Tokyo Living in Tokyo Real Estate Agencies

The 9 Best Real Estate Agencies in Tokyo (2026)

Updated November 2026 · 9 picks

The best English-speaking real estate agencies in Tokyo in 2026 include Ken Corporation, Plaza Homes and Housing Japan for expat rentals and luxury purchases, RISE Corp. and Enplus (Tokyo Apartments) for English-language rental and relocation help, and List Sotheby's International Realty for high-end sales. Each has a Tokyo office, its own information in English and a stated focus on foreign clients.

How we chose

We included an agency only if it is currently operating, has its own website and a Tokyo office, states what it does (renting, buying, selling or relocation), and shows evidence on its own site of English service or foreign clients. Where a firm publishes a real estate license number, we say so. Nothing here is ranked by fee, speed or customer outcome, and nobody paid to be included or provided an affiliate link. Descriptions are the firms' own claims as stated on their sites, not our assessment of service quality. This is not legal or financial advice.

Before you sign, check the license. Real estate brokers in Japan must be licensed under the Real Estate Transaction Business Act, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) publishes a search for licensed real estate brokers (takken gyosha). The page is in Japanese. Search by company name or license number; the number is usually shown in a format such as "Tokyo Governor (3) No. 98912," which also tells you who issued the license.

Renting in Japan usually goes through a licensed agent (a takken gyosha), and most agents work in Japanese. The agencies below say they serve foreign clients in English and have a Tokyo office. Several focus on central wards such as Minato, Shibuya and Shinjuku; a few also handle purchases, and one is a global luxury brand. Fluency and fees vary, so ask who your agent will be and in what language the contract and the explanation of key terms will be given.

Move-in costs in Tokyo are usually more than a deposit and first month's rent. Typical items are a security deposit (shikikin), "key money" (reikin, a gift to the landlord that is not returned), the agency fee, a fee to a guarantor company, and often fire insurance and a lock-change fee. Many listings advertise "no key money," and an agent can tell you which items apply to a specific apartment. Ask for an itemized estimate before you apply.

1. Ken Corporation — Nishi-Azabu

Premium Tokyo and Yokohama homes, with a foreign-client rental department.

Specialty Premium rentals and sales in Tokyo and YokohamaBest for Expats, corporate relocations, buyers and investors

Ken Corporation is a Tokyo real estate company focused on premium properties. Its English website describes rental properties for expats, homes for sale, office rentals, investment and property management in Tokyo and Yokohama. The Japanese site lists a Foreign Department (Gaikoku-bu) under its residential rental brokerage, and says the company was established in 1972.

The head office is in Nishi-Azabu, with branches in Shibuya-Daikanyama, Kichijoji, Iidabashi, Ginza-Bay Area, Jiyugaoka and Yokohama according to its location page. Its English site includes guides to renting and buying.

Good to know: Use the English site and the foreign-client rental line on the company's location page for rentals; sales and office leasing have separate departments.

1-2-7 Nishiazabu, Minato City, Tokyo 106-8640

Google Maps Website

2. Plaza Homes — Azabudai

English-language rentals, sales and management, with a track record dating to 1969.

Specialty Rentals, sales and office space for foreign clientsBest for Expats, embassies and foreign companies, buyers and investors

Plaza Homes says it has worked in Tokyo real estate since 1969 and that its English bilingual agents help foreign customers. Its English site lists long-term and short-term rentals, serviced and luxury apartments, homes and investment properties for sale, office space and property management.

The site also publishes living guides and expat area pages for newcomers. It has a Japanese site and a Chinese site, and the company address is in Azabudai, Minato City.

Good to know: The site shows separate phone lines for sales and for rentals and office space; use the rental line for expat housing.

1-9-12 Azabudai, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0041

Google Maps Website

3. Housing Japan — Azabudai

Licensed Tokyo brokerage with a bilingual team for buying, renting and managing property.

