Property, viewings and relocation
Appointments that move around a city and need travel time built into the diary. Below is how 9 of them actually set up online booking — the session length, the gap between clients, whether to take payment up front, and the one thing that trips each trade up in Japan.
Real estate agents#
Viewings are at properties across a city, so the diary is really a route, and an hour of travel between two appointments is normal.
| Duration | 45 minutes for a viewing, 30 for an office consultation |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 24 hours, so the key and the owner can be arranged |
| Buffer | 60 minutes after a viewing, for travel |
| Bookable up to | 30 days — property moves too fast for more |
| Max bookings per day | Four or five viewings in a day, honestly |
| Location | In person, address confirmed after booking |
| Payment | Free |
| Cancellation policy | Not applicable |
Worth asking on the booking form: Budget and area · Move-in date · Visa status and employer · Do you have a guarantor?
Foreign tenants want to know before they spend a Saturday whether the landlord accepts non-Japanese residents, whether a guarantor company is needed and what 礼金 is. Ask on the form and you will stop wasting viewings.
Property managers#
Inspections, handovers and contractor meetings at addresses, all of which need travel time and none of which are at your office.
| Duration | 45 minutes |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 24 hours |
| Buffer | 45 minutes after, for travel |
| Location | In person |
| Payment | Free |
| Cancellation policy | Not applicable |
Relocation consultants#
The first conversation happens while the client is still in another country and another time zone, and the rest happens in an intense fortnight after they land.
| Duration | 45 minutes for the first call, half-day event types for accompanied days |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 48 hours |
| Bookable up to | 180 days |
| Location | Video first, then in person |
| Payment | First call free, accompanied days paid online |
| Cancellation policy | Full refund 7 days before |
Worth asking on the booking form: Arrival date · Family size and ages · Employer · Which wards are you considering?
Ward office registration, a hanko, a bank account and a phone contract are the first week, and they have to happen in an order. An accompanied-day event type with that list in the description sells itself.
Serviced apartment viewings#
Short viewings of a small number of units, booked by people arriving from overseas within days.
| Duration | 30 minutes |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 12 hours |
| Bookable up to | 60 days |
| Location | In person |
| Payment | Free |
| Cancellation policy | Not applicable |
Architects#
A long first consultation that decides the project, and site visits that eat a half-day each.
| Duration | 90 minutes for a consultation, half a day for a site visit |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 72 hours |
| Location | In person or video |
| Payment | Paid online for the first consultation |
| Cancellation policy | Full refund 7 days before |
Worth asking on the booking form: New build, renovation or extension? · Site address · Budget range · Timeline
Interior designers#
A paid design consultation at the client’s home, with photographs and measurements needed beforehand.
| Duration | 90 minutes |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 72 hours |
| Buffer | 45 minutes after, for travel |
| Location | In person, at the client’s address |
| Payment | Paid online |
| Cancellation policy | Full refund 72 hours before |
Home inspectors#
A half-day per property, booked urgently because a purchase deadline is running.
| Duration | 180 minutes |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 48 hours |
| Buffer | 60 minutes after, for travel |
| Max bookings per day | Two inspections a day |
| Location | In person |
| Payment | Paid online |
| Cancellation policy | Full refund 48 hours before |
Worth asking on the booking form: Property address · Age and type of building · Completion date you are working to
Land surveyors#
Site work that depends on weather and daylight, booked well ahead against a registration deadline.
| Duration | Half day |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 7 days |
| Location | In person |
| Payment | Invoiced |
| Cancellation policy | Not applicable |
Home staging#
A walkthrough and quote, then a full staging day scheduled around the photographer and the listing date.
| Duration | 45 minutes for a walkthrough, a full day to stage |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 48 hours |
| Location | In person |
| Payment | Walkthrough free, staging invoiced |
| Cancellation policy | Not applicable |
Set this up in about ten minutes
Business Box is free for as long as you like, with no card required — booking pages, Google and Outlook calendar sync, availability, Japanese public holidays and the website widget. Taking card payment for bookings is ¥1,200 a month, tax included, with no commission on what you sell.
Last reviewed 28 September 2026.