“Rents are rising, decisions are slowing down. The quiet changes happening in the rental market” Today’s Real Estate, a 3-minute read, vol. 454

Reference and introduction of news

On October 30, 2026, the Real Estate Information Site Council (RSC) announced the results of the “Real Estate Information Site User Awareness Survey.” This survey has been conducted annually since 2003, and this is the 24th time. It was conducted from January 28 to May 31, 2026, and there were 887 valid responses.

What we want to focus on in this survey is the lengthening of the consideration period for rental properties. Among users who actually signed a rental contract, the percentage of those who took more than a month from starting their housing search to signing the contract was 59.4%, an increase of 10.1 points from the previous year. This is the highest level in the past five years. In particular, the percentage of those who took three months or more reached 23.5%, meaning that about one in four people is considering a property over a long period.

Also, the average number of real estate agencies visited before signing a contract was 2.5, the highest in the past 10 years. On the other hand, the average number of real estate agencies contacted was 3.1, a decrease from the previous year. In other words, while the number of places contacted is being narrowed down, it is thought that the trend of actually visiting and comparing multiple real estate agencies is strengthening.

Why is the consideration period for rental properties becoming longer?

The first possible reason is the user’s cautious judgment due to rising rents. Especially in urban areas, the rise in advertised rents continues, and it is becoming difficult to find properties that meet conditions such as desired location, size, and building age within the budget. Users who previously could decide on a property close to their desired conditions in a relatively short period of time may now need to take time to consider while expanding their area or reconsidering the distance from the station.

Next, there is a possibility that more users are carefully judging the necessity of moving itself. As rents rise, there are cases where moving from one’s current home will significantly increase monthly housing costs. Furthermore, initial costs such as security deposits, key money, brokerage fees, and moving expenses are also required. Considering these burdens, the option of continuing to live in the current home even if there is some dissatisfaction arises. As a result, there may be an increase in users who are not in a hurry to sign a contract while looking for a property.

And another factor is the diversification of information gathering methods. Nowadays, you can collect information about towns and properties not only from real estate portal sites but also from Google Maps, social media, and review sites. Information that could previously only be obtained by visiting a real estate agency can now be researched by the users themselves. On the other hand, because there is more information to compare, there is also the aspect that it actually takes more time to make a decision.

Of course, this survey did not identify the direct cause of the lengthening. However, it is highly conceivable that multiple factors such as rising rents, moving costs, and changes in information gathering methods are influencing users’ decision-making.

How will room searching change in the future due to AI?

Another interesting point in this survey is the use of generative AI. 36.4% of users have experience using generative AI in their housing search. In addition, the percentage of those who answered that they want to use it in the future reached 62.3%, regardless of whether they have used it before or not.

Regarding the content they want to use it for, “calculating an appropriate purchase budget or rent” was the most common at 51.9%, followed by “researching and comparing the characteristics of areas and towns” at 46.3%. Users seem to want to use AI not just for simple property searches, but to judge the budget and town that suits them.

In the future, it may become common to search for a room by telling AI your desired conditions, lifestyle, income, and workplace, and having it suggest appropriate rents and candidate areas. Furthermore, if AI also supports the comparison of candidate properties, the estimation of initial costs, and the analysis of the surrounding environment, the way users consider properties will change significantly.

However, even if information gathering is made more efficient by AI, it does not necessarily mean that the consideration period will be shortened. Rather, as the accuracy of comparisons increases, there is a possibility that more users will continue to consider until they find a property they can be more satisfied with.

Such changes will also affect the sales activities of real estate brokerage companies. Just introducing property information as in the past will make the reason for being chosen by users weaker. From now on, it will be important to understand the reasons why users are hesitant, organize the priority of conditions, and support appropriate decision-making.

The lengthening of the room search process is not simply a story about users’ decision-making ability declining. It should be seen as the housing choice itself becoming more cautious because the burden of housing costs has increased and there is more information available to compare.

In future rental brokerage, won’t it become an era where it is questioned not just how quickly you can get a contract signed, but how satisfied the user is when they sign it?

Thank you for reading until the end!

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