How Quickly Do Homes Sell in Japan’s Housing Market?

One of the most important, and often overlooked, parts of buying a home in Japan is speed. Good properties don’t sit around. Some sell in days, many in weeks, and almost all within a few months. Knowing how fast the market moves helps you plan your viewings, prepare documents, and make confident decisions without scrambling.

As part of the launch of our new Data & Reports section, we’re highlighting one of the most practical tools inside the 2025 Q3 Market Overview, the Liquidity metrics: how quickly homes sell, and in which regions they sell fastest.

These charts give you a sense of timing, competition, and urgency so you can stay ahead of the curve.

📝 What Is the Data & Reports Section?

Our Data & Reports hub brings together the most useful, buyer-friendly statistics from our curated national dataset. These metrics help you understand real trade-offs in Japan’s housing market: price vs. size, age vs. renovation, distance vs. value, and, in this article, speed-to-sell.

Inside you’ll find:

• 🏡 Full-ownership homes only, all ≤¥100,000,000 (~$667k USD)

• 🚶 Within 45 minutes of a station

• 📊 Nationwide medians & regional snapshots

• 📉 Pricing, liquidity, age bands, size bands

• 🆓 Free access for members to charts, downloads, and tools

📈 Part 1: How Fast Do Homes Sell?

⏱️ Survival Curve: Time-to-Sell Across Japan

Our Survival Curve shows the cumulative share of sold homes as days pass from the moment they first appear on the market.

Here’s what the national data from Q3 2025 shows:

• Day 7: 1% sold

• Day 14: 5.4% sold

• Day 30: 16.5% sold

• Day 45: 46.3% sold 🔑

• Day 60: 66.4% sold

• Day 90: 95% sold

💡 Insight: Nearly half of all sold listings are gone by Day 45. The window is short.

Why This Matters

Most buyers underestimate how fast listings can disappear, especially well-priced ones. The survival curve gives you a realistic sense of timing so you can:

• avoid missing out on good homes

• plan your viewings with confidence

• prepare documents earlier than you think

• move decisively when the right listing appears

How to Use It

• If you find a home that matches your criteria, aim to view it within 1–2 weeks.

• Have your documentation, proof of funds, and general plan ready so agents will prioritize you.

• Remember: hesitation is the #1 reason buyers miss out in competitive areas.

📍 Part 2: Where Are Homes Selling Fastest?

🗾 Sell-Through by Prefecture

Sell-through measures what percentage of active listings actually sold during the observation window. Higher percentages mean tighter, more competitive markets.

Here are the Q3 2025 national leaders:

• Tokyo: 40.6%

• Kanagawa: 36.1%

• Saitama: 36.2%

• Chiba: 36.3%

• Osaka: 34%

What This Shows

These prefectures convert listings into sales the fastest. This is a sign of strong demand, steady buyer activity, and limited long-term inventory.

Why It Matters

A higher sell-through rate means:

• listings move quickly

• negotiation windows are shorter

• strong offers matter more

• financing delays can cost you the deal

How to Use It

• Tokyo, Kanagawa, Osaka: move quickly; consider scheduling viewings as soon as a promising listing appears

• Chiba, Saitama: still competitive, but you may have slightly more breathing room

• For all regions: know your target areas and be ready before the right home appears

⏳ Part 3: When Do Most Homes Sell?

📅 Days-on-Market Distribution

This chart shows the share of sold homes by their time-to-sell window.

National Shares (Sold Listings):

• 0–14 days: 5.4%

• 15–30 days: 11.1%

• 31–45 days: 29.8%

• 46–60 days: 20.1%

• 61–90 days: 28.6%

• 90+ days: 5%

What This Shows

Most homes sell in the 30–60 day window, aka the heart of the market. Very fast (0–14 day) sales are rare, but the majority of well-positioned homes still move in under two months.

Why It Matters

Knowing the “normal selling window” helps you:

• pace your search

• avoid waiting too long on a good listing

• time financing, inspections, and document preparation

• understand what’s unusually fast or unusually slow for your target region

How to Use It

• If homes in your target prefectures mostly sell in 30–60 days, plan to view within the first 10–20 days.

• Treat homes that linger past 90 days as opportunities to:

  • negotiate,

  • ask about renovation needs,

  • or explore why they didn’t move sooner.

💡 Why Liquidity Metrics Matter

These charts help you understand:

• how competitive your target region is

• how quickly good homes disappear

• how to prepare your documents and timeline

• how to spot opportunities in slower-moving listings

Knowing the rhythm of the market lets you shop with confidence, not guesswork.

📊 Explore the Full 2025 Q3 Market Overview

Liquidity is just one chapter of our Data & Reports hub. Members can explore:

• national and regional median prices

• age-adjusted and size-adjusted medians

• station proximity pricing tiers

• inventory shapes by era, price, and m²

• sell-through and time-to-sell charts

• Top 9 Recommended Prefectures breakdowns

🔓 Sign up for a free account to access the full Q3 2025 Market Overview and explore the data behind your next home.

✅ Key Takeaways

• Homes in Japan move quickly: nearly half of sold listings are gone by Day 45.

• Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, and Osaka are the fastest-moving markets.

• Most homes sell within 30–60 days, so plan viewings within the first 1–2 weeks.

• Preparing documents early gives you a real advantage in competitive areas.

• Slow-moving listings (90+ days) can signal negotiation or renovation opportunities.

Ready to explore?

• 👉 Try the new Map Search: Find homes to match your specific needs and preferences by pinpointing location and comparing value.

• 👉 Community Discussions: Connect with other investors and homebuyers to share experiences, tips, and encouragement.