Better Homes

What Better Homes does

Better Homes Inc. is a privately held Japanese real estate intermediary founded on January 23, 1970, and headquartered in Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo. The company specializes exclusively in introducing residential rental properties to foreign businesspersons and employees of foreign-affiliated companies relocating to Japan, operating across nine core Tokyo wards (Minato, Shibuya, Chiyoda, Chuo, Meguro, Shinagawa, Shinjuku, Ota, and Setagaya). Its core product is a bilingual (English/Japanese) apartment rental search website (betterhomes.co.jp) that allows users to filter listings by location, property type (apartment or house), bedroom count (studio through 5BR+), price range (under JPY 100,000 to JPY 2,500,000+ monthly rent), and property size (20m² to 300m²+), with additional feature filters for pet-friendly, front desk, and fitness/gym amenities.

The company's business model is commission-based transaction fees earned by acting as intermediary in luxury rental placements, with average rental budgets ranging from JPY 100,000 to over JPY 2,500,000 per month. Supporting services include housing planning, design, and consulting; property operation and management; and orientation assistance covering international schools, visa/legal procedures, and furniture leasing introductions. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and relationship-driven: customers inquire via the website form or direct phone, then sales staff conduct driving tours to properties and provide in-person orientation, with continued support through move-in and ongoing tenancy.

Better Homes is led by Representative Director Hiroyuki Kose and operates with a single Tokyo office, no disclosed subsidiaries, no external investors or parent company, and no app, SDK, or AI-driven product features. Its only technology is the website-based property search platform; the company has no API, no published integrations, and no disclosed patents, certifications, or awards. Marketing relies on organic channels — the bilingual website, Facebook, and Twitter — without disclosed paid acquisition, and there are no recorded funding rounds, acquisitions, or partnership agreements in the input data.

Name

Better Homes

Legal name

BETTER HOMES INC.

Website

https://betterhomes.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Better Homes Inc. is a privately held Tokyo-based real estate intermediary, founded in 1970, that helps foreign businesspersons and expatriates find luxury rental apartments in Greater Tokyo through a bilingual website and transaction-fee intermediary services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Expatriate Real Estate Brokerage

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Multifamily Apartment Property Management (BPAJAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Multifamily (Apartment) Property Management (BPAJAGAD)

Keywords

• Expatriate housing services
• Luxury apartment rentals
• Real estate intermediary
• Rental property search
• Relocation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Real Estate Intermediary Services: Commission-based fees for introducing residential properties to foreign businesspersons and foreign-affiliated company employees. The company acts as intermediary in rental transactions for luxury properties in Tokyo.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Better Homes Inc. acts as a real estate intermediary introducing residential rental properties to foreign businesspersons and expatriates relocating to Tokyo. The company operates a bilingual apartment search website covering Tokyo's central wards (Minato, Shibuya, Chiyoda, Chuo, Meguro, Shinagawa, Shinjuku, Ota, Setagaya) and provides end-to-end support including property tours, contract negotiation, move-in coordination, residential orientation, and introductions to furniture leasing, international schools, and visa/legal assistance.

Product overview

Better Homes Inc. operates as a unified real estate services platform centered on its apartment rental search website. The core offering combines an online property search platform with comprehensive expatriate housing intermediary services. Supporting services include housing planning/design/consulting and property operation/management. The company, founded in 1970 and headquartered in Tokyo's Roppongi area, specializes in serving foreign businesspersons and expatriates finding housing in Tokyo's luxury rental market.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Apartment/Flat Rental Search Platform Bilingual online rental property search platform covering central Tokyo wards including Azabu, Hiroo, Roppongi, Akasaka, Aoyama, Shibuya, and others. Allows users to filter by area, property type (apartment/house), bedroom count (studio to 5BR+), price range (up to JPY 100,000 to 2,500,000+ per month), and size (20m² to 300m²+), plus features such as pet-friendliness, front desk, and fitness/gym.
• Expatriate Housing Intermediary Services Personalized property-finding service for foreign businesspersons and employees of foreign-affiliated companies relocating to Tokyo. Includes residential orientation, guidance on Japanese rental customs (key money, renewal fees, deposits), introductions to international schools, visa and legal procedure guidance, and furniture leasing company introductions.
• Housing Planning, Design and Consulting Planning, design, and consulting services for residential properties, extending beyond property search into comprehensive housing solutions for foreign tenants and property owners.
• Property Operation and Management Operation and maintenance services for residential properties, including move-in/move-out support and ongoing tenant assistance throughout the tenancy.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights1 record

Broad incumbents

• Mitsui Fudosan: Mitsui Fudosan is one of Japan's largest real estate developers, with broad residential, commercial, and rental portfolios across Tokyo. While not a specialist expat brokerage, it serves as a major incumbent in Tokyo's residential rental market and occasionally overlaps with Better Homes' property segments.
• Tokyu Housing Lease: Tokyu Housing Lease is the leasing arm of Tokyu Land, managing a large portfolio of residential rental properties across Tokyo. As a broad incumbent, it competes for the same Tokyo rental pool Better Homes serves, though it does not specialize in the expatriate niche.

Direct peers

• OAKHOUSE: OAKHOUSE provides shared and private rental housing in Tokyo for foreigners and expatriates, with English-language support and furnished options. It targets the same foreign-affiliated renter segment with a more standardized, furnished-unit offering.
• Ken Corporation: Ken Corporation is a major Tokyo luxury real estate agency specializing in high-end rentals and sales for expatriates and executives. It is one of the most established direct competitors to Better Homes, serving the same foreign-affiliated client base with similar bilingual services.
• Tokyo Apartment Inc. Tokyo Apartment Inc. is a real estate brokerage focused on apartment rentals for foreigners in Tokyo's central wards. It competes directly with Better Homes on bilingual rental services and foreign tenant onboarding in the same neighborhoods.
• Housing Japan: Housing Japan is a Tokyo-based real estate agency focused on helping foreign residents find rental and purchased properties. It serves the same expatriate client base in central Tokyo wards, with similar bilingual support and relocation services.
• Plaza Homes: Plaza Homes is one of Tokyo's largest expatriate-focused real estate brokerages, offering luxury rental and sales services to foreign clients across central Tokyo wards. It directly competes with Better Homes on the same niche — foreign executive housing — and targets the same premium areas (Azabu, Roppongi, Hiroo).
• Act Properties: Act Properties is a Tokyo-based real estate agency offering apartment search and rental support services for foreign expatriates. Its bilingual service and central-Tokyo focus put it in direct competition with Better Homes for foreign corporate tenants.
• Hasebe Real Estate: Hasebe Real Estate is a Tokyo real estate agency offering bilingual rental and sales services to foreign clients, particularly in central Tokyo wards. It mirrors Better Homes' expatriate-focused service model and overlap in target neighborhoods.

Others

• Relo Redac (Japan Relocation Solutions): Relo Redac provides corporate relocation and real estate services to multinational employers moving employees to Japan. While not a pure brokerage, it overlaps with Better Homes on serving foreign-affiliated relocating employees seeking Tokyo housing — often as a vendor or partner.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Better Homes