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Understanding Japan’s Counter-Intuitive Real Estate Market

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By Priti Donnelly

You may think real estate investing is solely about property growth as you would find in Australia, U.K. US, Singapore and similar markets. The Japanese property market is not ripe with prospects for increased property value. So, why then is the market saturated with foreign investors?

Creating Opportunities Beyond Capital Growth

The Japanese property market suffered at least 25 years of declining/flat-lining prices. Although capital growth made a quiet entrance from 2012 to 2016, it was too soon to for investors to comfortably speculate growth. Instead, investors found a new opportunity. Because of the decline, properties became quite affordable while rental rates remained stable. The result, steady and higher yields across Japan– the ideal cash flow market from high yield rental income.

To put it in perspective, for as little as USD $30,000 at 7.5% yield net pre-tax investors can earn monthly rental income of approximately $170/month. As an added benefit, in a prime location you might also gain property value, but that is not the focus of property investing in Japan. This market is about common sense investing without the speculative nature.

Overcoming the Language Barrier

This is not your typical internationally friendly business market. On one hand, you will experience the most reliable and honest professionals in Japan, while on the other, foreigner-shy professionals who likely cannot speak English. Furthermore, to invest in Japanese properties you will need a local address, phone number and a local bank account, impossible without communication and cooperation. To get around this barrier, savvy foreign investors use a trusted local Japanese/English speaking proxy or representative to act on their behalf for both communication and access to the required information.

Understanding Old Structures

Some novice investors shy away from the Japanese property market believing with a huff and a puff, structures could be blown down. It is true that structures built before 1981, including smaller steel-frame buildings, and even wooden frame houses, were not built to last and require major renovations and repairs over time. However, a major change to the Building Standards Act for earthquake resistant construction methods for buildings (reinforced concrete blocks) occurred in 1981. This became the turning point that investors often looked to when purchasing property. That being said, there is still a niche market for older properties because of the higher yield. In truth, regardless of age, with due diligence, if the property has proof of regular maintenance, renovations, repairs to the interior and exterior, as well as sufficient funds for ongoing repairs, and is tenanted, an older higher yielding property could prove to be a diamond in the rough. 

Accepting Foreign Real Estate

Today, the best real estate opportunities do not have to be in your own back yard. JPMorgan Chase says the Japanese real estate and infrastructure is becoming more attractive particularly with no more than 50% of leveraged funds. Above that, real estate doesn’t become the driver, but the leverage becomes the driver of your return.

Japan provides opportunities for stable, monthly cash flow from rental income with yields from 5% to 11% net pre-tax. Add to that, currency exchange and the yen’s role as a safe-haven currency and it’s easy to see why this is a booming market for foreign investors, contrary to the standard real estate investment approach.

Priti Donnelly is the sales and marketing manager at Nippon Tradings International, a proxy and buyers’ agency representing foreign investors with purchasing, selling and managing real estate in Japan. She focuses on Japanese Real Estate, an alternative to speculative real estate investment —  steady monthly rental income, high yield, and affordable properties – a market worth considering.

 

Priti Donnelly – Manager, Sales and Marketing

Nippon Tradings International (NTI)

 

Three Misconceptions about Japan’s Properties

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Japan’s attractive property market draws real estate investors worldwide for its high yield, affordability, rental income cash flow and safe haven economic environment. While the real estate investment arena is undoubtedly attractive, and the second largest real estate investment market in the world, Japan is also one of the countries most affected by natural disasters. Therefore, before jumping in to buy up properties, foreign investors, new to the market, often test the waters by asking about the quality of Japan’s structures and their ability to weather the storm. Investors ask, “What is the risk associated with the age of Japan’s real estate?” To answer this question, we explore the common misconceptions of Japanese properties.

Misconception #1 – Properties are Made of Wooden Structures

Some investors have concerns about the materials used to build real estate in Japan and whether or not they can withstand the force of earthquakes and tsunamis. This misconception stems from traditional wooden houses which used to line the streets of Japan in the former imperial capital. Most investors focus on buildings for the cash-flow play, rather than houses. Therefore, the concern is an out-dated concept and no longer a consideration. Furthermore, wooden houses are being steadily replaced by earthquake-resistant, reinforced concrete apartment blocks.

