Selling real estate in Chitose | What happens if you sell now, brokerage vs. direct purchase, fees and taxes
For anyone thinking of selling real estate in Chitose, 2026 is a favorable time. Residential land prices have risen 1.5 to 2.5 times in five years, and at some commercial points prices have more than tripled. However, it is not true that “prices are rising, so it will sell high without doing anything.” There are real cases where people listed at an old valuation and sold for less than the market price. This article explains, in order, the steps from valuation to handover, when to use brokerage or a direct purchase, and the costs and taxes.
How far have prices in Chitose risen?
| Location (residential) | 2026 ¥/m² | 2021 | Change over 5 years | Change in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sakaemachi 2-chome | 112,000 | 44,000 | 2.55 times | +19.1% |
| Midorimachi 3-chome | 71,000 | 36,500 | 1.95 times | +14.5% |
| Hokuto 4-chome | 52,500 | 27,600 | 1.90 times | +9.4% |
| Toko 2-chome | 52,000 | 27,800 | 1.87 times | +10.6% |
| Sakuragi 5-chome | 41,000 | 22,500 | 1.82 times | +2.5% |
| Hakuyo 2-chome | 21,500 | 13,200 | 1.63 times | +2.4% |
Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) official land prices (2026). The average of the 19 residential survey points in the city is ¥54,105 per m², and the average change is +6.77%.
Note that the pace of increase differs by district. Around the station, prices rose by double digits again in 2026, but Sakuragi, Asahigaoka, Hakuyo, Midoridai, Yubu and Tomioka have settled at +2 to 3%. The suburbs may have entered a stage where “prices will not rise much more.”
Steps for selling (7 steps)
- Request a valuation: The valuation is more accurate if you have the registry record, floor plan and property tax assessment statement. For a condominium, also prepare the management rules, long-term repair plan and general meeting minutes
- Decide how to sell: Brokerage or direct purchase. Sort out when you want to sell and the minimum amount you need to receive
- Sign a brokerage agreement: An exclusive agreement (with one company, which must report to you at least once every two weeks) or a general agreement (with several companies)
- Marketing: The network shared between real estate companies (REINS), portal sites and our own website. In Chitose many buyers come from outside the city, so the quality of photos and floor plans affects how quickly a property sells
- Sales contract: You receive a deposit from the buyer (usually 5 to 10% of the sale price)
- Preparing for handover: Paying off the mortgage and canceling the mortgage registration, confirming boundaries, disposing of leftover items, settling utility bills
- Receiving the balance, handover and tax return: File a tax return in February to March of the following year (required if you use special deductions)
In Chitose, allow 3 to 5 months from valuation to handover. It tends to take less time to find a buyer than in Tomakomai.
Brokerage vs. direct purchase
| Brokerage | Direct purchase | |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer | Individuals and companies in general | A real estate company |
| Price | Market price | Usually 70 to 80% of market price |
| Time | 3 to 5 months | 2 weeks to 1 month |
| Brokerage fee | Yes | No |
| Viewings | Required | Only one site check |
| Contract non-conformity liability | Applies as a rule (usually limited to a set period) | Can often be waived |
| Good for | People who have time and want to sell high | People in a hurry, who do not want neighbors to know, with many leftover items, or with an old building |
Chitose is a market where buyers are easy to find, so unless you have a reason to hurry, brokerage will leave you with more money. You can also “advertise through brokerage for three months first, and switch to a direct purchase if it does not sell.”
Costs of selling
Brokerage fee
The Real Estate Brokerage Act sets a maximum. For a sale price over ¥4 million, it is “price × 3% + ¥60,000 + consumption tax.” The maximum is ¥726,000 (including tax) for ¥20 million, and ¥1,056,000 (including tax) for ¥30 million.
Under the law change in July 2024, the maximum for properties with a sale price of ¥8 million or less became ¥330,000 (including tax). Fewer properties in Chitose fall into this range now, but it can apply to land in the suburbs and to old buildings.