Specialty Buying, selling, renting and managing Tokyo propertyBest for Residents, expats and overseas buyers and owners

Housing Japan says it is a licensed Tokyo real estate brokerage (Tokyo Governor (3) No. 98912), established in 2000, based in Azabudai. Its site lists buying, selling, renting and property management, with a focus on central Tokyo wards including Minato, Shibuya, Shinjuku and Chiyoda.

It says a bilingual team handles viewings, negotiation and closing, and that it works with lenders that consider buyers based overseas. The site also describes an owner portal for landlords who live abroad.

Good to know: If you are buying from overseas, ask what documents the agent and the lender need before you travel for viewings.

1-11-9 Azabudai, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0041

Google Maps Website

4. List Sotheby's International Realty — Toranomon

High-end sales and rentals under the Sotheby's International Realty brand.

Specialty Luxury sales, rentals and leasing in Tokyo and resort areasBest for High-end buyers, sellers and tenants, including overseas clients

List Sotheby's International Realty describes itself as a luxury brokerage in the Sotheby's International Realty network, serving central Tokyo, resort areas and overseas markets. Its brand page lists support in Japanese, English and Chinese, and its Tokyo head office handles sales, rentals, outbound and inbound business.

The operating company, List International Realty Co., Ltd., lists a national-minister real estate license on its company page. The site is mainly in Japanese, with a language switch for English.

Good to know: Many of its listings are shown to registered members only, so register on the site to see the full collection.

Tokyu Toranomon Building 10F, 1-21-19 Toranomon, Minato City, Tokyo 105-0001

Google Maps Website

5. RISE Corp. — Azabu-Juban

A small English-speaking agency for expat rentals and sales.

Specialty Rentals and sales for foreign clientsBest for English and Chinese speakers, expats and buyers

K.K. RISE Corp. calls itself an English-speaking Tokyo real estate agency and lists a real estate license of Tokyo Governor (3) No. 97946. Its site says staff speak Japanese, English and Chinese, and that its sales team is a small, boutique-style group that helps foreign clients buy in central Tokyo.

It also offers rentals and property management, and publishes living guides, including one on English-speaking clinics. The office is in Azabu-Juban.

Good to know: Use the rent or sale pages on the English site; the company lists weekday hours and says it is closed Sundays and national holidays.

2-10-3 Azabujuban, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0045

Google Maps Website

6. Tokyo Apartments (Enplus) — Nihonbashi

Serviced and unfurnished rentals with relocation services, run by Enplus Inc.

Specialty Serviced and unfurnished rentals, relocationBest for Foreign residents, corporate transferees and companies

Tokyo Apartments is operated by Enplus Inc., which lists a Tokyo Governor real estate license ((5) No. 83284) and says it was established in May 2004. Its English site covers serviced apartments from one month, unfurnished apartments from one year, corporate housing, relocation services and serviced offices.

The site says its English-speaking staff search a large number of properties for each client. The Enplus office is in Nihonbashi-Horidomecho, near Ningyocho Station.

Good to know: Check the minimum lease term for each product, since serviced apartments and unfurnished apartments have different rules.

Nihonbashi Ningyocho Square 5F, 1-8-11 Nihonbashi Horidomecho, Chuo City, Tokyo 103-0012

Google Maps Website

7. Century 21 SKY Realty — Higashi-Azabu

An independently owned Century 21 office in central Tokyo with an English-language site.

Specialty Rentals, sales and buying guidance in central TokyoBest for English-speaking renters and buyers

Century 21 SKY Realty says it has over 30 years of experience in central Tokyo real estate and publishes its site in English, with rental listings, a selling page, area guides and a five-part property buying guide. It lists a Tokyo Governor real estate license ((9) No. 56272) and notes that each Century 21 office is independently owned and operated.

The office is near Kamiyacho Station in Minato City.

Good to know: Read its buying guide first if you are new to the process; it covers the purchase application, contract, loan and closing steps.