Misconception #2 – Properties Built after 1981 Pose Less Risk

In 1981, the Building Standards Law was revised to protect residential and commercial structures against earthquakes. In 2006, building certificates and inspections became even more regulated subjecting builders to inspections during the construction process for buildings above three stories. Because of the revisions to the Building Standards Law in 1981, some investors consider 1981 the turning point for sounder structure. Herein lies another misconception.

A building’s condition is affected by more than just its age. A properly managed accumulated funds pool can also affect its condition. With adequate funds, buildings built prior to 1981 can be retrofitted to bring them up to code by regularly renovating, repairing and re-strengthening exterior walls and taking care of unforeseen renovations. Alternatively, a newer building could be poorly managed with insufficient funds for renovations and maintenance. As you can see, investing in an older building under these circumstances could be the wiser choice to minimize risk.

As facilitators to foreign investors, we try not to source anything older than 1973. But, those that we did source were well-maintained buildings housing 50 to 200 units, showing no signs of deterioration, beyond normally acceptable and repairable wear and tear. Generally, since the cost for renovations and repairs are taken out of the building repair fund, if funds are insufficient, then apartment owners bear the extra costs. To ensure the risk to investors is minimal, when conducting due diligence on a potential purchase, we look into the status of the accumulated funds pool, renovation/repairs/maintenance history and the building management company’s handling of the collected renovation/repair funds and provide a report to the investor for an educated investment.

Misconception #3 – Properties have Just a 20 Year Life-Span

Life-span of a house is sometimes referred to as approximately 20 years, while that of a building approximately forty years. From a value perspective, this is a misconception. This life-span refers to tax depreciation not the quality of the property.

There are other benefits to an apartment investment over a house. Houses require more maintenance and can present unexpected costs, whereas, in a building, structural expenses are known in advance and covered by pre-set building fees. And, the building management company’s monthly fees normally cover all or most maintenance expenses, so there are far less surprises.

Overall, risk is greater with speculative play for capital gain such as units in Tokyo or Osaka. Investing in Japan for its monthly cash flow environment in cities such as Sapporo, Fukuoka, Nagoya and other cities with stable or growing population can result in stable returns. For highest yielding properties, investors should focus their criteria on condo units under 200 sq. ft., one to two room units, for inexpensive interior maintenance. Alternatively, some of our clients aim for smaller and older buildings on large plots of land in key locations. The strategy in this case is to sell to a developer when the building becomes too expensive to maintain, in exchange for either compensation at a profit, or a new unit in a new residential project built on that land. The downside is that these units only have a small fraction of land attached to them, so appreciation potential is lower.

Priti Donnelly, Sales and Marketing Manager, Nippon Tradings International, [email protected]

Priti Donnelly

Priti Donnelly is the sales and marketing manager at Nippon Tradings International, a proxy and buyers’ agency representing foreign investors with purchasing, selling and managing real estate in Japan. She understands the importance of transparency in today’s international market. Through her insight, she focuses on breaking barriers and helping investors feel confident about their overseas property investments.

Phone: +1 226 336 4097 / +81 3 4520 9262
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.nippontradings.com

The KEYS to Unlocking ELITE Success in Real Estate

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Exclusive Interview by Tim Houghten

The Founder of Rodeo Realty, the largest single-owner firm in the nation with 12 branch offices, 1,200 REALTORS ® , and annual sales and listings exceeding $5 billion, shares how he went from operating out of his garage to listing homes for $150 million.

What does it take to achieve elite success, at the top of the ultra-luxury real estate market, in the most exclusive community in the world?

Rodeo Realty is a name not just associated with celebrity real estate, but with dominating the ultra-elite markets of Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, California. The Rodeo Realty brand has been ranked the largest single-owner firm in California, with 12 branch offices, 1,300 REALTORS ® , and annual closed sales exceeding $5 billion. What does it take to obtain, and own this level of success?

Syd Leibovitch is the president and leader of the Rodeo Realty empire, and has been championing the crème of the crop of top-end international real estate, year after year, for 30 years. No matter what you aspire to achieve in real estate, it’s clear that Syd just might have a tip or two on how to get it.

In an exclusive interview, Syd Leibovitch gives us a peak behind the glass to see what it takes to get to the top of the real estate world, and stay there. Want elite success? Where do you start?

