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What Are the Job Duties and Salaries at Real Estate Companies? A Thorough Guide to Income Ranges for Sales and Administrative Roles and Useful Qualifications

A thorough guide to job duties at real estate companies, typical salary ranges, and qualifications that support career advancement. We introduce income levels for both sales and administrative roles, along with qualification information useful in the real estate industry, including the Real Estate Transaction Specialist license.

Last updated: About 2 min read

The real estate industry has three fields: development, distribution, and management, and each plays a different role. For those considering employment or a career change, income and career paths are likely major concerns. In this article, we provide a comprehensive explanation of job duties at real estate companies, typical salary ranges, and useful qualifications.

What types are there in the real estate industry?

The real estate industry is broadly divided into three fields. Understanding the characteristics of each is the first step in choosing a career.

Field Main Duties Characteristics
Development (Developer) Land acquisition and building construction Centered on large companies; requires substantial capital
Distribution (Brokerage) Real estate sales and rental brokerage Requires broad knowledge and expertise
Management Property maintenance and tenant/customer acquisition Diverse, ranging from SMEs to neighborhood real estate agencies

The real estate industry is said to be an industry where independence is relatively achievable, with more than 5,000 companies opening each year. It can be regarded as an industry with strong future potential.

What are the job duties at a real estate company?

In real estate companies in the distribution field, the main operations are "seller-side brokerage" and "buyer-side brokerage."

Seller-side brokerage duties

The main job is to find a buyer for a property entrusted for sale. It involves the full process, from attracting clients and signing a brokerage agreement to property investigation, contract preparation, settlement, and handover.

Buyer-side brokerage duties

This work involves placing clients into properties and guiding prospective buyers through them. It also includes preparing advertisements, hosting open houses, and negotiating prices.

How much income can you earn working at a real estate company?

Income at a real estate company varies significantly depending on job type, years of experience, and company size.

Annual income for real estate sales

Annual income for sales roles generally ranges from 6 million yen to 18 million yen. Many companies use commission-based compensation, and top sales professionals may earn 20 million to 30 million yen annually. By age group, the early 50s tend to be the highest, with an average of 9.6 million yen.

Annual income for real estate administrative roles

Annual income for administrative roles averages 2.79 million yen to 3.89 million yen. There are regional differences, with an average of 3.96 million yen in the Kanto area and 4.7 million yen in Tokyo. If you obtain qualifications such as the Real Estate Transaction Specialist license, it can lead to higher income.

What qualifications are useful at a real estate company?

To advance your career in the real estate industry, obtaining qualifications is an effective approach.

Real Estate Transaction Specialist

This is the most important national qualification in the real estate industry. The pass rate is around 15%, but because there are no eligibility requirements, it is a popular qualification taken by about 200,000 people each year. Most companies provide a qualification allowance.

Real Estate Consulting Master

This qualification requires broad knowledge of law, economics, finance, taxation, and architecture, and the pass rate is 45%. Registered Real Estate Transaction Specialists, real estate appraisers, and first-class architects are eligible to take the exam.

FP (Financial Planner)

The FP qualification, with expertise in inheritance, taxes, and loans, is also highly valued in the real estate industry. It is said that at least Grade 2 is necessary for practical work.

Other useful qualifications

  • Judicial Scrivener: A highly difficult qualification with a pass rate of only 3%. Active in rights-related registration and real estate registration
  • Condominium Management Specialist: Pass rate of 8%. Responsible for reviewing management rules and formulating major repair plans
  • Interior Coordinator: Pass rate of around 25%. Active in open houses and model rooms

What is a real estate broker?

A real estate broker is a sole proprietor who conducts transactions through a real estate brokerage company without holding a real estate business license. They mainly handle high-value land for built-for-sale housing and condominium sites, and receive compensation in the form of planning fees and consulting fees. Attention is also required for fraud risks in real estate transactions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q. Can someone with no experience work at a real estate company?

A. For sales roles, there is a strong possibility of being hired even without specialized knowledge or qualifications. Many people also aim to obtain the Real Estate Transaction Specialist license after joining the company.

Q. What is the future outlook for the real estate industry?

A. Because it deals with housing, which is essential to people's lives, it is a stable industry that is less susceptible to economic fluctuations. There is also a path to starting your own business.

Q. Can women succeed in real estate sales as well?

A. Women who are gentle in manner and attentive to others are often considered well suited to sales roles, and in some cases their annual income is almost the same as that of men.

Daisuke Inazawa, President & CEO of INA&Associates Inc.

Author

President & CEOINA&Associates Inc.

President & CEO of INA&Associates Inc. Leads real estate brokerage, rental leasing, and property management across Greater Tokyo and the Kansai region. Specialises in income-property investment strategy and advisory for ultra-high-net-worth individuals.

Daisuke Inazawa is the President and CEO of INA&Associates Inc., a Japanese real estate firm headquartered in Osaka with a Tokyo branch. He leads the company's three core businesses — real estate sales brokerage, rental leasing, and property management — across the Greater Tokyo Area and the Kansai region.

His areas of expertise include investment strategy for income-generating real estate, profitability optimisation of rental operations, real estate advisory for ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs) and institutional investors, and cross-border real estate investment. He provides data-driven, long-horizon advisory to investors in Japan and overseas.

Under the management philosophy "a company's most important asset is its people," he positions INA&Associates as a "people-investment company" and is committed to sustainable corporate-value creation through talent development. He also writes and speaks publicly on leadership and organisational culture in times of change.

He has passed eleven Japanese professional qualification examinations: Licensed Real Estate Broker (Takken), Certified Real Estate Consulting Master, Licensed Condominium Manager, Licensed Building Management Supervisor, Certified Rental Housing Management Professional, Gyōseishoshi Lawyer (administrative scrivener), Certified Personal Information Protection Officer, Class-A Fire Prevention Manager, Certified Auctioned Real Estate Specialist, Certified Condominium Maintenance Engineer, and Licensed Moneylending Operations Supervisor.

  • Licensed Real Estate Broker (Takken)
  • Certified Real Estate Consulting Master
  • Licensed Condominium Manager
  • Licensed Building Management Supervisor
  • Certified Rental Housing Management Professional
  • Gyōseishoshi Lawyer (Administrative Scrivener)
  • Certified Personal Information Protection Officer
  • Class-A Fire Prevention Manager
  • Certified Auctioned Real Estate Specialist
  • Certified Condominium Maintenance Engineer
  • Licensed Moneylending Operations Supervisor