Tower Front Kamiyacho 1F, 1-3-8 Higashiazabu, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0044

Google Maps Website

8. E-Housing — Jingumae

An English-first Tokyo agency for rentals, purchases and short-term stays.

Specialty Rentals, sales and short-term staysBest for English-speaking renters and buyers

E-Housing K.K. says it was established in March 2022 and holds a Tokyo Governor real estate license ((1) No. 108174). Its site is in English and lists Tokyo rentals, properties for sale and short-term stays, with filters for categories such as no key money, furnished, pet friendly and for families.

Its office is in the Jingumae Tower Building in Shibuya City.

Good to know: Use the no-key-money and pet-friendly filters to narrow listings, then confirm the full move-in cost with an agent.

Jingumae Tower Building 14F, 1-5-8 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0001

Google Maps Website

9. A-Realty — Hyakunincho

A multilingual agency offering foreigner-friendly rentals and purchases.

Specialty Foreigner-friendly rentals and purchasesBest for Renters, buyers and relocating professionals in several languages

A-Realty Co., Ltd. says it was established in April 2025 and holds a national-minister real estate license ((1) No. 11241). Its site says it serves renters, buyers and relocating professionals from more than 40 nationalities and that its team works in seven languages including English.

The Tokyo office is in Hyakunincho, Shinjuku, and the company also lists a Kansai office. It is a newer firm than others in this guide, so check recent client reviews as well.

Good to know: The site lists office hours and says the office is closed Sundays and Wednesdays; use the inquiry form or WhatsApp outside those times.

Tohto Building 605, 1-5-4 Hyakunincho, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 169-0073

Google Maps Website

Frequently asked questions

Can foreigners buy property in Japan?

Yes. Housing Japan states on its own site that Japan has no nationality or residency requirement for owning real estate, so foreign buyers can purchase freehold apartments and houses in Tokyo whether they live in Japan or overseas. Getting a mortgage is a separate matter, and lenders may ask about visa status, income and length of stay, so ask the agent which lenders work with foreign buyers.

What is key money in Tokyo?

Key money (reikin) is a non-refundable payment to the landlord that is common in Tokyo rentals. It is separate from the refundable security deposit (shikikin). Many apartments are advertised with no key money, and some agencies in this guide have a search filter for it, so compare the total move-in cost, not only the monthly rent.

Do I need a guarantor to rent an apartment in Tokyo?

Most landlords require one. For foreign residents, the usual solution is a guarantor company (hosho gaisha), which charges a fee and is often required in addition to or instead of a personal guarantor. Some furnished or serviced apartments run their own screening and do not ask for a guarantor, so ask each agency which route applies.

How much is the agency fee when renting?

The agency fee (chukai tesuryo) is paid to the licensed broker and is subject to a legal ceiling under Japanese law. Fees and what is included vary by agency, so ask for the figure in writing at the start. Some agencies advertise no-fee properties, usually where the landlord covers the broker's cost.

How do I know an agent is licensed?

A real estate broker in Japan must hold a license under the Real Estate Transaction Business Act, and the license number is usually shown on the agent's site and on the contract documents. You can check it in MLIT's licensed-broker search, linked above. The person who explains the key terms before you sign must be a licensed real estate transaction agent (takken-shi).

Can an English-speaking agent do the paperwork in English?

Agents can usually explain the terms in English, but the lease, the explanation of important matters and the application forms are normally issued in Japanese. Ask whether the agency provides an English translation or a verbal walkthrough, and have someone check the Japanese text before you sign.

1. Ken Corporation — Nishi-Azabu

2. Plaza Homes — Azabudai

3. Housing Japan — Azabudai

4. List Sotheby's International Realty — Toranomon

5. RISE Corp. — Azabu-Juban

6. Tokyo Apartments (Enplus) — Nihonbashi

7. Century 21 SKY Realty — Higashi-Azabu

8. E-Housing — Jingumae

9. A-Realty — Hyakunincho

Frequently asked questions

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