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Can anyone recommend a good local real estate agent?

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  1. #1

    Can anyone recommend a good local real estate agent?

    I'm looking for a real estate agent which can work with me remotely while I am in Japan and give me an idea of available properties in HK within my price range prior to moving. Recommendations would be greatly appreciated!


  2. #2

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    How much are you going to pay them?


  3. #3

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    I don't think you'll find anybody on these boards who would recommend trying to find a property remotely, even if we did have a recommendation for the most reliable and best informed agent in town ... sure you can give parameters about commuting distance from work, size, facilities and so on, but different neighbourhoods and districts have such entirely different vibes that it's impossible to "get" without being here.

    It's also the general way that agents here specialise in their immediate neighbourhoods - if you're interested in a place one stop down the MTR line, you will need to find another agent who is familiar with that immediate vicinity.

    Yes, there are some "consultants" for whose services you can pay through the nose, but they have a reputation for pushing newbies towards traditionally upmarket expat haunts like Midlevels or Chung Hom Kok even when there are more suitable places for half the price in less well-known areas.

    shri and OjazosDie like this.

  4. #4

    Thanks chingleutsch! Great information and advice. Much appreciated!

    I figured it would be a long shot, but thought to ask the question anyway. I will plan to relo before the end of the year, and I was just trying to get an idea of what my costs would be. I will be moving from Japan to HK and most likely my compensation package will simply be converted over at current exchange rate.

    So I'm trying to figure out if I will be able to maintain a similar quality of life on a similar salary. Rent prices look substantially higher in HK compared to central Tokyo, which I was a bit surprised by. However, I am using Spacious as my source of information, and I'm wondering if that's not a great representation of what is available. Which is why I thought to reach out to an agent to get some ideas. I of course would plan to use the same agent upon my arrival if the experience was pleasurable.

    Thanks for the advice and anything else you can share. Cheers!


  5. #5

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    You "plan" to use that agent but when you come and see another place by another agent, then you'll rent through that other agent after the first one did all the leg work. Agents simply bridge the contacts between landlord and tenant and don't have all of the contacts. So one agent might not be able to rent another flat that another agent has and that other agent is under no obligation to share. Most won't. They would have to split the commission and no one in this world has compensated two agents commission either.

    So looking at it from that perspective, you can understand why what you're asking for is not reasonable.

    For online sources, the market is too fast and it's impossible to keep up with it. Us seasoned people living here will have a target building and layout. Many will rent it within minutes of being put on the market and sometimes without seeing it. You're not in that position as you do not have the knowledge to make these decisions. So you are in a highly competitive market. What you see online is likely bait, already rented (years ago), or what people don't want due to bad luck (feng shui -- I'm not Asian but I believe in living somewhere with good energy and luck).

    It's easy to say they should update the online listings but fact is you don't have too. If you're a landlord with a dozen flats, do you want to take a day off to go take photos and distribute to agents? Unlikely. And they rent without photos. Photos are for westerners and may have a healthy premium attached to it.

    Look at price per sq ft in your area of choice and whether new building or old. This is a starting point. $50/sq ft rental is a good indicator for a popular area and can be cheaper in the outskirts. Depends what you want. Tokyo rent is much cheaper yes...


  6. #6

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    Hong Kong rent and property prices are the highest in the world. I think the property websites are good to give you a general idea of what you can get and the costs of it. Those flats may not actually be available, but i think they are decent indicators of price.

    There are all kinds of factors (e.g. exact streets, whats in the proximity, the common areas, facilities, noise etc.) which you can only really get a feel for when you see it yourself, and these will affect the price up or downwards.


  7. #7

    Thanks MandM! and UK/HKBoy. Great input and some really interesting advice.

    Since posting this question, I did come across some other rental websites, which has given a better idea of prices and availability, but it does seem that many of the listings probably never make it on these websites, and it would be best to just figure out which area I want to live and register with someone in that area once I get there.

    Thanks for the advice!


  8. #8

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    Come for a weekend. Walk around a bunch of possible neighbourhoods and speak to agents in each. See a variety of places in each. That will give you a feel and some contacts, take notes, and when you are ready to move send a text/call the agents and ask if they have "something like xxx we saw". That should work. Or just do what everyone else does and rent a serviced place for a month when you arrive. In terms of identifying if HK is where to come, a pre trip s pretty much essential. I took one myself.

    OjazosDie likes this.

  9. #9

    Best advice yet! Thank you Katherine. I actually got to that conclusion as well. Thinking about stopping through sometime in October. Thank you for confirming it's a good idea.

    HK_Katherine likes this.

  10. #10

    Thanks . This is great stuff, and it's great to get a perspective like yours. I do think we have it pretty nice in Tokyo. The general quality of apartment is amazing, clean modern, super functional etc. And the nice thing is you can always get something central, as there are places to grab at all pricing levels. In other cities of the world, I guess for that lower price you would be sacrificing to live in a dangerous neighborhood, very old run down apartment, etc. Not so much in Tokyo. But you're definitely right, the apartments I have seen so far on the HK apartment finding websites, are pretty shocking. Your comments about being run down, crumbling, etc, are spot on.

    To keep the Japanese wife happy, I think I will have to pay an additional 1-2 thousand USD premium on top of what I am paying now to get something at least half decent in terms of quality and appearance.

    Anyway, I appreciate everyone's help, and it definitely seems I will need to do a quick visit and just go check some places. I'm kind of worried I'm gonna see them, the size and have second thoughts about leaving Japan. lol

    TheBrit likes this.

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