Office vacancy rate reaches new low in February

Tokyo’s prime office vacancy rate hit a new record low in February, dropping 0.04 points from the previous month to 1.49%. This is the lowest vacancy rate seen since December 1990 when it was as low as 0.39%. 

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Shizuoka hotels hit with almost 500,000 cancellations due to tourist drop

The impacts of the coronavirus are being painfully felt by hotel and ryokan operators in Shizuoka’s popular hot spring locations. Hotels and onsens that have relied heavily on tour groups from China are now facing either temporary or permanent closure.

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An option for those who need to sell their apartment quickly

This article is intended only for sellers who are looking to dispose of their property very quickly.

Selling real estate on the open market in Tokyo can typically take several months if the property is priced correctly. But, if you have bought into the wrong building or are trying to sell at the wrong time, it can take much longer - years even.

Real estate is illiquid and cannot be quickly traded like stocks. What if you need to sell in a hurry?

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Residential leases are on the decline

The number of residential rental contracts signed across greater Tokyo has been on the decline for over a year now, with the effects being felt on real estate brokerages. Teikoku Databank reported 104 real estate brokerages filed for bankruptcy across greater Tokyo in 2019, up 6% from 2018. 

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Why existing apartment sales are outperforming new construction

The old trope that Japanese buyers only buy new homes is being turned on its head as existing apartment sales now exceed new construction. In 2019, there were 38,109 reported sales of existing apartments across greater Tokyo (that figure is likely to be much higher due to a lack of public reporting of transactions). Over the same period, there were 31,238 brand new apartments offered for sale. 

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