Japan lifestyle trends: Real estate as assets and proactive elderly care searches

Recent surveys by LIFULL group companies highlight shifting lifestyle and social trends in Japan regarding real estate and elderly care.

A survey by LIFULL HOME'S on condominium sales in the Tokyo metropolitan area reveals that a majority of owners (51.9%) intend to sell their properties eventually, even when purchasing for personal residence. This reflects a growing ‘asset management’ style of ownership. High property prices are a primary driver, with 33.5% of sellers citing the opportunity to sell at a high price as their motivation. Additionally, 71% of respondents reported a profit upon sale, with many realizing gains of over 10 million yen.

Separately, LIFULL senior’s ‘LIFULL Kaigo’ platform conducted a study on nursing home searches among elderly couples. The data shows an increasing trend in inquiries from ‘two-person elderly households’ to mitigate the risks of ‘old-old care’ (where both spouses are elderly). Unlike households living with children, who often seek facilities after needing care, elderly couples tend to proactively search for homes while they are still relatively healthy, with 46.6% inquiring while in an ‘independent’ state of health.