What our clients actually achieved
Every case study below is a real engagement. Names are withheld by agreement. Numbers are exact. These are not best-case scenarios: they are typical outcomes for investors who invest with local intelligence.
Client engagements, start to finish
Three representative engagements illustrating the typical arc from first conversation to confident investment.
The situation
A finance director at a Hong Kong asset management firm wanted to diversify away from overpriced HK and SG residential. His Japanese agent had found a 1LDK in Nakameguro listed at ¥58M, with a claimed 4.6% gross yield (¥222,000/month). The agent was pushing for a decision within the week.
What we found
Comparable rent for that station, layout, and building age: ¥189,000/month — 15% below the seller's assumption. Real GRM at asking price: 307x. Comparable sales transactions for the same configuration on Nakameguro: ¥50–53M. The property was overpriced by 10–15% and the yield was understated by design.
The outcome
The client countered at ¥51M. The seller declined. We redirected the search to Jujo (Kita ward) — 16 minutes from Shinjuku on the Keihin-Tōhoku Line, GRM 171x, realistic rent ¥145,000/month. Closed at ¥36.8M. Gross yield 4.7%. The entire process was conducted remotely from Hong Kong.
“I had a Japanese agent, a translated brochure, and no way to tell if the numbers were real. The analysis took 48 hours and killed the deal cleanly. The replacement property took two more weeks to find. The math was better.”
The situation
A senior engineer at a London tech company. Quantitative mindset, her own yield spreadsheets — but no access to Japanese transaction data or building-level documents. She submitted 3 listings she had found on Suumo for independent review before making any offer.
What we found
Listing 1 (Adachi ward, ¥28.2M): clean fundamentals, realistic rent, adequate reserve fund. Approved. Listing 2 (Suginami ward, ¥41M): rent inflated by 18%, management reserve fund at 22% of the minimum benchmark — a special assessment within 3–5 years was probable. Rejected. Listing 3 (Nerima ward, ¥33M): price 12% above the station's 12-month transaction median. Rejected.
The outcome
She acquired the Adachi listing — a 1K at Nishiarai, ¥28.2M, rent ¥102,000/month. Gross yield 4.3%. Tenanted on the first month after closing. Total spend on the 3 analyses: ¥90,000. The two rejected deals would have carried ongoing structural risk she had no way to detect from the listings alone.
“I didn't have time to learn the Japanese market from scratch. I had time to submit a listing URL and wait 48 hours. Three analyses cost me ¥90,000. The deal I avoided in Suginami would have cost me significantly more — in a worse building.”
The situation
A couple in their mid-forties planning an eventual base in Japan while generating rental income in the meantime. Budget CAD 600k (~¥65M). Target: a 2LDK suitable for personal use during visits and full-time rental otherwise. They had independently found a pre-1981 building in Setagaya and were ready to make an offer.
What we found
The Setagaya building predated Japan's 1981 seismic code revision, with no retrofit documentation on record. The repair reserve fund balance was ¥120,000 per unit — against a standard benchmark of ¥600,000 minimum for a building of that age. Walk time: 13 minutes from the nearest station. The rent assumption was reasonable, but the three risk factors combined justified a hard pass.
The outcome
We redefined the search criteria: post-1982, walk time under 8 minutes, reserve fund at or above benchmark. Identified a 2LDK in Nerima ward (Tōbu Tōjō Line), built 1994, 6-minute walk, reserve fund healthy. Closed at ¥52M — ¥13M below their original budget. Gross yield 4.2%. Property manager handles all operations. They visit twice a year.
“We almost bought a building that hadn't been properly assessed since 1978. The analysis flagged the seismic status, the reserve fund gap, and the walk time in one report. We adjusted the brief and found something better, cheaper, and more rentable. We closed remotely from Vancouver.”
Three types of investors we serve
Private investors
Individuals investing $100k–$2M in Tokyo residential. Often based abroad, often making their first Japan acquisition. We handle the intelligence gap and provide the confidence to move.
Family offices
Structured investors building Tokyo allocations systematically. We act as their on-the-ground research arm: deal sourcing, validation, and portfolio monitoring without headcount.
Global professionals
Finance, tech, and legal professionals relocating to or from Japan, or diversifying into a market they know and trust. Advisory available in English, French, and Japanese.
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