant parties, document review, reporting, and other work is deducted from the purchased hours.
Fees
JPY 18,000 / hour
Time packages are also available.
On-Site Support
Services other than Owner’s Representation do not include on-site research, relationship-building with local communities, coordination with local parties, or ongoing on-site support.
Where limited on-site confirmation, property viewing accompaniment, or similar support is provided through TheYUI or another service, separate on-site support fees and actual expenses apply.
Fee: JPY 80,000 / day
Transportation, gasoline, accommodation, and other actual expenses are charged separately.
How to Request Services
Please first contact me through the inquiry form.
After reviewing your current situation and the purpose of your project, I will recommend an appropriate service. If you wish, I can also provide a brief online meeting of approximately 20 minutes to explain which service may be appropriate for your needs. Individual consultation and advice are provided on a paid basis.
If you decide to proceed, the service scope and fees will be confirmed, and work will begin after the execution of a contract or agreement and confirmation of payment.