BLAZE YOUR OWN TRAIL

Rodeo Realty’s founder has been breaking through barriers since he got into real estate sales during college. Starting at 23 years old Syd says, “I sold three houses in my first month. I only went into real estate as a job for winter break. I fully intended to go to law school. But when my first sale closed, and the buyer hugged me and told me how excited she was to own a home, I was hooked!”

Syd says his family, who thought becoming a doctor or lawyer was a far better career choice, were disappointed when he began pursuing real estate. Yet, by the time he was 25 years old, he was a top-selling agent in Los Angeles. In just three years he opened his own firm. Today the world’s leading doctors, lawyers, and hottest celebrities come to Leibovitch’s firm for help in selling and securing the globe’s finest estates.

HARD WORK

During his time studying economics and banking at California State University and UCLA, Syd ran for the relay team, track and cross country; he set new school records. His take away from the experience, and how it has influenced the success of Rodeo Realty – “Learning the value of hard work.”

“People can’t ask for more than your best. Shame on you if you don’t give it to them.” – Syd Leibovitch

CONSISTENCY

Last year Rodeo Realty sold at least one unit for $70M, and listed another at $150M. Yet, the surprisingly modest founder says that the majority of the firm’s transactions are in the $1M to $6M range, and that consistency is key. If you’ve ever run cross country you know you have to be able to keep up the pace, for the long haul, and often over unknown and challenging terrain. This could just as well describe navigating the real estate world. Yet, Syd says: “I did at least one deal a week for my first 15 to 17 years in the business.”

How do you create that type of consistency in results? He says, “I found something I like doing, and I do it a lot,” explaining that “if you do your best to take care of everyone you meet, the results will take care of themselves.”

DO YOUR BEST

Although he is a very hands-on business owner and accessible to his staff, today Syd has certainly handed on the baton to Rodeo Realty’s army of luxury real estate agents, and expert management team. Syd is very clear that he does not compete with his REALTORS ® for sales and credits them for the incredible sales figures posted. Asked how he manages to stay organized, and maintains efficient operations at such scale, Syd simply credits his “good people,” whom he says have become “friends,” more than employees.

Rodeo Realty surprisingly invites even new agents to come and train with the organization. So why work with Rodeo Realty, besides the prestige of joining one of the world’s most respected and envied real estate companies?

Syd’s Theory – “You’ve got to be the best, you’ve got to give the best.”

At Rodeo Realty this isn’t just evidenced by selling the best real estate on the planet, it is “being the best in ALL areas.”

THAT MEANS:

• Best Luxury Real Estate Website – ranked by Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate

• Best Marketing – with an in-house print shop with 30 team members

• Best Internet Marketing – with an in-house team of 17 graphic artists

• Best International Marketing – reaching 200M+ buyers, in 190 countries, monthly

• Best Technology – with Cirrus Super Search for deep data, on the go

• Best Personal Service – local expertise, global presence

Syd says quite frankly and firmly that “real estate agents that want to serve their clients the best find that ability at Rodeo Realty,” and that “if you’re not on the Rodeo Realty team that’s because you’ve got other priorities, and are putting something else first, rather than serving your clients in the best possible way.”

It’s hard to argue with that.

OPEN THE DOORS TO YOUR SUCCESS IN REAL ESTATE…

To reach your full potential in real estate; blaze your own trail, work hard, be consistent, give your best, leverage good people and the best tools.

Want to see what a great real estate website looks like and view some of the most exclusive real estate eye candy in the world? Check out Syd’s site at RodeoRE.com, and download the free Rodeo mobile app.

Are You Ready To Live Overseas? Before You Move, Read This.

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-Special Submission by Matt Malouf-

The surge of Americans living full-time and seasonally abroad continues. Currently, The Association of Americans Resident Overseas (AAR) estimates that 8.7 million American reside oversees.  Our editors have seen many real estate investors who read our publications make that transition.

Their reasons are varied, but have included: to retire early from a corporate job, to explore other cultures, as a way to stretch their monthly cash flow, to upgrade their standard of living, and of course, for the ever-so-popular amore.

If you’ve been considering moving to Coast Rica to escape that boring 9-to-5 or have always wanted to own a bed-and-breakfast in the Island of Santorini, read on to see if this option suits your lifestyle.

Starting a new life in a new country can be nerve-wracking. You have to understand the new culture and it is difficult when you get labeled as a “foreigner” or an “expat” on first sight.

Here are a few tips that can help you adapt to a new life in a foreign county.

