Monday, June 27, 2011

Chico from USA


About a month ago, I started hunting for a new apartment in Tokyo. I
didn't have much of a strategy. I Google'd a few search terms. I sent
e-mails to a few realtor companies, addressed to nobody in particular.
I braced myself for weeks of confusion.

But a grim apartment search turned into an enjoyable (and successful)
one for one lucky reason: Kaz Harada read the message I sent to Hikari
Homes. Harada-san, it turns out, is terrific at his job -- friendly,
reliable, industrious. On my behalf, he worked quickly and honestly,
showing me to just the sort of apartments I was interested in seeing.
When minor problems came up, Harada-san found easy solutions. When a
wire transfer to the property owner didn't go through, Harada-san
called the bank and made it work. Not once did the process feel
overwhelming or stressful. And eventually, I ended up with a great
apartment -- and four months of free rent.

I don't anticipate moving again while I live in Tokyo, but if I do,
I'll take a more direct approach to my apartment hunt: I'll call
Harada-san from the get-go. That's a strategy I would advise for
anybody.

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