This One Mistake Cost Our Client Their Dream House in Japan
If they used Wise, they’d own this house today.
- Hey quick tip before we get into this
If you’re doing anything abroad, buying property, sending money to family, investing, even just paying for stuff on vacation, use Wise.
It’s what we use for everything. Way cheaper, way easier.
I dropped a link here if you want to try it, gets you a fee-free transfer up to $600 -Wise: Money Without Borders
I say this to my wife all the time, we didn’t just start this business at the perfect time… it might actually be the only time in history this kind of business could exist.
A fully remote real estate company in Japan, built for foreigners, located in the US.
Yeah, we spend a few months a year in Japan. But the reality is, we live in the U.S. Most of our day-to-day happens here.
And somehow… it works.
We’ve got clients all over the world, UK, Australia, Dubai. I’m in New York, one partner’s in San Diego, another is in Tokyo. Our team is spread across Japan. And we’re all talking every single day.
WhatsApp threads going nonstop. Sharing info, making decisions, coordinating deals in real time.
When you step back and think about it… it’s actually amazing.
A rag tag team of people spread across the globe building a business together.
Even hiring has been unconventional. Almost everyone on our team in Japan came from Reddit. Traditional job sites like LinkedIn? Useless for us. Reddit has been an absolute goldmine.
Which brings me to the main point of this — Wise.
Without Wise , our entire process would have way more friction.
From day one, Nick and I had one goal: make buying a home across the world feel easier than buying one down the street. Remove as much friction as humanly possible.
Early on, a lot of clients pushed to use traditional bank wires. Totally understandable, people trust their banks.
We’d recommend Wise, since we’d been using it from the start. But we didn’t push too hard.
“Client’s always right,” right?
Even when it’s not in their best interest lol.
That changed pretty quickly.
As the market has heated up, especially in ski towns, the “rules” of Japanese real estate have started to bend.
It’s not uncommon now to see a house get 5–6 offers the day it’s listed. Sight unseen. Full price.
Historically, bidding wars basically didn’t exist here. Japan is extremely conflict-averse. You don’t even see open houses (outside Tokyo), because agents don’t want multiple buyers in the same space at the same time.
Now we’re seeing above-asking offers, faster timelines, and way less patience from agents.
And then we had a deal fall apart.
Our client insisted on wiring money instead of using Wise. We didn’t push back and the wire took too long.
The agent got nervous, which, to be fair, happens a lot with foreign buyers. There’s always a fear they’ll disappear mid-deal with no consequences.
So the agent backed out and went with another buyer and we lost a prime property because of that delay.
And when I say prime, I mean PRIME, a house 10 minutes to one of the hottest clusters of ski resorts on the planet right now. That was the last time you’ll see a house that price.
I am 100% confident in that.
After that… we changed our stance. We don’t really give the option anymore, we strongly push Wise.
Because it’s not just faster, it’s way cheaper too.
Traditional bank wires can cost anywhere from 50 per transfer, plus terrible exchange rates with hidden markups (often 2–4%). Wise typically charges a transparent fee (often under 1%) and gives you the real mid-market exchange rate.
That difference can easily be hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a property purchase.
AND if you’re transferring over $25K USD, which basically all of our clients are, you get a dedicated support specialist. So every time you reach out, you’re talking to the same person who already knows your account, your situation, and your transfer.
So if you’re buying a home in Japan, or ANYWHERE abroad, use Wise.
It’s seamless. Transfers are often same-day. And you’re getting the best rate you’ll find.
- Like I said up top,Wise is just the best tool we’ve found for moving money internationally.
If you’re even thinking about buying a place abroad, set it up now.
When the right deal pops up, the last thing you want is your bank slowing you down -
Browse opportunities yourself: Check out current listings at Nipponhomes.com
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If you’re gearing up for a trip and need things like luggage, Goggles, insurance and much much more there are some really good deals below.
We’re always looking to partner with great travel + ski brands.
If you’d like to be featured on our perks page, reach out at:Grant@yukihomes.com
This content is for informational and educational purposes only and reflects my personal opinions and experience. I am not a licensed financial advisor, tax advisor, or attorney. Readers should conduct their own due diligence and consult qualified professionals before making any investment decisions.
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