Central Tokyo apartment sale prices up 21% y-o-y
According to REINS, the average sale price of a second-hand apartment in Tokyo’s central three wards of Chiyoda, Chuo, and Minato, reached 1,574,500 Yen/sqm in October. This is a 21.1% increase from last year, and a record high. Apartment prices have seen double-digit year-on-year growth for 8 of the 10 months so far in 2022. Sale prices are up 30% since the start of 2020 and have increased by 51% over the past five years.
Apartments continue to become less affordable in 2021
The average price of a 10-year old, 70 sqm second-hand apartment nationwide was 6.54-times times the average annual income in 2021, according to a report by Tokyo Kantei. This is the first time the multiple has exceeded 6 since the research company began recording data in 2008. It is due to the average apartment price increasing by 8.8% to 29.77 million Yen, while the average annual income dropped by 1.5% to 4.55 million Yen.
Tokyo Apartment Sales in October 2022
The following is a selection of apartments that were reported to have sold in central Tokyo during the month of October 2022:
Foreclosure in Niseko sells for 2200% above reserve
A foreclosed block of land in Niseko ended up selling for over 22 times its auction reserve earlier this month. The 1,012 sqm (10,889 sq.ft) lot of non-zoned land is 6.3 kilometers from Niseko Station and in the Annupuri district with the Moiwa and Annupuri ski slopes nearby.
New apartment price drops 5.5% in first half of 2022
According to the Real Estate Economic Institute, the average price of a brand-new apartment released for sale across greater Tokyo in the first half of 2022 (April - September) was 63,330,000 Yen, down 5.5% from the first half of 2021 and the first decrease in four years. This is due to fewer high-priced luxury condos being supplied compared to this time last year.
Tokyo apartment rent hits 2.5 year low
In September, the average monthly rent of a condominium-type apartment in the Tokyo metropolitan area was 3,712 Yen/sqm, down 0.3% from the previous month and last year, and the lowest level seen in 12 months. Neighboring Saitama and Chiba both saw rents fall by 1.0% and 1.7% from the previous month, although they are still higher than they were 12 months ago.
Office vacancy rate stays flat in Tokyo
The office vacancy rate in central Tokyo remained unchanged at 6.49% in September, according to office brokerage Miki Shoji. Office rents, however, continued to decline with the average rent dropping 94 Yen from August to 20,156 Yen per tsubo (approx. 6,098 Yen/sqm).