A real estate consultant who values the perspective of others

Work Ethic

What I Value

In your work and daily life, what kind of decisions do you try to make?

Rieko Shiozaki

Whether at work or in my private life, I place great importance on thinking from the other person's point of view. When making decisions, I first try to imagine how the other person feels and what they are seeking. While having my own opinions and thoughts, I proceed by understanding the other person's perspective, which has become a natural way for me to do things.

Origin

Life in America during High School

What experiences led you to consider the other person's position?

Rieko Shiozaki

When I was in my third year of junior high school, my family moved to America, and I spent four years at a local high school. Interacting daily with students from various backgrounds, I became aware that because of differences in culture and values, I needed to think about how to communicate well and what the other person was thinking. Through casual conversations and daily interactions with friends, thinking from the other person's perspective naturally became a habit, and it has become a fundamental part of how I interact with people in my current work and daily life.

Turning Point

Trigger for Change

Were there any events that made you feel a change in your way of thinking or behavior?

Rieko Shiozaki

In college, I became interested in watching movies, especially drawn to the dynamic developments of Indian films that were popular at the time. Until high school, I was good at observing others and taking a step back, but through movies, I found it interesting that unexpected encounters and sudden developments can also happen in real life. When I joined LINE Yahoo Corporation as a new graduate and worked in advertising sales, meeting a senior colleague at the same company became a turning point. At first, he was just a colleague, but as I listened to how he became passionate about real estate and built assets through real estate during the COVID-19 pandemic, I became interested in that world. What impressed me most was the stories he told about real estate. The way his stories unfolded one after another was like watching a movie, and I remember thinking, "Real estate can be this interesting." From this experience, in addition to the "ability to observe others and take a step back" that I had valued until then, I also learned the importance of confidently conveying what I find interesting as a story.

Life

Time to Be Myself

How do you usually spend your daily life and off time?

Rieko Shiozaki

Currently, I work at a foreign consulting firm while also being involved in the real estate business. Compared to when I lived in America, I have fewer opportunities to use English since returning to Japan. On the other hand, I feel that the version of myself who speaks English is definitely a part of my "true self." That's why, when I interact with overseas clients in real estate and explain properties and lifestyles in English, I find myself strangely relaxed. I also find it rewarding to be able to naturally utilize the experiences and English skills I developed overseas in my current work. On holidays, I travel to Kansai to watch the Takarazuka Revue, which is an important time for me to refresh. While I consciously switch between work and hobbies, I feel that the version of myself who speaks English, the version who works, and the version who gets absorbed in things I love—all of these are connected to my sense of self.

Future

Future Outlook

Is there anything you want to value or themes you are interested in going forward?

Rieko Shiozaki

This year, I purchased a residential property in Tokyo myself. By actually becoming a buyer, I realized there were many things I hadn't noticed when I was only involved in real estate as a job. The hesitation before deciding to buy, the contract and mortgage process, and the risks that become apparent after purchase—by experiencing these myself, I feel I can now more concretely imagine how my clients feel. Not just explaining things as knowledge, but being able to share "what I can convey because I have actually experienced it myself" with clients has been a major change. Going forward, I want to actively engage not only in residential real estate but also in investment real estate, and as I accumulate my own experiences, I want to give back those real, firsthand learnings to my clients. What I don't want to change in all of this is always thinking from the other person's perspective. Even as my own experience grows, I want to continue valuing the attitude of thinking from the same perspective as my clients.