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.
仲介手数料はいくらですか？
How much is the brokerage fee?
仲介手数料無料の物件を探す。
To look for a property with no brokerage fee.
賃貸の仲介手数料は家賃の一か月分が上限と法律で決まっている。
By law, the brokerage fee for rentals is capped at one month's rent.
COMPONENTS: 仲介 (mediation/brokering) + 手数料 (handling fee/commission).
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.