Translating Real Estate Listings: From French Villas to Tokyo Apartments

Hook: Turning a $1.8M French Villa Into a Natural-Sounding Tokyo Listing — Why It’s Hard and How to Do It Right

Translating a luxury house description from French or English into Japanese isn’t just about swapping words. International agents, language services, and property platforms all struggle with the same pain points: inaccurate legal terms, awkward tone, wrong measurements, and marketing copy that doesn’t match local expectations. If you’ve ever seen a direct, literal translation that leaves Japanese buyers confused or skeptical, this guide fixes that — using the recent $1.8M French listings (Sète, Montpellier) as a practical springboard to craft natural, compliant, and high-converting Japanese property listings in 2026.

Why this matters in 2026: trends that change the game

• AI plus human review: By late 2025 and into 2026, LLM-based tools drastically speeded up draft translations. But market leaders use AI for scale and human specialists for legal and cultural accuracy.
• Multilingual property searches: Platforms now prioritize localized content. A translated listing must be written for search behavior in Japan (検索語), not for direct French-English readers.
• Demand for clarity around legal & financial terms: International buyers and renters want explicit terms: ownership rights, taxes, fees, and maintenance costs — all in locally understood language.
• Sustainability and remote work: Buyers increasingly ask about energy performance, workspace options, and transport vs. remote-work flexibility. Highlight these in localized copy.

Inverted pyramid: What a Japanese reader needs first

Start with what matters most to the Japanese searcher: location relative to train stations, floor area in square meters (専有面積), layout (1LDK, 3LDK, etc.), price in JPY (or a clear conversion), and move-in or sale readiness (現況, 引渡し時期). Then layer amenities, renovation history, and legal notes.

Core elements every Japanese listing must show

• 物件種別 (マンション／戸建て／アパート)
• 所在地 with nearest station and walking minutes (最寄り駅・徒歩X分)
• 専有面積／建物面積 in m² (square meters) and 間取り (room layout)
• 築年数・構造 (築X年、RC／木造など)
• 価格 (税込・税別の表記とJPN円換算が望ましい)
• 管理費・修繕積立金／敷金・礼金 (賃貸の場合)
• 入居時期／引渡し時期
• 重要事項説明の有無や現況

Step-by-step translation & localization workflow

1. Identify target audience and channel: Is this for Tokyo buyers, Osaka investors, or renters from overseas? A Tokyo apartment listing aimed at expatriates will read differently than one for local families.
2. Normalize numerical data: Convert square feet to square meters (1 sq ft ≈ 0.092903 m²). Round sensibly and show both units if you expect international readers.
3. Map legal & financial terms: Translate French/English legal terms to Japanese equivalents — but verify nuance. For example, a French “charges” may correspond to 管理費・共益費 in Japan; “notaire fees” has no direct Japanese counterpart and needs an explanatory note.
4. Localize transport references: Replace or explain French railway terms (TGV) with local equivalents or comparisons so the Japanese reader understands speed and convenience.
5. Adapt tone and marketing angle: Japanese listings favour concise, benefit-driven statements: commute time, daylight exposure, storage space, and earthquake-resistant structure.
6. Validate legal compliance: Add disclaimers where terms don’t map 1:1 and recommend consultation with a licensed 宅地建物取引業者 if necessary.
7. SEO and keyword mapping: Use target Japanese search phrases like “東京 賃貸 1LDK 駅近”, “中古マンション 3LDK 築浅”, and incorporate the target keywords from your brief: real estate translation (不動産翻訳), housing vocabulary (住宅語彙), Tokyo apartments (東京 アパート), legal terms (法務用語), marketing copy (販促文), localization (ローカリゼーション), rental listing Japanese (賃貸物件 日本語), property descriptions (物件説明).
8. Human edit & cultural QA: Have a native Japanese editor with real estate experience review for nuance and naturalness.

Practical example: Translating the Sète $1.86M listing into Japanese

Below is a real-world translation process: original snippet → literal translation problems → revised Japanese listing suited for Tokyo buyers.