Other costs
- Registration cost for canceling the mortgage: about ¥10,000 to ¥20,000 (including the judicial scrivener’s (shiho-shoshi) fee)
- Stamp duty: ¥10,000 for contracts over ¥10 million up to ¥50 million (with the reduced rate applied)
- Survey cost: ¥300,000 to ¥800,000 for land with unconfirmed boundaries. Because prices in Chitose are high, buyers tend to be particular about boundaries
- Demolition and disposal of leftover items: when handing over a cleared lot or a vacant house
Taxes on selling
Tax is charged on the “capital gain,” which is the sale price minus the acquisition cost (the purchase price + costs at the time of purchase; if unknown, 5% of the sale price) and the costs of selling.
| Ownership period (as of January 1 of the year of sale) | Tax rate |
|---|---|
| Over 5 years (long-term capital gain) | 20.315% |
| 5 years or less (short-term capital gain) | 39.63% |
Selling your own home: the ¥30 million special deduction
When you sell a home you lived in (up to the end of the third year after you stopped living there), you can deduct ¥30 million from the capital gain.
Selling an inherited vacant house
If you inherit a parent’s house built on or before May 31, 1981 and sell it by the end of the third year after the inheritance, the ¥30 million deduction also applies. You need to obtain a confirmation certificate for the house used as the deceased’s residence (hisōzokunin kyojūyō kaoku-tō kakuninsho) from Chitose City.
Points to watch especially in Chitose
Because prices have risen so much, the tax can be large on investment properties or on land you inherited and held for a long time. For example, if land bought for ¥10 million in 2021 sells for ¥20 million, the gain after costs is taxed at about 20% (long-term) or about 39% (short-term). Simply timing the sale so that you have owned the property for more than five years as of January 1 changes the tax, so always check your ownership period.
Three points for selling at a higher price
- Always get an up-to-date valuation: The market in Chitose is moving. If you set the price only on past sales, you will sell too cheaply
- Prepare documents in advance: Registry record, certificate of building confirmation and certificate of inspection, equipment warranties, renovation history. Information about cold-climate features (insulation, heating, hot water) helps buyers decide
- Be flexible about the handover date: Many buyers in Chitose are people on job transfers or moving in from outside the city, and their move-in dates are fixed. Flexibility makes a sale easier
Banana House has its head office in Honkocho, Tomakomai, and handles sales brokerage and direct purchases in the Chitose and Eniwa area. A valuation is fine even if you “have not decided whether to sell.” Please apply with three items: the property type, its location and your contact details.
Related articles: Selling, renting out or demolishing a vacant house in Chitose / Land prices in Chitose / Real estate information for Chitose
This page was machine-translated. The Japanese original prevails.
Frequently asked questions
Should I sell now or wait a little longer?
No one can predict the future for certain. What is certain is that as of 2026, residential land in Chitose is 1.5 to 2.5 times the level of five years ago, which is high. The rate of increase differs by district, and districts away from the station have settled at +2 to 3%. If you have no plans to use the property, the ongoing burden of property tax and upkeep is also a factor in your decision.
Is the valuation free?
Yes, it is free. We accept requests with three items: the property type, its location and your contact details. There is no charge even if you decide not to sell after the valuation. The market in Chitose is moving, so a valuation from a year ago is not a useful reference.
Can I sell if I still have a mortgage?
Yes. The usual approach is to pay off the loan with the sale proceeds, cancel the mortgage registration, and then hand over the property. Because prices in Chitose have risen, more properties bought a few years ago can now sell for more than the remaining loan. First, check your remaining balance.
How much tax will I pay on the sale?
On the gain from the sale, about 20% if you have owned the property for more than 5 years, and about 39% if 5 years or less. If it is a home you lived in, the ¥30 million special deduction often reduces the tax to zero. Because prices in Chitose have risen so much, the tax on investment or inherited properties can reach a level you cannot ignore.
Consultations on selling and vacant houses are free
We can start a valuation with just three things: the property type, its location and your contact details. You do not need to have decided to sell yet.
Banana House Inc., 1-1-1 Honkocho, Tomakomai. We never use pushy sales. Please write in English or Japanese.
Sources and data
- Data retrieved: 2026-10-05. All prices are official public data and do not include our own estimates.
Yuki Nakazawa (President, Banana House Inc.) reviewed the Japanese original of this article. As a licensed real estate broker, we follow the Japanese rules for real estate advertising.