Japan’s Nikota Capital Launches Real Estate Brokerage Arm

Tokyo-based Nikota Capital has established Nikota Realty as a real estate brokerage division to help individual investors buy and sell apartments, houses and land in Japan.

Focused on the areas of central Tokyo, Niseko and Nagano, Nikota Realty is led by Craig Pearce, Savills Investment Management’s former head of asset management for Asia, and Dan Tagliere, who has held regional roles with UBS and Marriott.

The Japanese capital and the ski resorts of Niseko, on the island of Hokkaido, and Nagano’s Hakuba village continue to attract many investors and holiday-home buyers from across Asia Pacific and globally, Pearce said Tuesday in a release.

“Nikota Realty is looking forward to servicing these clients with the most experienced team of property professionals available, and providing clients with a range of both on- and off-market opportunities,” he said.

Agents in Four Cities

Founded in 2019, Nikota Capital is a licensed real estate company in Japan providing real estate advisory services to institutions, family offices and high-net-worth individuals. The brokerage arm, Nikota Realty, has representatives based in Tokyo, Niseko, Hakuba and Hong Kong.

Before launching the firm, Pearce spent three years with Savills IM starting from 2015 and led APAC asset management. In the role with the investment affiliate of UK-based Savills, Pearce expanded the Asian platform and managed the firm’s property assets in Hong Kong and China.

Prior to joining Savills, the graduate of Australia’s Griffith University spent 14 years with Goldman Sachs’ and Morgan Stanley’s real estate investment platforms based in Tokyo and later Hong Kong.

Tagliere is the founder and principal of Macau Land Developments and spent two years each as a director of UBS in Hong Kong and as vice president of development for Marriott International in Asia Pacific.

Robust Investment

Japan’s third-quarter residential transaction volume reached JPY 269 billion ($2 billion) last year, the highest July-September total since surveys began, according to CBRE’s latest Japan Investment MarketView report.

“While overseas investors remain keen to acquire residential properties, asking prices of the sellers are getting higher,” the property consultancy said. “If portfolios begin to attract fewer tenders, sellers may have to decide to sell the properties individually, requiring more time to complete.”

Tagliere said the country stands out as an investment destination given its relative affordability, transparent freehold property laws and ease of ownership for foreign investors.

“Given its economic outlook, Japan is clearly positioned to outperform for the foreseeable future,” he said. “We are looking forward to assisting clients build and grow their wealth through real estate and becoming the real estate advisors of choice for sophisticated investors considering Japan.”