When people budget for the extra costs of buying a home in Japan, they often underestimate one line item that ends up being the single biggest fee outside the property price itself: 仲介手数料 (chūkai tesūryō), the real estate agent's brokerage commission. On a typical resale purchase, this fee can run into the hundreds of thousands or even millions of yen, and unlike some of the smaller stamp duties and registration costs, it is negotiable enough that it's worth understanding before you sign anything. This guide walks through the legal formula, when the fee applies (and when it doesn't), and an often-glossed-over dynamic — 両手仲介 (ryōte, "both hands" brokerage) — that affects whose interests your agent is actually representing. For the rest of your closing costs, see the full 諸費用 breakdown.
The formula and the legal cap
仲介手数料 is not set by the agency — it is capped by law under the 宅建業法 (Real Estate Brokerage Act), and the cap has barely moved in decades. For any property priced over ¥4,000,000, the maximum an agent can legally charge is:
- Price × 3% + ¥60,000, plus 10% consumption tax on that amount.
This is the famous "3% + 6万円" formula, and it's a simplified shortcut for a tiered calculation that would otherwise require applying different percentages to different price bands. For lower-priced properties, the tiers are:
- Portion of the price up to ¥2,000,000: 5%
- Portion from ¥2,000,000 to ¥4,000,000: 4% + ¥20,000 (as a shortcut for that band)
- Portion over ¥4,000,000: 3% + ¥60,000 (as a shortcut for that band)
In practice, almost every home purchase falls into the "over ¥4,000,000" bracket, so the 3% + ¥60,000 formula is the one you'll actually use. For example, on a ¥30,000,000 property: ¥30,000,000 × 3% + ¥60,000 = ¥960,000, plus 10% tax = ¥1,056,000. That is the legal ceiling — not necessarily what you'll pay, which brings us to the next point.
It's a cap, not a fixed price
A common misconception is that 仲介手数料 is a fixed, non-negotiable fee. It isn't. The 3% + ¥60,000 formula (or the lower-tier percentages) is the statutory maximum an agent is legally permitted to charge — most agencies simply charge the maximum as a matter of standard practice, but that doesn't mean it's the only legal outcome. Some agencies, especially discount or rebate-style brokers, will reduce or even waive the buyer-side portion of the commission to win your business, particularly when they're also earning a fee from the seller's side of the same deal (more on that below). It rarely hurts to simply ask whether the fee is negotiable, especially on a large transaction where even a partial discount is meaningful money. Just be aware that practices vary widely between agencies, so always confirm the actual amount and any conditions in writing before you commit.
The ¥8,000,000-and-under exception for cheap homes and akiya
Since July 2024, there's been a specific carve-out to this rule aimed at low-priced properties. For properties priced at ¥8,000,000 or below, agents are now permitted to charge up to ¥330,000 (¥300,000 + consumption tax) regardless of what the standard formula would otherwise produce. The intent behind this change was to make it commercially viable for agents to take on cheap homes and 空き家 (akiya, vacant/abandoned houses), which often require just as much paperwork and legwork as an expensive property but generate very little commission under the standard formula. The practical effect for buyers is that on a very inexpensive property, the agent fee can end up being a disproportionately large percentage of the purchase price compared to what you'd expect from the 3% + ¥60,000 math. If you're looking at akiya or other budget properties, it's worth factoring this in early — see new vs used homes for more on how akiya purchases compare to other options.
The ¥0 case: buying new, directly from the developer
There is one scenario where 仲介手数料 doesn't apply at all: when you buy a new home directly from the developer or builder who is also the legal seller (売主) of the property, with no agency acting as an intermediary. Because there's no broker in the middle introducing you to the property, there's nothing for the 仲介手数料 formula to apply to — you simply pay the purchase price plus the usual taxes and registration costs, without an agent commission layered on top. Many new-build condominium and house sales in Japan are structured this way, sold directly by the developer's own sales staff rather than through a separate brokerage. This is one of several cost differences worth weighing when comparing new-build purchases against resale homes, which almost always involve an agent and therefore this fee.
両手 vs 片手: understanding your agent's incentives
One aspect of the Japanese real estate market that surprises many foreign buyers is how common it is for a single agency to represent both the seller and the buyer on the same transaction — a practice called 両手仲介 (ryōte, literally "both hands"). In this setup, the agency collects a commission from the seller and a separate commission from the buyer, both on the same deal. This is legal and widespread. The alternative, where the seller and buyer each use their own separate agent, is called 片手 (katate, "one hand").
Why it matters: An agent earning commission from both sides of a deal has a built-in incentive to keep the listing "in-house" — matching it with their own buyer clients — rather than sharing it widely on the open market, which could mean you see fewer competing listings than you might expect. It can also mean the agent has less incentive to push hard for a lower price on your behalf, since a lower sale price also lowers their own commission from the seller's side. None of this makes 両手仲介 improper, but it's worth knowing whose interests are in the room. A simple, reasonable question to ask any agent early on is: "Do you also represent the seller on this property?" Their answer helps you read the incentives at play and decide how much independent verification (your own valuation checks, a second opinion, careful review of comparable sales) might be worthwhile.
When you pay, and what it's actually for
Timing for 仲介手数料 commonly follows a two-part schedule: roughly half is paid at the signing of the 売買契約 (sales contract), with the remaining half due at 引渡し (handover, when ownership and keys transfer to you). That said, this split varies by agency and by deal, so always confirm the exact schedule in your contract rather than assuming. In exchange for the fee, a good agent is doing real work: sourcing and arranging viewings of properties that match your criteria, negotiating price and terms with the seller's side, preparing and walking you through the 重要事項説明 (important-matters explanation) that discloses legal and physical details about the property, and coordinating the many moving pieces between contract and closing. Whether that work is worth the maximum fee, a negotiated discount, or nothing at all (in a direct-from-developer purchase) is something worth thinking through for your specific situation.
This page is informational only and not legal or financial advice — the fee caps and tiers described here are set by statute, but individual agency practices, discounts, and payment timing can vary, so always confirm the specifics with your agent and read your contract carefully. For a fuller picture of what buying a home in Japan costs beyond the agent fee, see the full 諸費用 breakdown, and if you still have questions after reading this, the FAQ covers other common ones. You can also run your own numbers through the cost calculator to see how the agent fee fits into your total budget.