Original (condensed) — from the Sète listing

“A stylish, renovated home with views of the sea. This four-bedroom house, built in 1950 and renovated in 2019, is in Sète, a port city... Size: 1,485 square feet. Price per square foot: $1,250. Indoors: This stylish home on two levels reflects the aesthetics of its seller, who is an interior designer.”

Why a literal translation fails

• Square feet-only measurements confuse Japanese readers — they expect m² and 間取り.
• Phrases like “reflects the aesthetics of its seller” sound odd and self-centered in Japanese; highlight benefits instead: light, storage, usable layout.
• Sea-view appeals in France; in Tokyo, emphasize proximity to transport, schools, and daily conveniences for better conversion.

Polished Japanese listing — sale listing style (for Tokyo adaptation)

海を望むリノベ済みの戸建（4LDK） — 即入居可

• 所在地：XX区（最寄り駅：XX駅 徒歩15分）
• 価格：1,860,000ドル（約X億円、参考為替レートに基づく）
• 専有面積：138 m²（約1,485 sq ft）／間取り：4LDK
• 築年：1950年（2019年にフルリノベーション）
• 特徴：海が望める高台／天窓で採光良好／デザイナーによる内装／駐車スペース有
• 備考：現況渡し。詳細はお問い合わせください。宅地建物取引業法に基づく重要事項説明を行います。

ポイント：最初の見出しは物件の最大の売り（海の眺望、リノベ済み）を日本人に伝わる言葉でまとめ、価格は日本円換算を注記。法律に関する簡潔な一行を入れて信頼感を高めます。

Glossary: Key French/English → Natural Japanese terms for housing

• square footage → 専有面積／m²（平米）
• 4-bedroom → 4LDK／4DK／4K（間取りで表現）
• renovated → リノベーション済み／フルリフォーム済み
• price per square foot → 平米単価（単位を日本式に換算）
• sea views → 海が見える／オーシャンビュー
• furnished/stylish → デザイナーズ仕様、家具付き可（家具付きの場合は明記）
• charges / maintenance → 管理費・共益費・修繕積立金
• notary / frais de notaire → 日本に直訳できない。仲介手数料や登記費用の説明で代替
• let / rent → 賃貸（賃貸物件の場合は敷金、礼金、保証金などを明示）

Marketing tone: 3 Japanese variants and when to use them

1. Formal / trust-building (仲介会社・高額物件)

   短く正確。法務や権利関係を正確に。例: “重要事項説明書に基づきご案内します。”

2. Warm / lifestyle (expat or family audience)

   周辺情報や暮らしの価値を強調。例: “朝日が差し込むリビングは在宅ワークにも最適。” — see travel and lifestyle examples like boutique microcations and immersive pre-trip content approaches.

3. Sleek / luxury marketing (高級物件)

   デザイン面とステータスをアピール。例: “インテリアは有名デザイナー監修、隣家からのプライバシー確保。”

Legal and compliance pointers (practical, not legal advice)

Translations must respect differences in legal frameworks. In Japan:

• Real estate agent duties are governed by 宅地建物取引業法 — listings often include a note that a licensed agent will provide 重要事項説明.
• Clear numerical disclosure matters: floor area, land rights, and building coverage ratios should be shown if relevant.
• For rental listings, state deposits (敷金), key money (礼金), guarantor requirements (保証人または保証会社利用), and move-in date (入居日) clearly.
• When a foreign legal concept doesn’t map neatly to Japanese rules (e.g., “notaire fees”), explain the practical effect instead of forcing a term.

"Translate the contract, not just the copy." — good property translation turns legal facts into locally actionable information.

SEO & discoverability in Japanese marketplaces

Ranking for Tokyo property searches requires keyword-honed Japanese copy. Tips:

• Include location and station keywords early: “東京 目黒区 3LDK 駅近”.
• Use synonyms and long-tail phrases: “リノベーション済み 中古マンション 港区 海が見える”.
• Write short, reader-friendly meta descriptions and listing headlines for mobile users — many Japanese property hunters browse on mobile apps.
• Structured data: where possible, use schema markup in Japanese site builds so search engines can render price, area, and availability snippets.

