International Migration and the Housing Market: Japanese Corporate Movers in London

Abstract

The incorporation of high-skill corporate migrants into the existing housing markets of destination cities has been neglected in studies of contemporary international migration. Nevertheless, the potential impacts on rent levels and property prices, and on the overall shape of the housing market, are considerable. Japanese corporate movement to London has led to the establishment of a separate housing sub-sector, channelling rented housing to Japanese clients through Japanese estate agencies. Japanese companies do not play a direct role in this, but hold considerable influence over the system such that it serves their perceived interests. Through the use of a questionnaire survey of Japanese residents, interviews with estate agencies and analysis of property available in the Japanese sub-market, the article demonstrates both the impact of Japanese corporate movement on housing issues in a global city and the ways in which the accommodation of high-skill migrants accords with the culture of corporate interests.