A cheap limited brief or costly full service: neither Tokyo proposal feels clear

S

sailsAndQuill

Buyer
Established
One update has made the choice less clear: the cheaper proposal leaves important work optional, while the full-service quote does not say who will actually handle it. This is for a Tokyo apartment expected to sell near ¥78,800,000.

I now see two branches. If I compare fees, I need each agent to price the same scope, including the photography deliverables, buyer checks, negotiation and support if an agreed deal collapses. If the scopes remain different, I need evidence that the extra service is worth paying for: comparable results, response standards, conflict disclosure and the name of the person managing the sale. What questions have helped others turn broad promises into something measurable?
 
Ask each agent to put the fee basis and exclusions into the same written table. For photography, clarify who pays, what is delivered and whether retakes are included. For buyer qualification and offers, ask what they verify, how quickly you receive an offer, and whether competing offers are presented together. Also get the actual file handler’s name rather than relying on whoever makes the pitch.
 
One missing fact: are all proposals based on the same expected sale price and the same definition of a successful closing? A low headline fee can look different once optional photography, negotiation support or extra coordination is added. I would also ask what happens—and what becomes payable—if a buyer withdraws before closing.
 
I would not give much weight to a promised response time by itself. A rapid reply is not necessarily a useful one, and fall-through rates may reflect the apartments and buyers an agent handles rather than service quality. Recent comparable sales are more informative if the agent can explain why those apartments are genuinely comparable to yours. Their proposed pricing and offer strategy should follow from that explanation.
 
Before choosing, send all candidates the same short scenario: two offers arrive, one higher but less certain, and the agent may also be connected to a prospective buyer. Ask who contacts you, what buyer qualification is reported, how the offers are documented, how any conflict is disclosed, and who coordinates matters if the preferred offer collapses. Comparing those answers alongside a line-by-line fee schedule should reveal more than the sales presentation.
 
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