How to pay a real estate agent in Japan from abroad - bank transfer, Wise or USDC

If you live outside Japan and want to buy a home or rent an apartment here, it is not always clear how to pay the agent’s brokerage fee. Many people have no Japanese bank account, and international transfer fees and timing are a concern.

For payments from overseas, we offer three options: a yen transfer to our Japanese bank account, a foreign-currency transfer to our Wise account, or USDC. This article explains how they differ and how to choose.

What are the ways to pay the brokerage fee from overseas?

There are three: a yen transfer to our Japanese bank account, a foreign-currency transfer to our Wise account, or USDC. Whichever you choose, the fee is set in yen.

For new inquiries through this site, LINE or a referral, our brokerage fee is half the legal maximum (for rentals, half a month’s rent plus tax; for sales, 1.5% of the sale price plus ¥30,000, excluding tax). The payment method does not change the fee.

These rates apply to new inquiries received through this website, LINE or a personal referral. For properties we list ourselves on behalf of a seller or landlord (including on portal sites), the fee stated in that listing applies. Properties priced at ¥8 million or less are not eligible (a government notice allows a higher fee for this price band, so we explain the fee before the brokerage agreement).

How do you pay with Wise in a foreign currency?

Send the currency and amount stated on the invoice to the Wise account details shown on the invoice. You can send from a bank in your country or from your own Wise account.

Wise is a money transfer service for international transfers and receiving foreign currency. Through our Wise business account, we have account details for receiving US dollars, euros, British pounds and other currencies. If you live in the United States, for example, you can pay our US dollar account details much like a domestic US bank transfer.

• From a US bank account in US dollars: You can use a domestic US transfer (ACH). It often costs less than a wire transfer
• If you also use Wise: You can send from your Wise account to our account details
• From a bank in another country: You send to the account details for that currency, or by international transfer (SWIFT). We tell you on the invoice which options are available

Which currencies we can receive depends on your country and your bank. Please let us know when you get in touch.

If you pay in a foreign currency, how is the yen amount converted?

We use the telegraphic transfer middle rate (TTM) for that currency published by Mizuho Bank on the invoice date. It works the same way as paying in USDC.

Foreign currency to pay = yen fee (including tax) ÷ TTM on the invoice date (rounded up to the nearest cent for US dollars, euros and similar currencies)

For an apartment with a rent of ¥150,000, the brokerage fee is ¥82,500 including tax. If the US dollar TTM is ¥150 to the dollar, that is 82,500 ÷ 150 = US$550.00.

1. Agree on the payment method and timing: At the viewing or application stage, we agree on the currency you will use and when you will pay
2. We send the invoice: At the agreed time, after that day’s TTM is published (usually in the morning, Japan time), we send an invoice showing the amount in your currency
3. Send the payment: Please send it within 3 business days of the invoice. If the deadline passes, we issue a new invoice and recalculate at that day’s rate

If the fee for a sale is paid in two installments, each one is converted at the rate on its own invoice date. The total fee in yen stays as stated in the brokerage agreement.

Who pays the transfer fees?

You do. This includes not only your own bank’s fee but also any fees charged by intermediary banks or on the receiving side.

With international transfers, intermediary or receiving fees are sometimes deducted from the amount you send. For example, Wise charges a fixed receiving fee per payment for US dollars received by international transfer (SWIFT).

• The invoice states any amount to add: Where the receiving fee is known, please add it to the invoice amount
• If we receive less than the invoice: we will ask you to pay the shortfall
• If we receive more: we refund the excess

A yen transfer to a Japanese bank account also incurs fees for receiving an international transfer and intermediary bank fees. If your bank lets you choose to have the sender pay all fees (OUR), we recommend that option.

Why must payment come from an account in your own name?

To confirm that the payment comes from the contracting party themselves. We cannot accept payments from anyone else, such as a family member or employer.

For sales, we verify every client’s identity as required by law (name, address, date of birth, purpose of the transaction, occupation and so on). The payment must also come from an account belonging to the person we verified. If a company is the contracting party, please send from an account in that company’s name.

Identity documents and the explanation of important matters are handled without an office visit. Even if you are not in Japan, much of the process can be done online.

What money does our Wise account receive?

Only the brokerage fee and expenses incurred at your request. The purchase price, rent and security deposit are not included.

• Brokerage fee: the amount stated in the brokerage agreement
• Expenses: costs that arise only at your specific request, such as travel costs for surveying or showing a property far from our area. We explain what they are and roughly how much before they are incurred, and invoice them only if you agree

The purchase price goes from the buyer to the seller, and rent and deposits go from the tenant to the landlord or management company. That money is not paid to us. How it can be paid depends on the seller’s or landlord’s policy. The purchase price is in most cases paid in yen into a Japanese bank account.

What if the amount is large?

Please agree the payment timing with us in advance. For larger amounts, such as the brokerage fee on a sale, we prepare to receive the payment before sending the invoice.

International transfers can take several days to arrive. To meet the invoice deadline (within 3 business days of issue), please check in advance how long your bank’s transfers take. If you are using a payment method for the first time, you can also send a small amount first to check.

Which method should you choose?

The best choice depends on the currency you have and the account you use. If you are unsure, tell us your country of residence and your bank when you get in touch.

• If you can easily send yen: a yen transfer to our Japanese bank account is simple and matches the invoice amount exactly
• If you have a US dollar, euro, British pound or similar account: a foreign-currency transfer to our Wise account is convenient, and you do not need to convert to yen yourself
• If you hold USDC or JPYC: we also accept stablecoins. See Can you pay a real estate agent’s fee in Japan with stablecoins (USDC, JPYC)?

What should you tell us when you get in touch?

Send your first inquiry through the form or LINE. It is enough to mention that you live outside Japan and which payment method you would like to use (yen, foreign currency or USDC).

Details such as the currency and timing of payment are agreed at the viewing or application stage. What we agree (payment method, conversion rate and treatment of transfer fees) is written into the brokerage agreement as special terms. How the process works without visiting an office is explained in How do you rent or buy in Japan without visiting an agency office?, and for how each service works and what it costs, see Renting, Buying and Selling.

Note: Wise’s fees and receiving conditions are based on what Wise published as of November 2026 and may change. For how paying in a foreign currency affects your own taxes, please consult your own tax advisor. The amounts and rates in this article are illustrative. Contracts and the explanation of important matters are in Japanese, which is the binding version; English translations are provided for reference (points to be confirmed for each transaction). This English article is a translation for reference; the Japanese version is the original.