Trying New Things

As they say, you should always be willing to try new things, but, of course, you need to draw a line somewhere.

However, there are a lot of people out there who are afraid to eat new things, let alone experience extreme sports and adventure. This is the fear of the unknown and many research studies suggest we fear uncertainly more than a known bad outcome. Some of the questions that come to mind when people want to try new things are what if that country is dangerous, what if I drown and what if I don’t like the new dish.

It is natural for some level of fear to always be present when trying out new things; however, our overactive imagination makes it seem so much worse. Once a person makes up his mind to try new things at every possible turn, he or she will see a reduction in their fears and a thirst for new experiences.

Trying new things also makes us grow. Taking yourself out of your comfort zone and putting yourself where the action is will make us more empowered, open-minded and far from being bored. Afterall, you only live once.

Do As the Romans Do

A lot of people have trouble adapting to new places. Although living in an exotic new land may sound like a romantic notion, many people fail to make the transfer from expat to compatriots when they stick to their old lifestyles.

Most people experience culture shock after they witness a culture so vastly different from theirs. Culture shock slowly sets in and results in depression. This further alienates a person from the locals and makesthem feel lonely and homesick.

So, if you want to live abroad, make sure to open up your mind. Remember, this is not the country from where you came from and your old notions and concepts will no longer serve you. Since you will encounter different rules, observe how other people are acting in that situation so that you can understand what is expected of you.

One of the biggest concern of foreigners is that they are uncomfortable being a “visible minority.” A white person will stand out like a beacon in Nigeria or Japan and is bound to generate some odd looks. But if you adapt to the locals’ customs and follow their lead, you will see that your differences will look less marked.

Also, ask questions. If you feel lost, there is no shame in asking for help. You can always ask for explanation if you feel you have missed something. Also pay attention to not just the words but nonverbal communication to get a better idea of what is going on.

Once you accept change and adapt to your life in a new environment, you will find it has opened venues of opportunities for you and will lead to more thrilling and interesting stuff.

Don’t Wait For Anyone Else

Once you get to your new country, don’t wait for others to give you instructions on how to go about doing your business. Take the initiative and do it yourself. Ask lots if questions. Many Americans will experience a 180 degrees difference when they come to live in India or Egypt. The best way to cope with it is to go out and participate in what the locals are doing. You can learn a lot from actually experiencing things compared to what you are just told or what you read.

Speak the Language

Many English speakers are under the misapprehension that they can get by throwing random words of English and locals will understand them. Hence, they suffer quite a shock when they realize not many people in Asian or African countries speak English.

It is recommended that people who want to live in a new country must at least learn some key phrases in a foreign language so that they can order food or drink or find their way to a hotel. However, knowing the language extensively will enable you to have proper conversations with the locals, which can help you quickly learn about their customs and traditions. It will show how interested you are in knowing about your new country.

Pursue New Activities and Hobbies

In my understanding, if you are learning to live in a new country, you should also try and pursue some new hobbies. Try to explore where you are and what your place is in the greater scheme of things. This will help you look at the world from a different perspective.

One of the best things you can do is to look for a group that matches your interests. Even if you are from the other side of the world, there are always commonalities. Are you interested in cooking and is there a group offering local, exotic cuisine classes? Is there a local who likes to travel the world like you do and have many exciting stories to share? Join them.

If you are feeling isolated, look for a community of expats or start your own group. They will be native English speakers and will understand the norms of where you came from and can offer you words of advice.

Respect Different Cultures

Remember that unfortunate photo of Selene Gomez baring her leg in a mosque while she was on a visit to the United Arab Emirates? Don’t make that mistake. Be responsible and respect other people’s culture and religion.

The first thing you need to do is to accept the fact that there are many different cultures in the world other than just our own. Even if you do not agree with a custom or tradition, remember that it could encompass the country’s value and you need to honor your role as a visitor. An act that may seem simple or trivial to you may reflect something far more significant for a person from that culture. Being open-minded can fill your life with positivity and also encourage friendships with people from different race, culture and backgrounds.

If you follow these few simple rules, pretty soon you will be able to make a new home overseas. So, do you have what it takes?

-Special Submission by Matt Malouf-

Malouf is an International Real Estate Consultant.

For more information, please visit MyLifeWorldWide.com

Malouf has also published a book, please find more information @  https://www.amazon.com/Matt-Malouf/e/B07CGHV3XJ