Practical checklist for translators & localizers

1. Confirm target audience and currency preference (JPY primary for Japan).
2. Convert measurements & round appropriately; list both units if needed.
3. Map legal & financial vocabulary with explanatory notes when required.
4. Rewrite marketing claims into benefits Japanese buyers expect (通勤時間・日当たり・耐震性・収納).
5. Ensure the tone matches the marketplace channel (formal portal vs. social media ad).
6. Run a native real-estate editor review focusing on nuance: floor plans, structure types, and keywords.
7. Confirm required disclosures and add a legal-sounding disclaimer directing readers to a licensed agent.
8. Localize visuals: floor plans with Japanese annotations, neighborhood maps showing station access times — use neighborhood discovery tools like community calendars to power local context.

Case study: From Sète villa to Tokyo compact luxury apartment — a sample rewrite

Imagine the original French listing’s selling points — designer renovation, sea views, proximity to regional rail — and adapt for a compact Tokyo apartment market where buyers value station proximity, efficient layouts, and storage.

Sample Tokyo listing (賃貸/売買利用に合わせて調整)

物件名：目黒デザイナーズ 1LDK — 駅徒歩6分／日当たり良好

• 所在地：東京都目黒区（最寄り：目黒駅 徒歩6分）
• 価格：売却価格 ¥XX,XXX,XXX または 賃料 ¥XXX,XXX／月（管理費 ¥X,XXX）
• 専有面積：52.3 m²／間取り：1LDK
• 築年数：築8年（2020年フルリノベ）
• 特徴：デザイナー監修の内装、築浅で設備充実（床暖房・ビルトインエアコン）、宅配ボックス・オートロック完備
• 備考：ペット相談、保証会社利用必須、詳細はお問い合わせください。

Why this works: the copy highlights commuter convenience, usable m², and features Japanese buyers value (床暖房, 宅配ボックス), while still echoing the original’s design angle. For visuals and listing photography, consider a tiny home studio approach to product photography and floorplan capture.

Advanced strategies for 2026 and beyond

• AI-assisted glossaries: Maintain a domain-specific glossary trained with LLM tools, then human-verify to keep consistency across hundreds of listings.
• Localized A/B testing: Test multiple headline tones and see which converts better on Japanese portals. Use analytics to optimize keywords and phrasing.
• Multimodal localization: Translate floorplans and caption photos with contextual labels — e.g., convert “balcony” to バルコニー and add dimensions in square meters.
• Accessibility & mobile-first design: Japanese users often browse on mobile; keep headlines scannable and use bullet points for key specs.
• Cross-market narratives: For international clients, create a companion page explaining differences between French and Japanese real estate practices — this builds trust and reduces friction.

Final actionable takeaways

• Always convert and display measurements in m² and use Japanese 間取り labels.
• Prioritize station proximity, commute times, and structural details for Tokyo listings.
• Map legal terms carefully and add explanatory notes when there’s no direct Japanese equivalent.
• Use AI to draft, but always finish with a native real-estate editor for nuance and compliance.
• Optimize headlines and copy for Japanese search behavior and mobile browsing.

Resources & glossary download

Want a ready-to-use glossary mapping French/English property terms to natural Japanese equivalents, plus a 10-point QA checklist? We keep a living resource updated for late-2025/2026 market changes—including tips on AI workflows and sample metadata for listings. Download the glossary and use a quick tool-stack audit to confirm workflows before you translate at scale.

Call to action

If you’re translating French or English property listings for Tokyo or other Japanese markets, don’t let literal translations cost you trust or conversions. Contact our specialized translation and localization team for a free sample edit of one listing, or download the glossary and QA checklist to get started. Ready to convert international properties into natural, high-performing Japanese listings? Reach out and we’ll show you how a 10-minute briefing can save weeks of rework.

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