1.
brokerage fee, agent's commission, intermediary fee
A fee paid to a broker or agent for facilitating a transaction, most commonly in real estate. In Japan, this typically refers to the fee paid to a real estate agent when renting or buying property.
Etymology
仲介 (mediation/brokering) + 手数料 (handling fee/commission).
Cultural note
In Japanese real estate, the 仲介手数料 is one of the initial costs when renting an apartment, along with 敷金 (security deposit), 礼金 (key money), and the first month's rent.
For property purchases, the legal maximum is based on a sliding scale of the sale price. Some agents advertise 仲介手数料無料 (no commission) or 半額 (half price) as a selling point.