In February this year, I started my real estate business. I focus mainly on Tokyo residential leasing and decided to go out on my own after working at a real estate firm to learn the ropes.
This might sound like I deceived my former employer; actually it is the opposite. The firm I used to work for helped me get my current apartment.
At that time, my agent and I were speaking Japanese about my application when the president walked by. He passed our meeting room, stopped, came back and asked where I was from. I said Uzbekistan and he then said “Do you want a job here?”
That was the beginning. Once on the inside, I learned how to source property and execute leasing deals.
All I needed was clients.
Erik Nasriddinov, principal broker at Gabus Estate, a graduate of Tokyo International University and fluent in English and Japanese. Photo courtesy of Erik.
The firm I worked for didn’t have a web presence nor did they have the funds needed to build a website from scratch. I’m an avid TikTok user, spending between one to two hours a day myself on the platform, and thought why couldn’t I use TikTok to generate leads in the absence of anything else.
So while in their employ I experimented with TikTok and different ways of shooting property. I also needed to equally experiment with different editing techniques and some videography classes I took in university helped out in this regard.
One day I was waiting for a client to show them a unit. The client texted me they would be about 15 minutes late. I used the 15 minutes to shoot a video tour and that night was reviewing it and thought, why not upload this to TikTok? The client didn’t like this unit but someone else might.
At the time I had about 200 followers on TikTok and over the next 5 months working for my old firm, I experimented a lot.
At one point I thought it would be a good idea to make videos on unique aspects of Japanese architecture. One video in particular highlighted the vegetable cooler installed in the floors of Japanese kitchens.
That video ended up getting over 100,000 views in a relatively quick amount of time, giving my other content greater visibility.
That is when the direct messages from other TikTok users began.
Erik's TikTok total followers and likes.
People had either seen my videos and followed the prompts to contact me directly or they had been forwarded my profile to them from a friend.
That kicked off a bit of a virtuous cycle of lead generation. I began spending my days showing more apartments and making more TikTok videos.
Eventually I was generating so many leads while working for a salary I thought, why not go out on my own?
That’s when I approached my old boss and together we worked out an agreement where his firm executes the contracts but the branding, property sourcing, setting up viewings and guiding clients through the application process is all my responsibility.
So by February of 2021, I started my own real estate business already with momentum on lead generation thanks to my efforts on TikTok. At present I’m consistently closing 9 leasing deals per month, plus or minus, based on leads sourced from TikTok and what started as just me has grown to five staff.
Along the journey, I am consistently surprised at how many inquiries we can generate. Surely, Sumitomo and Mitsui et al would have someone in their ranks doing something similar?
When I looked at Japan’s social media landscape, I saw listings presented all in the same sterile way. A thumbnail photo of the building and a link to that firm’s website for more info.
There wasn’t any agent promoting themselves or doing quick video tours in a well shot manner with any regularity.
After a lot of thought, I guess the difference is necessity. I don’t have a big name to fall back on nor a salary that is guaranteed.
I think you have had to grow up on TikTok to get what it can offer from a business sense. It isn’t simply posting listings; it is property mixed with your personality so that when clients initially reach out, they already feel somewhat familiar with you.
Most social media is this way but TikTok is unique in that it is all short videos only.
As I grow my business, I’m certain my approach could do well not only in leasing but in property sales too. A lot of my clients have special skills that allow them to apply for permanent residency in as little as two income tax filings.
They also work for large, stable corporations and once they get their PR, they will become very qualified buyers. I would be honoured to help them buy their first Tokyo property.
The real benefit of social media however is if you want to sell your property. If this applies to you, I urge you to think of this; you shouldn’t have to choose between one firm or another. You can hire both or all at the same time.
I’m not saying don’t hire the big names to sell your property. I’m saying that any sales agent asking for exclusivity without clearly demonstrating what benefits their firm would offer in exchange means they are afraid of their competition.
I won’t ask for exclusivity; may the best firm win your brokerage fee at the end of the day.
But what you might wish to think about is, without hiring an agent that is properly using social media, what buyers are your property not getting in front of?
Erik's TikTok sales video. Note the likes, comments and price point. Engagement is similar to leasing despite limited sales content on Erik's TikTok profile.
The thirty-something and under crowd are now coming of property buying age and they rely on social media for almost everything, including property searches and what agents to contact.
I can say with confidence that if you want to add a sellers agent to the mix that knows how to use social media well, I’m humbly at your service.
If I seem bold, I apologise. It is only because I am proud of our results and how we came about them; a method that even the big names haven’t been able to figure out yet.
