There is no shortage of real estate brokers and there is no shortage of investment advisors.
Perhaps less common are those that do both.
Financial Planning.
Not Just sales.
Many real estate brokers only care about selling you a property so that they can collect their fees and then move on to the next person. Most of our clients retain our services long after their purchase so it’s important to us that you make an investment we can be proud of.
Because half of our staff come from a financial planning background, we look at real estate a little bit differently to other companies. To ensure that your investment objectives are met we have to make sure that any potential real estate investment is compatible with the other parts of your finances. The ‘buying’ is the easy part, and with many other companies that’s where the service stops and you’re on your own.
If we can make sure that your real estate investments are complementary to your other investments, are tax efficient, provide a generous risk-adjusted return and require a minimum amount of your time, we believe that we will have a client for life.
Regulated. Licensed. Legal.
There are a number of operators based here in Japan targeting foreign nationals that claim to be able to source properties, broker deals and provide management services. Often they are financial advisors looking to refer you to third parties for a kickback, or people running part-time websites around their day-job. You should look for their real estate business operators license number. Far from being an ‘optional extra’ this is the legal requirement for businesses claiming to offer real estate services in Japan.
‘So what? Those other guys seem nice enough?’
Well, part of having an operating license means that you are held legally accountable for the advice that you give, meaning that your business has to follow a strict set of guidelines to protect the client, including having professional indemnity insurance. Ultimately, if you buy from, or via an unlicensed broker or have your property managed by an unlicensed manager and there is a problem, and they are not insured- You take the loss.
