When house-hunting, you'll often come across a property flyer known as a "maisoku." A great deal of information — floor area, walking minutes, transaction type — is packed onto a single sheet, and each item follows fixed notation rules. Here we go through how to read the main items, and the points worth confirming beyond the flyer alone.
- Floor area is often listed as "wall-center area" (hekishin menseki), measured to the centerline of the walls, which can differ from the registry's "interior area" (uchinori menseki).
- Walking minutes are calculated under the Fair Competition Code for real estate representations, at 80 meters of road distance per minute.
- Whether a brokerage commission applies depends on the transaction type (seller, agent, or brokerage).
- The management fee and repair reserve fund shown are current amounts; any planned future increase needs to be checked separately.
- A maisoku is a document for grasping the overview — confirm the details through an on-site visit and the important matters explanation.
The bottom line: the maisoku gives the overview — confirm details on-site and in the important matters explanation
A maisoku is a convenient document for quickly grasping a property's overview, but the figures and wording on it follow their own rules, and taking them completely at face value can create a gap between impression and reality. When you find an interesting property on a maisoku, it's reassuring to follow up with an on-site visit and the important matters explanation (jūyō jikō setsumei) to confirm the details.
How to read floor area (wall-center vs. interior)
A condominium's floor area is generally listed as the "wall-center area" (hekishin menseki), measured to the centerline of the walls. The area listed on the registry, on the other hand, is the "interior area" (uchinori menseki) — the actual measurement inside the walls — which is slightly smaller than the wall-center area. When floor area is a requirement for eligibility under a program such as the mortgage tax deduction, the registry's interior area may be the standard used, so it's reassuring to check the registry as well, not just the maisoku figure.
How walking minutes are calculated, and things to watch for
Walking minutes are set by the Fair Competition Code concerning real estate representations to be calculated at 80 meters of road distance per minute. Time spent waiting at traffic lights and the extra burden of slopes or stairs aren't factored in — it's a purely mechanical figure based on distance alone. It's not unusual for the actual walk to feel longer than the maisoku's listed time, so it's worth walking the route yourself if possible.
The three transaction types and their effect on brokerage commission
Transaction type is mainly divided into three categories: "seller," "agent," and "brokerage" (chūkai). When buying directly from the seller, or from the seller's agent, no brokerage commission applies as a rule. When a real estate company brokers between seller and buyer, however, a brokerage commission applies within the cap set by the Real Estate Brokerage Act. Even for the same-priced property, the transaction type can change the effective cost to you, and that's worth keeping in mind.
How to read the management fee, repair reserve fund, and other cost fields
A condominium's maisoku lists the monthly management fee and repair reserve fund, but these are current figures — they don't tell you whether an increase is planned or the details of the repair plan. We go into detail on how to judge management condition in Putting "Buy the Management" into Practice: How to Assess a Condo's Management — please have a look.
How to gather information not written on the maisoku
Due to space constraints, a maisoku sometimes doesn't fully cover disclosure items, detailed surrounding conditions, or renovation history. Confirming points of concern by asking the agent directly and through the important matters explanation is essential. See also What Are "Off-Market Properties"? How to Gather Listing Information on how to gather property information. When comparing several maisoku sheets, it helps to be mindful of whether the floor area and walking-minute figures are on a consistent basis, which makes comparing properties easier.
FAQ
How is one walking minute calculated?
Under the Fair Competition Code concerning real estate representations, it's calculated as 80 meters of road distance per minute. Waiting at traffic lights and the extra burden of slopes aren't factored in — it's a purely mechanical distance-based figure.
What's different if the transaction type is "seller"?
When the transaction type is seller, the real estate company deals directly as the seller, so as a rule no brokerage commission applies. For brokerage (agency-mediated) deals, a brokerage commission applies within the cap set by the Real Estate Brokerage Act.
Is the floor area on the flyer the same as on the registry?
In many cases, the floor area on a property flyer is the wall-center area (hekishin menseki), while the registry uses the interior area (uchinori menseki), so the figures differ slightly. When floor area matters for eligibility under a program, check the registry.
Summary
A maisoku is a handy document for grasping a property's overview, but its floor area, walking minutes, and transaction type each follow their own notation rules. Understand these correctly, then confirm the details on-site and in the important matters explanation.