Choei Global Desk Staff Interview
Choei Global Desk – All Staff Are Former Tenants, Putting “Tenants First”
We spoke with Ms. Tao Sui‑Xin from Choei’s Global Desk, who is fluent in Japanese, English, and Chinese.
Q: I’ve heard that you were originally a tenant in a Choei property. Could you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your background?
A (Tao): That’s right. I used to live in a Choei property and felt very safe and comfortable there. One of Choei’s strengths is that they have such a wide variety of properties that you can choose the one best suited to your needs.
I graduated from a university in Kyoto, and after that, I moved to Hokkaido and Osaka for work. Eventually, I returned to Kyoto, a city that is so livable, and started working in my current role. My main job is to assist customers in English and Chinese.
Choei manages about 28,000 rental units, and among them, around 2,800 tenants are foreign nationals. I believe this is one of the reasons why our international customers feel reassured.
Q: I understand that many of those are international students?
A (Tao): That’s correct. Most of the people we support are international students studying at universities, vocational schools, or Japanese language schools. We not only help them find apartments, but also advise them on daily life in Kyoto, so that their parents back home can feel at ease as well.
Since I myself was once an international student in Kyoto, that experience is extremely helpful in my current work. Recently, we’ve often been helping students find a place to live even before they come to Japan. We also hold regular “Housing Guidance Sessions” at universities and language schools.
Because the busy times for apartment hunting tend to overlap, school visits like these are greatly appreciated. And since Choei manages so many of its properties, we can support a large number of students efficiently — that’s one of our strengths.
Q: Choei’s unique services for tenants are quite popular as well.
A (Tao): That’s right. For example, this coming October, we will hold a private‑booking event at the Kyoto Aquarium. We’ll be inviting 4,000 people, and anyone living in a Choei‑managed property can join. Of course, the 2,800 foreign tenants are welcome as well, so I expect many will participate.
We also have very popular events like invitations to the Biwako Fireworks Festival and strawberry‑picking outings, and giveaways such as fully‑ripe Miyazaki mangoes or Kyoto‑grown rice. These kinds of activities, designed from a “Tenants First” perspective to help residents enjoy their daily lives, are something you’d rarely find anywhere else.
Interviewer’s Note:
Thank you very much. It’s clear that Choei truly values its tenants.
While many real estate companies provide a variety of services for property owners, it is quite rare for a property management company to offer such services for tenants. With its long track record in Kyoto and its position as the number one local company in the area, Choei is also fulfilling an important social role.
It is said that about 10% of Kyoto’s residents are students, and among them, international students in particular often need multilingual support as they adjust to life in Japan. This service, too, grew out of Choei’s commitment to putting tenants first.
I sincerely hope that more real estate companies across Japan will follow Choei’s example of prioritizing tenants’ needs.（ Kazumi Miyazaki ）
Mr. Tao and Mr. Okuno, the Executive in Charge