2021

Full-scale development of domestic real estate brokerage business
~ Introducing Keller Williams (one of the largest real estate brokerage franchises in the U.S.) into Japan. ~

Feb. 26. 2021
Marubeni Corporation
Marubeni Real Estate Development Co. Ltd.
Agent Growth Corporation

Marubeni Corporation ("Marubeni"), Marubeni Real Estate Development Co., Ltd. ("MRED") a wholly owned subsidiary of Marubeni, and Agent Growth Corporation, doing business as "Keller Williams Japan, ("KWJ") will be expanding the unique business model of Keller Williams (“KW”), the largest real estate brokerage franchise in the United States, throughout Japan.

Marubeni has business interests in various real estate-related businesses, from the sourcing and development of profitable real estate projects to property asset management, including more specialized categories such as the structuring and management of real estate funds and the planning and development of project management opportunities which include both facility management and operations. In January 2020, Marubeni invested in KWJ, which holds a master license for KW in Japan, in order to further expand our real estate businesses by initiating the following. MRED established Marubeni Real Estate Agency Co., Ltd. ("MREA") in November of the same year as a newly incorporated company focused on fully expanding KW’s business and concluded a sublicense agreement with KWJ to open Marubeni Group's first brokerage office or “market center” ("MC") to be called KW Tokyo Bay. With a vision of introducing KW’s unique business model to Japan and working with other industry leaders to revitalize the real estate brokerage industry, KWJ will expand its nationwide network of sublicensed MC’s with the support of the Marubeni Group.

<Market Center (sublicensed office) Development & Awarding Structure> <Market Center (sublicensed office) Development & Awarding Structure>

It is common practice in the US for a real estate agent (“agent”) to work as an independent contractor earning compensation based on securing the best deal and acting as a fiduciary on behalf of the property buyer or seller. In addition, a KW agent can enter into an outsourcing agreement or independent contract agreement with a MC and work their own hours and from any location and earn compensation according to their ability through a performance based full commission remuneration system. In addition, new employment opportunities are created as many people choose to become an agent as a side job. Agents can take advantage of KW's business systems that help them manage their customer data, register property information, upload property listings to the company’s website, manage transactions and transaction pipeline information, as well as attend KW's signature training programs that have helped increase the productivity of agents throughout the world. Finally, KW's global network of MC’s and agents can be leveraged by our Japanese agents and MC owners to further develop their businesses.

Marubeni, MRED, and KWJ plan to expand KW throughout Japan by offering a business model that provides an environment that is both easy for agents to work in and provides flexible alternatives for improving human resource utilization and people development methods, while responding quickly to the recent changes in work styles.

(*)Established in 1983. KW's training methodology has been highly evaluated and ranked by many top agents and office owners. In 2019, the company ranked first in the world in the number of agents as a single real estate brokerage franchise company, and ranked first in the U.S. in the number of transactions and transactions value (1,165,738 and US$36 billion respectively). KW has expanded to 50 countries including the US and Canada as of the end of December, 2020.

“Mega Camp” annual global event for KW agents “Mega Camp” annual global event for KW agents
【 Marubeni Overview 】
Company name Marubeni Corporation
Location Tokyo Nihonbashi Tower, 2-7-1 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Established December 1949
Share Capital 262,686 million yen
Representative Director Masumi Kakinoki
Business Description Import and export (including foreign transactions) and domestic transactions in lifestyle,
information and real estate, forest products, food, agribusiness, chemicals, energy,
metals, power, infrastructure projects, aviation and ships, finance and leasing business,
construction machinery, industrial machinery and mobility, next-generation business
development, and a wide range of other fields through domestic and overseas
networks, domestic and foreign business investment and resource development.
HP https://www.marubeni.com/en/
     
【 MRED Overview 】
Company name Marubeni Real Estate Development Co., Ltd.
Location Shiba 520 Building,5-20-6 Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Established September 1983
Share Capital 400 million yen
Representative Director Tetsuji Yamamoto
Business Description Business related to the sale, exchange, leasing, management and brokerage of real
estate, research, development and consulting business related to these, business
related to evaluation and appraisal of real estate, consulting and engineering services
related to construction and equipment, import and export of furniture, fixtures,
equipment, building materials, daily necessities, sales and leasing, business related to
type-2 financial instruments business based on the Financial Instruments and Exchange
Act, All projects related to these incidentals.
HP https://www.mred.co.jp/
     
【 KWJ Overview 】
Company name Agent Growth Corporation (doing business as) Keller Williams Japan
Location 27F Shiroyama Trust Tower,4-3-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Established October 2018
Share Capital 211 million yen
Representative Director Tsuyoshi Yamamoto
Business Description Real estate brokerage office franchising
HP https://kellerwilliams.jp/
     
【 MREA Overview  】
Company name Marubeni Real Estate Agency Co., Ltd.
Store name KW Tokyo Bay
Location 3-3-5 Ningyocho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Established November 2020
Share Capital 35 million yen
Representative Director Daiichi Hirose
Company name arubeni Real Estate Agency Co., Ltd.

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